"LI B R.AR.Y OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 977364 'HINDIS WSIDHICH sgnn HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY, TOGETHER WITH HISTORIC NOTES 0. THE NORTHWEST, GLEANED FROM EARLY AUTHORS, OLD MAPS AND MANUSCRIPTS, PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE, AND OTHER AUTHENTIC, THOUGH, FOR THE MOST PART, OUT-OF-THE-WAY SOURCES. BY H. W. BECKWITH, OF THE DANVILLE BAK; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OP THE HISTORICAL SOCIETIES or WISCONSIN AND CHICAGO. WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS. CHICAGO: H. H. -HILL AND COMPANY, PUBLISHERS. 1880. COPYRIGHT. 1879, BT H. W. BECKWITH AND SON. I KKIGHT /> O PREFACE. IN presenting the History of Iroquois County to the public the editors and publishers have had in view the preservation of certain valuable historical facts and information which without concentrated effort would not have been obtained but with the passing away of the old pioneers, the failure of memory, and the loss of public records and private diaries, would soon have been lost. This locality being comparatively new, we flatter ourselves that, with the zeal and indus- try displayed by our general and local historians, we have succeeded in rescuing from the fading years almost every scrap of history worthy of preservation. Doubtless the work is, in some respects, imperfect ; we do not present it as a model literary effort, but, in that which goes to make up a valuable book of reference for the pres- ent reader and the future historian, we assure our patrons that neither money nor time has been spared in the accomplishment of the work. Perhaps some errors will be found. With treacherous mem- ories, personal, political and sectarian prejudices and preferences to contend against, it would be almost a miracle if no mistakes were made. We hope that even these defects which may be found to exist may be made available in so far as they may provoke discussion and call attention to corrections and additions necessary to perfect history. The "Notes on the Northwest " necessarily the foundation for the history of this part of the country, by H. W. Beckwith, of Dan- 2 ville have already received the hearty endorsement of the press, of the historical societies of the northwestern states, and of the most accurate historians in the country. Mr. Beckwith has in his pos- -sion perhaps the most extensive private library of rare historical . works bearing on the territory under consideration in the world, and from them he has drawn as occasion demanded. 4 PREFACE. "Iroquois County in the Great Rebellion," by A. L. Whitehall, we are certain, will be an agreeable surprise not only to the many old soldiers of the late war but to every one interested in that great event ; and when we speak of Iroquois county we necessarily include almost every citizen, for hardly the man survives who does not take pride in the part that this county took in the suppression of that great iniquity. Mr. Whitehall has had in his mind the production of a complete war history, and our readers will agree with us when we say he has succeeded in an eminent degree. The general county history, written by E. 8. Ricker, Esq., will be found by our readers to be in a bold, fearless style, dealing in facts as so many causes, and pursuing effects to the end without turning to the right or left to accommodate the opinions or preferences of friend, party or sect. The township histories, by Hon. C. F. McNeill, M. H. Messer, A. W. Kellogg, E. Whittlesey, C. W. Raymond, and S. Gray, will be found full of valuable recollections, which, but for their patient research, must soon have been lost forever, but which are now happily preserved for all ages to come. These gentlemen have placed upon Iroquois county and the adjacent country a mark which will not be obliterated, but which will grow brighter and broader as the years go by. The biographical department contains the names and private sketches of nearly every person of importance in the county. A few persons, whose sketches we should be pleased to have presented, for various reasons refused or delayed furnishing us with the desired information, and in this matter only we feel that our work is incom- plete. However, in most of such cases we have obtained, in regard to the most important persons, some items, and have woven them into the county or township sketches, so that, as we believe, we can- not be accused of either partiality or prejudice. We had designed to give our patrons a book of about 800 pages, but the amount of interesting historical matter has been so great that we have had to extend the work to nearly one half more than the original design. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I. CHAPTER I. Topography The drainage of the Lakes and the Mississippi, and the Indian and French names by which they were severally called 11 CHAPTER II. Drainage of the Illinois and Wabash Their tributary streams The portages connecting the drainage to the Atlantic with that of the Gulf 17 CHAPTER III. The ancient Maumee Valley Geological features The portage of the Wabash and the Kankakee 21 CHAPTER IV. The rainfall Cultivation of the soil tends to equalize rainfall, and prevent the recurrence of drouths and floods 26 CHAPTER V. Origin of the prairies Their former extent Gradual encroachment of the forest Prairie fires Aboriginal names of the prairies, and the Indians who lived exclusively upon them 29 CHAPTER VI. Early French discoveries Jaques Cartier ascends the St. Lawrence in 1535 Samuel Champlain founds Quebec in 1608 In 1642 Montreal is established Influence of Quebec and Montreal upon the Northwest continues until subse- quent to the war of 1812 Spanish discoveries of the lower Mississippi in 1525, 37 CHAPTER VII. Joliet and Marquette's Voyage Father Marquette's Journal, descriptive of the journey and the country through which they traveled Biographical sketches of Marquette and Joliet 43 CHAPTER VIII. LaSalle's Voyage Biographical sketch of LaSalle Sketch of Father Hennepin and the merit of his writings 54 CHAPTER IX. La Salle's Voyage continued He erects Fort Miamis 63 CHAPTER X. The several rivers called the Miamis La Salle's route down the Illinois The Kankakee Marshes The French and Indian names of the Kankakee and Des Plaines The Illinois "Fort Crevecreur " The whole valley of the great river taken possession of in the name of the King of France 72 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER XI. Death of La Salle, in attempting to establish a colony near the mouth of the Mississippi Chicago Creek The origin of the name La Salle assassinated and his colony destroyed Second attempt of France, under Mons. Iberville, in 1699, to establish settlements on the Gulf The Western Company Law's scheme of inflation and its consequences .... 87 CHAPTER XII. Surrender of Louisiana to the French Crown in 1731 Early routes by way of the Kankakee, Chicago Creek, the Ohio, the Maumee and Wabash described The Maumee and Wabash, and the number and origin of their several names Indian villages 96 CHAPTER XIII. Aboriginal inhabitants The several Illinois tribes Of the name Illinois, and its origin The Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Tamaroas, Peorias and Metchigamis, sub- divisions of the Illinois Confederacy The tradition concerning the Iroquois River Their decline and removal westward of the Missouri 105 CHAPTER XIV. The Miamis The Miami, Piankeshaw and Wea bands Their superiority and their military disposition Their trade and difficulties with the French and the English They are upon the Maumee and Wabash Their Villages They defeat the Iroquois They trade with the English, and incur the anger of the French Their bravery Their decline Destructive effects of intem- perance Cession of their lands in Illinois. Indiana and Ohio Their re- moval westward and present condition 119 CHAPTER XV. The Pottawatomies Originally from the north and east of Lake Huron Their migrations by way of Mackinaw to the country west of Lake Michigan, and thence south and eastward Their games Origin of the name Pottawato- mie Occupy a portion of the country of the Miamis along the Wabash Their villages At peace with the United States after the war of 1812 Cede their lands Their exodus from the Wabash, the Kankakee and Wabash . . . 137 CHAPTER XVI. The Kickapops and Mascoutins reside about Saginaw Bay in 1612 ; on Fox River, Wisconsin, in 1670 Their reception of the Catholic fathers On the Maumee in 1712 In southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois Migrate to the Wabash Dwellers of the prairie Their destruction at the siege of De- 'troit Nearly destroy the Illinois and Piankeshaws. and occupy their country Join Tecumseh in a body They, with the Winnebagoes, attack Fort Harrison Their country between the Illinois and Wabash Their resem- blance to the Sac and Fox Indians 153 CHAPTER XVII. The Shawnees and Delawares Originally east of the Alleghany Mountains Are subdued and driven out by the Iroquois They war on the American settlements Their villages on the Big and Little Miamis, the St. Mary's, the Au Glaize, Maumee and Wabash The Delawares Made women of by the Iroquois Their country on White River, Indiana, and eastward defined They, with the Shawnees, sent west of the Mississippi 170 CHAPTER XVIII. The Indians Their implements, utensils, fortifications, mounds, manners and customs . 180 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 7 CHAPTER XIX. Stone implements used by the Indians before they came in contact with the Euro- peans Illustrations of various kinds of stone implements, and suggestions as to their probable uses 195 CHAPTER XX. The war for the fur trade Former abundance of wild animals and water-fowl in the Northwest The buffalo ; their range, their numbers, and final disap- pearance Value of the fur trade ; its importance to Canada 208 CHAPTER XXI. The war for the empire English claims to the Northwest Deeds from the Iro- quois to a large part of the country 224 CHAPTER XXII. Pontiac's war to recover the country from the English Pontiac's confederacy falls to pieces The country turned over to the English Pontiac's death. . . 234 CHAPTER XXIII. Gen. Clark's conquest of the " Illinois " The Revolutionary war Sketch of Gen. Clark His manuscript memoir of his march to the Illinois He cap- tures Kaskaskia The surrender of Vincennes Capt. Helm surprises a convoy of English boats at the mouth of the Vermilion River Organization of the northwest territory into Illinois county of Virginia 243 Iroquois county in the war of the great rebellion 261 Regimental history Infantry 262 Cavalry 304 Artillery 314 Dead heroes 317 Roll of honor 327 History of Iroquois county 331 Topographical 331 Early settlements 334 The Indian scare 340 Organization of the county 343 Thomas Frame 346 The era of speculation 349 Navigation of the Iroquois river 355 Illinois Central railroad 358 Peoria & Oquawka railroad 363 The swamp land controversy 372 Attempt to detach a part of Iroquois to form Ford 391 Publication of the proceedings of the board of supervisors 392 County seat contest 395 Building of the present court-house 403 Burning of the county offices and loss of records 406 Political history 407 Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad 418 Other railroads 428 Micajah Stanley's account of early times 430 Larch Farm 434 County officers 437 Biographies of Experience Lehigh, Joseph Elzeard Michaud, Franklin Blades, Edward Matthews, Isaac Amerman, John B. Robinson, Lucas Emory Pearce, Andrew C. Rankin, Winslow Woods, John H. Atwood, Samuel H. Harper, Thomas M. Pangborn, James P. Forsythe, Luther T. Clark, Moses H. Messer, Samuel M. Ayres, Edward S. Gilbert, George F. Page, E. S. Ricker, William H. Shannon, Perry Darst, James P. Martin, Martin Burnham, William A. Babcock -. 440-^66 Executions . 466 TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART II. TOWNSHIP HISTORY. MlDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS 1 First exploration 3 First settlement in Belmont 6 Woodland 11 Officers of Belmont 12 First settlement in Middleport 12 Officers of Middleport 16 Middleport 17 Watseka 24 Incorporation of Watseka 26 Schools of Watseka 34 Press of the county seat 35 Murders and executions 40 Secret societies of the county seat 43 Biographical 49 MILFORD TOWNSHIP 125 Incidents 142 Description 145 Village of Milford 146 Societies and churches 148 Schools 149 Biographical 151 SHELDON TOWNSHIP 175 Early history 176 Religious matters 178 Schools 179 Village of Sheldon 181 Societies, etc 183 Biographical 185 CONCORD TOWNSHIP 208 Iroquois 210 Incidents 213 Religious matters 214 Schools 215 Societies 216 Biographical 217 DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP 229 City of Gilman 232 Churches 235 Newspapers 241 Biographical 244 ARTESIA TOWNSHIP 262 Buckley 265 Churches 270 Societies 272 Biographical 273 LODA TOWNSHIP 284 Loda village ... 288 Churches, societies, etc 293 Biographical 298 DANPORTH TOWNSHIP 308 Danforth village 314 Biographical 314 ASHKUM TOWNSHIP 319 Ashkum village 323 Churches, societies, etc 325 Biographical 327 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 9 CHEBANSE TOWNSHIP 329 Chebanse village 334 Churches, societies, etc 338 Clifton 343 Churches 347 Biographical 348 MILK'S GROVE TOWNSHIP 309 Biographical 376 IROQUOIS TOWNSHIP 382 Early settlements and incidents 383 The ferry war 391 Biographical 393 CRESCENT TOWNSHIP 399 Crescent City 404 Biographical 409 PIGEON GROVE TOWNSHIP 415 The cattle war 416 Biographical 419 LOVEJOY TOWNSHIP 421 Biographical 425 PRAIRIE GREEN TOWNSHIP 434 Biographical 439 RlDGELAND TOWNSHIP 452 Villages 456 Biographical 458 FOUNTAIN CREEK TOWNSHIP 466 Biographical 470 STOCKLAND TOWNSHIP 479 Description 486 Biographical 488 MARTINTON TOWNSHIP 494 Martinton village 498 Biographical 499 BEAVER TOWNSHIP 512 Donovan 518 St. Mary 519 Biographical 520 PAPINEAU TOWNSHIP 527 Papineau village 534 Biographical 536 ONARGA TOWNSHIP 547 Schools 560 Churches 568 City of Onarga 577 Decatur Bagging Company 582 Murder of Martin Meara 595 Biographical 598 ASH GROVE TOWNSHIP 640 First elections 649 Educational 1552 Churches 654 Villages 658 Biographical 660 LIST OF PORTRAITS. PART I. George Rogers Clarke 245 Experience Lehigh ... 336 Micajah Stanley 352 PART II. C. F. McNeill 1 Gurdon S. Hubbard 6 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS. John L. Donovan 32 Daniel Fry 56 Franklin Blades 65 Thomas Vennum 83 Edward Dalton 92 M. H. Peters 101 M. B. Wright 119 W. B. Fleager 201 B. F. Fry 219 J. A. Koplin 276 A. C. Rankin 292 Addison Goodell 300 J. M. Balthis 364 Lemuel Milk 373 John Wilson 390 J. L. Hamilton 431 Thomas Maggee 503 Henry Jones 529 Fabien Langdoc 539 W. A. Babcock 548 T. M. Pangborn 556 G. F. Page 565 John B. Robinson 567 Winslow Woods 583 Hamilton Jefferson 593 W. P. Pierson 613 C. H. Wood 623 W. H. Harrison 649 OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS. PART I. Indian Implements 197-207 Buffalo 209 Map of Iroquois County 260 Fall of color-bearer 320 Whipple & Brown's hardware store, Milford 417 Woodland Mills 427 Miller & Woodwork's Block, Milford 433 PART II. Williams & Sons' creamery Key of old court-house 17 Iroquois county court-house 24 First National Bank, Watseka Iroquois County "Times " office Pioneer log cabin 556 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. CHAPTER I. TOPOGRAPHY. THE reader will have a better understanding of the manner in which the territory, herein treated of, was discovered and subse- quently occupied, if reference is made, in the outset, to some of its more important topographical features. Indeed, it would be an unsatisfactory task to try to follow the routes of early travel, or to undertake to pursue the devious wanderings of the aboriginal tribes, or trace the advance of civilized society into a country, without some preliminary knowledge of its topography. Looking upon a map of North America, it is observed that west- ward of the Allegheny Mountains the waters are divided into two great masses ; the one, composed of waters flowing into the great northern lakes, is, by the river St. Lawrence, carried into the Atlantic Ocean ; the other, collected by a multitude of streams spread out like a vast net over the surface of more than twenty states and several ter- ritories, is gathered at last into the Mississippi River, and thence dis- charged into the Gulf of Mexico. As it was by the St. Lawrence River, and the great lakes connected with it, that the Northwest Territory was discovered, and for many years its trade mainly carried on, a more minute notice of this remark- able water communication will not be out of place. Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, having sailed from St. Malo, entered, on the 10th of August, 1535, the Gulf, which he had explored the year before, and named it the St. Lawrence, in memory of the holy martyr whose feast is celebrated on that day. This name was subsequently extended to the river. Previous to this it was called the River of Canada, the name given by the Indians to the whole country.* The drainage of the St. Lawrence and the lakes extends through 14 degrees of longi- tude, and covers a distance of over two thousand miles. Ascending * Father Charlevoix 1 "History and General Description of New France;" Dr. John G. Shea's translation ; vol. 1, pp. 37, 115. 11 12 HISTORIC NOTES OF THE NORTHWEST. this river, we behold it flanked with bold crags and sloping hillsides ; its current beset with rapids and studded with a thousand islands ; combining scenery of marvelous beauty and grandeur. Seven hundred and fifty miles above its mouth, the channel deepens and the shores recede into an expanse of water known as Lake Ontario.* Passing westward on Lake Ontario one hundred and eighty miles a second river is reached. A few miles above its entry into the lake, the river is thrown over a ledge of rock into a yawning chasm, one hundred and fifty feet below; and, amid the deafening noise and clouds of vapor escaping from the agitated waters is seen the great Falls of Niagara. At Buffalo, twenty-two miles above the falls, the shores of Niagara River recede and a second great inland sea is formed, having an average breadth of 40 miles and a length of 240 miles. This is Lake Erie. The name has been variously spelt, Earie, Herie. Erige and Erike. It has also born the name of Conti.f Father Hennepin says : " The Hurons call it Lake Erige, or Erike, that is to say. the Lake of the Cat, and the inhabitants of Canada have softened the word to Erie ; " vide " A New Discovery of a Yast Country in America," p. 77 ; London edition, 1698. Hennepin's derivation is substantially followed by the more accurate and accomplished historian, Father Charlevoix, who at a later period, in 1721, in writing of this lake uses the following words: " The name it bears is that of an Indian nation of the Huron language, which was formerly settled on its banks and who have been entirely destroyed by the Iroquois. Erie in that language signifies cat, and in some accounts this nation is called the cat nation." He adds : " Some modern maps have given Lake Erie the name of Conti, but with no better success than the names of Conde, Tracy and Orleans which have been given to Lakes Huron, Superior and Michigan.";}: At the upper end of Lake Erie, to the southward, is Maumee Bay, of which more hereafter ; to the northward the shores of the lake again * Ontario has been favored with several names by early authors and map makers. Champlain's map, 1632, lays it down as Lac St. Louis. The map prefixed to Golden 'a "History of the Five Nations" designates it as Cata-ra-qui, or Ontario Lake. The word is Huron- Iroquois, and is derived, in their language, from Ontra, a lake, and to, beautiful, the compound word meaning a beautiful lake ; vide Letter of DuBois D'Avaugour, August 16, 1663, to the Minister: Paris Documents, vol. 9, p. 16. Baron LaHontan, in his work and on the accompanying map, calls it Lake Frontenac; vide " New Voyages to North America," vol. 1, p. 219. And Frontenac, the name by which this lake was most generally designated by the early French writers, was given to it in honor of the great Count Frontenac. Governor-General of Canada. t Narrative of Father Zenobia Membre, who accompanied Sieur La Salle in the voyage westward on this lake in 1679 ; vide " Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi." by Dr. John G. Shea, p. 90. Barou La Hqntan's "Voyages to North America," vol. 1, p. 217, also map prefixed ; London edition, 1703. Cadwalder Col- den's map, referred to in a previous note, designates it as "Lake Erie, or Okswego." J. Journal of a Voyage to North America, vol. 2, p. 2 ; London Edition, 1761. THE LAKES. 13 approach each other and form a channel known as the River Detroit, a French word signifying a strait or narrow passage. Northward some twenty miles, and above the city of Detroit, the river widens into a small body of water called Lake St. Clair. The name as now written is incorrect : " we should either retain the French form, Claire, or take the English Clare. It received its name in honor of the founder of the Franciscan nuns, from the fact that La Salle reached it on the day con- secrated to her."* Northward some twelve miles across this lake the land again encroaches upon and contracts the waters within another narrow bound known as the Strait of St. Clair. Passing up this strait, northward about forty miles, Lake Huron is reached. It is 250 miles long and 190 miles wide, including Georgian Bay on the east, and its whole area is computed to be about 21,000 square miles. Its magnitude fully justified its early name, La Mer-douce, the Fresh Sea, on account of its extreme vastness.f The more popular name of Huron, which has survived all others, was given to it from the great Huron nation of Indians who formerly inhabited the country lying to the eastward of it. Indeed, many of the early French writers call it Lac des Hurons, that is, Lake of the Hurons. It is so laid down on the maps of Hen- nepin, La Hontan, Charlevoix and Golden in the volumes before quoted. Going northward, leaving the Straits of Mackinaw, through which Lake Michigan discharges itself from the west, and the chain of Manitoulin Islands to the eastward, yet another river, the connecting link between Lake Huron and Superior, is reached. Its current is swift, and a mile below Lake Superior are the Falls, where the water leaps and tumbles down a channel obstructed by boulders and shoals, where, from time immemorial, the Indians of various tribes have resorted on account of the abundance of fish and the ease with which they are taken. Previous to the year 1670 the river was called the Sault, that is, the rapids, or falls. In this year Fathers Marquette and Dablon founded here the mission of " St. Marie du Sault " (St. Mary of the Falls), from which the modern name of the river, St. Mary's, is derived.:}: Recently the United States have perfected the ship canal cut in solid rock, around the falls, through which the largest vessels can now pass, from the one lake to the other. Lake Superior, in its greatest length, is 360 miles, with a maximum breadth of 140, the largest of the five great American lakes, and the most extensive body of fresh water on the globe. Its form has been *Note by Dr. Shea, " Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi," p. 143. tChamplain's map, 1632. Also "Memoir on the Colony of Quebec, August 4, 1663 : Paris Documents, vol. 9, p. 16. | Charlevoix 1 "History of New France," vol. 3, p. 119; also note. 14 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. poetically and not inaccurately described by a Jesuit Father, whose account of it is preserved in the Relations for the year's 1669 and 1670 : " This lake has almost the form of a bended bow, and in length is more than 180 leagues. The southern shore is as it were the cord, the arrow being a long strip of land [Keweenaw T Point] issuing from the south- ern coast and running more than 80 leagues to the middle of the lake." A glance on the map will show the aptness of the comparison. The name Superior was given to it by the Jesuit Fathers, " in conse- quence of its being above that of Lake Huron.* It was also called Lake Tracy, after Marquis De Tracy, who was governor-general of Canada from 1663 to 1665. Father Claude Allouez, in his " Journal of Travels to the Country of the Ottawas," preserved in the Relations for the years 1666, 1667, says : " After passing through the St. Mary's River we entered the upper lake, which will hereafter bear the name of Monsieur Tracy, an acknowledgment of the obligation under which the people of this country are to him." The good father, however, was mistaken ; the name Tracy only appears on a few ancient maps, or is perpetuated in rare volumes that record the almost for- gotten labors of the zealous Catholic missionaries ; while the earlier name of Lake " Superior " is familiar to every school-boy who has thumbed an atlas. At the western extremity of Lake Superior enter the Rivers Bois- Brule and St. Louis, the upper tributaries of which have their sources on the northeasterly slope of a water-shed, and approximate very near the head-waters of the St. Croix, Prairie and Savannah Rivers, which, issuing from the opposite side of this same ridge, flow into the upper Mississippi. The upper portions of Lakes Huron, Michigan, Green Bay, with their indentations, and the entire coast line, with the islands eastward and westward of the Straits of Mackinaw, are all laid down with quite a degree of accuracy on a map attached to the Relations of the Jesuits for the years 1670 and 1671, a copy of which is contained in Bancroft's History of the United States, f showing that the reverend fathers w r ere industrious in mastering and preserving the geographical features of the wilderness they traversed in their holy calling. Lake Michigan is the only one of the five great lakes that lays wholly within the United States, the other four, with their connect- ing rivers and straits, mark the boundary between the Dominion of Canada and the United States. Its length is 320 miles ; its average breadth 70, with a mean depth of over 1,000 feet. Its area is some * Relations of 1660 and 1669. t Vol. 3, p. 152; fourth edition. LAKE MICHIGAN. 15 22,000 square miles, being considerably more than that of Lake Huron and less than that of Lake Superior. Michigan was the last of the lakes in order of discovery. The Hurons, christianized and dwelling eastward of Lake Huron, had been driven from their towns and cultivated fields by the Iroquois, and scat- tered about Mackinaw and the desolate coast of Lake Superior beyond, whither they were followed by their faithful pastors, the Jesuits, who erected new altars and gathered the remnants of their stricken follow- ers about them ; all this occurred before the fathers had acquired any definite knowledge of Lake Michigan. In their mission work for the year 1666, it is referred to "as the Lake Illinouek, a great lake adjoin- ing, or between, the lake of the Hurons and that of Green Bay, that had not [as then] come to their knowledge." In the Relation for the same year, it is referred to as " Lake Illeaouers," and " Lake Illinioues, as yet unexplored, though much smaller than Lake Huron, and that the Outagamies [the Fox Indians] call it Machi-hi-gan-ing.'* Father Hen- nepin says : " The lake is called by the Indians, ' Illinouek,' and by the French, ' Illinois,' " and that the " Lake Illinois, in the native lan- guage, signifies the ' Lake of Men.' " He also adds in the same para- graph, that it is called by the Miamis, " Mischigonong, that is, the great lake." ' Father Marest, in a letter dated at Kaskaskia, Illinois, November 9, 1712, so often referred to on account of the valuable his- torical matter it contains, contracts the aboriginal name to Michigan, and is, perhaps, the first author who ever spelt it in the way that has become universal. He naively says, " that on the maps this lake has the name, without any authority, of the ' Lake of the Illinois] since the Illinois do not dwell in its neighborhood." f * Hennepin's " New Discovery of a Vast Country in America," vol. 1, p. 35. The name is derived from the two Algonquin words, Michi (mishi or missi), which signifies great, as it does, also, several or many, and Sagayigan, a lake; vide Henry's Travels, p. 37, and Alexander Mackenzie's Vocabulary of Algonquin Words. t Kip's Early Jesuit Missions, p. 222. CHAPTER II. DRAINAGE OF THE ILLINOIS AND WABASH. THE reader's attention will now be directed to the drainage of the Illinois and Wabash Rivers to the Mississippi, and that of the Maumee River into Lake Erie. The Illinois River proper is formed in Grundy county, Illinois, below the city of Joliet, by the union of the Kanka- kee and Desplaines Rivers. The latter rises in southeastern Wisconsin ; and its course is almost south, through the counties of Cook and "Will. The Kankakee has its source in the vicinity of South Bend, Indiana. It pursues a devious way, through marshes and low grounds, a south- westerly course, forming the boundary-line between the counties of Laporte, Porter and Lake on the north, and Stark, Jasper and Newton on the south ; thence across the dividing line of the two states of Indi- ana and Illinois, and some fifteen miles into the county of Kankakee, at the confluence of the Iroquois River, where its direction is changed northwest to its junction with the Desplaines. The Illinois passes westerly into the county of Putnam, where it again turns and pursues a generally southwest course to its confluence with the Mississippi, twenty miles above the mouth of the Missouri. It is about five hun- dred miles long ; is deep and broad, and in several places expands into basins, which may be denominated lakes. Steamers ascend the river, in high water, to La Salle ; from whence to Chicago navigation is contin- ued by means of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The principal trib- utaries of the Illinois, from the north and right bank, are the Au Sable, Fox River, Little Yermillion, Bureau Creek, Kickapoo Creek (which empties in just below Peoria), Spoon River, Sugar Creek, and finally Crooked Creek. From the south or left bank are successively the Iro- quois (into the Kankakee), Mazon Creek, Vermillion, Crow Meadow, Mackinaw, Sangamon, and Macoupin. The Wabash issues out of a small lake, in Mercer county, Ohio, and runs a westerly course through the counties of Adams, Wells and Huntington in the state of Indiana. It receives Little River, just below the city of Huntington, and continues a westwardly course through the counties of Wabash, Miami and Cass. Here it turns more to the south, flowing through the counties of Carroll and Tippe- canoe, and marking the boundary-line between the counties of Warren 16 THE MAUMEE AND PORTAGES. 17 and Vermillion on the west, and Fountain and Park on the east. At Covington, the county seat of Fountain county, the river runs more directly south, between the counties of Vermillion on the one side, and Fountain and Parke on the other, and through the county of Vigo, some miles below Terre Haute, from which place it forms the boundary- line between the states of Indiana and Illinois to its confluence with the Ohio. Its principal tributaries from the north and west, or right bank of the stream, are Little River, Eel River, Tippecanoe, Pine Creek, Red Wood, Big Vermillion, Little Vermillion, Bruletis, Sugar Creek, Em- barras, and Little Wabash. The streams flowing in from the south and east, or left bank of the river, are the Salamonie, Mississinewa, Pipe Creek, Deer Creek, "Wildcat, Wea and Shawnee Creeks, Coal Creek, Sugar Creek, Raccoon Creek, Otter Creek, Busseron Creek, and White River. There are several other, and smaller, streams not necessary here to notice, although they are laid down on earlier maps, and mentioned in old " Gazetteers" and "Emigrant's Guides." The Maumee is formed by the St. Joseph and St. Mary's Rivers, which unite their waters at Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The St. Joseph has its source in Hillsdale county, Michigan, and runs southwesterly through the northwest corner of Ohio, through the county of De Kalb, and into the county of Allen, Indiana. The St. Mary's rises in Au Glaize county, Ohio, very near the little lake at the head of the Wabash, before referred to, and runs northwestwardly parallel with the Wabash, through the counties of Mercer, Ohio, and Adams, Indiana, and into Allen county to the place of its union with the St. Joseph, at Ft. Wayne. The principal tributaries of the Maumee are the Au Glaize from the south, Bear Creek, Turkey Foot Creek, Swan Creek from the north. The length of the Maumee River, from Ft. Wayne northeast to Maumee Bay at the west end of Lake Erie, is very little over 100 miles. A noticeable feature relative to the territory under consideration, and having an important bearing on its discovery and settlement, is the fact that many of the tributaries of the Mississippi have their branches interwoven with numerous rivers draining into the lakes. They not infrequently issue from the same lake, pond or marsh situated on the summit level of the divide from which the waters from one end of the common reservoir drain to the Atlantic Ocean and from the other to the Gulf of Mexico. By this means nature herself provided navig- able communication between the northern lakes and the Mississippi Valley. It was, however, only at times of the vernal floods that the 18 HISTORIC NOTES OF THE NORTHWEST. communication was complete. At other seasons of the year it was interrupted, when transfers by land were required for a short distance. The places where these transfers were made are known by the French term portage, which, like many other foreign derivatives, has become anglicized, and means a carrying place ; because in IOW T stages of water the canoes and effects of the traveler had to be carried around the dry marsh or pond from the head of one stream to the source of that beyond. The first of these portages known to the Europeans, of which accounts have come down to us, is the portage of the Wisconsin, in the state of that name, connecting the Mississippi and Green Bay by means of its situation between the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers. The next is the portage of Chicago, uniting Chicago Creek, which empties into Lake Michigan at Chicago, and the Desplaines of the Illinois River. The third is the portage of the Kankakee, near the present city of South Bend, Indiana, which connects the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan with the upper waters of the Kankakee. And the fourth is the portage of the Wabash at Ft. Wayne. Indiana, between the Maumee and the Wabash, by way of Little River. Though abandoned and their former uses forgotten in the advance of permanent settlement and the progress of more efficient means of commercial intercourse, these portages were the gateways of the French between their possessions in Canada and along the Mississippi. Formerly the Northwest was a wilderness of forest and prairie, with only the paths of wild animals or the trails of roving Indians leading, through tangled undergrowth and tall grasses. In its undeveloped form it was without roads, incapable of land carriage and could not be traveled by civilized man, even on foot, without the aid of a savage guide arid a permit from its native occupants which afforded little or no security to life or property. For these reasons the lakes and rivers, with their connecting portages, were the only highways, and they invited exploration. They afforded ready means of opening up the interior. The French, who were the first explorers, at an early day, as we shall hereafter see, established posts at Detroit, at the mouth of the Xiagara River, at Mackinaw, Green Bay, on the Illinois River, the St. Joseph's of Lake Michigan, on the Maumee, the Wabash, and at other places on the route of inter-lake and river communication. By means of having seized these strategical points, and their influence over the Indian tribes, the French monopolized the fur trade, and although feebly assisted by the home government, held the whole Mississippi Yalley and regions of the lakes, for near three quarters of a century, against all efforts of the English colonies, eastward of the Alleghany ridge, who, assisted by England, sought to wrest it from their grasp. ' CHICAGO PORTAGE. 19 Recurring to the old portage at Chicago, it is evident that at a com- paratively recent period, since the glacial epoch, a large part of Cook county was under water. The waters of Lake Michigan, at that time, found an outlet through the Desplaines and Illinois Rivers into the Mississippi.* This assertion is confirmed from the appearance of the whole channel of the Illinois River, which formerly contained a stream of much greater magnitude than now. The old beaches of Lake O O Michigan are plainly indicated in the ridges, trending westward several miles away from the present water line. The old state road, from Yincennes to Chicago, followed one of these ancient lake beaches from Blue Island into the city. The subsidence of the lake must have been gradual, requiring many ages to accomplish the change of direction in the flow of its waters from the Mississippi to the St. Lawrence. The character of the portage has also undergone changes within the memory of men still living. The excavation of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and the drainage of the adjacent land by artificial ditches, has left little remaining from which its former appearance can 71 ow be recognized. Major Stephen H. Long, of the U. S. Topo- graphical Engineers, made an examination of this locality in the year 1823, before it had been changed by the hand of man, and says, con- cerning it, as follows : " The south fork of Chicago River takes its rise about six miles from the fort, in a swamp, which communicates also with the Desplaines, one of the head branches of the Illinois. Hav- ing been informed that this route was frequently used by traders, and that it had b,een traversed by one of the officers of the garrison, who returned with provisions from St. Louis a few days before our arrival at the fort, we determined to ascend the Chicago River in order to observe this interesting division of waters. We accordingly left the fort on the 7th day of June, in a boat which, after having ascended the river four miles, we exchanged for a narrow pirogue that drew less water, the stream we were ascending was very narrow, rapid and crooked, presenting a great fall. It so continued for about three miles, when we reached a sort of a swamp, designated by the Canadian voy- agers under the name of '"Le Petit LacS f Our course through this swamp, which extended three miles, was very much impeded by the high grass, weeds, etc., through which our pirogue passed with diffi- culty. Observing that our progress through the fen was slow, and the day being considerably advanced, we landed on the north bank, and continued our course along the edge of the swamp for about three * Geological Survey of Illinois, vol. 3, p. 240. t What remains of this lake is now known by the name of Mud Lake. 20 HISTORIC NOTES OF THE NORTHWEST. miles, until we reached the place where the old portage road meets the current, which was here very distinct toward the south. We were delighted at beholding, for the first time, a feature so interesting in itself, but which we had afterward an opportunity of observing fre- quently on the route, viz, the division of waters starting from the same source, and running in two different directions, so as to become feed- ers of streams that discharge themselves into the ocean at immense dis- tances apart. Lieut. Hobson, who accompanied us to the Desplaines, told us that he had traveled it with ease, in a boat loaded with lead and flour. The distance from the fort to the intersection of the port- age road is about twelve or thirteen miles, and the portage road is about eleven miles long ; the usual distance traveled by land seldom exceeds from four to nine miles ; however, in very dry seasons it is said to amount to thirty miles, as the portage then extends to Mount Juliet, near the confluence of the Kankakee. Although at the time we visited it there was scarcely water enough to permit our pirogue to pass, we could not doubt that in the spring of the year the route must be a very eligible one. It is equally apparent that an expendi- ture, trifling when compared to the importance of the object, would again render Lake Michigan a tributary of the Gulf of Mexico." * * Long's Expedition to the Source of the St. Peter's River, vol. 1, pp. 165, 166, 167. The State of Illinois begun work on the construction of a canal on this old portage on the 4th day of July, 1836. with great ceremony. Col. Guerdon S. Hubbard, still living, cast the first shovelful of earth out of it on this occasion. The work was completed in 1848. The canal was fed with water elevated by a pumping apparatus at Bridgeport. Recently the city of Chicago, at enormous expense sunk the bed of the canal to a depth that secures a flow of water directly from the lake, by means of which, the navigation is improved, and sewerage is obtained into the Illinois River. CHAPTER III. ANCIENT MAUMEE VALLEY. WHAT has been said of the changes in the surface geology of Lake Michigan and the Illinois River may also be affirmed with respect to Lake Erie and the Maumee and "Wabash Rivers. There are peculiari- ties which will arrest the attention, from a mere examination of the course of the Maumee and of the St. Joseph and St. Mary's Rivers, as they appear on the map of that part of Ohio and Indiana. The St. Joseph, after running southwest to its union with the St. Mary's at Ft. Wayne, as it were almost doubles back upon its former course, taking a northeast direction, forming the shape of a letter V, and after having flowed over two hundred miles is discharged at a point within less than fifty miles east of its source. It is evident, from an exami- nation* of that part of the country, that, at one time, the St. Joseph ran wholly to the southwest, and that the Maumee River itself, instead of flowing northeast into Lake Erie, as now, drained this lake southwest through the present valley of the Wabash. Then Lake Erie extended very nearly to Ft. Wayne, and its ancient shores are still plainly marked. The line of the old beach is preserved in the ridges running nearly parallel with, and not a great distance from, the St. Joseph and the St. Mary's Rivers. Professor G. K. Gilbert, in his report of the " Surface Geology of the Maumee Valley," gives the result of his examination of these interesting features, from which we take the following valuable extract.* " The upper (lake) beach consists, in this region, of a single bold ridge of sand, pursuing a remarkably straight course in a northeast and southwest direction, and crossing portions of Defiance, Williams and Fulton counties. It passes just west of Hicksville and Bryan ; while Williams Center, West Unity and Fayette are built on it. When Lake Erie stood at this level, it was merged at the north with Lake Huron. Its southwest shore crossed Hancock, Putnam, Allen and Van Wert counties, and stretched northwest in Indiana, nearly to Ft. Wayne. The northwestern shore line, leaving Ohio near the south line of Defiance county, is likewise continued in Indiana, and the two converge at Kew Haven, six miles east of Ft. Wayne. They do not, * Geological Survey of Ohio, vol. 1, p. 550. 21 22 HISTORIC NOTES OF THE NORTHWEST. however, unite, but, instead, become parallel, and are continued as the sides of a broad watercourse, through which the great lake basin then discharged its surplus waters, southwestwardly, into the valley of the Wabash River, and thence to the Mississippi. At New Haven, this channel is not less than a mile and a half broad, and has an average depth of twenty feet, with sides and bottom of drift. For twenty-five miles this character continues, and there is no notable fall. Three miles above Huntington, Indiana, however, the drift bottom is replaced by a floor of Niagara limestone, and the descent becomes comparatively quite rapid. At Huntington, the valley is walled, on one side at least, by rock in situ. In the eastern portion of this ancient river-bed, the Maumee and its branches have cut channels fifteen to twenty-five feet deep, without meeting the underlying limestone. Most of the inter- val from Ft. Wayne to Huntington is occupied by a marsh, over which meanders Little River, an insignificant stream whose only claim to the title of river seems to lie in the magnitude of the deserted channel of which it is sole occupant. At Huntington, the Wabash emerges from a narrow cleft, of its own carving, and takes possession of the broad trough to which it was once an humble tributary." Within the personal knowledge of men, the Wabash River has*been, and is, only a rivulet, a shriveled, dried up representative in comparison with its greatness in pre-historic times, when it bore in a broader channel the waters of Lakes Erie and Huron, a mighty flood, south- ward to the Ohio. Whether the change in the direction of the flow of Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan toward the River St. Lawrence, instead of through the Wabash and Illinois Rivers respectively, is because hemispheric depression has taken place more rapidly in the vicinity of the lakes than farther southward, or that the earth's crust south of the lakes has been arched upward by subterraneous influences, and thus caused the lakes to recede, or if the change has been produced by depression in one direction and elevation in the other, combined, is not our province to discuss. The fact, however, is well established by the most abundant and conclusive evidence to the scientific observer. The portage, or carrying place, of the Wabash,* as known to the early explorers and traders, between the Maumee and Wabash, or rather the head of Little River, called by the French " La Petit Riviere," commenced directly at Ft. Wayne ; although, in certain seasons of the year, the waters approach much nearer and were united by a low piece * Schoolcraft's Travels in the Central Portions of the Mississippi Valley, " in the year 1821, pp. 90, 91. In this year, Mr. Schoolcraft made an examination of the locality, with a view to furnish the public information on the practicability of a canal to unite the waters of the Maumee and the Wabash. It was at a time when great interest existed through all parts of the country on all subjects of internal navigation. PORTAGE OF THE WABASH. 23 of ground or marsh (an arm or bay of what is now called Bear Lake), where the two streams flow within one hundred and fifty yards of each other and admitted of the passage of light canoes from the one to the other. The Miami Indians knew the value of this portage, and it was a source of revenue to them, aside from its advantages in enabling them to exercise an influence over adjacent tribes. The French, in passing from Canada to New Orleans, and Indian traders going from Montreal and Detroit, to the Indians south and westward, went and returned by way of Ft. Wayne, where the Miamis, kept carts and pack-horses, with a corps of Indians to assist in carrying canoes, furs and merchandise around the portage, for which they charged a commission. At the great treaty of Greenville, 1795, where General Anthony Wayne met the several Wabash tribes, he insisted, as one of the fruits of his victory over them, at the Fallen Timbers, on the Maumee, the year before, that they should cede to the United States a piece of ground six miles square, where the fort, named in honor of General Wayne, had been erected after the battle named, and on the site of the present city of Ft. Wayne ; and, also, a piece of territory two miles square at the carrying place. The distinguished warrior and statesman, " Mishe- kun-nogh-quah" (as he signs his name at this treaty), or the Little Turtle on behalf of his tribe, objected to a relinquishment of their right to their ancient village and its portage, and in his speech to General Wayne said : " Elder Brother, When our forefathers saw the French and English at the Miami village that ' glorious gate ' which your younger brothers [meaning the Miamis] had the happiness to own, and through which all the good words of our chiefs had to pass [that is, messages between the several tribes] from north to south and from east to west, the French and English never told us they wished to purchase our lands from us. The next place you pointed out wa"s the Little River, and said you wanted two miles square of that place. This is a request that our fathers the French or British never made of us ; it was always ours. This carrying place has heretofore proved, in a great degree, the subsistence of your brothers. That place has brought to us, in the course of one day, the amount of one hundred dollars. Let us both own this place and enjoy in common the advantages it affords." The Little Turtle's speech availed nothing.* The St. Joseph of Lake Michigan, a fine stream of uniform, rapid current, reaches its most southerly position near the city of South Bend, Indiana, the city deriving its name from the bend of the river ; * Minutes of the Treaty of Greenville: American State Papers on Indian Affairs, vol. 1, pp. 576, 578. 24 HISTOKIC NOTES ON THE NOKTHWEST. here the river turns northward, reenters the State of Michigan and dis- charges ijito the lake. West of the city is Lake Kankakee, from which the Kankakee River takes its rise. The distance intervening be- tween the head of this little lake and the St. Joseph is about two miles, over a piece of marshy ground, where the elevation is so slight ' that in the year 1832 a Mr. Alexander Croquillard dug a race, and secured a flow of water from the lake to the St. Joseph, of sufficient power to run a grist and saw mill." * This is the portage of the Kankakee, a place conspicuous for its historical reminiscences. It was much used, and offered a choice of routes to the Illinois River, and also to the Wabash, by a longer land- carriage to the upper waters of the Tippecanoe. A memoir on the Indians of Canada, etc., prepared in the year 1718 (Paris Documents, vol. 1, p. 889), says : " The river St. Joseph is south of Lake Michi- gan, formerly the Lake of the Illinois ; many take this river to pass to the Rocks [as Fort St. Louis, situated on ' Starved Rock ' in La Salle county, Illinois, w r as sometimes called], because it is convenient, and they thereby avoid the portages ' des Chaines ' and ( des Perches,' " two long, difficult carrying places on the Desplaines, which had to be encountered in dry seasons, on the route by the way of Chicago Creek. The following description of the Kankakee portage, and its adjacent surroundings, is as that locality appeared to Father Hennepin, when he was there with La Salle's party of voyagers two hundred years ago the coming December : " The next morning (December 5, 1679) we joined our men at the portage, where Father Gabriel had made the day before several crosses upon the trees, that we might not miss it another time." The voyagers had passed above the portage without being aware of it, as the country was all strange to them. We found here a great quan- tity of horns and bones of wild oxen, buffalo, and also some canoes the savages had made with the skins of beasts, to cross the river with their provisions. This portage lies at the farther end of a champaign ; and at the other end to the west lies a village of savages, Miamis, Mascoutines and Oiatihons (Weas), who live together. " The river of the Illinois has its source near that village, and springs out of some marshy lands that are so quaking that one can scarcely walk over them. The head of the river is only a league and a half from that of the Mi- amis (the St. Joseph), and so our portage was not long. We marked the way from place to place, with some trees, for the convenience of those we expected after us ; and left at the portage as well as at Fort * Prof. G. M. Levette's Report on the Geology of St. Joseph County: Geological Survey of Indiana for the year 1873, p. 459. THE KANKAKEE. 25 Mianiis (which they had previously erected at the mouth of the St. Joseph), letters hanging down from the trees, containing M. La Salle's instructions to our pilot, and the other five-and-twenty men who were to come with him." The pilot had been sent back from Mackinaw with La Salle's ship, the Griffin, loaded with furs ; was to discharge the cargo at the fort below the mouth of Niagara River, and then bring the ship with all dispatch to the St. Joseph. " The Illinois River (continues Hennepin's account) is navigable within a hundred paces from its source, I mean for canoes of barks of trees, and not for others, but increases so much a little way from thence, that it is as deep and broad as the Meuse and the Sambre joined together. It runs through vast marshes, and although it be rapid enough, it makes so many turnings and windings, that after a whole day's journey we found that we were hardly two leagues from the place we left in the morning. That country is nothing but marshes, full of alder trees and bushes ; and we could have hardly found, for forty leagues together, any place to plant our cabins, had it not been for the frost, which made the earth more firm and consistent." CHAPTER IV. RAINFALL. AN interesting topic connected with our rivers is the question of rainfall. The streams of the west, unlike those of mountainous dis- tricts, which are fed largely by springs and brooks issuing from the rocks, are supplied mostly from the clouds. It is within the observa- tion of persons who lived long in the valleys of the Wabash and Illinois, or along their tributaries, that these streams apparently carry a less volume of water than formerly. Indeed, the water-courses seem to be gradually drying up, and the whole surface of the country drained by them has undergone the same change. In early days almost every land-owner on the prairies had upon his farm a pond that furnished an unfailing supply of water for his live stock the year around. These never went dry, even in the driest seasons. Formerly the "Wabash afforded reliable steamboat navigation as high up as La Fayette. In 1831, between the 5th of March and the 16th of April, fifty-four steamboats arrived and departed from Vin- cennes. In the months of February, March and April of the same year, there were sixty arrivals and departures from La Fayette, then a village of only three or four hundred houses ; many of these boats were large side-wheel steamers, built for navigating the Ohio and Mississippi, and known as New Orleans or lower river boats.* The writer has the concurrent evidence of scores of early settlers with whom he has con- versed that formerly the Vermilion, at Danville, had to be ferried on an average six months during the year, and the river was considered low when it could be forded at this place without water running into the wagon bed. Now it is fordable at all times, except when swollen with freshets, which now subside in a very few days, and often within as many hours. Doubtless, the same facts can be affirmed of the many other tributaries of the Illinois and Wabash whose names have been already given. The early statutes of Illinois and Indiana are replete with special laws, passed between the years 1825 and 1840, when the people of these two states were crazed over the question of internal navigation, providing enactments and charters for the slack-water improvement of * Tanner's View of the Mississippi, published in 1832, p. 154. N RAINFALL. 27 hundreds of streams whose insignificance have now only a dry bed, most of the year, to indicate that they were ever dignified with such legislation and invested with the promise of bearing upon their bosoms a portion of the future internal commerce of the country. It will not do to assume that the seeming decrease of water in the streams is caused by a diminution of rain. The probabilities are that the annual rainfall is greater in Indiana and Illinois than before their settlement with a permanent population. The "settling up" of a country, tilling its soil, planting trees, constructing railroads, and erect- ing telegraph lines, all tend to induce moisture and produce changes in the electric and atmospheric currents that invite the clouds to pre- cipitate their showers. Such has been the effect produced by the hand of man upon the hitherto arid plains of Kansas and Nebraska. Indeed, at an early day some portions of Illinois were considered as uninhab- itable as western Kansas and Nebraska were supposed, a few years ago, to be on account of the prevailing drouths. ' That part of the state lying between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, south of a line run- ning from the Mississippi, between Rock Island and Mercer counties, east to the Illinois, set off for the benefit of the soldiers of the War of 1812, and for that reason called the "Military Tract," except that part of it lying more immediately near the rivers named, was laid under the bane of a drouth-stricken region. Mr. Lewis A. Beck, a shrewd and impartial observer, and a gentleman of great scientific attainments,* was through the " military tract " shortly after it had been run out into sections and townships by the government, and says concerning it, " The northern part .of the tract is not so favorable for settlement. The prairies become very extensive and are badly watered. In fact, this last is an objection to the whole tract. In dry seasons it is not unusual to walk through beds of the largest streams without finding a drop of water. It is not surprising that a country so far distant from the sea and drained by such large rivers, which have a course of several thousand miles before they reach the great reservoir, should not be well watered. This, we observe, is the case with all fine-flowing streams of the highlands, whereas those of the Champaign and prairies settle in the form of ponds, which stagnate and putrify. Besides, on the same account there are very few heavy rains in the summer ; and hence during that season water is exceedingly scarce. The Indians, in their journeys, pass by places where they know there are ponds, but gener- ally they are under the necessity of carrying water in bladders. This drouth is not confined to the ' military tract,' but in some seasons is very general. During the summer of 1820 it was truly alarming; * Beck's Illinois and Missouri Gazetteer, published in 1823, pp. 79, 80. 28 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. travelers, in many instances, were obliged to pass whole days, in the warmest weather, without being able to procure a cupful of water for themselves or their horses, and that which they occasionally did find was almost putrid. It may be remarked, however, that such seasons rarely occur ; but on account of its being washed by rivers of such immense length this section of the country is peculiarly liable to suffer from excessive drouth." The millions of bushels of grain annually raised in, and the vast herds of cattle and other live stock that are fat- tened on, the rich pastures of Bureau, Henry, Stark, Peoria, Knox, Warren, and other counties lying wholly or partially within the " mili- tary tract," illustrate an increase and uniformity of rainfall since the time Professor Beck recorded his observations. In no part of Illinois are the crops more abundant and certain, and less liable to suffer from excessive drouth, than in the " military tract." The apparent decrease in the volume of water carried by the Wabash and its tributaries is easily reconciled w r ith the theory of an increased rainfall since the settlement of the country. These streams for the most part have their sources in ponds, marshes and low grounds. These basins, covering a great extent of the surface of the country, served as reservoirs ; the earth was cov- ered with a thick turf that prevented the water penetrating the ground ; tall grasses in the valleys and about the margin of the ponds impeded the flow of water, and fed it out gradually to the rivers. In the tim- ber the marshes were likewise protected from a rapid discharge of their contents by the trunks of fallen trees, limbs and leaves. Since the lands have been reduced to cultivation, millions of acres of sod have been broken by the plow, a spongy surface has been turned to the heavens and much of the rainfall is at once soaked into the ground. The ponds and low grounds have been drained. The tall grasses with their mat of penetrating roots have disappeared from the swales. The brooks and drains, from causes partially natural, or artifi- cially aided by man, have cut through the ancient turf and made well defined ditches. The rivers themselves have worn a deeper passage in their beds. By these means the water is now soon collected from the earth's surface and carried off with increased velocity. Formerly the streams would sustain their volume continuously for weeks. Hence much of the rainfall is directly taken into the ground, and only a por- tion of it now finds its way to the rivers, and that which does has a speedier exit. Besides this, settlement of and particularly the growing of trees on the prairies and the clearing out of the excess of forests in the timbered districts, tends to distribute the rainfall more evenly through- out the year, and in a large degree prevents the recurrence of those ex- tremes of drouth and flood with which this country was formerly visited. CHAPTER V. ORIGIN OF THE PRAIRIES. THE prairies have ever been a wonder, and their origin the theme of much curious speculation. The vast extent of these natural meadows would naturally excite curiosity, and invite the many theories which, from time to time, have been advanced by writers holding conflicting opinions as to the manner in which they were formed. Major Stod- dard, H. M. Brackenridge and Governor Reynolds, whose personal acquaintance with the prairies, eastward of the Mississippi, extended back prior to the year 1800, and whose observations were supported by the experience of other contemporaneous residents of the \vest, held that the prairies were caused by fire. The prairies are covered with grass, and were probably occasioned by the ravages of. fire ; because wherever copses of trees were found on them, the grounds about them are low and too moist to admit the fire to pass over it ; and because it is a common practice among the Indians and other hunters to set the woods and prairies on fire, by means of which they are able to kill an abundance of game. They take secure stations to the leeward, and the fire drives the game to them.* The plains of Indiana and Illinois have been mostly produced by the same cause. They are very different from the Savannahs on the seaboard and the immense plains of the upper Missouri. In the prairies of Indiana I have been assured that the woods in places have been known to recede, and in others to increase, within the recollection of the old inhabitants. In moist places, the woods are still standing, the fire meeting here with obstruction. Trees, if planted in these prairies, would doubtless grow. In the islands, preserved by accidental causes, the progress of the fire can be traced ; the first burning would only scorch the outer bark of the tree; this would render it more susceptible to the next, the third would completely kill. I have seen in places, at present completely prairie, pieces of burnt trees, proving that the prairie had been caused by fire. The grass is generally very luxuriant, which is not the case in the plains of the Missouri. There may, doubtless, be spots where the proportion of salts or other bodies may be such as to favor the growth of grass only.f * Sketches of Louisiana, by Major Amos Stoddard, p. 213. t Brackenridge's Views of Louisiana, p. 108. 29 30 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Governor Reynolds, who came to Illinois at the age of thirteen, in the year 1800, and lived here for over sixty years, the greater portion of his time employed in a public capacity, roving over the prairies in the Indian border wars or overseeing the affairs of a public and busy life, in his interesting autobiography, published in 1855, says: "Many learned essays are written on the origin of the prairies, but any atten- tive observer will come to the conclusion that it is fire burning the strong, high grass that caused the prairies. I have witnessed the growth of the forest in these southern counties of Illinois, and know there is more timber in them now than there was forty or fifty years before. The obvious reason is, the fire is kept out. This is likewise the reason the prairies are generally the most fertile soil. The vegeta- tion in them was the strongest and the fires there burnt with the most power. The timber was destroyed more rapidly in the fertile soil than in the barren lands. It will be seen that the timber in the north of the state, is found only on the margins of streams and other places where the prairie fires could not reach it." The later and more satisfactory theory is, that the prairies were formed by the action of water instead of fire. This position was taken and very ably discussed by that able and learned writer, Judge James Hall, as early as 1836. More recently, Prof. Lesquereux prepared an article on the origin and formation of the prairies, published at length in vol. 1, Geological Survey of Illinois, pp. 238 to 254, inclusive ; and Dr. Worthen, the head of the Illinois Geological Department, referring to this article and its author, gives to both a most flattering indorsement. Declining to discuss the comparative merits of the various theories as to the formation of the prairies, the doctor " refers the reader to the very able chapter on the subject by Prof. Lesquereux, whose thorough acquaintance, both with fossil and recent botany, and the general laws which govern the distribution of the ancient as well as the recent flora, entitles his opinion to our most profound consideration." ' Prof. Lesquereux' article is exhaustive, and his conclusions are summed up in the declaration " that all the prairies of the Mississippi Valley have been formed by the slow recessions of waters of various extent; first transformed into swamps, and in the process of time drained and dried ; and that the high rolling prairies, and those of these bottoms along the rivers as well, are all the result of the same cause, and form one whole, indivisible system." Still later, another eminent writer, Hon. John D. Caton, late Judge of the Supreme Court of Illinois, has given the result of his observa- *Chap. 1, p. 10, Geology of Illinois, by Dr. Worthen; vol. 1. Illinois Geological Survey. THE PRAIKIES. 31 tions. While assenting to the received conclusion that the prairies the land itself have been formed under water, except the decomposed animal and vegetable matter that has been added to the surface of the lands since their emergence, the judge dissents from Prof. Lesquereux, in so far as the latter holds that the presence of ulmic acid and other unfavorable chemicals in the soil of the prairies, rendered them unfit for the growth of trees ; and in extending his theory to the prairies on the uplands, as well as in their more level and marshy portions. The learned judge holds to the popular theory that the most potent cause in keeping the prairies as such, and retarding and often destroying forest growth on them, is the agency of fire. Whatever may have been the condition of the ground when the prairie lands first emerged from the waters, or the chemical changes they may have since under- gone, how many years the process of vegetable growth and decay may have gone on, adding their deposits of rich loam to the original sur- face, making the soil the most fertile in the world, is a matter of mere speculation ; certain it is, however, that ever within the knowledge of man the prairies have possessed every element of soil necessary to in- sure a rapid and vigorous growth of forest trees, wherever the germ could find a lodgment and their tender years be protected against the one formidable enemy, fire. Judge Caton gives the experience of old settlers in the northern part of the state, similar to that of Bracken- ridge and Reynolds, already quoted, where, on the Vermillion River of the Illinois, and also in the neighborhood of Ottawa many years ago, fires occurred under the observation of the narrators, which utterly destroyed, root and branch, an entire hardwood forest, the prairie taking immediate possession of the burnt district, clothing it with grasses of its own ; and in a few years this forest land, reclaimed to prairie, could not be distinguished from the prairie itself, except from its greater luxuriance. Judge Caton's illustration of how the forests obtain a foot-hold in the prairies is so aptly expressed, and in such harmony with the ex- perience of every old settler on the prairies of eastern Illinois and western Indiana, that we quote it. " The cause of the absence of trees on the upland prairies is the problem most important to the agricultural interests of our state, and it is the inquiry which alone I propose to consider, but cannot resist the remark that wherever we do find timber throughout this broad field of prairie, it is always in or near the humid portions of it, as along the margins of streams, or upon or near the springy uplands. Many most luxuriant groves are found on the highest portions of the uplands, but always in the neighborhood of water. For a remarkable 32 HISTORIC NOTES OX THE NORTHWEST. example I may refer to that great chain of groves extending from and including the Au Sable Grove on the east and Holderman's Grove on the west, in Kendall county, occupying the high divide between the waters of the Illinois and the Fox Rivers. In and around all the groves flowing springs abound, and some of them are separated by marshes, to the very borders of which the great trees approach, as if the forest were ready to seize upon each yard of ground as soon as it is elevated above the swamps. Indeed, all our groves seem to be located where water is so disposed as to protect them, to a great or less extent, from the prairie fire, although not so situated as to irrigate them. If the head-waters of the streams on the prairies are most frequently with- out timber, so soon as they have attained sufficient volume to impede the progress of the fires, with very few exceptions we find forests on their borders, becoming broader and more vigorous as the magnitude of the streams increase. It is manifest that land located on the borders of streams which the fire cannot pass are only exposed to one-half the fires to which they would be exposed but for such protection. This tends to show, at least, that if but one-half the fires that have occurred had been kindled, the arboraceous growth could have withstood their destructive influences, and the whole surface of what is now prairie would be forest. Another confirmatory fact, patent to all observers, is, that the prevailing winds upon the prairies, especially in the autumn, are from the west, and these give direction to the prairie fires. Conse- quently, the lands on the westerly sides of the streams are the most exposed to the fires, and, as might be expected, we find much the most timber on the easterly sides of the streams." "Another fact, always a subject of remark among the dwellers on the prairies, I regard as conclusive proof that the prairie soils are pecu- liarly adapted to the growth of trees is, that wherever the fires have been kept from the groves by the settlers, they have rapidly encroached upon the prairies, unless closely depastured by the farmers' stock, or prevented by cultivation. This fact I regard as established by careful observation of more than thirty-five years, during which I have been an interested witness of the settlement of this country, from the time when a few log cabins, many miles apart, built in the borders of the groves, alone were met with, till now nearly the whole of the great prairies in our state, at least, are brought under cultivation by the in- dustry of the husbandman. Indeed, this is a fact as well recognized by the settlers as that corn will grow upon the prairies when properly cultivated. Ten years ago I heard the observation made by intelligent men, that within the preceding twenty-five years the area of the timber in the prairie portions of the state had actually doubled by the sponta- FOREST ENCROACHMENT. 33 neous extension of the natural groves. However this may be, certain it is that the encroachments of the timber upon the prairies have been universal and rapid, wherever not impeded by fire or other physical causes." When Europeans first landed in America, as they left the dense forests east of the Alleghanies and went west over the mountains into the valleys beyond, anywhere between Lake Erie and the fortieth degree of latitude, approaching the Scioto River, they would have seen small patches of country destitute of timber. These were called open- ings. As they proceeded farther toward the Wabash the number and area of these openings or barrens would increase. These last were called by the English savannahs or meadows, and by the French, prairies. Westward of the Wabash, except occasional tracts of timbered lands in northern Indiana, and fringes of forest growth along the inter- vening water-courses, the prairies stretch westward continuously across a part of Indiana and the whole of Illinois to the Mississippi. Taking the line of the Wabash railway, \vhich crosses Illinois in its greatest breadth, and beginning in Indiana, where the railway leaves the tim- ber, west of the Wabash nearMarshfield. the prairie extends to Quincy, a distance of more than two hundred and fifty miles, and its contin- uity the entire way is only broken by four strips of timber along four streams running at right angles with the route of the railway, namely the timber on the Vermillion River, between Danville and the Indiana state-line, the Sangamon, seventy miles west of Danville near Decatur, the Sangamon again a few miles east of Springfield, and the Illinois River at Meredosia ; and all of the timber at the crossing of these several streams, if put together, would not aggregate fifteen miles against the two hundred and fifty miles of prairie. Taking a north and south direction and parallel with the drainage of the rivers, one could start near Ashley, on the Illinois Central railway, in Washing- ton county, and going northward, nearly on an air-line, keeping on the divide between the Kaskaskia and Little Wabash, the Sangamon and the Vermillion, the Iroquois and the Vermillion of the Illinois, cross- ing the latter stream between the mouths of the Fox and Du Page and travel through to the state of Wisconsin, a distance of nearly three hundred miles, without encountering five miles of timber during the whole journey. Mere figures of distances across the " Grand Prairie," as this vast meadow was called by the old settlers, fail to give an ade- quate idea of its magnitude. Let the reader, in fancy, go back fifty or sixty years, when there were no farms between the settlement on the Xorth Arm Prairie, in Edgar county, and Ft. Clark, now Peoria, on the Illinois River, or 3 34 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. between the Salt Works, west of Danville, and Ft. Dearborn, where Chicago now is, or when there was not a house between the Wabash and Illinois Rivers in the direction of La Fayette and Ottawa ; when there was not a solitary road to mark the way ; .when Indian trails alone led to unknown places, where no animals except the wild deer and slinking wolf would stare, the one with timid wonder, the other with treacherous leer, upon the ventursome traveler; when the gentle winds moved the supple grasses like waves of a green sea under the sum- mer's sky; the beauty, the grandeur and solitude of the prairies may be imagined as they were a reality to the pioneer when he first beheld them. There is an essential difference between the prairies eastward of the Mississippi and the great plains westward necessary to be borne in mind. The western plains, while they present a seeming level appear- ance to the eye, rise rapidly to the westward. From Kansas City to Pueblo the ascent is continuous; beyond Ft. Dodge, the plains, owing to their elevation and consequent dryness of the atmosphere and absence of rainfall, produce a thin and stunted vegetation. The prai- ries of Illinois and Indiana, on the contrary, are much nearer the sea- level, where the moisture is greater. There were many ponds and sloughs which aided in producing a humid atmosphere, all which induced a rank growth of grasses. All early writers, referring to the vegetation of our prairies, including Fathers Henriepin, St. Cosme, Charlevoix and others, who recorded their personal observations nearly two hundred years ago, as well as later English and American travel- ers, bear uniform testimony to the fact of an unusually luxuriant growth of grasses. Early settlers, in the neighborhood of the author, all bear witness to the rank growth of vegetation on the prairies before it was grazed by live stock, and supplanted w r ith shorter grasses, that set in as the country improved. Since the organization of Edgar county in 1823, of which, all the territory north to the Wisconsin line was then a part, on the level prairie between the present sites of Danville and Georgetown, the grass grew so high that it was a source of amusement to tie the tops over the withers of a horse, and in places the height of the grass would nearly obscure both horse and rider from view. This was not a slough, but on arable land, where some of the first farms in Vermillion county were broken out. On the high rolling prairies the vegetation was very much shorter, though thick and compact ; its aver- age height being about two feet. The prairie fires have been represented in exaggerated pictures of men and wild animals retreating at full speed, with every mark of ter- PRAIRIE FIRES. 35 Tor, before the devouring element. Such pictures are overdrawn. In- stances of loss of human life, or animals, may have sometimes occurred. The advance of the fire is rapid or slow, as the wind may be strong or light ; the flames leaping high in the air in their progress over level ground, or burning lower over the uplands. When a fire starts under favorable causes, the horizon gleams brighter and brighter until a fiery redness rises above its dark outline, while heavy, slow-moving masses of dark clouds curve upward above it. In another moment the blaze itself shoots up, first at one spot then at another, advancing until the whole horizon extending across a wide prairie is clothed with flames, that roll and curve and dash onward and upward like waves of a burn- ing ocean, lighting up the landscape with the brilliancy of noon-day. A roaring, crackling sound is heard like the rushing of a hurricane. The flame, which in general rises to the height of twenty feet, is seen rolling its waves against each other as the liquid, fiery mass moves for- ward, leaving behind it a blackened surface on the ground, and long trails of murky smoke floating above. A more terrific sight than the burning prairies in early days can scarcely be conceived. Woe to the farmer whose fields extended into the prairie, and who had suffered the tall grass to grow near his fences ; the labor of the year would be swept away in a few hours. Such accidents occasionally occurred, although the preventive was simple. The usual remedy was to set fire against fire, or to burn off a strip of grass in the vicinity of the improved ground, a beaten road, the treading of domestic animals about the inclosure of the farmer, would generally afford protection. In other cases a few furrows would be plowed around the field, or the grass closely mowed between the outside of the fence and the open prairie.* No wonder that the Indians, noted for their naming a place or thing from some of its distinctive peculiarities, should have called the prairies Mas-ko-tia, or the place of fire. In the ancient Algon- quin tongue, as well as in its more modern form of the Ojibbeway (or Chippeway, as this people are improperly designated), the word scoutay means fire ; and in the Illinois and Pottowatamie, kindred dialects, it is scotte and scutay, respectively.f It is also eminently characteristic that the Indians, who lived and hunted exclusively upon the prairies, were known among their red brethren as " Maskoutes," rendered by the French writers, Maskoutines, or People of the Fire or Prairie Country. North of a line drawn west from Yincennes, Illinois is wholly * Judge James Hall: Tales of the Border, p. 244; Statistics of the West, p. 82. fGallatin's Synopsis of the Indian Tribes, etc. 36 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. prairie, always excepting the thin curtain of timber draping the water-courses ; and all that part of Indiana lying north and west of the Wabash, embracing fully one-third of the area of the state, is essentially so. Of the twenty-seven counties. in Indiana, lying wholly or partially west and north of the Wabash, twelve of them are prairie ; seven are mixed prairies, barrens and timber, the barrens and prairie predomi- nating. In five, the barrens, with the prairies, are nearly equal to the timber, while only three of the counties can be characterized as heavily timbered. And wherever timber does occur in these twenty-seven counties, it is found in localities favorable to its protection against the ravages of fire, by the proximity of intervening lakes, marshes or water-courses. We cannot know how long it took the forest to ad- vance from the Scioto ; how often capes and points of trees, like skir- mishers of an army, secured a foothold to the eastward of the lakes and rivers of Ohio and Indiana, only to be driven back again by the prairie fires advancing from the opposite direction ; or conceive how many generations of forest growth were consumed by the prairie fires before the timber-line was pushed westward across the state of Ohio, and through Indiana to the banks of the Wabash. The prairies of Illinois and Indiana were born of water and pre- served by fire for the children of civilized men, who have come and taken possession of them. The manner of their coming, and the diffi- culties that befell them on the way, will hereafter be considered. The white man, like the forests, advanced from the east. The red man, like the prairie fires, as we shall hereafter see, came from the west. CHAPTER VI EARLY DISCOVERIES. HAVING given a description of the lakes and rivers, and noticed some of the more prominent features that characterize the physical geography of the territory within the scope of our inquiry, and the parts necessarily connected with it, forming, as it were, the outlines or ground plan of its history, we will now proceed to fill in the frame- work, with a narration of its discovery. Jacques Cartier, as already intimated in a note on a preceding page, ascended the St. Lawrence Kiver in 1535. He sailed up the stream as far as the great Indian vil- lage of Hoc Lelaga, situated on an island at the foot of the mountain, styled by him Mont Royal, now called Montreal, a name since extend- ed to the whole island. The country thus discovered was called New France. Later, and in the year 1598, France, after fifty years of domestic troubles, recovered her tranquillity, and, finding herself once more equal to great enterprises, acquired a taste for colonization. Her attention was directed to her possessions, by right of discovery, in the new world, where she now wished to establish colonies and extend the faith of the Catholic religion. Commissions or grants were accordingly issued to companies of merchants, and others organized for this pur- pose, who undertook to make settlements in Acadia, as Nova Scotia was then called, and elsewhere along the lower waters of the St. Law- rence ; and, at a later day, like efforts were made higher up the river. In 1607 Mr. De Monts, having failed in a former enterprise, was deprived of his commission, which was restored to him on the condition that he would make a settlement on the St. Lawrence. The company he represented seems to have had the fur trade only in view, and this object caused it to change its plans and avoid Acadia altogether. De Monts' company increased in numbers and capital in proportion as the fur trade developed expectations of profit, and many persons at St. Malo, particularly, gave it their support. Feeling that his name injured his associates, M. De Monts retired ; and when he ceased to be its governing head, the company of merchants recovered the monopoly with which the charter was endowed, for no other object than making money out of the fur trade. They cared nothing whatever for the col- ony in Acadia, which \vas dying out, and made no settlements else- 37 38 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. where. However, Mr. Samuel Champlain, who cared little for the fur trade, and whose thoughts were those of a patriot, after maturely ex- amining where the settlements directed by the court might be best established, at last fixed on Quebec. He arrived there on the 3d of July, 1608, put up some temporary buildings for himself and company, and began to clear off the ground, which proved fertile.* The colony at Quebec grew apace with emigrants from France; and later, the establishment of a settlement at the island of Montreal was undertaken. Two religious enthusiasts, the one named Jerome le Royer de la Dauversiere, of Anjou, and the other John James Olier, assumed the undertaking in 1636. The next who joined in the move- ment was Peter Chevirer, Baron Fancamp, who in 1640 sent tools and provisions for the use of the coming settlers. The projectors were now aided by the celebrated Baron de Renty, and two others. Father Charles Lalemant induced John de Lauson, the proprietor of the island of Montreal, to cede it to these gentlemen, which he did in August, 1640 ; and to remove all doubts as to the title, the associates obtained a grant from the New France Company, in December of the same year, which was subsequently ratified by the king himself. The associates agreed to send out forty settlers, to clear and cultivate the ground ; to increase the number annually ; to supply them with two sloops, cattle and farm hands, and, after five years, to erect a seminary, maintain ecclesiastics as missionaries and teachers, and also nuns as teachers and hospitalers. On its part the New France Company agreed to trans- port thirty settlers. The associates then contributed twenty-five thou- sand crowns to begin the settlement, and Mr. de Maisonneuve embarked with his colony on three vessels, which sailed from Rochelle and Dieppe, in the summer of 1641. The colony wintered in Quebec, spending their time in building boats and preparing timber for their houses ; and on the 8th of May, 1642, embarked, and arrived nine days after at the island of Montreal, and after saying mass began an intrenchment around their tents, f Notwithstanding the severity of the climate, the loss of life by dis- eases incident to settling of new countries, and more especially the * History of New France. t From Dr. Shea's valuable note on Montreal, on pages 129 and 130, vol. 2, of his translation of Father Charlevoix' History of New France. Mr. Albach, publisher of "Annals of the West," Pittsburgh edition, 1857, p. 49, is in error in saying that Montreal was founded in 1613, by Samuel Champlain. Champlain, in company with a young Huron Indian, whom he had taken to and brought back from France on a previous voyage, visited the island of Montreal in 1611, and chose it as a place for a settlement he designed to establish, but which he did not begin, as he was obliged to return to France; vide Charlevoix' " History of New France," vol. 2, p. 23. The Ameri- can Clyclopedia, as well as other authorities, concur with Dr. Shea, that Montreal was- founded in 1642, seven years after Champlain's death. QUEBEC FOUNDED. 39 destruction of its people from raids of the dreaded Iroquois Indians, the French colonies grew until, according to a report of Governor Mons. Denonville to the Minister at Paris, the population of Canada, in 1686, had increased to 12,373 souls. Quebec and Montreal became the base of operations of the French in America; the places from which missionaries, traders and explorers went out among the savages into countries hitherto unknown, going northward and westward, even beyond the extremity of Lake Superior to the upper waters of the Mississippi, and southward to the Gulf of Mexico ; and it was from these cities that the religious, military and commercial affairs of this widely extended region were administered, and from which the French settlements subsequently established in the northwest and at New Orleans were principally recruited. The influence of Quebec and Montreal did not end with the fall of French power in America. It was from these cities that the English retained control of the fur trade in, and exerted a power over the Indian tribes of, the northwest that harassed and retarded the spread of the American settlements through all the revolutionary war, and during the later contest between Great Britain and the United States in the war of 1812. Indeed, it was only until after the fur trade was exhausted and the Indians placed beyond the Mississippi, subsequent to 1820, that Quebec and Montreal ceased to exert an influence in that part of New France now known as Illinois and Indiana. Father Claude Allouez, coasting westward from Sault Ste. Marie, reached Chegoimegon, as the Indians called the bay south of the Apos- tle Islands and near La Pointe on the southwestern shore of Lake Supe- rior, in October, 1665. Here he found ten or twelve fragments of Algonquin tribes assembled and about to hang the war kettle over the fire preparatory for an incursion westward into the territory of the Sioux. The good father persuaded them to give up their intended hostile expedition. He set up in their midst a chapel, to which he gave the name of the " Mission of the Holy Ghost," at the spot afterward known as " Lapointe du Saint Esprit," and at once began his mission work. His chapel was an object of wonder, and its establishment soon spread among the wild children of the forest, and thither from great distances came numbers all alive with curiosity, the roving Potta- watomies, Sacs and Foxes, the Kickapoos, the Illinois and Miamis, to whom the truths of Christianity were announced.* Three years later Father James Marquette took the place of Allouez, and while here he seems to have been the first that learned of the Missis- sippi. In a letter written from this mission by Father Marquette to * Shea's History of Catholic Missions, 358. 40 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. his Reverend Father Superior, preserved in the Relations for 1669 and 1670, he says: "When the Illinois come to the point they pass a great river, which is almost a league in width. It flows from north to south, and to so great a distance that the Illinois, who know nothing of the use of the canoe, have never as yet heard tell of the mouth ; they only know that there are great nations below them, some of whom, dwelling to the east-southeast of their country, gather their Indian-corn twice a year. A nation that they call Chaouanon (Shawnees) came to visit them during the past summer; the young man that has been given to me to teach me the language has seen them ; they were loaded with glass beads, which shows that they have communication with the Europeans. They had to journey across the land for more than thirty days before arriving at their country. It is hardly probable that this great river discharges itself in Virginia. We are more inclined to believe that it has its mouth in California. If the savages, who have promised to make me a canoe, do not fail in their word, we will navi- gate this river as far as is possible in company with a Frenchman and this young man that they have given me, who understands several of these languages and possesses great facility for acquiring others. We shall visit the nations who dwell along its shores, in order to open the way to many of our fathers who for a long time have awaited this happiness. This discovery will give us a perfect knowledge of the sea either to the south or to the west." These reports concerning the great river came to the knowledge of the authorities at Quebec and Paris, and naturally enough stimu- lated further inquiry. There were three theories as to where the river emptied ; one, that it discharged into the Atlantic south of the British colony of Virginia; second, that it flowed into the Gulf of Mexico; and third, which was the more popular belief, that it emptied into the Red Sea, as the Gulf of California was called ; and if the latter, that it would afford a passage to China. To solve this important commercial problem in geography, it was determined, as appears from a letter from the Governor, Count Frontenac, at Quebec, to M. Colbert, Minister of the navy at Paris, expedient " for the service to send Sieur Joliet to the country of the Mascoutines, to discover the South Sea and the great river they call the Mississippi which is supposed to discharge itself into the Sea of California. Sieur Joliet is a man of great experience in these sorts of discoveries, and has already been almost to that great river, the mouth of which he promises to see. We shall have intelli- gence of him, certainly, this summer.* Father Marquette was chosen to accompany Joliet on account of the information he had already ob- * Paris Documents, vol. 9, p. 92. SPANISH EXPLORATIONS. 41 tained from the Indians relating to the countries to be explored, and also because, as he wrote Father Dablon, his superior, when informed by the latter that he was to be Joliet's companion, " I am ready to go on your order to seek new nations toward the South Sea, and teach them of our great God whom they hitherto have not known." The voyage of Joliet and Marquette is so interesting that we intro- duce extracts from Father Marquette's journal. The version we adopt is Father Marquette's original journal, prepared for publication by his superior, Fathe'r Dablon, and which lay in manuscript at Quebec, among the archives of the Jesuits, until 1852, when it, together with Father Marquette's original map, were brought to light, translated into Eng- lish, and published by Dr. John G. Shea, in his " Discovery and Explo- ration of the Mississippi." The version commonly sanctioned was Marquette's narrative sent *to the French government, where it lay unpublished until it came into the hands of M. Thevenot, who printed it at Paris, in a book issued by him in 1681, called " Receuil de Voy- ages." This account differs somewhat, though not essentially, from the narrative as published by Dr. Shea. Before proceeding farther, however, we will turn aside a moment to note the fact that Spain had a prior right over France to the Missis- sippi Valley by virtue of previous discovery. As early as the year 1525, Cortez had conquered Mexico, portioned out its rich mines among his favorites and reduced the inoffensive inhabitants to the worst of slavery, making them till the ground and toil in the mines for their unfeeling masters. A few years following the conquest of Mexico, the Spaniards, under Pamphilus de Narvaez, in 1528, undertook to conquer and colonize Florida and the entire northern coast-line of the Gulf. After long and fruitless wanderings in the interior, his party returned to the sea-coast and endeavored to reach Tarnpico, in wretched boats. Nearly all perished by storm, disease or famine. The survivors, with one Cabeza de Vaca at their head, drifted to an island near the present state of Mississippi ; from which, after four years of slavery, De Vaca, with four companions, escaped to the mainland and started westward, going clear across the continent to the Gulf of California. The natives took them for supernatural beings. They assumed the guise of jugglers, and the Indian tribes, through which they passed, invested them with the title of medicine-men, and their lives were thus guarded with superstitious awe. They are, perhaps, the first Europeans who ever went overland from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They must have crossed the Great River somewhere on their route, and, says Dr. Shea, " remain in history, in a distant twilight, as the first Europeans known to have stood on the banks of the Mississippi." In 1539, 42 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Hernando de Soto, with a party of cavaliers, most of them sons of titled nobility, landed with their horses upon the coast of Florida. During that and the following four years, these daring adventurers wandered through the wilderness, traveling in portions of Florida, Carolina, the northern parts of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, crossing the Mississippi, as is supposed, as high up as White River, and going still westward to the base of the Rocky Mountains, vainly searching for the rich gold mines of which De Vaca had given marvel- ous accounts. De Soto's party endured hardships that would depress the stoutest heart, while, with fire and sword, they perpetrated atrocities upon the Indian tribes through which they passed, burning their villages and inflicting cruelties which make us blush for the wicked- ness of men claiming to be Christians. De Soto died, in May or June, 1542, on the banks of the Mississippi, below the mouth of the Washita, and his immediate attendants concealed his death from the others and secretly, in the night, buried his body in the middle of the stream. The remnant of his survivors went westward and then returned back again to the river, passing the winter upon its banks. The following spring they went down the river, in seven boats which they had rudely constructed out of such scanty material and with the few tools they could command. In these, after a three months' voyage, they arrived at the Spanish town of Panuco, on the river of that name in Mexico. Later, in 1565, Spain, failing in previous attempts, eifected a lodg- ment in Florida, and for the protection of her colony built the fort at St. Augustine, whose ancient ruin, still standing, is an object of curi- osity to the health-seeker and a monument to the hundreds of native Indians who, reduced to bondage by their Spanish conquerors, perished, after years of unrequited labor, in erecting its frowning walls and gloomy dungeons. While Spain retained her hold upon Mexico and enlarged her posses- sions, and continued, with feebler efforts, to keep possession of the Floridas, she took no measures to establish settlements along the Mis- sissippi or to avail herself of the advantage that might have resulted from its discovery. The Great River excited no further notice after De Soto's time. For the next hundred years it remained as it were a sealed mystery until the French, approaching from the north by way of the lakes, explored it in its entire length, and brought to public light the vast extent and wonderful fertility of its valleys. Resuming the thread of our history at the place where we turned aside to notice the movements of the Spanish toward the Gulf, we now pro- ceed with the extracts from Father Marquette's journal of the voyage of discovery down the Mississippi. CHAPTER VII. JOLIET AND MARQUETTE'S VOYAGE. THE day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, whom I had always invoked, since I have been in this Ottawa country, to obtain of God the grace to be able to visit the nations on the River Mississippi, was identically that on which M. Jollyet arrived with orders of the Comte de Frontenac, our governor, and M. Talon, our intendant, to make this discovery with me. I was the more enraptured at this good news, as I saw my designs on the point of being accom- plished, and myself in the happy necessity of exposing my life for the salvation of all these nations, and particularly for the Illinois, who had, when I was at Lapointe du Esprit, very earnestly entreated me to carry the word of God to their country." " We were not long in preparing our outfit, although we were embarking on a voyage the duration of which we could not foresee. Indian corn, with some dried meats, was our whole stock of provisions. With this we set out in two bark canoes, M. Jollyet, myself and five men, firmly resolved to do all and suffer all for so glorious an enterprise." " It was on the 17th of May, 1673, that we started from the mission of St. Ignatius, at Michilimakinac, where I then was."* " Our joy at being chosen for this expedition roused our courage and sweetened the labor of rowing from morning to night. As we were going to seek unknown countries, we took all possible precau- tions that, if our enterprise was hazardous, it should not be foolhardy ; for this reason we gathered all possible information from the Indians who had frequented those parts, and even from their accounts, traced a map of all the new country, marking down the rivers on which we were to sail, the names of the nations and places through which we were to pass, the course of the Great River, and what direction we should take when we got to it." "Above all, I put our voyage under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Immaculate, promising her that, if she did us the grace to dis- cover the Great River, I would give it the name of the conception ; * St. Ignatius was not on the Island of Mackinaw, but westward of it. on a point of land extending into the strait, from the north shore, laid down on modern maps as 'Point St. Ignace." On this bleak, exposed and barren spot this mission was estab- lished by Marquette himself in 1671. Shea's Catholic Missions, p. 364. 4.3 44 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. and that I would also give that name to the first mission I should establish among these new nations, as I have actually done among the Illinois." After some days they reached an Indian village, and the journal proceeds :'" Here we are, then, at the Maskoutens. This word, in Algonquin, may mean Fire Nation, and that is the name given to them. This is the limit of discoveries made by the French, for they have not yet passed beyond it. This town is made up of three nations gathered here, Miamis, Maskoutens and Ivikabous.* As bark for cabins, in this country, is rare, they use rushes, which serve them for walls and roofs, but which afford them no protection against the wind, and still less against the rain when it falls in torrents. The advantage of this kind of cabins is that they can roll them up and carry them easily where they like in hunting time." " I felt no little pleasure in beholding the position of this town. The view is beautiful and very picturesque, for, from the eminence on which it is perched, the eye discovers on every side prairies spreading away beyond its reach interspersed with thickets or groves of trees. The soil is very good, producing much corn. The Indians gather also quantities of plums and grapes, from which good wine could be made if they choose." "No sooner had we arrived than M. Jollyet and I assembled the Sachems. He told them that he was sent by our governor to discover new countries, and I by the Almighty to illumine them with the ligttt of the gospel ; that the Sovereign Master of our lives wished to be known to all nations, and that to obey his will I did not fear death, to which I exposed myself in such dangerous voyages ; that we needed two guides to put us on our way ; these, making them a present, we begged them to grant us. This they did very civilly, and even pro- ceeded to speak to us by a present, which was a mat to serve us on our voyage." "The next day, which was the 10th of June, two Miamis whom they had given us as guides embarked with us in the sight of a great crowd, who could not wonder enough to see seven Frenchmen, alone in two canoes, dare to undertake so strange and so hazardous an expe- dition." " We knew that there was, three leagues from Maskoutens, a river emptying into the Mississippi. We knew, too, that the point of the compass we were to hold to reach it was the west-southwest, but the * The village was near the mouth of Wolf River, which empties into Winnebago Lake, Wisconsin. The stream was formerly called the Maskouten, and a tribe of this name dwelt along its banks. MARQUETTE'S VOYAGE. 45 way is so cut up with marshes and little lakes that it is easy to go astray, especially as the river leading to it is so covered with wild oats that you can hardly discover the channel ; hence we had need of our two guides, who led us safely to a portage of twenty-seven hundred paces and helped us transport our canoes to enter this river, after which they returned, leaving us alone in an unknown country in the hands of Providence."' 55 ' " We now leave the waters which flow to Quebec, a distance of four or five hundred leagues, to follow those which will henceforth lead us. into strange lands. " Our route was southwest, and after sailing about thirty leagues we perceived a place which had all the appearances of an iron mine, and in fact one of our party who had seen some before averred that the one we had found was very rich and very good. After forty leagues on this same route we reached the mouth of our river, and finding our- selves at 42 K we safely entered the Mississippi on the 17th of June with a joy that I cannot express."f *This portage has given the name to Portage City, Wisconsin, where the upper waters of Fox River, emptying into Green Bay, approach the Wisconsin River, which, coming from the northwest, here changes its course to the southwest Ihe distance from the Wisconsin to the Fox River at this point is, according to Henry K. School- craft, a mile and 1 a half across a level prairie, and the level of the two streams is so nearly the same that in high water loaded canoes formerly passed from the one to the other across this low prairie. For many miles below the portage the channel ot .box Kiyer was choked with a growth of tangled wild rice. The stream frequently expanding into little lakes, and its winding, crooked course through the prairie, well justifies the tradition of the Winnebago Indians concerning its origin. A vast serpent that lived in the waters of the Mississippi took a freak t9 visit the great lakes ; he left his trail where he crossed over the prairie, which, collecting the waters as they tell trom the rains of heaven, at length became Fox River. The little lakes along its course were, prob- ably, the places where he nourished about in his uneasy slumbers at night. Mrs. John H. Kin/.ie's Waubun, p. 80. t Father Marquette, agreeably to his vow, named the river the Immaculate Concep- tion. Nine years later, when Robert La Salle, having discovered the river m its entire length, took possession at its mouth of the whole Mississippi Valley, he named the river Colbert, in honor of the Minister of the Navy, a man renowned alike tor his ability, at the head of the Department of the Marine, and for the encouragement he gave to literature, science and art. Still later, in 1712, when the vast country drained by its waters was farmed out to private enterprise, as appears from letters patent trom the King of France, conveying the whole to M. Crozat, the name of the river was changed to St. Lewis. Fortunately the Mississippi retains its aboriginal name, which is a com- pound from the two Algonquin words missi, signifying great, and sepe, a river. Ihe former is variously pronounced missil or michil, as in Michilimakinac ; michi, as in Mich- igan ; missii, as in Missouri, and missi, as in the Mississeneway of the Wabash. Ihe variation in pronunciation is not greater than we might expect in an unwritten lan- guage. "The Western Indians," says Mr. Schoolcraft, " have no other word than nnsst to express the highest degree of magnitude, either in a moral or in a physical sense, and it may be considered as not only synonymous to our word great, but also magnificent, supreme, stupendous, etc." Father Hennepin, who next to Marquette wrote concern- ing the derivation of the name, says : " Mississippi, in the language of the Illinois, means the great river." Some authors, perhaps with more regard for a pleasing hc- tion than plain matter-of-fact, have rendered Mississippi "The Father of Waters; whereas, nos, noussey and nosha mean father, and neebi, nipi or nepee mean water, as universally in the dialect of Algonquin tribes, as does the word missi mean great and sepi a river. 46 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. " Having descended as far as 41 28', following the same direction, we find that turkeys have taken the place of game, and pisikious (buf- falo) or wild cattle that of other beasts. " At last, on the 25th of June, \ve perceived foot-prints of men by the water-side and a beaten path entering a beautiful prairie. We stopped to examine it, and concluding that it was a patli leading to some Indian village we resolved to go and reconnoitre : we accordinglv left our two canoes in charge of our people, cautioning them to beware of a surprise ; then M. Jollyet and I undertook this rather hazardous discovery for two single men, who thus put themselves at the mercy of an unknown and barbarous people. We followed the little path in silence, and having advanced about two leagues we discovered a village on the banks of the river, and two others on a hill half a league from the former. Then, indeed, we recommended ourselves to God with all our hearts, and having implored his help we passed on undiscovered, and came so near that we even heard the Indians talking. We then deemed it time to announce ourselves, as we did, by a cry which we raised with all pur strength, and then halted, without advancing any farther. At this cry the Indians rushed out of their cabins, and hav- ing probably recognized us as French, especially seeing a black gown, or at least having no reason to distrust us, seeing we were but two and had made known our coming, they deputed four old men to come and speak to us. Two carried tobacco-pipes well adorned and trimmed with many kinds of feathers. They marched slowly, lifting their pipes toward the sun as if offering them to it to smoke, but yet without uttering a single word. They were a long time coming the little way from the village to us. Having reached us at last, they stopped to con- sider us attentively. " I now took courage, seeing these ceremonies, which are used by them only with friends, and still more on seeing them covered with stuffs which made me judge them to be allies. I, therefore, spoke to them first, and asked them who they were. They answered that they were Illinois, and in token of peace they presented their pipes to smoke. They then invited us to their village, where all the tribe awaited us with impatience. These pipes for smoking are all called in this country calumets, a word that is so much in use that I shall be obliged to employ it in order to be understood, as I shall have to speak of it frequently. " At the door of the cabin in which we were to be received was an old man awaiting us in a very remarkable posture, which is their usual ceremony in receiving strangers. This man was standing perfectly naked, with his hands stretched out and raised toward the sun, as if he wished to screen himself from its rays, which, nevertheless, passed PRESENTATION OF THE CALUMET. 47 through his fingers to his face. When we came near him he paid us this compliment : ' How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchman, when thou comest to visit us ! All our town awaits thee, and thou shalt enter all our cabins in peace.' He then took us into his, where there was a crowd of people, who devoured us with their eyes but kept a profound silence. "We heard, however, these words occasionally ad- dressed to us : ' Well done, brothers, to visit us ! ' As soon as we had taken our places they showed us the usual civility of the country, which is to present the calumet. You must not refuse it unless you would pass for an enemy, or at least for being very impolite. It is, however, enough to pretend to smoke. While all the old men smoked after us to honor us, some came to invite us, on behalf of the great sachem of all the Illinois, to proceed to his town, where he wished to hold a council with us. We went with a good retinue, for all the people who had never seen a Frenchman among them could not tire looking at us ; they threw themselves on the grass by the wayside, they ran ahead, then turned and walked back to see us again. All this was done without noise, and with marks of a great respect entertained for us. " Having arrived at the great sachem's town, we espied him at his cabin door between two old men ; all three standing naked, with their calumet turned to the sun. He harangued us in a few words, to con- gratulate us on our arrival, and then presented us his calumet and made us smoke ; at the same time we entered his cabin, where we received all their usual greetings. Seeing all assembled and in silence, I spoke to them by four presents which I made. By the first, I said that we marched in peace to visit the nations on the river to the sea ; by the second, I declared to them that God, their creator, had pity on them, since, after their having been so long ignorant of him, he wished to become known to all nations ; that I was sent on his behalf with this design ; that it was for them to acknowledge and obey him ; by the third, that the great chief of the French informed them that he spread peace everywhere, and had overcome the Iroquois ; lastly, by the fourth, we begged them to give us all the information they had of the sea, and of nations through which we should have to pass to reach it. " When I had finished my speech, the sachem rose, and laying his hand on the head of a little slave whom he was about to give us, spoke thus : ' I thank thee, Black-gown, and thee, Frenchman,' addressing M. Jollyet, ' for taking so much pains to come and visit us. Never has the earth been so beautiful, nor the sun so bright, as to-day ; never has our river been so calm, nor so free from rocks, which your canoes have removed as they passed ; never has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, 48 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. nor our corn appeared so beautiful as we behold it to-day. Here is my son that I give thee that thou mayest know my heart. I pray thee take pity on me and all my nation. Thou knowest the Great Spirit who has made us all ; thou speakest to him and hearest his word ; ask him to give me life and health, and come and dwell with us that we may know him.' Saying this, he placed the little slave near us and made us a second present, an all mysterious calumet, which they value more than a slave. By this present he showed us his esteem for our governor, after the account we had given of him. By the third he begged us, on behalf of his whole nation, not to proceed farther on account of the great dangers to which we exposed ourselves. " I replied that I did not fear death, and that I esteemed no happi- ness greater than that of losing my life for the glory of him who made us all. But this these poor people could not understand. The coun- cil was followed by a great feast which consisted of four courses, which we had to take with all their ways. The first course was a great wooden dish full of sagamity. that is to say, of Indian meal boiled in water and seasoned with grease. The master of ceremonies, with a spoonful of sagamity, presented it three or four times to my mouth, as we would do with a little child ; he did the same to M. Jollyet. For the second course, he brought in a second dish containing three fish ; he took some pains to remove the bones, and having blown upon it to cool it, put it in my mouth as we would food to a bird. For the third course they produced a large dog which they had just killed, but, learning that we did not eat it, withdrew it. Finally, the fourth course was a piece of wild ox, the fattest portions of which were put into our mouths. " We took leave of our Illinois about the end of June, and em- barked in sight of all the tribe, who admire our little canoes, having never seen the like. "As we were discoursing, while sailing gently down a beautiful, still, clear water, we heard the noise of a rapid into which we were about to fall. I have seen nothing more frightful ; a mass of large trees, entire, with branches, real floating islands, came rushing from the mouth of the river Pekitanoiii, so impetuously that we could not, without great danger, expose ourselves to pass across. The agitation was so great that the water was all muddy and could not get clear.* * Pekitanoiii, with the aboriginals, signified " muddy water," on the authority of Father Marest, in his letter referred to in a previous note. The present name, Mis- souri, according to Le Page du Pratz, vol. 2, p. 157, was derived from the tribe, Mis- souris, whose village was some forty leagues above its mouth, and who massacred a French garrison situated in that part of the country. The late statesman and orator, Thomas A. Benton, referring to the muddiness prevailing at all seasons of the year in the Missouri River, said that its waters were "too thick to swim in and too thin to walk on." PLOT AGAINST MARQUETTE'S LIFE. 49 "After having made about twenty leagues due south, and a little less to the southeast, we came to a river called Ouabouskigou, the mouth of which is at 36 north.* This river comes from the country on the east inhabited by the Chaouanons, in such numbers that they reckon as many as twenty-three villages in one district, and fifteen in another, lying quite near each other. They are by no means warlike, and are the people the Iroquois go far to seek in order to wage an unprovoked war upon them ; and as these poor people cannot defend themselves they allow themselves to be taken and carried off like sheep, and, inno- cent as they are, do not fail to experience the barbarity of the Iroquois, who burn them cruelly.' Having arrived about half a league from Akansea (Arkansas River), we saw two canoes coining toward us. The commander was standing up holding in his hand a calumet, with which he made signs according to the custom of the country. He approached us, singing quite agreeably, and invited us to smoke, after which he presented us some sagarnity and bread made of Indian corn, of which we ate a little. We fortunately found among them a man who understood Illinois much better than the man we brought from Mitchigameh. By means of him, I first spoke to the assembly by ordinary presents. They admired what I told them of God and the mysteries of our holy faith, and showed a great desire to keep me with them to instruct them. " We then asked them what they knew of the sea ; they replied that we were only ten days' journey from it (we could have made the distance in five days) ; that they did not know the nations who inhab- ited it, because their enemies prevented their commerce with those Europeans ; that the Indians with fire-arms whom we had met were their enemies, who cut off the passage to the sea, and prevented their making the acquaintance of the Europeans, or having any commerce with them ; that besides we should expose ourselves greatly by passing on, in consequence of the continual war parties that their enemies sent out on the river; since, being armed and used to war, we could not, without evident danger, advance on that river which they constantly occupy. " In the evening the sachems held a secret council on the design of some to kill us for plunder, but the chief broke up all these schemes, and sending for us, danced the calumet in our presence, and then, to remove all fears, presented it to me. "M. Jollyet and I held another council to deliberate on what we should do, whether we should push on, or rest satisfied with the dis- *The W abash here appears, for the first time, by name. A more extended notice of the various names by which this stream has been known will be given farther on. 4 50 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. covery that we had made. After having attentively considered that we were not far from the Gulf of Mexico, the basin of which is 31 40' north, and we at 33 40'; so that we could not be more than two or three days' journey off; that the Mississippi undoubtedly had its mouth in Florida or the Gulf of Mexico, and not on the east in Vir- ginia, whose sea-coast is at 34 north, which we had passed, without having as yet reached the sea, nor on the western side in California, because that would require a west, or west-southwest course, and we had always been going south. We considered, moreover, that we risked losing the fruit of this voyage, of which we could give no information, if we should throw ourselves into the hands of the Span- iards, who would undoubtedly at least hold us as prisoners. Besides it was clear that we w r ere not in a condition to resist Indians allied to Europeans, numerous and expert in the use of fire-arms, who contin- ually infested the lower part of the river. Lastly, we had gathered all the information that could be desired from the expedition. All these reasons induced us to return. This we announced to the Indians, and after a day's rest prepared for it. "After a month's navigation down the Mississippi, from the 42d to below the 34th degree, and after having published the gospel as well as I could to the nations I had met, we left the village of Akansea on the 17th of July, to retrace our steps. We accordingly ascended the Mississippi, which gave us great trouble to stem its currents. We left it, indeed, about the 38th degree, to enter another river (the Illinois), which greatly shortened our way, and brought us, with little trouble, to the lake of the Illinois. " We had seen nothing like this river for the fertility of the land, its prairies, woods, wild cattle, stag, deer, w r ild-cats, bustards, swans, ducks, parrots, and even beaver; its many little lakes and rivers. That on which w r e sailed is broad deep and gentle for sixty-five leagues. During the spring and part of the summer, the only portage is half a league. " We found there an Illinois town called Kaskaskia, composed of seventy -four cabins : they received us well, and compelled me to promise them to return and instruct them. One of the chiefs of this tribe, with his young men, escorted us to the Illinois Lake, whence at last we returned in the close of September to the Bay of the Fetid (Green Bay), whence we had set out in the beginning of June. Had all this voyage caused but the salvation of a single soul, I should deem all my fatigue well repaid, and this I have reason to think, for, when I was returning, I passed by the Indians of Peoria. 1 was three days announcing the faith in their cabins, after which, as we were embarking, they brought BIOGRAPHY OF JOLIET. 51 me, on the water's edge, a dying child, which I baptized a little before it expired, by an admirable providence for the salvation of that inno- cent soul." Count Frontenac, writing from Quebec to M. Colbert, Minister of the Marine, at Paris, under date of November 14, 1674, announces that ^'Sieur Joliet, whom Monsieur Talon advised me, on my arrival from France, to dispatch for the discovery of the South Sea, has returned three months ago. He has discovered some very fine countries, and a navi- gation so easy through beautiful rivers he has found, that a person can go from Lake Ontario in a bark to the Gulf of Mexico, there being only one carrying place (around Niagara Falls), where Lake Ontario communicates with Lake Erie. I send you, by my secretary, the map which Sieur Joliet has made of the great river he has discovered, and the observations he has been able to recollect, as he lost all his minutes and journals in the shipwreck he suffered within sight of Montreal, where, after having completed a voyage of twelve hundred leagues, he was near being drowned, and lost all his papers and a little Indian whom he brought from those countries. These accidents have caused me great regret."* Louis Joliet, or Jolliet, or Jollyet, as the name is variously spelled, was the son of Jean Joliet, a wheelwright, and Mary d'Abancour; he was born at Quebec in the year 1645. Having finished his studies at the Jesuit college he determined to become a member of that order, and with that purpose in view took some of the minor orders of the society in August, 1662. He completed his studies in 1666, but during this time his attention had become interested in Indian affairs, and he laid aside all thoughts of assuming the " black gown." That he acquired great ability and tact in managing the savages, is apparent from the fact of his having been selected to discover the south sea by the way of the Mississippi. The map which he drew from memory, and which was forwarded by Count Frontenac to France, was afterward attached to Marquette's Journal, and was published by Therenot, at Paris, in 1681. Sparks, in his " Life of Marquette," copies this map, and ascribes it to his hero. This must be a mistake, since it differs quite essentially from Marquette's map, which has recently been brought to public notice by Dr. Shea. Joliet's account of the voyage, mentioned by Frontenac, is published in Hennepin's " Discovery of a Vast Country in America." It is very meagre, and does not present any facts not covered by Marquette's nar- rative. In 1680 Joliet was appointed hydrographer to the king, and many * Paris Documents, vol. 9, p. 121. 52 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. well-drawn maps at Quebec show that his office was no sinecure. After- ward, he made a voyage to Hudson's Bay in the interest of the king; and as a reward for the faithful performance of his duty, he was granted the island of Anticosti, which, on account of the fisheries and Indian trade, was at that time very valuable. After this, he signed himself Joliet d'Anticosty. In the year 1697, he obtained the seignory of Joliet on the river Etchemins, south of Quebec. M. Joliet died in 1701, leaving a wife and four children, the descendants of whom are living in Canada still possessed of the seignory of Joliet, among whom are Archbishop Taschereau of Quebec and Archbishop Tache of Red River. Mount Joliet, on the Desplaines River, above its confluence with the Kankakee, and the city of Joliet, in the county of Will, perpetuate the name of Joliet in the state of Illinois. Jacques Marquette was born in Laon, France, in 1637. His was the oldest and one of the most respectable citizen families of the place. At the age of seventeen he entered the Society of Jesus ; received or- ders in 1666 to embark for Canada, arriving at Quebec in September of the same year. For two years he remained at Three Rivers, study- ing the different Indian dialects under Father Gabriel Druillentes. At the end of that period he received orders to repair to the upper lakes, which he did, and established the Mission of Sault Ste. Marie. The following year Dablon arrived, having been appointed Superior of the Ottawa missions ; Marquette then went to the " Mission of the Holy Ghost " at the western extremity of Lake Superior ; here he remained for two years, and it was his accounts, forwarded from this place, that caused Frontenac and Talon to send Joliet on his voyage to the Mis- sissippi. The Sioux having dispersed the Algonquin tribes at Lapointe, the latter retreated eastward to Mackinaw ; Marquette followed and founded there the Mission of St. Ignatius. Here he remained until Joliet came, in 1673, with orders to accompany him on his voyage of discovery down the Mississippi. Upon his return, Marquette remained at Mackinaw until October, 1674, when he received orders to carry out his pet project of founding the " Mission of the Immaculate Concep- tion of the Blessed Virgin " among the Illinois. He immediately set out, but owing to a severe dysentery, contracted the year previous, he made but slow progress. However, he reached Chicago Creek, De- cember 4, where, growing rapidly worse, he was compelled to winter. On the 29th of the following March he set out for the Illinois town, on the river of that name. He succeeded in getting there on the 8th of April. Being cordially received by the Indians, he was enabled to realize his long deferred and much cherished project of establishin DEATH OF MARQUETTE. 53 the " Mission of the Immaculate Conception." Believing that his life was drawing to a close, he endeavored to reach Mackinaw before his death should take place. But in this hope he was doomed to disap- pointment ; by the time he reached Lake Michigan " he was so weak that he had to be carried like a child." One Saturday, Marquette and his two companions entered a small stream which still bears his name on the eastern side of Lake Michigan, and in this desolate spot, virtually alone, destitute of all the comforts of life, died James Marquette. His life-long wish to die a martyr in the holy cause of Jesus and the Blessed Yirgin, was granted. Thus passed away one of the purest and most sacrificing servants of God, one of the bravest and most heroic of men. The biographical sketch of Joliet has been collated from a number of reliable authorities, and is believed truthful. Our notice of Father Marquette is condensed from his life as written by Dr. Shea, than whom there is no one better qualified to perform the task. CHAPTER VIII. EXPLORATIONS BY LA SALLE. THE success of the French, in their plan of colonization, was so great, and the trade with the savages, exchanging fineries, guns, knives, and, more than all, spirituous liquors for valuable furs, yielded such enormous profits, that impetus was given to still greater enterprises. They involved no less than the hemming in of the British colonies along the Atlantic coast and a conquest of the rich mines in Mexico, from the Spanish. These purposes are boldly avowed in a letter of M. Talon, the king's enterprising intendant at Quebec, in 1671 ; and also in the declarations of the great Colbert, at Paris, " I am," says M. Talon, in his letter to the king referred to, "no courtier, and assert, not through a mere desire to please the king, nor without just reason, that this portion of the French monarchy will become something grand. What I discover around me makes me foresee this ; and those colonies of foreign nations so long settled on the seaboard already tremble with fright, in view of what his majesty has accomplished here in the interior. The measures adopted to confine them within narrow limits, by taking possession, which I have caused to be effected, do not allow them to spread, without subjecting themselves, at the same time, to be treated as usurpers, and have war waged against them. This in truth is what by all their acts they seem to greatly fear. They already know that your name is spread abroad among the savages throughout all those countries, and that they regard your majesty alone as the arbitrator of peace and war ; they detach themselves insensibly from other Europeans, and excepting the Iroquois, of whom I am not as vet assured, we can safely promise that the others will take up arms whenever we please." " The principal result," says La Salle, in his memoir at a later day, " expected from the great perils and labors which I underwent in the discovery of the Mississippi was to satisfy the wish expressed to me by the late Monsieur Colbert, of finding a port where the French might establish themselves and harass the Spaniards in those regions from whence they derive all their wealth. The place I propose to fortify lies sixty leagues above the mouth of the river Col- bert (i. e. Mississippi) in the Gulf of Mexico, and possesses all the advantages for such a purpose which can be wished for, both on account 54 EARLY LIFE OF LA SALLE. 55 of its excellent position and the favorable disposition of the savages who live in that part of the country."* It is not our province to indulge in conjectures as to how far these daring purposes of Talon and Col- bert would have succeeded had not the latter died, and their active assistant, Robert La Salle, have lost his life, at the hands of an assassin, when in the act of executing the preliminary part of the enterprise. "We turn, rather, to matters of historical record, and proceed with a condensed sketch of the life and voyages of La Salle, as it was his dis- coveries that led to the colonization of the Mississippi Valley by the French. La Salle was born, of a distinguished family, at Rouen, France. He was consecrated to the service of God in early life, and entered the Society of Jesus, in which he remained ten years, laying the foundation of moral principles, regular habits and elements of science that served him so well in his future arduous undertakings. Like many other young men having plans of useful life, he thought Canada would offer better facilities to develop them than the cramped and fixed society of France. He accordingly left his home, and reached Montreal in 1666. Being of a resolute and venturesome disposition, he found employment in making explorations of the country about the lakes. He soon became a favorite of Talon, the intendant, and of Frontenae, the governor, at Quebec. He was selected by the latter to take com- mand of Fort Frontenac, near the present city of Kingston, on the St. Lawrence River, and at that time a dilapidated, wooden structure on the frontier of Canada. He remained in Canada about nine years, acquiring a knowledge of the country and particularly of the Indian tribes, their manners, habits and customs, and winning the confidence of the French authorities. He returned to France and presented a memoir to the king, in which he urged the necessity of maintaining Fort Frontenac, which he offered to restore with a structure of stone ; to keep there a garrison equal to the one at Montreal ; to em- ploy as many as fifteen laborers during the first year; to clear and till the land, and to supply the surrounding Indian villages with Recollect missionaries in furtherance of the cause of religion, all at his own ex- pense, on condition that the king would grant him the right of seigniory and a monopoly of the trade incident to it. He further petitioned for title of nobility in consideration of voyages he had already made in Canada at his own expense, and which had resulted in the great bene- fit to the king's colony. The king heard the petition graciously, and * Talon's letter to the king 1 : Paris Documents, vol. 9, p. 73. La Salle's Memoir to the king, on the necessity of fitting out an expedition to take possession of Louisiana: Historical Collections of Louisiana, part 1, p. 5. 56 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. on the 13th May, 1675, granted La Salle and his heirs Fort Frontenac, with four leagues of the adjacent country along the lakes and rivers above and below the fort and a half a league inward, and the adjacent islands, with the right of hunting and fishing on Lake Ontario and the circumjacent rivers. On the same day, the king issued to La Salle letters patent of nobility, having, as the king declares, been informed of the worthy deeds performed by the people, either in reducing or civilizing the savages or in defending themselves against their frequent insults, especially those of the Iroquois ; in despising the greatest dan- gers in order to extend the king's name and empire to the extremity of that new world ; and desiring to reward those who have thus ren- dered themselves most eminent ; and wishing to treat most favorably Robert Cavalier Sieur de La Salle on account of the good and laudable report that has been rendered concerning his actions in Canada, the king does ennoble and decorate with the title of nobility the said cav- alier, together with his wife and children. He left France with these precious documents, and repaired to Fort Frontenac, where he per- formed the conditions imposed by the terms of his titles. He sailed for France again in 1677, and in the following year after he and Colbert had fully matured their plans, he again petitioned the king for a license to prosecute further discoveries. The king granted his request, giving him a permit, under date of May 12, 1678, to en- deavor to discover the western part of New France ; the king avowing in the letters patent that " he had nothing more at heart than the dis- covery of that country where there is a prospect of finding a way to penetrate as far as Mexico," and authorizing La Salle to prosecute dis- coveries, and construct forts in such places as he might think necessary, and enjoy there the same monopoly as at Fort Frontenac, all on con- dition that the enterprise should be prosecuted at LaSalle's expense, and completed within five years; that he should not trade with the savages, who carried their peltries and beavers to Montreal ; and that the governor, intendant, justices, and other officers of the king in New France, should aid La Salle in his enterprise.* Before leaving France, La Saiie, through the Prince de Conti, was introduced to one Henri de Tonti, an Italian by birth, who for eight years had been in the French service. Having had one of his hands shot off while in Sicily, he repaired to France to seek other employment. It was a most for- tunate meeting. Tonti a name that should be prominently associ- ated with discoveries in this part of America became La Salle's companion. Ever faithful and courageous, he ably and zealously fur- * Vide the petitions of La Salle to, and the grants from, the king, which are found at length in the Paris Documents, vol. 9, pp. 122 to 127. LOUIS HENNEPIN. 57 thered all of La Salle's plans, followed and defended him under the most discouraging trials, with an unselfish fidelity that has few paral- lels in any age. Supplied with this new grant of enlarged powers, La Salle, in com- pany with Tonti, or Tonty, as Dr. Sparks says he has seen the name written in an autograph letter, and thirty men, comprising pilots, sailors, carpenters and other mechanics, with a supply of material necessary for the intended exploration, left France for Quebec. Here the party were joined by some Canadians, and the whole force was sent forward to Fort Frontenac, at the outlet of Lake Ontario, since this fort had been granted to La Salle. He had, in conformity to the terms of his letters patent, greatly enlarged and strengthened its de- fenses. Here he met Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan Friar, whom it seems had been sent thither along with Father Gabriel de la Ribourde and Zenobius Membre, all of the same religious order, to accompany La Salle's expedition. In the meantime, Hennepin was occupied in pastoral labors among the soldiers of the garrison, and the inhabitants of a little hamlet of peasants near by, and proselyting the Indians of the neighboring country. Hennepin, from his own account, had not only traveled over several parts of Europe before coming to Canada, but since his arrival in America, had spent much time in roaming about among the savages, to gratify his love of adventure and acquire knowledge. Hennepin's name and writings are so prominently connected with the early history of the Mississippi Yalley, and, withal, his contradic- tory statements, made at a later day of his life, as to the extent of his own travels, have so clouded his reputation with grave doubt as to his regard for truth, that we will turn aside and give the reader a sketch of this most singular man and his claims as a discoverer. He was bold, courageous, patient and hopeful under the most trying fatigues ; and had a taste for the privations and dangers of a life among the savages, whose ways and caprices he well understood, and knew how to turn them to insure his own safety. He was a shrewd observer and possessed a faculty for that detail and little minutiae, which make a narrative racy and valuable. He was vain and much given to self- glorification. He accompanied La Salle, in the first voyage, as far as Peoria Lake, and he and Father Zenobe Membre are the historians of that expedition. From Peoria Lake he went down the Illinois, under orders from La Salle, and up the Mississippi beyond St. Anthony's Falls, giving this name to the falls. This interesting voyage was not prosecuted voluntarily ; for Hennepin and his two companions were captured by the Sioux and taken up the river as prisoners, often in 58 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. great peril of their lives. He saw La Salle no more, after parting with him at Peoria Lake. He was released from captivity through the intervention of Mons. Duluth, a French Coureur de Bois, who had previously established a trade with the Sioux, on the upper Mississippi, by way of Lake Superior. After his escape, Hennepin descended the Mississippi to the mouth of the "Wisconsin, which he ascended, made the portage at the head of Fox River, thence to Green Bay and Mack- inaw, by the route pursued by Joliet and Marquette on their way to the Mississippi, seven years before. From Mackinaw he proceeded to France, where, in 1683, he published, under royal authority, an account of his travels. For refusing to obey an order of his superiors, to return to America, he was banished from France. He went to Holland and obtained the favor and patronage of William HI, king of England, to whose service, as he himself says, " he entirely devoted himself." In Holland, he received money and sustenance from Mr. Blathwait, King William's secretary of war, while engaged in preparing a new volume of his voyages, which was published at Utrecht, in 1697, and dedicated "To His Most Excellent Majesty William the Third." The revised edition contains substantially all of the first, and a great deal besides ; for in this last work Hennepin lays claim, for the first time, to having gone down the Mississippi to its mouth, thus seeking to deprive La Salle of the glory attaching to his name, on account of this very dis- covery. La Salle had now been dead about fourteen years, and from the time he went down the Mississippi, in 1682, to the hour of his death, although his discovery was well known, especially to Hennepin, the latter never laid any claim to having anticipated him in the discov- ery. Besides, Hennepin's own account, after so long a silence, of his pretended voyage down the river is so utterly inconsistent with itself, especially with respect to dates and the impossibility of his traveling the distances within the time he alleges, that the story carries its own refutation. For this mendacious act, Father Hennepin has merited the severest censures of Charlevoix, Jared Sparks, Francis Parkman, Dr. Shea and other historical critics. His first work is generally regarded as authority. That he did go up the Mississippi river there seems to be no controversy, while grave doubts prevail as to many statements in his last publication, which would otherwise pass without suspicion were they not found in com- pany with statements known to be untrue. In the preface to his last work, issued in 1697, Father Hennepin assigns as a reason why he did not publish his descent of the Missis- sippi in his volume issued in 1683, " that I was obliged to say nothing of the course of the Mississippi, from the mouth of the Illinois down HENNEPIN AND LA SALLE. 59 to the sea, for fear of disobliging M. La Salle, with whom I began my discovery. This gentleman, alone, would have the glory of having dis- covered the course of that river. But when he heard that I had done it two years before him he could never forgive me, though, as I have said, I was so modest as to publish nothing of it. This was the true cause of his malice against me, and of the barbarous usage I met with in France." Still, his description of places he did visit ; the aboriginal names and geographical features of localities ; his observations, especially upon the manners and customs of the Indians, and other facts which he had no motive to misrepresent, are generally regarded as true in his last as well as in his first publication. His works, indeed, are the only repos- itories of many interesting particulars relating to the northwest, and authors quote from him, some indiscriminately and others with more caution, while all criticise him without measure. Hennepin was born in Belgium in 1640, as is supposed, and died at Utrecht, Holland, within a few years after issuing his last book. This was republished in London in 1698, the translation into English being wretchedly executed. The book, aside from its historical value and the notoriety attaching to it because of the new claims Hennepin makes, is quite a curiosity. It is made up of Hennepin's own travels, blended with his fictitious discoveries, scraps and odd ends taken from the writings of other travelers without giving'credit ; the whole embellished with plates and a map inserted by the bookseller, and the text empha- sized with italics and displayed type; all designed to render it a speci- men, as it probably was in its day, of the highest skill attained in the art of book-making. La Salle brought up the St. Lawrence to Fort Frontenac the anchors, cordage and other material to be used in the vessel which he designed to construct above the Falls of Niagara for navigating the western lakes. He already had three small vessels on Lake Ontario, which he had made use of in a coasting trade with the Indians. One of these, a brigantine of ten tons, was loaded with his effects ; his men, including Fathers Gabriel, Zenobius Membre and Hennepin, who were, as Father Zenobia declares, commissioned with care of the spiritual direction of the expedition, were placed aboard, and on the 18th of November the vessel sailed westward for the Niagara River. They kept the northern shore, and run into land and bartered for corn with the Iroquois at one of their villages, situated where Toronto, Canada, is located, and for fear of being frozen up in the river, which here empties into the lake, had to cut the ice from about their ship. Detained by adverse winds, they remained here until the wind was favorable, 60 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. when they sailed across the end of the lake and found an anchorage in the mouth of Niagara River on the 6th of December. The season was far advanced, and the ground covered with snow a foot deep. Large masses of ice were floating down the river endangering the vessel, and it was necessary to take measures to give it security. Accordingly the vessel was hauled with cables up against the strong current. One of the cables broke, and the vessel itself came very near being broken to pieces or carried away by the ice, which was grinding its way to the open lake. Finally, by sheer force of human strength, the vessel was dragged to the shore, and moored with a strong hawser under a protect- ing cliff out of danger from the floating ice. A cabin, protected with palisades, for shelter and to serve as a magazine to store the supplies, was also constructed. The ground was frozen so hard that it had to be thawed out with boiling water before the men could drive stakes into it. The movements of La Salle excited, first the curiosity of the Iro- quois Indians, in whose country he was an intruder, and then their jeal- ousy became aroused as they began to fear he intended the erection of a fort. The Sieur de La Salle, says the frank and modest-minded Father Zenobe Membre, "with his usual address met the principal Iroquois chiefs in conference, and gained them so completely that they not only agreed, but offered, to contribute with all their means to the execu- tion of his designs. The conference lasted for some time. La Salle also sent many canoes to trade north and south of the lake among these tribes." Meanwhile La Salle's enemies were busy in thwarting his plans. They insinuated themselves among the Indians in the vicinity of Niagara, and filled their ears with all sorts of stories to La Salle's discredit, and aroused feelings of such distrust that work on the fort, or depot for supplies, had to be suspended, and La Salle content himself with a house surrounded by palisades. A place was selected above the falls,* on the eastern side of the river, for the construction of the new vessel. The ground was cleared away, trees were felled, and the carpen- ters set to work. The keel of the vessel was laid on the 26th of Jan- uary, and some of the plank being ready to fasten on, La Salle drove the first spike. As the work progressed, La Salle made several trips, over ice and snow, and later in the spring with vessels, to Fort Frontenac, to hurry forward provisions and material. One of his vessels was lost on Lake Ontario, heavily laden with a cargo of valuable supplies, through the fault or willful perversity of her pilots. The disappointment over this calamity, says Hennepin, would have dissuaded any other person than * Francis Parkman, in his valuable work, "The Discovery of the Great West," p. 133, locates the spot at the mouth of Cayuga Creek on the American shore. THE FIRST SAIL ON LAKE ERIE. 61 La Salle from the further prosecution of the enterprise. The men worked industriously on the ship. The most of the Iroquois having gone to war with a nation on the northern side of Lake Erie, the few remaining behind were become less insolent than before. Still they lingered about where the work was going on, and continued expres- sions of discontent at what the French were doing. One of them let on to be drunk and attempted to kill the blacksmith, but the latter repulsed the Indian with a piece of iron red-hot from the forge. The Indians threatened to burn the vessel on the stocks, and might have done so were it not constantly guarded. Much of the time the only food of the men was Indian corn and lish ; the distance to Fort Fron- tenac and the inclemency of the winter rendering it out of power ta procure a supply of other or better provisions. The frequent alarms from the Indians, a want of wholesome food, the loss of the vessel with its promised supplies, and a refusal of the neighboring tribes to sell any more of their corn, reduced the party to such extremities that the ship-carpenters tried to run away. They were, however, persuaded to remain and prosecute their work. Two Mohegan Indians, successful hunters in La Salle's service, were fortu- nate enough to bring in some wild goats and other game they had killed, which greatly encouraged the workmen to go on with their task more briskly than before. The vessel was completed within six months from the time its keel was laid. The ship was gotten afloat before en- tirely finished, to prevent the designs of the natives to burn it. She was sixty tons burthen, and called the " Griffin," a name given it by La Salle by way of a compliment to Count Frontenac, whose armorial bearings were supported by two griffins. Three guns were fired, and 11 Te Deums" chanted at the christening, and prayers offered up for a prosperous voyage. The air in the wild forest rung with shouts of joy ; even the Iroqnois, looking suspiciously on, were seduced with alluring draughts of brandy to lend their deep-mouthed voices to the happy occasion. The men left their cabins of bark and swung their hammocks under the deck of the ship, where they could rest with greater security from the savages than on the shore. The Griffin, under press of a favorable breeze, and with the help of twelve men on the shore pulling at tow-ropes, was forced up against the strong current of the Niagara River to calmer waters at the en- trance of the lake. On the 7th of August, 1679, her canvas was spread, and the pilot steering by the compass, the vessel, with La Salle and his thirty odd companions and their effects aboard, sailed out westward upon the unknown, silent waters of Lake Erie. In three days they reached the mouth of Detroit River. Father Hennepin was fairly 62 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. delighted with the country along this river it was "so well situated and the soil so fertile. Vast meadows extending back from the strait and terminating at the uplands, which were clad with vineyards, and plum and pear and other fruit-bearing trees of nature's own planting, all so well arranged that one would think they could not have been so dis- posed without the help of art. The country was also well stocked with deer, bear, wild goats, turkeys, and other animals and birds, that supplied a most relishing food. The forest comprised walnut and other timber in abundance suitable for building purposes. So charmed was he with the prospect that he " endeavored to persuade La Salle to settle at the ' De Troit,' " it being in the midst of so many savage na- tions among whom a good trade could be established. La Salle would not listen to this proposal. He said he would make no settlement within one hundred leagues of Frontenac, lest other Europeans would be before them in the new country they were going to discover. This, says Hennepin, was the pretense of La Salle and the adventurers who were with him ; for I soon discovered that their intention was to buy all the furs and skins of the remotest savages who, as they thought, did not know their value, and thus enrich themselves in one single voyage. On Lake Huron the Griffin encountered a storm. The main-yards and topmast were blown away, giving the ship over to the mercy of the winds. There was no harbor to run into for shelter. La Salle, although a courageous man, gave way to his fears, and said they all were undone. Everyone thereupon fell upon their knees to say pray- ers and prepare for death, except the pilot, who cursed and swore all the while at La Salle for bringing him there to perish in a nasty lake, after he had acquired so much renown in a long and successful naviga- tion on the ocean. The storm abated, and on the 27th of August, the Griffin resumed her course northwest, and was carried on the evening of the same day beyond the island of Mackinaw to point St. Ignace, and safely anchored in a bay that is sheltered, except from the south, by the projecting mainland. CHAPTER IX. LA SALLE'S VOYAGE CONTINUED. ST. IGNACE, or Mackinaw, as previously stated, had become a princi- pal center of the Jesuit missions, and it had also grown into a head- quarters for an extensive Indian trade. Duly licensed traders, as well as the Coureurs de Bois, men who had run wild, as it were, and by their intercourse with the nations had thrown off all restraints of civilized life, resorted to this vicinity in considerable numbers. These, lost to all sense of national pride, instead of sustaining took every measure to thwart La Salle's plans. They, with some of the dissatis- fied crew, represented to the Indians that La Salle and his associates were a set of dangerous and ambitious adventurers, who meant to engross all the trade in furs and skins and invade their liberties. These jealous and meddlesome busybodies had already, before the arrival of the Griffin, succeeded in seducing fifteen men from La Salle's service, whom with others, he had sent forward the previous spring, under command of Tonty, with a stock of merchandise; 'and, instead of going to the tribes -beyond and preparing the way for a friendly recep- tion of La Salle, as they were ordered to do, they loitered about Mackinaw the whole summer and squandered the goods, in spite of Tonty's persistent efforts to urge them forward in the performance of their duty. La Salle sent out other parties to trade with the natives, and these went so far, and were so busy in bartering for and collect- ing furs, that they did not return to Mackinaw until November. It was now getting late and La Salle was warned of the dangerous storms that sweep the lakes at the beginning of winter ; he resolved, therefore, to continue his voyage without waiting the return of his men. He weighed anchor and sailed westward into Lake Michigan as far as the islands at the entrance of Green Bay, then called the Pottawatomie Islands, for the reason that they were then occupied by bands of that tribe. On one of these islands La Salle found some of the men belonging to his advance part}^ of traders, and who, having secured a large quantity of valuable furs, had long and impatiently waited his coming. La Salle, as is already apparent, determined to engage in a fur trade that already and legitimately belonged to merchants operating at 64 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Montreal, and with which the terms of his own license prohibited his interfering. Without asking any one's advice he resolved to load his ship with furs and send it back to Niagara, and the furs to Quebec, and out of the proceeds of the sale to discharge some very pressing debts. The pilot with five men to man the vessel were ordered to proceed with the Griffin to Niagara, and return with all imaginable speed and join La Salle at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, near the southern shore of Lake Michigan. The Griffin did not go to Green Bay City, as many writers have assumed in hasty perusals of the original authorities, or even penetrate the body of water known as Green Bay beyond the chain of islands at its mouth. The resolution of La Salle, taken, it seems, on the spur of the moment, to send his ship back down the lakes, and prosecute his voyage the rest of the way to the head of Lake Michigan in frail birchen canoes, was a most unfortunate measure. It delayed his discoveries two years, brought severe hardships upon himself and greatly embarrassed all his future plans. The Griffin itself was lost, with all her cargo, valued at sixty thousand livres. She, nor her crew, was ever heard of after leaving the Pottawatomie Islands. What became of the ship and men in charge remains to this day a mystery, or veiled in a cloud of conjecture. La Salle himself, says Francis Parkman, "grew into a settled conviction that the Griffin had been treacherously sunk by the pilot and sailors to whom he had intrusted her ; and he thought he had, in after-years, found evidence that the authors of the crime, laden with the merchandise they had taken from her, had reached the Mississippi and ascended it, hoping to join Du Shut, the famous chief of the Coureurs de Bois, and enrich them- selves by traffic with the northern tribes.* The following is, substantially, Hennepin's account of La Salle's canoe voyage from the mouth of Green Bay south, along the shore of Lake Michigan, past Milwaukee and Chicago, and around the southern end of the lake ; thence north along the eastern shore to the mouth of the St. Joseph River ; thence up the St. Joseph to South Bend, mak- ing the portage here to the head-waters of the Kankakee ; thence down the Kankakee and Illinois through Peoria Lake, with an account of the building of Fort Crevecreur. Hennepin's narrative is full of in- teresting detail, and contains many interesting observations upon the condition of the country, the native inhabitants as they appeared nearly two hundred years ago. The privation and suffering to which La Salle and his party were exposed in navigating Lake Michigan at that early day, and late in the fall of the year, when the waters were vexed with: * Discovery of the Great West, p. 169. FIRST VOYAGE ON LAKE MICHIGAN. 65 tempestuous storms, illustrate the courage and daring of the under- taking. Their suffering did not terminate with their voyage upon the lake. Difficulties of another kind were experienced on the St. Joseph, Kan- kakee and Illinois Rivers. Hennepin's is, perhaps, the first detailed account we have of this part of the "Great West," and is therefore of great interest and value on this account. "We left the Pottawatomies to continue our voyage, being fourteen men in all, in four canoes. I had charge of the smallest, which carried five hundredweight and two men. My companions being recently from Europe, and for that reason being unskilled in the management of these kind of boats, its whole charge fell upon me in stormy weather. " The canoes were laden with a smith's forge, utensils, tools for car- penters, joiners and sawyers, besides our goods and arms. We steered to the south toward the mainland, from which the Pottawatomie Islands are distant some forty leagues ; but about midway, and in the night time, we were greatly endangered by a sudden storm. The waves dashed into our canoes, and the night was so dark we had -great difficulty in keeping our canoes together. The daylight coming on, we reached the shore, where we remained for four days, waiting for the lake to grow calm. In the meantime our Indian hunter went in quest of game, but killed nothing other than a porcupine ; this, however, made our Indian corn more relishing. The weather becoming fair, we resumed our voyage, rowing all day and well into the night, along the western coast of the Lake of the Illinois. The wind again grew to fresh, and we landed upon a rocky beach where we had nothing to protect ourselves against a storm of snow and rain except the clothing on our persons. We remained here two days for the sea to go down, hav- ing made a little fire from wood cast ashore by the waves. We pro- ceeded on our voyage, and toward evening the winds again forced us to a beach covered with rushes, where we remained three days ; and in the meantime our provisions, consisting only of pumpkins and Indian corn purchased from the Pottawatomies, entirely gave out. Our canoes were so heavily laden that we could not carry provisions with us, and we were compelled to rely on bartering for such supplies on our way. We left this dismal place, and after twelve leagues rowing came to another Pottawatomie village, whose inhabitants stood upon the beach to receive us. But M. La Salle refused to let anyone land, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, fearing some of his men might run away. We were in such great peril that La Salle flung himself into the water, after we had gone some three leagues farther, 5 66 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. and with the aid of his three men carried the canoe of which he had charge to the shore, upon their shoulders, otherwise it would have been broken to pieces by the waves. We were obliged to do the same with the other canoes. I, myself, carried good Father Gabriel upon my back, his age being so well advanced as not to admit of his ventur- ing in the w r ater. We took ourselves to a piece of rising ground to avoid surprise, as we had no manner of acquaintance with the great number of savages whose village was near at hand. We sent three men into the village to buy provisions, under protection of the calu- met or pipe of peace, which the Indians at Pottawatomie Islands had presented us as a means of introduction to, and a measure of safety against, other tribes that we might meet on our way." The calumet has always been a symbol of amity among all the In- dian tribes of North America, and so uniformly used by them in all their negotiations with their own race, and Europeans as well ; and Father Hennepin's description of it, and the respect that is accorded to its presence, are so truthful that we here insert his account of it at length : " This calumet," says Father Hennepin, " is the most mysterious thing among the savages, for it is used in all important transactions. It is nothing else, however, than a large tobacco pipe, made of red, black, or white stone. The head is highly polished, and the quill or stem is usually about two feet in length, made of a pretty strong reed or cane, decorated with highly colored feathers interlaced with locks of women's hair. Wings of gaudily plumaged birds are tied to it, mak- ing the calumet look like the wand of Mercury, or staff which ambas- sadors of state formerly carried when they went to conduct treaties of peace. The stem is sheathed in the skin of the neck of birds called 'ITuars' (probably the loon), which are as large as our geese, and spotted with white and black; or else with those of a duck (the little wood duck whose neck presents a beautiful contrast of colors) that make their nests upon trees, although the water is their ordinary ele- ment, and whose feathers are of many different colors. However, every tribe ornament their calumets according to their own fancy, with the feathers of such birds as they may have in their own country. "A pipe, such as I have described, is a pass of safe conduct among all the allies of the tribe which has given it ; and in all embassies it is car- ried as a symbol of peace, and is always respected as such, for the sav- ages believe some great misfortune would speedily befall them if they violated the public faith of the calumet. All their enterprises, declara- tions of war, treaties of peace, as w r ell as all of the rest of their cere- monies, are sealed with the calumet. The pipe is filled with the best CANOE VOYAGE ON" LAKE MICHIGAN. 67 tobacco they have, and then it is presented to those with whom they are about to conduct an important affair ; and after they have smoked out of it, the one offering it does the same. I would have perished," concludes Hennepin, "had it not been for the calumet. Our three men, carrying the calumet and being well armed, went to the little village about three leagues from the place where we landed ; they found no one at home, for the inhabitants, having heard that we refused to land at the other village, supposed we were enemies, and had aban- doned their habitations. In their absence our men took some of their corn, and left instead, some goods, to let them know we were neither their enemies nor robbers. Twenty of the inhabitants of this village came to our encampment on the beach, armed with axes, small guns, bows, and a sort of club, which, in their language, means a head- breaker. La Salle, with four well-armed men, advanced toward them for the purpose of opening a conversation. He requested them to come near to us, saying he had a party of hunters out who might come across them and take their lives. They came forward and took seats at the foot of an eminence, where we were encamped ; and La Salle amused them with the relation of his voyage, which he informed them lie had undertaken for their advantage ; and thus occupied their time until the arrival of the three men who had been sent out with the calumet ; on seeing which the savages gave a great shout, arose to their feet and danced about. We excused our men from having taken some of their corn, and informed them that we had left its true value in gOods ; they were so well pleased with this that they immediately sent for more corn, and on the next day they made us a gift of as much as we could conveniently find room for in our canoes. ' ; The next day morning the old men of the tribe came to us with their calumet of peace, and entertained us with a free offering of wild goats, which their own hunters had taken. In return, we presented them our thanks, accompanied with some axes, knives, and several little toys for their wives, with all which they were very much pleased. " We left this place and continued our voyage along the coast of the lake, which, in places, is so steep that we often found it difficult to obtain a landing ; and the wind was so violent as to oblige us to carry our canoes sometimes upon top of the bluff, to prevent their being dashed in pieces. The stormy weather lasted four days, causing us much suffering ; for every time we made the shore we had to wade in the water, carrying our effects and canoes upon our shoulders. The water being very cold, most of us were taken sick. Our provisions again failed us, which, with the fatigues of rowing, made old Father Gabriel faint away in such a manner that we despaired of his life. 68 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. With a use of a decoction of hyacinth I had with me, and which I found of great service on our voyage, he was restored to his senses. We had no other subsistence but a handful of corn per man every twenty-four hours, which we parched or boiled ; and, although reduced to such scanty diet, we rowed our canoes almost daily, from morning to night. Our men found some hawthorns and other wild berries^ of which they ate so freely that most of them were taken sick, and we imagined that they were poisoned. " Yet the more we suifered, the more, by God's grace, did I become stronger, so that I could outrow the other canoes. Being in great dis- tress, He, who takes care of his meanest creatures, provided us with an unexpected relief. We saw over the land a great many ravens and eagles circling in mid-air ; from whence we conjectured there was prey near by. We landed, and, upon search, found the half of a wild goat which the wolves had strangled. This provision was very ac- ceptable, and the rudest of our men could not but praise a kind Provi- dence, who took such particular care of us. " Having thus refreshed ourselves, we continued our voyage directly to the southern part of the lake, every day the country becoming finer and the climate more temperate. Oh the 16th of October we fell in with abundance of game. Our Indian hunter killed several deer and wild goats, and our men a great many big fat turkey-cocks, with which we regaled ourselves for several days. On the 18th we came to the farther end of the lake.* Here we landed, and our men were sent out to prospect the locality, and found great quantities of ripe grapes, the fruit of which were as large as damask plums. We cut down th& trees to gather the grapes, out of which we made pretty good wine,, which we put into gourds, used as flasks, and buried them in the sand to keep the contents from turning sour. Many of the trees here are loaded with vines, which, if cultivated, would make as good wine as any in Europe. The fruit was all the more relishing to us, because we wanted bread." Other travelers besides Hennepin, passing this locality at an early day, also mention the same fact. It would seem, therefore, that Lake Michigan had the same modifying influence upon, and equalized the temperature of, its eastern shore, rendering it as famous for its wild fruits and grapes, two hundred years ago, as it has since become noted for the abundance and perfection of its cultivated varieties. " Our men discovered prints of men's feet. The men were ordered * From the description given of the country, the time occupied, and forest growth, the voyagers must now be eastward of Michigan City, and where the lake shore trends more rapidly to the north. SAVAGES PLUNDER LA SALLE. 69 to be upon guard and make no noise. In spite of this precaution, one of our men, finding a bear upon a tree, shot him dead and dragged him into camp. La Salle was very angry at this indiscretion, and, to avoid surprise, placed sentinels at the canoes, under which our effects had been put for protection against the rain. There was a hunting party of Fox Indians from the vicinity of Green Bay, about one hun- dred and twenty in number, encamped near to us, who, having heard the noise of the gun of the man who shot the bear, became alarmed, and sent out some of their men to dfscover who we were. These spies, creeping upon their bellies, and observing great silence, came in the night-time and stole the coat of La Salle's footman and some goods secreted under the canoes. The sentinel, hearing a noise, gave the alarm, and we all ran to our arms. On being discovered, and thinking our numbers were greater than we really were, they cried out, in the dark, that they were friends. We answered, friends did not visit at such unseasonable hours, and that their actions were more like those of robbers, who designed to plunder and kill us. Their headsman replied that they heard the noise of our gun, and, as they knew that none of the neighboring tribes possessed firearms, they supposed we were a war party of Iroquois, come with the design of murdering them ; but now that they learned we were Frenchmen from Canada, whom they loved as their own brethren, they would anxiously wait until daylight, so that they could smoke out of our calumet. This is a compliment among the savages, and the highest mark they can give of their affection. " We appeared satisfied with their reasons, and gave leave to four of their old men, only, to come into our camp, telling them we would not permit a greater number, as their young men were much given to stealing, and that we would not suffer such indignities. Accordingly, four of their old men came among us; we entertained them until morning, when they departed. After they were gone, we found out about the robbery of the canoes, and La Salle, well knowing the genius of the savages, saw, if he allowed this affront to pass without resenting it, that we would be constantly exposed to a renewal of like indigni- ties. Therefore, it was resolved to exact prompt satisfaction. La Salle, with four of his men, went out and captured two of the Indian hunters. One of the prisoners confessed the robbery, with the cir- cumstances connected with it. The thief was detained, and his comrade was released and sent to his band to tell their headsman that the cap- tive in custody would be put to death unless the stolen property were returned. " The savages were greatly perplexed at La Salle's peremptory mes- 70 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. sage. They could not comply, for they had cut up the goods and coat and divided among themselves the pieces and the buttons ; they there- fore resolved to rescue their man by force. The next day, October 30, they advanced to attack us. The peninsula we were encamped on was separated from the forest where the savages lay by a little sandy plain, on which and near the wood were two or three eminences. La Salle determined to take possession of the most prominent of these elevations, and detached five of his men to occupy it, following him- self, at a short distance, with all of his force, every one having rolled their coats about the left arm, which was held up as a protection against the arrows of the savages. Only eight of the enemy had fire- arms. The savages were frightened at our advance, and their young men took behind the trees, but their captains stood their ground, while we moved forward and seized the knoll. I left the two other Francis- cans reading the usual prayers, and went about among the men ex- horting them to their duty ; I had been in some battles and sieges in Europe, and was not afraid of these savages, and La Salle was highly pleased with my exhortations, and their influence upon his men. When I considered what might be the result of the quarrel, and how much more Christian-like it would be to prevent the effusion of blood, and end the difficulty in a friendly manner, I went toward the oldest savage, who, seeing me unarmed, supposed I came with designs of a mediator, and received me with civility. In the meantime one of our men observed that one of the savages had a piece of the stolen cloth wrapped about his head, and he went up to the savage and snatched the cloth away. This vigorous action so much terrified the savages that, although they were near six score against eleven, they presented me- with the pipe of peace, which I received. M. La Salle gave his word that they might come to him in security. Two of their old men came forward, and in a speech disapproved the conduct of their young men ; that they could not restore the goods taken, but that, having been cut to pieces, they could only return the articles which were not spoiled, and pay for the rest. The orators presented, with their speeches, some garments made of beaver skins, to appease the wrath of M. La Salle, who, frowning a little, informed them that while he designed to wrong- no one, he did not intend others should affront or injure him ; but, inas- much as they did not approve what their young men had done, and were- willing to make restitution for the same, he would accept their gifts and become their friend. The conditions were fully complied with, and peace happily concluded without farther hostility. " The day was spent in dancing, feasting and speech-making. The chief of the band had taken particular notice of the behavior of the INDIAN SPEECH TO THE GRAY-COATS. 71 Franciscans. 'These gray-coats,'* said the chief of the Foxes, 'we value very much. They go barefooted as well as we. They scorn our beaver gowns, and decline all other presents. They do not carry arms to kill us. They flatter and make much of our children, and give them knives and other toys without expecting any reward. Those of our tribe who have been to Canada tell us that Onnotio (so they call the Governor) loves them very much, and that the Fathers of the Gown have given up all to come and see us. Therefore, you who are captain over all these men, be pleased to leave with us one of these gray-coats, whom we will conduct to our village when we shall have killed what we design of the buffaloes. Thou art also master of these warriors ; remain with us, instead of going among the Illinois, who, already advised of your coming, are resolved to kill you and all of your soldiers. And how can you resist so powerful nation ? ' " The day November 1st we again embarked on the lake, and came to the mouth of the river of the Miamis, which comes from the south- east and falls into the lake." * While the Jesuit Fathers wore black gowns as a distinctive mark of their sect, the Recollects, or Franciscan missionaries, wore coats of gray. CHAPTER X. THE SEVERAL MTAMIS LA SALLE'S VOYAGE DOWN THE ILLINOIS. MUCH confusion has arisen because, at different periods, the name of " Miami " has been applied to no less than five different rivers, viz. : The St. Joseph, of Lake Michigan ; the Maumee, often designated as the Miami of the Lakes, to distinguish it from the Miami which falls into the Ohio River below Cincinnati ; then there is the Little Miami of the Ohio emptying in above its greater namesake; and finally the Wabash, which with more propriety bore the name of the " River of the Miamis." The French, it is assumed, gave the name " Miami " to the river emptying into Lake Michigan, for the reason that there was a village of that tribe on its banks before and at the time of La Salle's first visit, as already noted on page 24. The name was not of long duration, for it was soon exchanged for that of St. Joseph, by which it has ever since been known. La Hontan is the last authority who refers to it by the name of Miami. Shortly after the year named, the date being now unknown, a Catholic mission was established up the river, and, Charlevoix says, about six leagues below the portage, at South Bend, and called the Mission of St. Joseph ; and from this cir- cumstance, we may safely infer, the river acquired the same name. It is not known, either, by whom the Mission of St. Joseph was organ- ized ; very probably, however, by Father Claude Allouez. This good man, and to whose writings the people of the west are so largely indebted for many valuable historical reminiscences, seems to have been forgotten in the respect that is showered upon other more conspicuous though less meritorious characters. The Mission of the Immaculate Conception, after Marquette's death, remained unoccupied for the space of two years, then Claude Jean Allouez received orders to proceed thither from the Mission of St. James, at the town of Maskoutens, on Fox River, Wisconsin. Leaving in October, 1676, on account of an exceptionally early winter, he was compelled to delay his journey until the following February, when he again started ; reaching Lake Mich- igan on the eve of St. Joseph, he called the lake after this saint. Embarking on the lake on the 23d of March, and coasting along the western shore, after numerous delays occasioned by ice and storm, he arrived at Chicago River. lie then made the portage and entered the 72 LA SALLE REACHES THE ST. JOSEPH. 73 Kaskaskia village, which was probably near Peoria Lake, on the 8th of April, 1677. The Indians gave him a very cordial reception, and flocked from all directions to the town to hear the "Black Gown" relate the truths of Christianity. For the glorification of God and the Blessed Virgin Immaculate, Allouez "erected, in the midst of the village, a cross twenty-five feet high, chanting the Vexilla Regis in the presence of an admiring and respectful throng of Indians ; he covered it with garlands of beautiful flowers."* Father Allouez did not remain but a short time at the mission ; leaving it that spring he returned in 1678, and continued there until La Salle's arrival in the winter of 1679-80. The next succeeding decade Allouez passed either at this mission or at the one on St. Joseph's River, on the eastern side of Lake Michigan, where he died in 1690. Bancroft says: v Allouez has imperishably connected his name with the progress of discovery in the West ; unhonored among us now, he was not inferior in zeal and ability to any of the great missionaries of his time." We resume Hennepin's narrative : "We had appointed this place (the mouth of the St. Joseph) for our rendezvous before leaving the outlet of Green Bay, and expected to meet the twenty men we had left at Mackinaw, who, being ordered to come by the eastern coast of the lake, had a much shorter cut than we, who came by the Western side ; besides this, their canoes were not so heavily laden as ours. Still, we found no one here, nor any signs that they had been here before us.f " It was resolved to advise M. La Salle that it was imprudent to remain here any longer for the absent men, and expose ourselves to the hardships of winter, when it would be doubtful if we could find the Illinois in their villages, as then they would be divided into fami- lies, and scattered over the country to subsist more conveniently. We further represented that the game might fail us, in which event we must certainly perish with hunger ; whereas, if we went forward, we would find enough corn among the Illinois, who would rather supply * "Allouez' Journal," published in Shea's "Discovery on Exploration of the Missis- sippi Valley." t In some works, the Geological Surveys of Indiana for 1873, p. 458, among others, it is erroneously assumed that La Salle was the discoverer of the St. Joseph River. While Fathers Hennepin and Zenobe Membre, who were with La Salle, may be the only accessible authors who have described it, the stream and its location was well known to La Salle and to them, as appears from their own account of it before they had ever seen it. Before leaving Mackinaw, Tonti was ordered to hunt up the deserters from, and to bring in the tardy traders belonging to, La Salle's party, and conduct them to the mouth of the St. Joseph. The pilot of the Griffin was under instruction to bring her there. Indeed, the conduct of the whole expedition leaves no room to doubt that the whole route to the Illinois River, by way of the St. Joseph and the Kankakee port- age, was well known at Mackinaw, and definitely fixed upon by La Salle, at least be- fore leaving the latter place. 74 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. fourteen men than thirty-two with provisions. We said further that it would be quite impossible, if we delayed longer, to continue the voyage until the winter was over, because the rivers would be frozen over and we could not make use of our canoes. Notwithstanding these reasons, M. La Salle thought it necessary to remain for the rest of the men, as we would be in no condition to appear before the Illi- nois and treat with them with our present small force, whom they would meet with scorn. That it would be better to delay our entry into their country, and in the meantime try to meet with some of their nation, learn their language, and gain their good will by presents. La Salle concluded his discourse with the declaration that, although all of his men might run away, as for himself, he would remain alone with his Indian hunter, and find means to maintain the three missionaries meaning me and my two clerical brethren. Having come to this con- clusion, La SaHe called his men together, and advised them that he expected each one to do his duty ; that he proposed to build a fort here for the security of the ship and the safety of our goods, and our- selves, too, in case of any disaster. None of us, at this time, knew that our ship had been lost. The men were quite dissatisfied at La- Salle's course, but his reasons therefor were so many that they yielded, and agreed to entirely follow his directions. " Just at the mouth of the river was an eminence with a kind of plateau, naturally fortified. It was quite steep, of a triangular shape, defended on two sides by the river, and on the other by a deep ravine which the water had washed out. "We felled the trees that grew on this hill, and cleared from it the bushes for the distance of two musket shot. We began to build a redoubt about forty feet long by eighty broad, with great square pieces of timber laid one upon the other, and then cut a great number of stakes, some twenty feet long, to drive into the ground on the river side, to make the fort inaccessible in that direc- tion. We were employed the whole of the month of November in this work, which was very fatiguing. having no other food than the bears our savage killed. These animals are here very abundant, be- cause of the great quantity of grapes they find in this vicinity. Their flesh was so fat and luscious that our men grew weary of it, and desired to go themselves and hunt for wild 'goats. La Salle denied them that liberty, which made some murmurs among the men, and they went unwillingly to their work. These annoyances, with the near approach of winter, together with the apprehension that his ship was lost, gave La Salle a melancholy which he resolutely tried to but could not con- ceal. "We made a hut wherein we performed divine service every Sun- FORT MIAMIS. 75 day ; and Father Gabriel and myself, who preached alternately, care- fully selected such texts as were suitable to our situation, and fit to inspire us with courage, concord, and brotherly love. Our exhorta- tions produced good results, and deterred our men from tl^eir meditated desertion. We sounded the mouth of the river and found a sand-bar r on which we feared our expected ship might strike ; we marked out a channel through which the vessel might safely enter by attaching buoys, made of inflated bear-skins, fastened to long poles driven into the bed of the lake. Two men were also sent back to Mackinac to await there the return of the ship, and serve as pilots.* " M. Tonti arrived on the 20th of November with two canoes, laden with stags and deer, which were a welcome refreshment to our men. He did not bring more than about one-half of his men, having left the rest on the opposite side of the lake, within three days' journey of the fort. La Salle was angry with him on this account, because he was afraid the men would run away. Tonti's party informed us that the Griffin had not put into Mackinaw, according to orders, and that they had heard nothing of her since our departure, although they had made inquiries of the savages living on the coast of the lake. This confirmed the suspicion, or rather the belief, that the vessel had been cast away. However, M. La Salle continued work on the building of the fort, which was at last completed and called Fort Miamis. " The winter was drawing nigh, and La Salle, fearful that the ice would interrupt his voyage, sent M. Tonti back to hurry forward the men he had left, and to command them to come to him immediately ; but, meeting with a violent storm, their canoes were driven against the beach and broken to pieces, and Tonti's men lost their guns and equipage, and were obliged to return to us overland. A few days, after this all our men arrived except two, who had deserted. We pre- pared at once to resume our voyage ; rains having fallen that melted the ice and made the rivers navigable. " On the 3d of December, 1679, we embarked, being in all thirty- three men, in eight canoes. We left the lake of the Illinois and went up the river of the Miamis, in which we had previously made soundings. We made about five-and-twenty leagues southward, but failed to discover the place where we were to land, and carry our canoe& and effects into the river of the Illinois, which falls into that of the Meschasipi, that is, in the language of the Illinois, the great river. We had already gone beyond the place of the portage, and, not know- ing where we were, we thought proper to remain there, as we were expecting M. La Salle, who had taken to the land to view the country^ *This is the beginning, at what is now known as Benton Harbor, Michigan. 76 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. We staid here quite a while, and, La Salle failing to appear, I went a distance into the woods with two men, who fired off their guns to notify him of the place where we were. In the meantime two other men went higher up the river, in canoes, in search of him. We all returned toward evening, having vainly endeavored to find him. The next day I went up the river myself, but, hearing nothing of him, I came back, and found our men very much perplexed, fearing he was lost. However, about four o'clock in the afternoon M. La Salle returned to us, having his face and hands as black as pitch. He carried two beasts, as big as muskrats, whose skin \vas very fine, and like ermine. He had killed them with a stick, as they hung by their tails to the branches of the trees. " He told us that the marshes he had met on his way had compelled him to bring a large compass ; and that, being much delayed by the snow, which fell very fast, it was past midnight before he arrived upon the banks of the river, where he fired his gun twice, and, hearing no answer, he concluded that we had gone higher up the river, and had, therefore, marched that way. He added that, after three hours' march, he saw a fire upon a little hill, whither he went directly and hailed us several times ; but, hearing no reply, he approached and found no per- son near the fire, but only some dry grass, upon which a man had laid a little while before, as he conjectured, because the bed was still warm. He supposed that a savage had been occupying it, who fled upon his approach, and was now hid in ambuscade near by. La Salle called out loudly to him in two or three languages, saying that he need not be afraid of him, and that he was agoing to lie in his bed. La Salle received no answer. To guard against surprise, La Salle cut bushes and placed them to obstruct the way, and sat down by the fire, the smoke of which blackened his hands and face, as I have already observed. Hav- ing warmed and rested himself, he laid down under the tree upon the dry grass the savage had gathered and slept well, notwithstanding the frost and snow. Father Gabriel and I desired -him to keep with his men, and not to expose himself in the future, as the success of our enterprise depended solely on him, and he promised to follow our advice. Our savage, who remained behind to hunt, finding none of us at the portage, came higher up the river, to where we were, and told us we had missed the place. We sent all the canoes back under his charge except one, which I retained for M. La Salle, who was so weary that he was obliged to remain there that night. I made a little hut with mats, constructed with marsh rushes, in which we laid down together for the night. By an unhappy accident our cabin took fire, and we were very near being burned alive after we had gone to sleep." ABORIGINAL NAME OF "KANKAKEE." 77 Here follows Hennepin's description of the Kankakee portage, and of the marshy grounds about the headwaters of this stream, as already quoted on page 24:. " Having passed through the marshes, we came to a vast prairie, in which nothing grows but grasses, which were at this time dry and burnt, because the Miamis set the grasses on fire every year, in hunt- ing for wild oxen (buffalo), as I shall mention farther on. We found no game, which was a disappointment to us, as our provisions had begun to fail. Our men traveled about sixty miles without killing anything other than a lean stag, a small wild goat, a few swan and two bustards, which were but a scanty subsistence for two and thirty men. Most of the men were become so weary of this laborious life that, were it practicable, they would have run away and joined the savages, who, as we inferred by the great fires which we saw on the prairies, were not very far from us. There must be an innumerable quantity of wild cattle in this country, since the ground here is every- where covered with their horns. Ths Miamis hunt them toward the latter end of autumn."* That part of the Illinois River above the Desplaines is called the Kankakee, which is a corruption of its original Indian name. St. Cosme, the narrative of whose voyage down the Illinois River, by way of Chicago, in 1699, and found in Dr. Shea's work of "Early Voyages Up and Down the Mississippi," refers to it as the The-a-li-ke, " which is the real river of the Illinois, and (says) that which we de- scended (the Desplaines) was only a branch." Father Marest, in his letter of November 9, 1712, narrating a journey he had previously made from Kaskaskia up to the Mission of St. Joseph, says of the Illi- nois River : " We transported all there was in the canoe toward the source of the Illinois (Indian), which they call Hau-ki-ki." Father Charlevoix, who descended the Kankakee from the portage, in his let- ter, dated at the source of the river Theakiki, September 17, 1721, says : " This morning I walked a league farther in the meadow, having my feet almost always in the water ; afterward I met with a kind of a pool or marsh, which had a communication with several others of dif- ferent sizes, but the largest was about a hundred paces in circuit ; these are the sources of the river The-a-ki-ki, which, by a corrupted pronun- ciation, our Indians call Ki-a-ki-ki. Theak signifies a wolf, in what language I do not remember, but the river bears that name because the Mahingans (Mohicans), who were likewise called wolves, had formerly * Hennepin and his party were not aware of the migratory habits of the buffalo ; and that their scarcity on the Kankakee in the winter months was because the herds had gone southward to warmer latitude and better pasturage. 78 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. taken refuge on its banks." * The Mohicans were of the Algonquin stock, anciently living east of the Hudson River, where they had been so persecuted and nearly destroyed by the implacable Iroquois that their tribal integrity was lost, and they were dispersed in small fami- lies over the west, seeking protection in isolated places, or living at sufferance among their Algonquin kindred. They were brave, faithful to the extreme, famous scouts, and successful hunters. La Salle, ap- preciating these valuable traits, usually kept a few of them in his em- ploy. The " savage," or " hunter," so often referred to by Hennepin, in the extracts we have taken from his journal, was a Mohican. In a report made to the late Governor Ninian Edwards, in 1812, by John Hays, interpreter and Coureur de Bois of the routes, rivers and Indian villages in the then Illinois Territory, Mr. Hays calls the Kankakee the Quin-que-que, which was probably its French-Indian name.f Col. Guerdon S. Hubbard, who for many years, datino- back as early as 1819, was a trader, and commanded great influence with the bands of Pottawatomies, claiming the Kankakee as their country, informs the writer that the Pottawatomie name of the Kankakee is Ky-an-ke-a-kee, meaning "the river of the wonderful or beautiful land, as it really is, westward of the marshes. "A-kee," "Ah-ke " and "Aid," in the Algonquin dialect, signifies earth or land. The name Desplaines, like that of the Kankakee, has undergone changes in the progress of time. On a French map of Louisiana, in 1717, the Desplaines is laid down as the Chicago River. Just after Great Britain had secured the possessions of the French east of the Mississippi, by conquest and treaty, and when the British authorities were keenly alive to everything pertaining to their newly acquired possessions, an elaborate map, collated from the most authentic sources by Eman Bowen, geographer to His Majesty King George the Third, was issued, and on this map the Desplaines is laid down as the Illinois' or Chicago River. Many early French writers speak of it, as they do of the Kankakee above the confluence, as the " River of the Illi- nois." Its French Canadian name is Au Plein, now changed to Des- plaines, or Riviere Au Plein, or Despleines, from a variety of hard maple, that is to say, sugar tree. The Pottawatomies called it She- shik-mao-shi-ke Se-pe, signifying the river of the tree from which a great quantity of sap flows in the spring.;}: It has also been sanctified by Father Zenobe Membre with the name Divine River, and by authors 1761 Charlevokf " Journal of a V yage to America," vol. 2, P: 184. London edition, ^ f I1Hn iS "^ ^ f Governor Edw ards," by his son Ninian W. \ Long's Second Expedition, vol. 1, p. 173. NAMES OF THE ILLINOIS. 79 of early western gazetteers, vulgarized by the appellation of Kickapoo Creek. Below the confluence of the Desplaines, the Illinois River was, by La Salle, named the Seignelay, as a mark of his esteem for the brilliant young Colbert, who succeeded his father as Minister of the Marine. On the great map, prepared by the engineer Franquelin in 1684, it is called River Des Illinois, or Macoupins. The name Illinois, which, fortunately, it will always bear, was derived from the name of the con- federated tribes who anciently dwelt upon its banks. "We continued our course," says Hennepin, "upon this river (the Kankakee and Illinois) very near the whole month of December, at the latter end of which we arrived at a village of the Illinois, which lies near a hundred and thirty leagues from Fort Miamis, on the Lake of the Illinois. We suffered greatly on the passage, for the savages having set fire to the grass on the prairie, the wild cattle had fled, and we did not kill one. Some wild turkeys were the only game we secured. God's providence supported us all the while, and as we meditated upon the extremities to which we were reduced, regarding ourselves without hope of relief, we found a very large wild ox stick- ing fast in the mud of the river. We killed him, and with much diffi- culty dragged him out of the mud. This was a great refreshment to our men ; it revived their courage, being so timely and unexpectedly relieved, they concluded that God approved our undertaking. The great village of the Illinois, where La Salle's party had now arrived, has been located with such certainty by Francis Parkman, the learned historical writer, as to leave no doubt of its identity. It was on the north side of the Illinois River, above the mouth of the Yermillion and below Starved Rock, near the little village of Utica, in La Salle county, Illinois.* " We found," continues Father Hennepin, " no one in the village, as we had foreseen, for the Illinois, according to their custom, had di- vided themselves into small hunting parties. Their absence caused great perplexity amongst us, for we wanted provisions, and yet did not dare to meddle with the Indian corn the savages had laid under ground for their subsistence and for seed. However, our necessity be- ing very great, and it being impossible to continue our voyage without any provisions, M. La Salle resolved to take about forty bushels of corn, and hoped to appease the savages with presents. We embarked again, with these fresh provisions, and continued to fall down the river, * Mr. Parkman gives an interesting account of his recent visit to, and the identifi- cation of, the locality, in an elaborate note in his " Discovery of the Great West," pp. 221, 222. 80 HISTORIC NOTES OX THE NORTHWEST. which runs directly toward the south. On the 1st of January we went through a lake (Peoria Lake) formed by the river, about seven leagues long and one broad. The savages call that place Pimeteoui, that is, in their tongue, ' a place where there is an abundance of fat animals. ' * Resuming Hennepin's narrative : " The current brought us, in the meantime, to the Indian camp, and M. La Salle was the first one to land, followed closely by his men, which increased the consterna- tion of the savages, whom we easily might have defeated. As it was not our design, we made a halt to give them time to recover them- selves and to see that we were not enemies. Most of the savages who had run away upon our landing, understanding that we were friends, returned ; but some others did not come back for three or four days, and after they had learned that we had smoked the calumet. " I must observe here, that the hardest winter does not last longer than two months in this charming country, so that on the 15th of Jan- uary there came a sudden thaw, which made the rivers navigable, and the weather as mild as it is in France in the middle of the spring. M. La Salle, improving this fair season, desired me to go down the river with him to choose a place proper to build a fort. We selected an eminence on the bank of the river, defended on that side by the river, and on two others by deep ravines, so that it was accessible only on one side. We cast a trench to join the two ravines, and made the eminence steep on that side, supporting the earth with great pieces of timber. We made a rough palisade to defend ourselves in case the Indians should attack us while we were engaged in building the fort ; but no one offering to disturb us, we went on diligently with our work. * Louis Beck, in his " Gazetteer of Illinois and Missouri," p. 119, says: "The Indi- ans call the lake Pin-a-tah-wee, on account of its being frequently covered with a scum which has a greasy appearance." Owing to the rank growth of aquatic plants in the Illinois River before they were disturbed by the frequent passage of boats, and to the grasses on the borders of the stream and the adjacent marshes, and the decay taking place in both under the scorching rays of the summer's sun, the surface of the river and lake were frequently coated with this vegetable decomposition. Prof. School- craft ascended the Illinois River, and was at Fort Clark on the 19th of August, 1821. Under this date is the following extract from his "Narrative Journal": "About 9 o'clock in the morning we came to a part of the river which was covered for several hundred yards with a scum or froth of the most intense green color, and emitting a nauseous exhalation that was almost insupportable. We were compelled to pass through it. The fine green color of this somewhat compact scum, resembling that of verdegris, led us at the moment to conjecture that it might derive this character from some mineral spring or vein in the bed of the river, but we had reasons afterward to regret this opinion. I directed one of the canoe men to collect a bottle of this mother of miasmata for preservation, but its fermenting nature baffled repeated at- tempts to keep it corked. We had daily seen instances of the powerful tendency of these waters to facilitate the decomposition of floating vegetation, but had not before observed any in so mature and complete a state of putrefaction. It might certainly justify an observer less given to fiction than the ancient poets, to people this stream with the Hydra, as wriv the pestilential-breeding marshes of Italy. Schoolcraft's "Central Mississippi Valley," p. 305. FORT CKEVECOEUK AND ITS LOCATJON. 81 "When the fort was half finished, M. La Salle lodged himself, with M. Tonti, in the middle of the fortification, and every one took his post, We placed the forge on the curtain on the side of the wood, and laid in a great quantity of coal for that purpose. But our greatest diffi- culty was to build a boat, our carpenters having deserted us, we did not know what to do. However, as timber was abundant and near at hand, we told our men that if any of them would undertake to saw boards for building the bark, we might surmount all other difficulties. Two of the men undertook the task, and succeeded so well that we began to build a bark, the keel whereof was forty-two feet long. Our men went on so briskly with the work, that on the 1st of March our boat was half built, and all the timber ready prepared for furnishing it. Our fort was also very near finished, and we named it ' Fort Creve- cceur, ' because the desertion of our men, and other difficulties we had labored under, had almost ' broken our hearts. ' * " M. La Salle," says Hennepin, " no longer doubted that the Griffin was lost ; but neither this nor other difficulties dejected him. His great courage buoyed him up, and he resolved to return to Fort Fron- tenac by land, notwithstanding the snow, and the great dangers attend- ing so long a journey. We had many private conferences, wherein it was decided that he should return to Fort Frontenac with three men, to bring with him the necessary articles to proceed with the discov- ery, while I, with two men, should go in a canoe to the River Me- schasipi, and endeavor to obtain the friendship of the nations who inhabited its banks. " M. La Salle left M. Tonti to command in Fort Crevecceur, and ordered our carpenter to prepare some thick boards to plank the deck of our ship, in the nature of a parapet, to cover it against the arrows of the savages in case they should shoot at us from the shore. Then, calling his men together, La Salle requested them to obey M. Tonti's orders in his absence, to live in Christian union and charity ; to be courageous and firm in their designs ; and above all not to give credit to false reports the savages might make, either of him or of their com- rades who accompanied Father Hennepin." Hennepin and his two companions, with a supply of trinkets suitable * "Fort Crevecceur, 1 ' or the Broken Heart, was built on the east side of the Illi- nois River, a short distance below the outlet of Peoria Lake. It is so located on the great map of Franquelin, made at Quebec in 1684. There are many indications on this map, going 1 to show that it was constructed largely under the supervision of La- Salle. The fact mentioned by Hennepin, that they went down the river, and that coal was gathered for the supply of the fort, would confirm this theory as to its location; for the outcrop of coal is abundant in the bluffs on the east side of the river below Peoria. There is also a spot in this immediate vicinity that answers well to the site of the fort as described by Fathers Hennepin and Membre. 6 82 HISTORIC XOTES OX TH K NORTHWEST. for the Indian trade, left Fort Crevecreur for the Mississippi, on the 29th of February, 1680, and were captured by the Sioux, as already stated. From this time to the ultimate discovery and taking possession of the Mississippi and the valleys by La Salle, Father Zenobe Membre was the historian of the expedition. La Salle started across the country, going up the Illinois and Kan- kakee, and through the southern part of the present State of Michigan. He reached the Detroit River, ferrying the stream with a raft ; he at length stood on Canadian soil. Striking a direct line across the wilder- ness, he arrived at Lake Erie, near Point Pelee. By this time only one man remained in health, and with his assistance La Salle made a canoe. Embarking in it the party came to Niagara on Easter Monday. Leaving his comrades, who were completely exhausted, La Salle on the 6th of May reached Fort Frontenac, making a journey of over a thou- sand miles in sixty-five days, " the greatest feat ever performed by a Frenchman in America." 1 * La Salle found his affairs in great confusion. His creditors had seized upon his estate, including Fort Frontenac. Undaunted by this new misfortune, he confronted his creditors and enemies, pacifying the former and awing the latter into silence. He gathered the fragments of his scattered property and in a short time started west with a com- pany of twenty-five men, whom he had recruited to assist in the prose- cution of his discoveries. He reached Lake Huron by the way of Lake Simcoe, and shortly afterward arrived at Mackinaw. Here he found that his enemies had been very busy, and had poisoned the minds of the Indians against his designs. We leave La Salle at Mackinaw to notice some of the occurrences that took place on the Illinois and St. Joseph after he had departed for Fort Frontenac. On this journey, as La Salle passed up the Illinois, he was favorably impressed with Starved Rock as a place presenting strong defenses naturally. He sent word back to Tonti, below Peoria Lake, to take possession of " The Rock " and erect a fortification on its summit. Tonti accordingly came up the river with a part of his avail- able force, and began to work upon the new fort. While engaged in this enterprise the principal part of the men remaining at Fort Creve- C03ur mutinied. They destroyed the vessel on the stocks' plundered the storehouse, escaped up the Illinois River and appeared before Fort Miami. These deserters demolished Fort Miami and robbed it of goods and furs of La Salle, on deposit there, and then fled out of the country. These misfortunes were soon followed by an incursion of the Iroquois, *Parkman's "Discovery of the Great West." DEATH OF FATHER GABRIEL. 83 who attacked the Illinois in their village near the Starved Rock. Tonti, acting as mediator, came near losing his life at the hand of an infuriated Iroquois warrior, who drove a knife into his ribs. Constantly an object of distrust to the Illinois, who feared he was a spy and friend of the Iroquois, in turn exposed to the jealousy of the Iroquois, who imag- ined he and his French friends were allies of the Illinois, Tonti remained faithful to his trust until he saw that he could not avert the blow meditated by the Iroquois. Then, with Fathers Zenobe Membre and Gabriel Rebourde, and a few Frenchmen who had remained faith- ful, he escaped from the enraged Indians and made his way, in a leaky canoe, up the Illinois River. Father Gabriel one fine day left his com- panions on the river to enjoy a walk in the beautiful groves near by, and while thus engaged, and as he was meditating upon his holy call- ing, fell into an ambuscade of Kickapoo Indians. The good old man, .unconscious of his danger, was instantly knocked down, the scalp torn from his venerable head, and his gray hairs afterward exhibited in tri- umph by his young murderers as a trophy taken from the crown of an Iroquois warrior. Tonti, with those in his company, pursued his course, passing by Chicago, and thence up the west shore of Lake Michigan. Subsisting on berries, and often on acorns and roots which they dug from the ground, they finally arrived at the Pottawatomie towns. Pre- vious to this they abandoned their canoe and started on foot for the Mission of Green Bay, where they wintered. La Salle, when he arrived at St. Joseph, found Fort Miamis plun- dered and demolished. He also learned that the Iroquois had attacked the Illinois. Fearing for the safety of Tonti, he pushed on rapidly, only to find, at Starved Rock, the unmistakable signs of an Indian .slaughter. The report was true. The Iroquois had defeated the Illi- nois and driven them west of the Mississippi. La Salle viewed the wreck of his cherished project, the demolition of the fort, the loss of his peltries, and especially the destruction of his vessel, in that usual calm way peculiar to him ; and, although he must have suffered the most intense anguish, no trace of sorrow or indecision appeared on his inflexible countenance. Shortly afterward he returned to Fort Miamis. La Salle occupied his time, until spring, in rebuilding Fort Miamis, holding conferences with the surrounding Indian tribes, and confeder- ating them against future attacks of the Iroquois. He now abandoned the purpose of descending the Mississippi in a sailing vessel, and de- termined to prosecute his voyage in the ordinary wooden pirogues or canoes. Tonti was sent forward to Chicago Creek, where he constructed a number of sledges. After other preparations had been made, La Salle 84 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. and his party left St. Joseph and came around the southern extremity of the lake. The goods and effects were placed on the sledges pre- pared by Tonti. La Salle's party consisted of twenty-three French- men and eighteen Indians. The savages took with them ten squaws and three children, so that the party numbered in all fifty-four persons. They had to make the portage of the Chicago River. After dragging their canoes, sledges, baggage and provisions about eighty leagues over the ice, on the Desplaines and Illinois Rivers, they came to the great Indian town. It was deserted, the savages having gone down the river to Lake Peoria. From Peoria Lake the navigation was open, and embarking, on the 6th of February, they soon arrived at the Mis- sissippi. Here, owing to floating ice, they were delayed till the 13th of the same month. Membre describes the Missouri as follows: "It is full as large as the Mississippi, into which it empties, troubling it so that, from the mouth of the Ozage (Missouri), the water is hardly drinkable. The Indians assured us that this river is formed by many others, and that they ascend it for ten or twelve days to a mountain where it rises ; that beyond this mountain is the sea, where tjiey see great ships; that on the river are a great number of large villages. Although this river is very large, the Mississippi does not seem aug- mented by it, but it pours in so much mud that, from its mouth, the water of the great river, whose bed is also slimy, is more like clear mud than river water, without changing at all till it reaches the sea, a distance of more than three hundred leagues, although it receives seven large rivers, the water of which is very beautiful, and which are almost as large as the Mississippi." From this time, until they neared the mouths of the Mississippi, nothing especially worthy of note occurred. On the 6th of April they came to the place where the river divides itself into three channels. M. La Salle took the western, the Sieur Dautray the southern, and Tonti, accompanied by Membre, followed the middle channel. The three channels were beautiful and deep. The water became brackish, and two leagues farther it became perfectly salt, and advancing on they at last beheld the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle, in a canoe, coasted the borders of the sea, and then the parties assembled on a dry spot of ground not far from the mouth of the river. On the 9th of April, with all the pomp and ceremony of the Holy Catholic Church, La Salle, in the name of the French King, took pos- session of the Mississippi and all its tributaries. First they chanted the " Vexilla Regis'" and " Te Deum," and then, while the assembled voyageurs and their savage attendants fired their muskets and shouted " Vive le Roi," La Salle planted the column, at the same time pro- claiming, in a loud voice, " In the name of the Most High, Mighty, TAKING POSSESSION OF LOUISIANA. 85 Invincible, and Victorious Prince, Louis the Great, by the Grace of God King of France and of Navarre, Fourteenth of that name, I, this 9th day of April, one thousand six hundred and eighty-two, in virtue of the commission of His Majesty, which I hold in my hand, and which may be seen by all whom it may concern, have taken, and do now take, in the name of His Majesty and his successors to the crown, posses- sion of this country of Louisiana, the seas, harbors, ports, bays, adjacent straits, and all the people, nations, provinces, cities, towns, villages, mines, minerals, fisheries, streams and rivers within the extent of the said Louisiana, from the mouth of the great river St. Louis, otherwise called Ohio, as also along the river Colbert, or Mississippi, and the rivers which discharge themselves therein, from its source beyond the country of the Nadonessious (Sioux), as far as its mouth at the sea, and also to the mouth of the river of Palms, upon the assurance we have had from the natives of these countries that we were the first Europeans who have descended or ascended the river Colbert (Missis- sippi) ; hereby protesting against all who may hereafter undertake to invade any or all of these aforesaid countries, peoples or lands, to the prejudice of His Majesty, acquired by the consent of the nations dwelling herein. Of which, and of all else that is needful, I hereby take to witness those who hear me. and demand an act of the notary here present." At the foot of the tree to which the cross was attached La Salle caused to be buried a leaden plate, on one side of which were engraven the arms of France, and on the opposite, the following Latin inscription: LVDOVICUS MAGNUS REGNAT. NONO APRILIS CIO IOC LXXXII. ROBERTVS CAVALIER, CVM DOMINO DETONTI LEGATO, R. P. ZENOBIO MEMBRE, RECCOLLECTO, ET VIGINTI GALLIS PRIMVS HOC FLYMEN, INDE AB ILTNEORVM PAGO ENAVAGAVIT, EZVQUE OSTIVM FECIT PERVIVM, NONO APRILIS ANNI. CIO IOC LXXXI. NOTE. The following is a translation of the inscription on the leaden plate: " Louis the Great reigns. "Robert Cavalier, with Lord Tonti as Lieutenant, R. P. Zenobe Membre, Recollect, and twenty Frenchmen, first navigated this stream from the country of the Illinois, and also passed through its mouth, on the 9th of April, 1682." After which, La Salle remarked that His Majesty, who was the eldest son of the Holy Catholic Church, would not annex any country to his dominion without giving especial attention to establish the 86 HISTOKIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Christian religion therein. He then proceeded at once to erect a cross, before which the "Vexilla" and " Domine Salvum fac Regern" were sung. The ceremony was concluded by shouting "Vive le Hoi ! " Thus was completed the discovery and taking possession of the Mississippi valley. By that indisputable title, the right of discovery, attested by all those formalities recognized as essential by the laws of nations, the manuscript evidence of which was duly certified by a no- tary public brought along for that purpose, and witnessed by the sig- natures of La Salle and a number of other persons present on the occa- sion, France became the owner of all that vast country drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries. Bounded by the Alleghanies on the east, and the Rocky Mountains on the west, and extending from an undefined limit on the north to the burning sands of the Gulf on the south. Embracing within its area every variety of climate, watered with a thousand beautiful streams, containing vast prairies and exten- sive forests, with a rich and fertile soil that only awaited the husband- man's skill to yield bountiful harvests, rich in vast beds of bituminous coal and deposits of iron, copper and other ores, this magnificent domain was not to become the seat of a religious dogma, enforced by the power of state, but was designed under the hand of God to become the center of civilization, the heart of the American republic, where the right of conscience was to be free, without interference of law, and where universal liberty should only be restrained in so far as its unre- strained exercise might conflict with its equal enjoyment by all. Had France, with the same energy she displayed in discovering Louisiana, retained her grasp upon this territory, the dominant race in the valley of the Mississippi would have been Gallic instead of Anglo- Saxon. The manner in which France lost this possession in America will be referred to in a subsequent chapter. CHAPTER XL LA SALLE'S RETURN, AND HIS DEATH IN ATTEMPTING A SETTLEMENT ON THE GULF. LA SALLE and his party returned up the Mississippi. Before they reached Chickasaw Bluffs, La Salle was taken dangerously ill. Dispatching Tonti ahead to Mackinaw, he remained there under the care of Father Membre. About the end of July he was enabled to proceed, and joined Tonti at Mackinaw, in September. Owing to the threatened invasion of the Iroquois, La Salle postponed his projected trip to France, and passed the winter at Fort St. Louis. From Fort St. Louis, it would seem, La Salle directed a letter to Count Frontenac, giving an account of his voyage to the Mississippi. It is short and his- torically interesting, and was first published in that rare little volume, Thevenot's " Collection of Voyages," published at Paris in 1687. This letter contains, perhaps, the first description of Chicago Creek and the harbor, and as everything pertaining to Chicago of a historical charac- ter is a matter of public interest, we insert La Salle's account. It seems that, even at that early day, almost two centuries ago, the idea of a canal connecting Lake Michigan and the Illinois was a subject of consideration : " The creek (Chicago Creek) through which we went, from the lake of the Illinois into the Divine River (the Au Plein, or Des Plaines) is so shallow and so greatly exposed to storms that no ship can venture in except in a great calm. Neither is the country between the creek and the Divine River suitable for a canal ; for the prairies between them are submerged after heavy rains, and a canal would be immedi- ately filled up with sand. Besides this, it is not possible to dig into the ground on account of the water, that country being nothing but a marsh. Supposing it were possible, however, to cut a canal, it would be useless, as the Divine River is not navigable for forty leagues together ; that is to say, from that place (the portage) to the village of the Illinois, except for canoes, and these have scarcely water enough in summer time." The identity of the " River Chicago," of early explorers, with the modern stream of the same name, is clearly established by the map of Franquelin of 1684, as well, also, as by the Memoir of Sieur de Tonti. 87 88 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NOKTHWEST. The latter had occasion to pass through the Chicago River more fre- quently than any other person of his time, and his intimate acquaint- ance with the Indians in the vicinity would necessarily place his decla- rations beyond the suspicion of a mistake. Referring to his being sent in the fall of 1687, by La Salle, from Fort Miamis, at the mouth of the St. Joseph, to Chicago, alread} r alluded to, he says : " We went in canoes to the ' River Chicago,' where there is a portage which joins that of the Illinois." * The name of this river is variously spelled by early writers, " Chi- cagon," f " Che-ka-kou," ^ " Chikgoua." In the prevailing Algonquin language the word signifies a polecat or skunk. The Aborigines, also, called garlic by nearly the same word, from which many authors have inferred that Chicago means "wild onion." | While La Salle was in the west, Count Frontenac was removed, and M. La Barre appointed Governor of Canada. The latter was the avowed enemy of La Salle. He injured La Salle in every possible * Tonti's Memoir, published in the Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. 1, p. 59. t Joutel's Journal. j LaHontan. Father Grayier's Narrative Journal, published in Dr. Shea's "Voyages Up and Down the Mississippi." || A writer of a historical sketch, published in a late number of "Potter's Monthly," on the isolated statement of an old resident of western Michigan, says that the Indi- 3sting a mere fancy with the dignity of truth. The great city its name from the stream along whose margin it was first laid out, and it becomes im- portant to preserve the origin of its name with whatever certainty a research of all accessible authorities may furnish. In the first place, Chicago was not a place "with- out wood," or trees; on the contrary, it is the only locality where timber was anything like abundant for the distance of miles around. The north and south branches west- ward, and the lake on the east, afforded ample protection against prairie fires; and Dr. John M. Peck, in his early Gazetteer of the state, besides other authorities, especially mention the fact that there was a good quality of timber in the vicinity of Chicago, particularly on the north branch. There is nowhere to be found in the several Indian vocabularies of Sir Alexander Mackenzie. Dr. Edwin James, and the late Albert Gal- latin, in their extensive collections of Algonquin words, any expressions like those used by the writer in Potter's Monthly, bearing the signification which he attaches to them. Tn Mackenzie's Vocabulary, the Algonquin word for polecat is "Shi-kak." In Dr. James' Vocabulary, the word for skunk is "She-gaby (shegag): and Shiq-ffcni-ga-win- zheeg is the plural for onion or garlic, literally, in the Indian dialect, "skunk-weeds." Dr. James, in a foot-note, says that from this word in the singular number, some have derived the name Chi-ka-f/o, which is commonly pronounced among the Indians, Shig- gau-go, and Shi-gau-go-oner (meaning) at Chicago. An association of English traders, styling themselves the "Illinois Land Compa- ny," on the 5th of July, 1773, obtained from ten chiefs of the Kaskaskia. Cahokia and Peoria tribes, a deed for two large tracts of land. The second tract, in the description of its boundaries, contains the following expression: "and thence up the Illinois River, by the several courses thereof, to Chicago, or Garlic Creek;" and it may safely be as- sumed that the parties to the deed knew the names given to identify the grant. Were an additional reference necessary. " Wau Bun," the valuable work of Mrs. John H. Kinzie, might also be cited, p. 190. The Iroquqis, who made frequent predatory excursions from their homes in New York to the Illinois country, called Chicago Kitn- era-ghik; vide Cadwalder Colden's " History of the Five Nations." MISFORTUNES OF LA SALLE'S COLONY. 89 way, and finally seized upon Fort Frontenac. To obtain redress, La- Salle went to France, reaching Rochelle on the 13th of December, 1683. Seignelay (young Colbert), Secretary of State and Minister of the Marine, was appealed to by La Salle, and became interested and furnished him timely aid in his enterprise. Before leaving America La Salle ordered Tonti to proceed and finish " Fort St. Louis," as the fortification at Starved Rock, on the Illinois River, was named. " He charged me," says Tonti, " with the duty to go and finish Fort St. Louis, of which he gave me the government, with full power to dispose of the lands in the neighborhood, and left all his people under my command, with the exception of six French- men, whom he took to accompany him to Quebec. We departed from Mackinaw on the same day, he for Canada and I for the Illinois.* On his mission to France La Salle was received with honor by the king and his officers, and the accounts which he gave relative to Louisiana caused them to further his plans for its colonization. A squadron of four vessels was fitted out. the largest carrying thirty-six guns. About two hundred persons were embarked aboard of them for the purpose long projected, as we have foreseen, of establishing a settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi. The fleet was under the command of M. de Beaujeu, a naval officer of some distinction. He was punctilious in the exercise of authority, and had a wiry, nervous organization, as the portrait preserved of him clearly shows, f La Salle was austere, and lacked that faculty of getting along with men, for the want of which many of his best-laid plans failed. A constant bickering and collision of cross purposes was the natural result of such repellant natures as he and Beaujeu possessed. After a stormy passage of the Atlantic, the fleet entered the Gulf of Mexico. Coasting along the northern shore of the gulf, they failed to discover the mouths of the Mississippi. Passing them, they finally landed in what is now known as Matagorda Bay, or the Bay of St. Barnard, near the River Colorado, in Texas, more than a hundred leagues westward of the Mississippi. The whole number of persons left on the beach is not definitely known. M. Joutel, one of the sur- vivors, and the chronicler of this unfortunate undertaking, mentions one hundred and eighty, besides the crew of the " Belle," which was lost on the beach, consisting of soldiers, volunteers, workmen, women and children.;}; The colony being in a destitute condition, La Salle, *Tonti's Memoir. t A fine steel engraving copy of Mons. Beaujeu is contained in Dr. Shea's transla- tion of Charlevoix's " History of New France." ^Spark's "Life of La Salle." 90 HISTORIC NOTES OX THE NORTHWEST. accompanied by Father Anastius Douay and twenty others, set out to reach the Mississippi, intending to ascend to Fort St. Louis, and there obtain aid from Tonti. They set out on the 7th of January, and after several days' journey, reached the village of the Cenis Indians. Here some of La Salle's men became dissatisfied with their hardships, and determined to slay him and then join the Indians. The tragic tale is thus related by Father Douay : " The wisdom of Monsieur de La Salle was unable to foresee the plot which some of his people would make to slay his nephew, as they suddenly resolved to do, and actually did, on the 17th of March, by a blow of an ax, dealt by one Liotot. They also killed the valet of the Sieur La Salle and his Indian ser- vant, Nika, who, at the risk of his life, had supported them for three years. The wretches resolved not to stop here, and not satisfied with this murder, formed a design of attempting their commander's life, as they had reason to fear his resentment and chastisement. As M. La Salle and myself were walking toward the fatal spot where his nephew had been slain, two of those murderers, who were hidden in the grass, arose, one on each side, with guns cocked. One missed Mon- sieur La Salle ; the other, firing at the same time, shot him in the head. He died an hour after, on the 19th of March, 1687. " Thus," says Father Douay, " died our commander, constant in ad- versity, intrepid, generous, engaging, dexterous, skillful, capable of everything. He who for twenty years had softened the fierce temper of countless savage tribes was massacred by the hands of his own domes- tics, whom he had loaded with caresses. He died in the prime of life, in the midst of his course and labors, without having seen their success."* The colony which La Salle had left in Texas was surprised and destroyed by the Indians. Not a soul was left to give an account of the massacre. Of the twenty who accompanied him in his attempt to reach the Mississippi, Joutel, M. Cavalier, La Salle's brother, and four others determined to make a last attempt to find the Mississippi ; the others, including La Salle's murderers, became the associates of the less brutal Indians, and of them we have no farther account. After a long and toilsome journey Joutel and his party reached the Mississippi near the mouth of the Arkansas. Here they found two men who had been sent by Tonti to relieve La Salle. Embarking in canoes, they went up the Mississippi, arrived at Fort St. Louis in safety, and finally returned to France by way of Quebec. From this period until 1698 the French made no further attempts to colonize the Lower Mississippi. They had no settlements below the * Fa! her Douay's Journal, contained in Dr. Shea's "Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi." BILOXI AND MOBILE FOUNDED. 91 Ohio, and above that river, on the Illinois and the upper lakes, were scattered only a few missions and trading posts. Realizing the great importance of retaining possession of the Mis- sissippi valley, the French court fitted out an expedition which con- sisted of four vessels, for the purpose of thoroughly exploring the mouth of the Mississippi and adjacent territory. Le Moyne Iberville was put in command of the expedition. He was the third of the eleven sons of Baron Longueil. They all held commissions from the king, and con- stituted one of the most illustrious of the French Canadian families. The fleet sailed from Brest, France, on the 24th of October, 1698. They came in sight of Florida on the 27th of January, 1699. They ran near the coast, and discovered that they were in the vicinity of Pensacola Bay. Here they found a colony of three hundred Spaniards. Sailing westward, they entered the mouth of the Mississippi on Quin- quagesima Monday, which was the 2d of March. Iberville ascended the river far enough to assure himself of its being the Mississippi, then, descending the river, he founded a colony at Biloxi Bay. Leaving his brother, M. de Sauvole, in command of the newly erected fort, he sailed for France. Iberville returned to Biloxi on the 8th of January, and, hearing that the English were exploring the Mississippi, he took formal possession of the Mississippi valley in the name of the French king. He, also, erected a small four-gun fort on Poverty Point, 38 miles below New Orleans. The fort was constructed very rudely, and was occupied for only one year. In the year 1701 Iberville made a settlement at Mobile, and this soon became the principal French town on the gulf. The unavailing efforts of the king in the scheme of colonization induced a belief that a greater prosperity would follow under the stimulus of individual enterprise, and he determined to grant Louisiana to Monsieur Crozat, with a monopoly of its mines, supposed to be valuable in gold and silver, together with the exclusive right of all its commerce for the period of fifteen years. The patent or grant of Louis to M. Crozat is an interesting document, not only because it passed the title of the Mississippi valley into the hands of one man, but for the reason that it embraces a part of the history of the country ceded. We, therefore, quote the most valuable part of it. The instrument bears date Sep- tember 12th, 1712 : " Louis (the fourteenth), King of France and Navarre ; To all who shall see these presents, greeting : The care we have always had to procure the welfare and advantage of our subjects, having induced us, notwithstanding the almost continual wars which we have been en- gaged to support from the beginning of our reign, to seek all possible opportunities of enlarging and extending the trade of our American 92 HISTORIC KOTES OX THE NORTHWEST. colonies, we did, in the year 1683, give our orders to undertake a dis- covery of the countries and lands which are situated in the northern parts of America, between New France (Canada) and New Mexico. And the Sieur de La Salle, to whom we committed that enterprise, having had success enough to confirm the belief that a communication might be settled from New France to the Gulf of Mexico by means of large rivers ; this obliged us, immediately after the peace of Ryewick (in 1697), to give orders for the establishment of a colony there (under Iberville in 1699), and maintaining a garrison, which has kept and preserved the possession we had taken in the year 1683, of the lands, coasts and islands which are situated in the Gulf of Mexico, between Carolina on the east, and old and New Mexico on the west. But a new war breaking out in Europe shortly after, there was no possi- bility till now of reaping from that new colony the advantages that might have been expected from thence ; because the private men who are concerned in the sea trade were all under engagements with the other colonies, which they have been obliged to follow. And where- as, upon the information we have received concerning the disposition and situation of the said countries, known at present by the name of the province of Louisiana, we are of opinion that there may be estab- lished therein a considerable commerce, so much the more advan- tageous to our kingdom in that there has been hitherto a necessity of fetching from foreigners the greatest part of the commodities that may be brought from thence ; and because in exchange thereof we need carry thither nothing but the commodities of the growth and manu- facture of our own kingdom ; we have resolved to grant the com- merce of the country of Louisiana to the Sieur Anthony Crozat, our counsellor, secretary of the household, crown and revenue, to whom we intrust the execution of this project. "We are the more readily inclined thereto because of his zeal and the singular knowledge he has acquired of maritime commerce, encourages us to hope for as good success as he has hitherto had in the divers and sundry enter- prises he has gone upon, and which have procured to our kingdom great quantities of. gold and silver in such conjectures as have rendered them very welcome to us. For these reasons, being desirous to show our favor to him, and to regulate the conditions upon which we mean to grant him the said commerce, after having deliberated the affair in our council, of our own certain knowledge, full power and royal authority, we by these presents, signed by our hand, have appointed and do ap- point the said Sieur Crozat to carry on a trade in all the lands pos- sessed by us, and bounded by New Mexico and by the English of Caroli- na, all the establishments, ports, havens, rivers, and particularly the port LOUISIANA GRANTED TO CROZAT. 93 and haven of Isle Dauphin, heretofore called Massacre ; the river St. Louis, heretofore called Mississippi, from the edge of the sea as far as the Illinois,* together with the river St. Philip, heretofore called Mis- souris, and St. Jerome, heretofore called the Ouabache (the Wabash),, with all the countries, territories, lakes within land, and the rivers which fall directly or indirectly into that part of the river St. Louft. Our pleasure is, that all the aforesaid lands, countries, streams, rivers and islands, be and remain comprised under the name of the GOVERNMENT OF LOUISIANA, which shall be dependent upon the general government of New France, to which it is subordinate." Crozat was permitted to search and open mines, and to pay the king one-fifth part of all the gold and silver developed. Work in de- veloping the mines \vas to be begun in three years, under penalty of forfeiture. Crozat was required to send at least two vessels annually from France to sustain the colonies already established, and for the maintenance of trade. The next year, 1713, there were, within the limits of Crozat's vast grant, not more than four hundred persons of European descent. Crozat himself did little to increase the colony, the time of his subordinates being spent in roaming over the country in search of the precious metals. He became wearied at the end of three years spent in profitless adventures, and, in 1717, surrendered his grant back to the crown. In August of the same year the French king turned Louis- iana over to the " Western Company," or the " Mississippi Company," subsequently called " The Company of the Indies," at whose head stood the famous Scotch banker, John Law. The rights ceded to Law's company were as broad as the grant to Crozat. Law was an infla- tionist, believing that wealth could be created without limit by the mere issuing of paper money, and his wild schemes of finance were the most ruinous that ever deluded and bankrupted a confiding people. Louisiana, with its real and undeveloped wealth a hundred times mag- * The expression, " as far as the Illinois," did not refer to the river of that name, but to the country generally, on both sides of the Mississippi, above the mouth of the Ohio, which, under both the French and Spanish governments was denominated "the country of the Illinois," and this designation appeared in all their records and official letters. For example, letters, deeds, and other official documents bore date, respect- ively, at Kaskaskia, of the Illinois; St. Louis, of the Illinois; St. Charles, of the Illi- nois; not to identify the village where such instruments were executed merely, but to- denote the country in which these villages were situated. Therefore, the monopoly of Crozat, by the terms of his patent, extended to the utmost limit of Louisiana, north- ward, which, by the treaty of Utrecht in 1713, was fixed at the 49th of latitude; vide Stoddard's " Sketches of Louisiana," Brackenridge's "Views of Louisiana." From the year 1700 until some time subsequent to the conquest of the country by the British, in 1763, a letter or document executed anywhere within the present limits of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, or Missouri, would have borne the superscription of "Les Illinois," or "the Illinois." 94 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. nified, became the basis of a fictitious value, on which an enormous volume of stock, convertible into paper money, was issued. The stock rose in the market like a balloon, and chamber-maids, alike with wealthy ladies, barbers and bankers, indeed, the whole French peo- ple, gazing at the ascending phenomenon, grew mad with the desire for speedy wealth. The French debt was paid off; the depleted treasury filled ; poor men and women were made rich in a few days by the con- stantly advancing value of the stocks of the " Company of the West." Confidence in the ultimate wealth of Louisiana was all that was re- quired, and this was given to a degree that would not now be credited as true, were not the facts beyond dispute. After awhile the balloon exploded ; people began to doubt ; they realized that mere confidence was not solid value ; stocks declined ; they awoke to a sorrowful contemplation of their delusion and ruin. Law, from the summit of his glory as a financier, fell into ignominy, and to escape bodily harm fled the country ; and Louisiana, from be- ing the source of untold wealth, sunk into utter ruin and contempt. It should be said to the credit of " the company " that they made some efforts toward the cultivation of the soil. The growth of tobacco, sugar, rice and indigo was encouraged. Negroes were imported to till the soil. New Orleans was laid out in 1718, and the seat of govern- ment of lower Louisiana subsequently established there. A settlement was made about Natchez. A large number of German emigrants were located on the Mississippi, from whom a portion of the Mississippi has ever since been known as the " German coast." The French settle- ments at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, begun, as appears from most authen- tic accounts, about the year 1700, certainly not later, were largely increased by emigration from Canada and France. In the year 1718 the " Company of the West " erected a fortification near Kaskaskia, and named it Fort Chartes, having a charter from the crown so to do. It is situated in the northwest corner of Randolph county, Illinois, on the American bottom. It was garrisoned with a small number of soldiers, and was made the seat of government of " the Illinois." Under the mild government of the "Company," the Illinois marked a steady prosperity, and Fort Chartes became the center of business, fashion and gaiety of all " the Illinois country." In 1756 the fort was reconstruct- ed, this time with solid stone. Its shape was an irregular quadrangle, the exterior sides of the polygon being four hundred and ninety feet, and the walls were two feet two inches thick, pierced with port-holes for cannon. The walls of the fort were eighteen feet high, and con- tained within, guard houses, government house, barracks, powder house, bake house, prison and store room. A very minute description FORT CHARTES. 95 is given of the whole structure within and without in the minutes of its surrender, October 10, 1765, by Louis St. Ange de Belrive, captain of infantry and commandant, and Joseph Le Febvre, the king's store- keeper and acting commissary of the fort, to Mr. Sterling, deputed by Mr. De Gage (Gage), governor of New York and commander of His Majesty's troops in America, to receive possession of the fort and coun- try from the French, according to the seventeenth article of the treaty of peace, concluded on the 10th of February, 1763, between the kings of France and Great Britain.* Fort Chartes was the strongest and most elaborately constructed of any of the French works of defense in America. Here the intendants and several commandants in charge, whose will was law, governed " the Illinois," administered justice to its inhabitants, and settled up estates of deceased persons, for nearly half a century. From this place the English commandants governed "the Illinois," some of them with great injustice and severity, from the time of its surrender, in 1765, to 1772, when a great flood inun- dated the American Bottom, and the Mississippi cut a new 'channel so near the fort that the wall and two bastions on the west side were un- dermined and fell into the river. The British garrison then abandoned it, and their headquarters were afterward at Kaskaskia. Dr. Beck, while collecting material for his " Gazetteer of Illinois and Missouri," in 1820, visited the ruins of old Fort Chartes. At that time enough remained to show the size and strength of this remarkable fortification. Trees over two feet in diameter were growing within its walls. The ruin is in a dense forest, hidden in a tangle of under- growth, furnishing a sad memento of the efforts and blasted hopes of La Belle France to colonize "Les * The articles of surrender are given at length in the Paris Documents, vol. 10, pp. 1161 to 1166. CHAPTER XII. SURRENDER OF LOUISIANA BY THE INDIES COMPANY EARLY ROUTES. IN 1731 the company of the Indies surrendered to France, Louisiana, with its forts, colonies and plantations, and from this period forward to the time of the conquest by Great Britain and the Anglo-American colonies, Louisiana was governed through officers appointed by the crown. We have shown how, when and where colonies were permanently established by the French in Canada, about Kaskaskia, and in Lower Louisiana. It is not within the scope of our inquiries to follow these settlements of the French in their subsequent development, but rather now to show how the establishments of the French along the lakes and near the gulf communicated with each other, and the routes of travel by which they were connected. The convenient way between Quebec and the several villages in the vicinity of Kaskaskia was around the lakes and down the Illinois River, either by way of the St. Joseph River and the Kankakee port- age or through Chicago Creek and the Des Plaines. The long winters and severe climate on the St. Lawrence made it desirable for many people to abandon Canada for the more genial latitudes of southern Illinois, and the still warmer regions of Louisiana, where snows were unknown and flowers grew the year round. It only required the pro- tection of a fort or other military safeguards to induce the Canadians to change their homes from Canada to more favorable localities southward. The most feasible route between Canada and the Lower Mississippi settlements was by the Ohio River. This communication, however, M r as effectually barred against the French. The Iroquois Indians, from the time of Champlain, were allies, first of the Dutch and then of the English, and the implacable enemies of the French. The upper waters of the Ohio were within the acknowledged territory of the Iroquois, whose possessions extended westward of K~ew York and Pennsylvania well toward the Scioto. The Ohio below Pittsburgh was, also, in the debatable ground of the Miamis northward, and Chickasaws south- ward. These nations were warring upon each other continually, and 96 THE MAUMEE AND WABASH ROUTE. 97 the country for many miles beyond either bank of the Ohio was infested with war parties of the contending tribes.* There were no Indian villages near the Ohio River at the period concerning which we now write. Subsequent to this the Shawnees and Delawares, previously subdued by the Iroquois, were permitted by the latter to establish their towns near the confluence of the Scioto, Mus- kingum and other streams. The valley of the Ohio was within the confines of the " dark and bloody ground." Were a voyager to see smoke ascending above the forest line he would know it was from the camp fire of an enemy, and to be a place of danger. It would indi- cate the presence of a hunting or war party. If they had been suc- cessful they would celebrate the event by the destruction of whoever would commit himself to their hands, and if unfortunate in the chase or on the war-path, disappointment would give a sharper edge to their cruel ty.f The next and more reliable route was that afforded by the Maumee and "Wabash, laying within the territory of tribes friendly to the French. The importance of this route was noticed by La Salle, in his letter to Count Frontenac, in 1683, before quoted. La Salle says: "There is a river at the extremity of Lake Erie,:}: within ten leagues of the strait (Detroit River), which will very much shorten the way to the Illinois, it being navigable for canoes to within two leagues of their river." As early as 1699, Mons. De Iberville conducted a colony of Canadians from Quebec to Louisiana, by way of the Maumee and Wa- bash. " These were followed by other families, under the leadership of M. Du Tessenet. Emigrants came by land, first ascending the St. Lawrence to Lake Erie, then ascending a river emptying into that lake to the portage of Des Miamis / their effects being thence transported to the river Miamis, where pirogues, constructed out of a single tree, and large enough to contain thirty persons, were built, with which the voyage down the Mississippi was prosecuted." || This memoir corre- sponds remarkably well with the claim of Little Turtle, in his speech to Gen. Wayne, concerning the antiquity of the title, in his tribe, to the portage of the Wabash at Fort Wayne. It also illustrates the fact that among the first French settlers in lower Louisiana were * A Miami chief said that his nation had no tradition of " a time when they were not at war with the Chickasaws." f General William H. Harrison's Address before the Historical Society of Cin- cinnati. J The Maumee. Meaning the Wabash. || Extract taken from a memoir, showing that the first establishments in Louisiana were at Mobile, etc., the original manuscript being among the archives in the depart- ment lt De la Marine et Des Colonies," in Paris, France. 7 98 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. those who found their way thither through the " glorious gate," be- longing to the Miamis, connecting the Maumee and Wabash. Originally, the Maumee was known to the French as the " Miami," " Oumiarni," or the " River of the Miamis," from the fact that bands of this tribe of Indians had villages upon its banks. It was also called " Ottawa," or " Tawwa," which is a contraction of the word Ottawa, as families of this tribe " resided on this river from time immemorial." The Shawnee Indian name is " Ottawa-sepe," that is " Ottawa River." By the Hurons, or Wyandots, it was called " Cagh-a-ren-du-te," the " River of the Standing Rock." * Lewis Evans, whose map was pub- lished in 1755, and which is, perhaps, the first English map issued of the territory lying north and west of the Ohio River, lays down the Miami as " Mine-a-mi," a way the Pennsylvania Indian traders had of pronouncing the word Miami. In 1703, Mons Cadillac, the French commandant at Detroit, in his application for a grant of land six leagues in breadth on either side of the Maumee, upon which he pro- posed to propagate silk-worms, refers to the river as " Grand River " f As early as 1718 it is mentioned as the " Miamis River," J and it bore this name more generally than that of any other from 1718 to a pe- riod subsequent to the War of 1812. Capt. Robert M'Afee, who was in the various campaigns up and down the Maumee during the War of 1812, and whose history of this war, published at Lexington, Ky., in 1816, gives the most authentic account of the military movements in this quarter, makes frequent mention of the river by the name of " Miami," occasionally designating it as the " Miami of the Lake." Gen. Joseph Harmar, in his report of the military expedition con- ducted by him to Fort Wayne, in October, 1790, calls the Miami the "Oinee." He says: "As there are three Miamis in the northwestern territory, all bearing the name of Miami, I shall in the future, for dis- tinction's sake, when speaking of the Miami of the Lake, call it the ' Omee,' and its towns the Omee Towns. By this name they are best known on the frontier. It is only, however, one of the many corrup- tions or contractions universally used among the French-Americans in pronouncing Indian names. 'Au-Mi,' for instance, is the contraction for 'An Miami.' " The habit of the " Coureur de Bois" and others using the mongrel language of the border Canadians, as well, also, the custom prevailing * "Account of the Present State of Indian Tribes, etc., Inhabiting Ohio." By John Johnson, Indian Agent, June 17, 1819. Published in vol. 1 of Archseologia Americana. t Sheldon's History of Michigan, p. 108. j Paris Documents, vol. 9, p. 880 and 891. Gen. Harmar's official letter to the Secretary of War, under date of November 23, 1790, published in the American State Papers. ORIGIN OF THE NAME MAUMEE. 99 among this class of persons in giving nicknames to rivers and locali- ties, has involved other observers besides Gen. Harrnar in the same perplexity. Thomas Hutchins, the American geographer, and Capt. Harry Gordon visited Kaskaskia and the adjacent territory subsequent to the conquest of the northwest territory from the French, and be- came hopelessly entangled in the contractions and epithets applied to the surrounding villages on both sides of the Mississippi. Kaskaskia was abbreviated to "Au-kas" and St. Louis nicknamed " Pain Court " Short Bread' Carondelet was called " Vide Pouche" Empty Pocket' Ste. Genevieve was called "Missier" Misery. The Kas- kaskia, after being shortened to Au-kaus, pronounced " Okau," has been further corrupted to Okaw, and at this day we have the singu- lar contradiction of the ancient Kaskaskia being called Kaskaskia near its mouth and " Okaw " at its source. The Miamis, or bands of their tribe, had villages in order of time ; first on the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan, then upon the Maumee ; after this, 1750, they, with factions of other tribes who had become disaffected toward the French, established a mixed village upon the stream now known ais the Great Miami, which empties into the Ohio, and in this way the name of Miami has been transferred, successively, from the St. Jo- seph to the Miami, and from the latter to the present Miami, with which it has become permanently identified.* The Miamis were, also, called the "Mau-mees," this manner of spelling growing out of one of the several methods of pronouncing the word Miami and it is doubtless from this source that the name of Maumee is derived f In this connection we may note the fact that the St. Marys and the Au-glaize were named by the Shawnee Indians, as follows : The first was called by this tribe, who had several villages upon its banks, the " Co-kothe-ke-sepe," Kettle River; and the Au-glaize "Cow-then-e- ke-sepe," or Fallen Timber River. These aboriginal names are given by Mr. John Johnson, in his published account of the Indian tribes before referred to4 We will IIOW T give a derivation of the name of the Wabash, which has been the result of an examination of a number of authorities. Early French writers have spelled the word in various ways, each en- deavoring, with more or less success, to represent the name as the sev- *The aboriginal name of the Great Miami was "Assin-erient," or Rocky River, from the word Assin, or Ussin, the Algonquin appellation for stone or stony. Lewis Evan's map of 1755. t In an official letter of Gen. Harrison to the Secretary of War, dated March 22, 1814, the name " Miamis " and "Maumees " are given as synonymous terms, referring to the same tribe. JMr. Johnson had charge of the Indian affairs in Ohio for many years, and was especially acquainted with the Shawnees and their language. 100 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. eral Algonquin tribes pronounced it. First, we have Father Marquette's orthography, " Oua-bous-kigou ; " and by later French authorities it i& spelled "Abache," "Ouabache," < : Oubashc," " Oubache," " Oubash," " Oubask," " Oubache," " Wabascou," " Wabache," and " Waubache." It should be borne in mind that the French alphabet does not contain the letter W, and that the diphthong " ou " with the French has nearly the same sound as the letter W of the English alphabet. The Jesuits- sometimes used a character much like the tigure 8, which is a Greek contraction formulated by them, to represent a peculiar guttural sound among the Indians, and which we often, though imperfectly, represent by the letter W, or Wau.* That Wabash is an Indian name, and was early applied to the stream that now bears this name, is clearly established by Father Gravier. This missionary descended the Mississippi in the year 1700, and speak- ing of the Ohio and its tributaries, says : " Three branches are assigned to it, one that comes from the northwest (the Wabash), passing behind the country of the Oumiamis, called the St. Joseph, f which the Indians properly call the Oudbachei; the second comes from the Iroquois (whose country included the head-waters of the Ohio), and is called the Ohio ; and the third, which comes from the Chaou- anona^: (Shawnees). And all of them uniting to empty into the Mis- sissippi, it is commonly called Ouabachi." In the variety of mariner in which Wabash is spelled in the exam- ples given above, we clearly trace the Waw-bish-kaw, of the Ojibe- ways; the Wabisca (pronounced Wa-bis-sa) of the modern Algon- quin ; Wau-bish of the Menominees, and Wa-bi of the ancient Algon- quins, words which with all these kindred tongues mean White. \\ Therefore the aboriginal of Wabash (Sepe) should be rendered White River. This theory is supported by Lewis Evans, who for many years was a trader among the Indians, inhabiting the country drained by the Wabash and its tributary waters. The extensive knowledge which he acquired in his travels westward of the Alleghanies resulted * Shea's Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi, p. 41, foot-note. For example, we find in the Journal of Marquette, 8ab8kig8, for Wabash. The same man- ner of spelling is also observed in names, as written by other missionaries, where they design to represent the sound of the French " ou," or the English W. t Probably a mistake of the copyist, and which should be the St. Jerome, a name given by the French to the Wabash, as we have seen in the extracts taken from Crozat's grant. Dr. Shea has pointed out numerous mistakes made by the copyist of the man- uscripts from which the " Voyages Up and Down the Mississippi " are composed. | The Tennessee. Father Gravier 's Journal in Dr. Shea's Voyages Up and Down the Mississippi, pp. 120, 121. || The several aboriginal names for white, which we have given above, are taken from the vocabularies of Mackenzie, Dr. Ewin James and Albert Gallatin, which are regarded as standard authorities. ORIGIN OF THE NAME WABASH. 101 in his publishing, in 1755, a map, accompanied with an extended de- scription of the territory it embraced. In describing the "Wabash, Mr. Evans calls it by the name the Iroquois Indians had given it, viz : the " Quia-agh-tena," and says " it is called by the French Ouabach, though that is truly the name of its southeastern branch." Why the White River, of Indiana, which is the principal southeastern branch of the Wabash, should have been invested with the English meaning of the word, and the aboriginal name should have been retained by the river to which it has always properly belonged, is easily explained, when we consider the ignorance and carelessness of many of the early travelers, whose writings, coming down to us, have tended to confuse rather than aid the investigations of the modern historian. The Ohio River below the confluence of the Wabash is designated as the Wabash by a majority of the early French writers, and so laid down on many of the contem- poraneous maps. This was, probably, due to the fact that the Wabash was known and used before the Ohio had been explored to its mouth. So fixed has become the habit of calling the united waters of these two streams Wabash, from their union continuously to their discharge into the Mississippi, that the custom prevailed long after a better knowledge of the geography of the country suggested the propriety of its aban- donment. Even after the French of Canada accepted the change, and treated the Ohio as the main river and the Wabash as the tributary, the French of Louisiana adhered to the old name. We quote from M. Le Page Du Fratz' History of Louisiana : * " Let us now repass the Mississippi in order to resume a description of the lands to the east, which we quit. at the river Wabash. This river is distant from the sea four hundred and sixty leagues ; it is reckoned to have four hundred leagues in length from its source to its conflu- ence with the Mississippi. It is called Wabash, though, according to the usual method, it ought to be called the Ohio, or Beautiful River, f seeing the Ohio was known under that name before its confluence was known; and as the Ohio takes its rise at a greater distance off than the three others which mix together before they empty them- selves into the Mississippi, this should make the others lose their *The author was for sixteen years a planter of Louisiana, having gone thither from France soon after the Company of the West or Indes restored the country to the crown. He was a gentleman of superior attainments, and soon acquired a thorough knowledge of the French possessions in America. He returned to France, and in 1758 published his " History of Louisiana," with maps, which, in 1763, was translated into English. Those volumes are largely devoted to the experience of the author in the cultivation of rice, indigo, sugar and other products congenial to the climate and soil of Louisiana, and to quite an extended topographical description of the whole Mississippi Valley. fThe Iroquois' name for the Ohio was " O-t'o," meaning beautiful, and the French retained the signification in the name of "La Belle Riviere," by which the Ohio was known to them. 102 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. names; but custom has prevailed in this respect. The first known to us which falls into the Ohio is that of the Miamis (Wabash), which takes its rise toward Lake Erie. It is by this river of the Miamis that the Canadians come to Louisiana. For this purpose they embark on the River St. Lawrence, go up this river, pass the cataracts quite to the bottom of Lake Erie, where they find a small river, on which they also go up to a place called the carriage of the Miamis, because that people come and take their effects and carry them on their backs for two leagues from thence to the banks of the river of their name which O I just said empties itself into the Ohio. From thence the Canadians go down that river, enter the Wabash, and at last the Mississippi, which brings them to New Orleans, the capital of Louisiana. They reckon eighteen hundred leagues from the capital of Canada to that of Louisiana, on account of the great turns and windings they are obliged to take. The river of the Miamis is thus the first to the north which falls into the Ohio, then that of the Chaouanons to the south, and lastly, that of the Cherokee, all which together empty themselves into the Mississippi. This is what we (in Louisiana) call the Wabash, and what in Canada and New England is called the Ohio." ' A failure to recognize the fact that the Ohio below the mouth of the Wabash was, for a period of over half a century, known to the French as the Wabash, has led not a few later writers to erroneously locate ancient French forts and missionary stations upon the banks of the Wabash, which were in reality situated many miles below, on the Ohio.f * On the map prefixed to Du Pratz' history, the Ohio from the Mississippi up to the confluence of the Wabash is called the " Wabash "; above this the Ohio is called Ohio, and the Wabash is called "The River of the Miamis," with villages of that tribe noted near its source. The Maumee is called the " River of the Carrying Place." The Upper Mississippi, the Illinois River and the lakes are also laid down, and, alto- gether, the map is quite accurate. t A noticeable instance of such a mistake will be found relative to the city of Vin- cennes. On the authority of LaHarpe, and the later historian Charlevoix, the French in the year 1700, established a trading post near the mouth of the Ohio, on the site of the more modern Fort Massac, in Massac county, 111., for the purpose of securing buffalo hides. The neighboring Mascotins, as was customary with the Indians, soon gathered about for the purpose of barter. Their numbers, as well as the expressed wish of the French traders, induced Father Merment to visit the place and engage in mission work. At the end of four or five years, in 1705, the establishment was broken up on account of a quarrel of the Indians among themselves, and which so threatened the lives of the Frenchmen that the latter fled, leaving behind their effects and 13.000 buffalo hides which they had collected. Some years later Father Marest, writing from Kaskaskia, in his letter before referred to, relates the failure of Father Merment to convert the Indians at this " post on the Wabash "; and on the authority of this letter alone, and although Father Marest only followed the prevailing style in calling the lower Ohio the Wabash, some writers, the late Judge John Law being the first, have contended that this post was on the Wabash and at Vincennes. Charlevoix says "it was at the mouth of the Wabash which discharges itself into the Mississippi." La Harpe, and also Le Suere, whose personal knowledge of the post was contemporaneous with its existence, definitely fix its position near the mouth of the Ohio. The latter gives the date of its beginning, and the former narrates an account of its trade and final abandonment. In this way an antiquity has been claimed for Vincennes to which it is not historically entitled. EARLY ACCOUNT OF THE MAUMEE. 103 We now give a description of the Maumee and Wabash, the location of the several Indian villages, and the manners of their inhabitants, taken from a memoir prepared in 1718 by a French officer in Canada, and sent to the minister at Paris.* u I return to the Miamis River. Its entrance from Lake Erie is very wide, and its banks on both sides, for a distance of ten leagues up, are nothing but continued swamps, abounding at all times, espe- cially in the spring, with game without end, swans, geese, ducks, cranes, etc., which drive sleep away by the noise of their cries. This river is sixty leagues in length, very embarrassing in summer in consequence of the lowness of the water. Thirty leagues up the river is a place called La, Glaise,^ where buffalo are always to be found; they eat the clay and wallow in it. The Miamis are sixty leagues from Lake Erie, and number four hundred, all well formed men, arid well tattooed ;^ the women are numerous. They are hard working, and raise a species of maize unlike that of our Indians at Detroit. It is white, of the same size as the other, the skin much finer, and the meal much whiter. This nation is clad in deer skin, and when a woman goes with another man her husband cuts off her nose and does not see her any more. They have plays and dances, wherefore they have more occupation. The women are well clothed ; but the men use scarcely any covering, and are tattooed all over the body. "From this Miami village there is a portage of three leagues to a little and very narrow stream, that falls, after a course of twenty leagues, into the Ohio or Beautiful River, which discharges into the Ouabache, a fine river that falls into the Mississippi forty leagues from the Cascachias. Into the Ouabache falls also the Casquinampo, || which communicates with Carolina ; but this is far off, and is always up stream. " The River Ouabache is the one on which the Ouyatanons ^[ are settled. " They consist of five villages, which are contiguous the one to the other. One is called Oujatanon, the other Peariguichias,** and another * The document is quite lengthy, covering all the principal places and Indian tribes east of the Mississippi, and showing the compiler possessed a very thorough acquaint- ance with the whole subject. It is given entire in the Paris Documents, vol. 9; that relating to the Maumee and Wabash on pages 886 to 891. t Defiance, Ohio. \ These villages were near the confluence of the St. Mary's and St. Joseph, and this is the first account we have of the present site of Fort Wayne. Little River, that empties into the Wabash just below Huntington. I The Tennessee River. ft The " Weas," whose principal villages were near the mouth of Eel River, near Logansport, and on the Wea prairie, between Attica and La Fayette. ** The ancient Piankashaw town was on the Vermilion of the Wabash, and the Miami name of the Vermilion was Piankashaw. 104 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Petitscotias, and a fourth Le Gros. The name of the last I do not recollect, but they are all Oujatanons, having the same language as the Miamis, whose brothers they are, and properly all Miamis, having the same customs and dress.* The men are very numerous ; fully a thousand or twelve hundred. " They have a custom different from all other nations, which is to keep their fort extremely clean, not allowing a blade of grass to remain within it. The whole of the fort is sanded like the Tuilleries. The village is situated on a high hill, and they have over two leagues of improvement where they raise their Indian corn, pumpkins and melons. From the summit of this elevation nothing is visible to the eye but prairies full of buifaloes. Their play and dancing are inces- sant.f "All of these tribes use a vast quantity of vermilion. The women wear clothing, the men very little. The River Ohio, or Beautiful river, is the route which the Iroquois take. It would be of importance that they should not have such intercourse, as it is very dangerous. Atten- tion has been called to this matter long since, but no notice has been taken of it." *The "Le Gros," that is, The Great (village), was probably "Chip-pe-co-ke," or the town of "Brush- wood," the name of the old village at Vincennes, which was the principal city of the Piankashaws. fThe village here described is Ouatanon, which was situated a few miles below La Fayette, near which, though on the opposite or north bank of the Wabash, the Stockade Fort of "Ouatanon" was established by the French. CHAPTER XIII. ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS THE SEVERAL ILLINOIS TRIBES. THE Indians who lived in and claimed the territory to which our attention is directed were the several tribes of the Illinois and Miami confederacies, the Pottawatomies, the Kickapoos and scattered bands of Shawnees and Delawares. Their title to the soil had to be extin- guished by conquest or treatise of purchase before the country could be settled by a higher civilization ; for the habits of the two races, red and white, were so radically different that there could be no fusion, and they could not, or rather did not, live either happily or at peace together. We proceed to treat of these several tribes, observing the order in which their names have been mentioned ; and we do so in this con- nection for the reason that it will aid toward a more ready under- standing of the subjects which are to follow. The Illinois were a subdivision of the great Algonquin family. Their language and manners differed somewhat from other surround- ing tribes, and resembled most the Miamis, with whom they originally bore a very close affinity. Before Joliet and Marquette's voyage to the Mississippi, all of the Indians who came from the south to the mission at La Pointe, on Lake Superior, for the purposes of barter, were by the French called Illinois, for the reason that the first Indians who came to La Pointe from the south " called themselves Illinois" * In the Jesuit Relations the name Illinois appears as " Illi-mouek," "Illinoues," " Ill-i-ne-wek," " Allin-i-wek " and " Lin-i-wek." By Father Marquette it is "Ilinois," and Hennepin has it the same as it is at the present day. The ois was pronounced like our way, so that ouai, ois, wek and ouek were almost identical in pronunciation.f "Willinis" is Lewis Evans' orthography. Major Thomas Forsyth, who for many years was a trader and Indian agent in the territory, and subsequently the state, of Illinois, says the Confederation of Illinois * As we have given the name of Ottawas to all the savages of these countries, al- though of different nations, because the first who have appeared among the French have been Ottawas; so also it is with the name of the Illinois, very numerous, and dwelling toward the south, because the first who have come to the " point of the Holy Ghost for commerce called themselves Illinois." Father Claude Dablon, in the Jesuit Relations for 1670, 1671. t Note by Dr. Shea in the article entitled " The Indian Tribes of Wisconsin," fur- nished by him for the Historical Society of Wisconsin, and published in Vol. Ill of their collections, p. 128. 106 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE XORTHWEST. " called themselves Linneway"-^- which is almost identical with the Lin-i-wek of the Jesuits, having a regard for its proper pronuncia- tion, " and that by others they were called Minneway, signifying men," and that their confederacy embraced the combined Illinois and Miami tribes ; " that all these different bands of the Minneway nation spoke the language of the present Miamis, and the whole considered them- selves as one and the same people, yet from their local situation, and having no standard to go by, their language became broken up into different dialects." * They were by the Iroquois called " Chick-tagh- icks" Many theories have been advanced and much fine speculation in- dulged in concerning the origin and meaning of the word Illinois. We have seen that the Illinois first made themselves known to the French by that name, and we have never had a better signification of the name than that which the Illinois themselves gave to Fathers Mar- quette and Hennepin. The former, in his narrative journal, observes : " To say Illinois is, in their language, to say ' the men,' as if other Indians, compared to them, were mere beasts." f " The word Illinois signifies a man of full age in the vigor of his strength. This word Illi- nois comes, as it has already been observed, from lllini, which in the language of that nation signifies a perfect and accomplished man." % Subsequently the name Illini, Linneway, Willinis or Illinois, with more propriety became limited to a confederacy, at first composed of four subdivisions, known as the Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Tamaroas and Peorias. Not many years before the discovery of the Mississippi by the French, a foreign tribe, the Metchigamis, nearly destroyed by wars with the Sacs to the north and the Ohickasaws to the south, to save themselves from annihilation appealed to the Kaskaskias for admission into their confederacy.! The request was granted, and the Metchiga- mis left their homes on the Osage river and established their villages on the St. Francis, within the limits of the present State of Missouri and below the mouth of the Kaskaskia. The subdivision of the Illinois proper into cantons, as the French writers denominate the families or villages of a nation, like that of other tribes was never very distinct. There were no villages exclu- sively for a separate branch of the tribe. Owing to intermarriage, adoption and other processes familiar to modern civilization, the sub- * Life of Black-Hawk, by Benjamin Drake, seventh edition, pp. 16 and 17. t Shea's Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi Valley, p. 25. \ Hennepin's Discovery of America, pp. 35 and 119, London edition, 1698. Charlevoix's " Narrative Journal,' Vol. II, p. 228. Also note of B. F. French, p. 61 of Vol. Ill, First Series of Historical Collections of Louisiana. LOCATION OF VILLAGES. 107 tribal distinctions were not well preserved ; and when Charlevoix, that acute observer, in 1721 visited these several Illinois villages near Kas- kaskia, their inhabitants were so mixed together and confounded that it was almost impossible to distinguish the different branches of the tribe from each other.* The first accounts we have of the Illinois are given by the Jesuit missionaries. In the " Relations " for the year 1655 we find that the Lin-i-ouek are neighbors of the Winnebagoes ; again in the " Rela- tions" for the next year, "that the Illinois nation dwell more than sixty leagues from here, f and beyond a great river, ^ which as near as can be conjectured flows into the sea toward Virginia. These people are warlike. They use the bow, rarely the gun, and never the canoe. When Joliet and Marquette were descending the Mississippi, they found villages of the Illinois on the Des Moines river, and on their return they passed through larger villages of the same nation situated on the Illinois river, near Peoria and higher up the stream. While the Illinois were nomads, though not to the extent of many other tribes, they had villages of a somewhat permanent character, and when they moved after game they went in a body. It would seem from the most authentic accounts that their favorite abiding places were on the Illinois river, from the Des Plaines down to its confluence with the Mississippi, and on the Mississippi from the Kaskaskia to the mouth of the Ohio. This beautiful region abounded in game ; its riv- ers were well stocked with fish, and were frequented by myriads of wild fowls. The climate was mild. The soil was fertile. By the mere turning of the sod, the lands in the rich river bottoms yielded bountiful crops of Indian corn, melons and squashes. In disposition and morals the Illinois were not to be very highly commended. Father Charlevoix, speaking of them as they were in 1700, says: "Missionaries have for some years directed quite a flour- ishing church among the Illinois, and they have ever since continued to instruct that nation, in whom Christianity had already produced a cnange such as she alone can produce in morals and disposition. Before the arrival of the missionaries, there were perhaps no Indians in any part of Canada with fewer good qualities and more vices. They have * " These tribes are at present very much confounded, and are become very inconsid- erable. There remains only a very small number of Kaskaskias, and the two villages of that name are almost entirely composed of Tamaroas and Metchigamis, a foreign nation adopted by the Kaskaskias, and originally settled on a small river you meet with going down the Mississippi." Charlevoix' " Narrative Journal," Letter XXVI11. dated Kaskaskia, October 20, 1721; p. 228. Vol. II. t The letter is sent from the Mission of the Holy Ghost, at La Pointe. J The Mississippi. 108 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. always been mild and docile enough, but they were cowardly, treach- erous, fickle, deceitful, thievish, brutal, destitute of faith or honor, selfish, addicted to gluttony and the most monstrous lusts, almost un- known to the Canada tribes, who accordingly despised them heartily, but the Illinois were not a whit less haughty or self-complacent on that account. " Such allies could bring no great honor or assistance to the French ; yet we never had any more faithful, and, if we except the Abenaqui tribes, they are the only tribe who never sought peace with their ene- mies to our prejudice. They did, indeed, see the necessity of our aid to defend themselves against several nations who seemed to have sworn their ruin, and especially against the Iroquois and Foxes, who, by con- stant harrassing, have somewhat trained them to war, the former taking home from their expeditions the vices of that corrupt nation." * Father Charlevoix' comments upon the Illinois confirm the state- ments of Hennepin, who says : " They are lazy vagabonds, timorous, pettish thieves, and so fond of their liberty that they have no great respect for their chiefs."f Their cabins were constructed of mats, made out of flags, spread over a frame of poles driven into the ground in a circular form and drawn together at the top. " Their villages," says Father Hennepin,:}: " are open, not enclosed with palisades because they had no courage to defend them ; they would flee as they heard their enemies approaching." Before their acquaint- ance with the French they had no knowledge of iron and fire-arms. Their two principal weapons were the bow and arrow and the club. Their arrows were pointed with stone, and their tomahawks were made out of stag's horns, cut in the shape of a cutlass and terminating in a large ball. In the use of the bow and arrow, all writers agree, that the Illinois excelled all neighboring tribes. For protection against the missies of an enemy they used bucklers composed of buffalo hides stretched over a w r ooden frame. In form they were tall and lithe. They were noted for their swift- ness of foot. They wore moccasins prepared from buffalo hides ; and, in summer, this generally completed their dress. Sometimes they wore a small covering, extending from the waist to the knees. The rest of the body was entirely nude. The women, beside cultivating the soil, did all of the household drudgery, carried the game and made the clothes. The garments * Charlevoix's " History of New France," vol. 5, page 130. t Hennepin, page 132, London edition, 1698. J Puse 132. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 109 were prepared from buffalo hides, and from the soft wool that grew upon these animals. Both the wool and hides were dyed with bril- liant colors, black, yellow or vermilion. In this kind of work the Illinois women were greatly in advance of other tribes. Articles of dress were sewed together with thread made from the nerves and ten- dons of deer, prepared by exposure to the sun twice in every twenty- four hours. After which the nerves and tendons were beaten so that their fibers would separate into a fine white thread. The clothing of the women was something like the loose wrappers worn by ladies of the present day. Beneath the wrapper were petticoats, for warmth in winter. With a fondness for finery that characterizes the feminine sex the world over, the Illinois women wore head-dresses, contrived more for ornament than for use. The feet were covered with moccasins, and leggings decorated with quills of the porcupine stained in colors of brilliant contrasts. Ornaments, fashioned out of clam shells and other hard substances, were worn about the neck, wrists and ankles ; these, with the face, hands and neck daubed with pigments, completed the toilet of the highly fashionable Illinois belle. Their food consisted of the scanty products of their fields, and prin- cipally of game and fish, of which, as previously stated, there was in their country a great abundance. Father Allouez, who visited them in 1673, stated that they had fourteen varieties of herbs and forty-two- varieties of fruits which they use for food. Their plates and other dishes were made of wood, and their spoons were constructed out of buffalo bones. The dishes for boiling food were earthen, sometimes glazed. * From all accounts, it seems that the Illinois claimed an extensive tract of country, bounded on the east by the ridge that divides the waters flowing into the Illinois from the streams that drain into the "Wabash above the head waters of Saline creek, and as high up the Illi- nois as the Des Plaines, extending westward of the Mississippi, and reaching northward to the debatable ground between the Illinois, Chippeways. Winnebagoes, Sacs and Foxes. Their favorite and most populous cities were on the Illinois river, near Starved Kock, and *The account we have given of the manners, habits and customs of the Illinois is compiled from the following authorities : La Hontan, (Jharlevoix, Hennepin, Tonti, Marquette, Joutel, the missionaries Marest, Rasles and Allouez. Besides, the historic letter of Marest, found in Kip's Jesuit Missions, is another Irom this distinguished priest, written from Kaskaskia to M. Bienville, and incorporated in Penicaut's Annals of Louisiana, a translation of which is contained in the Historical Col lections of Louisi- ana and Florida, by B. F. French. In this letter of Father Marest, dated in 1711, is a very fine description of the customs of the Illinois Indians, and their prosperous condi- tion at Kaskaskia and adjacent villages. 110 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE XORTHVVKST. below as far as Peoria. The missionary station founded by Father Marquette was, in all probability, near the latter place. Prior to the year 1700, Father Marest had charge of a mission at the neck, strait or narrows of Peoria lake. In Peoria lake, above Peoria, is a contracted channel, and this is evidently referred to by Father Gravier in his "Narrative Journal" where he states: " I ar- rived too late at the Illinois du Detroit, of whom Father Marest has charge, to prevent the transmigration of the village of the Kaskaskias, which was too precipitately made on vague news of the establishment on the Mississippi. I do not believe that the Kaskaskias would have thus separated from the Peouaroua and other Illinois du Detroit. At all events, I came soon enough to unite minds a little, and to prevent the insult which the Peouaroua and the Mouin-gouena were bent on offering to the Kaskaskias and French as they embarked. I spoke to all the chiefs in full council, and as they continued to preserve some respect and good will for me, we separated very peaceably. But I argue no good from this separation, which I have always hindered, seeing too clearly the evil results. God grant that the road from Chikagoua to this strait" (au Detroit) "be not closed, and the whole Illinois mission suffer greatly. I avow to you, Reverend Father, that it rends my heart to see my old flock thus divided and dispersed, and I shall never see it, after leaving it, without having some new cause of affliction. The Peouaroua, whom I left without a missionary (since Father Marest has followed the Kaskaskias), have promised me that they would preserve the church, and that they would await my return from the Mississippi, where I told them I went only to assure myself of the truth of all that was said about it." * The area of the original country of the Illinois was reduced by continuous wars with their neighbors. The Sioux forced them east- ward ; the Sac and Fox, and other enemies, encroached upon them from the north, while war parties of the foreign Iroquois, from the east, rapidly decimated their numbers. These unhappy influences were doing * Father Gravier's Journal in Shea's Early Voyages Up and Down the Mississippi, pp. 116 and 117. Dr. Shea, in a foot note, p. 116, says: "This designation (Illinois Du Detroit) does not appear elsewhere, and I cannot discover what strait is referred to. It evidently includes the Peorias." Dr. Shea-'s conjecture is very nearly correct. The narrows in Peoria lake retained the appellation of Little Detroit, a name handed down from the French-Canadians. Dr. Lewis Beck, in his "Gazetteer of Illinois and Missouri," p. 124, speaks of "Little Detroit, an Indian village situated on the east bank of lake Peoria, six miles above Ft. Clark." On the map prefixed to the Gazetteer prepared in 1820 the contraction of the lake is shown and designated as " Little Detroit." We have seen from extracts from Father Marquette's Journal, quoted on a preced- ing page, that it was the Kaskaskias at whose village this distinguished missionary promised to return and to establish a mission, and that with the ebbing out of his life he fulfilled his engagement. From Father Gravier's Journal, just quoted, it is appar- ATTACK OF THE IROQl'OIS. Ill their fatal work, and the Illinois confederacy was in a stage of decline when they first came in contact with the French. Their afflictions made them accessible to the voice of the missionary, and in their weakness they hailed with delight the coming of the Frenchman with his prom- ises of protection, which were assured by guns and powder. The mis- fortunes of the Illinois drew them so kindly to the priests, the coureurs des Bois and soldiers, that the friendship between the two races never abated ; and when in the order of events the sons of France had de- parted from the Illinois, their love for the departed Gaul was inculcated into the minds of their children. The erection of Fort St. Louis on the Illinois, St. Joseph on the stream of that name, and the establishment at Detroit, for a while stayed the calamity that was to befall the Illinois. Frequent allusion has been made to the part the Iroquois took in the destruction of this powerful confederacy. For the gratification of the reader we give a condensed account of some of these Iroquois campaigns in the Illinois country. The extracts we take are from a memoir on the western Indians, by M. Du Chesneau,* dated at Quebec, September 13, 1681 : " To convey a correct idea of the present state of all those Indian na- tions it is necessary to explain the cause of the cruel war waged by the Iroquois for these three years past against the Illinois. The former were great warriors, cannot remain idle, and pretend to subject all other nations to themselves, and never want a pretext for commencing hos- tilities. The following was their assumed excuse for the present war: Going, about twenty years ago, to attack the Outagamis (Foxes), they met the Illinois and killed a considerable number of them. This continued during the succeeding years, and finally, having destroyed a great many, they forced them to abandon their country and seek refuge in very distant parts. The Iroquois having got quit of the Illinois, took no more trouble with them, and went to war against another nation called the Andostagues.f Pending this war the Illinois re- turned to their country, and the Iroquois complained that they had ent that the mission had for some years been in successful operation at the combined village of the Kaskaskias, Peorias and Mouin-gouena, situated at the Du Detroit of the Illinois; and also that the Kaskaskias, hearing that the French were about to form es- tablishments on the lower Mississippi, in company with the French inhabitants of their ancient village, were in the act of going down the Mississippi at the time of Gravier's arrival, in September, 1700. All these facts taken together would seem to definitely locate the Mission of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the narrows, six miles above the present city of Peoria, which is upon the site of old Fort Clark, and probably, from the topography of the locality, upon the east bank of the strait. In conclusion, we may add that the Kaskaskias were induced to halt in their journey southward upon the river, which has ever since borne their name ; and the mission, transferred from the old Kaskaskias, above Peoria, retained the name of " The Immaculate Conception," etc. * Paris Documents, vol. 9, pp. 161 to 166. f The Eries?, or Cats, were entirely destroyed by the Iroquois. 112 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. killed forty of their people who were on their way to hunt beaver in the Illinois country. To obtain satisfaction, the Iroquois resolved to make war upon them. Their true motive, however, was to gratify the English at Manatte * and Orange,f of whom they are too near neigh- bors, and who, by means of presents, engaged the Iroquois in this ex- pedition, the object of which was to force the Illinois to b ' ^ their beaver to them, so that they may go and trade it afterward to the English ; also, to intimidate the other Indians, and constrain them to to do the same thing. " The improper conduct of Sieur de la Salle, $ governor of Fort Frontenac, has contributed considerably to cause the latter to adopt this proceeding ; for after he had obtained permission to discover the Great River Mississippi, and had, as he alleged, the grant of the Illinois, he no longer observed any terms with the Iroquois. He ill- treated them, and avowed that he would convey arms and ammunition to the Illinois, and would die assisting them. "The Iroquois dispatched in the month of April of last year, 1680, an army, consisting of between five and six hundred men, who ap- proached an Illinois village where Sieur Tonty, one of Sieur de la Salle's men happened to be with some Frenchmen and two Recollect fathers, whom the Iroquois left unharmed. One of these, a most holy man, has since been killed by the Indians. But they would listen to no terms of peace proposed to them by Sieur de Tonty, who was slightly wounded at the beginning of the attack ; the Illinois having fled a hundred leagues thence, were pursued by the Iroquois, who killed and captured as many as twelve hundred of them, including women and children, having lost only thirty men. " The victory achieved by the Iroquois rendered them so insolent that they have continued ever since that time to send out divers war parties. The success of these is not yet known, but it is not doubted that they have been successful, because those tribes are very warlike and the Illi- nois are but indifferently so. Indeed, there is no doubt, and it is the universal opinion, that if the Iroquois are allowed to proceed they will subdue the Illinois, and in a short time render themselves masters of all the Ontawa tribes and divert the trade to the English, so that it is absolutely essential to make them our friends or to destroy them." * New York. t Albany, New York. | It must be remembered that La Salle was not exempt from the jealousy and envy which is inspired in souls of little men toward those engaged in great undertakings ; and we see this spirit manifested here. La Salle could not have done otherwise than supply fire-arms to the Illinois, who were his friends and the owners of the country, the trade of which he had opened up at great hardship and expense to himself. Gabriel Ribourde. DEFEAT OF THE IROQUOIS. 113 The Iroquois were not always successful in their western forays. Tradition records two instances in which they were sadly discomfited. The first was an encounter with the Sioux, on an island in the Missis- sippi, at the mouth of the Des Moines. The tradition of this engage- ment is preserved in the curious volumes of La Hontan, and is as fol- lows : " March 2nd, 1689, 1 arrived in the Mississippi. To save the labor of rowing we left our boats to the current, and arrived on the tenth in the island of Rencontres, which took its name from the defeat of four hundred Iroquois accomplished there by three hundred Nadouessis (Sioux). The story of the encounter is briefly this : A party of four hundred Iroquois having a mind to surprise a certain people in the neighborhood of the Otentas (of whom more anon), marched to the country of the Illinois, where they built canoes and were furnished with provisions. After that they embarked upon the river Mississippi, and were discovered by another little fleet that was sailing down the other side of the same river. The Iroquois crossed over immediately to that island which is since called Aux Rencontres. The Nadouessis, i. committing depredations south of Detroit. A band living at the mouth of the Maumee River in 1T12, with thirty Mascoutins, were about to make war upon the French. They took prisoner one Langlois, a messenger, on his return from the Miami country, whither he was bringing many letters from the Jesuit Fathers of the Illinois villages, and also dispatches from Louisiana. The letters and dispatches were destroyed, which gave much uneasiness to M. Du Boisson, the commandant at Detroit. A canoe laden with Kicka- poos, on their way to the villages near Detroit, was captured by the Hurons and Ottawas residing at these villages, and who were the allies of the French. Among the slain was the principal Kickapoo chief, whose head, with those of three others of the same tribe, were brought to De Boisson, who alleges that the Hurons and Ottawas committed this act out of resentment, because the previous winter the Kickapoos had taken some of the Hurons and Iroquois prisoners, and also because they considered the Kickapoo chief to- be a ''-true Outtagamie " / that is, they regarded him as one of the Fox nation.* From the village of Machkoutench, where first Father Claude Allouez, and afterward Father Marquette, found the Kickapoos inhab- iting the same village with the Muscotins and Miamis, the Kickapoos and the Muscotins appear to have passed to the south, extending their flanks to the right in the direction of Rockf River, and their left to the southern trend of Lake Michigan. Referring to the country on Fox River about Winnebago Lake, Father Charlevoix says:^: "All this country is extremely beautiful, and that which stretches to the southward as far as the river of the Illinois is still more so. It is, however, inhabited by two small nations only, who are the Kickapoos and the Mascoutins." Father Charlevoix, speaking of Fox River, says: "The largest of these," referring to the streams that empty into the Illinois, "is called Pisticoui, and proceeds from the fine country of the Mascoutins. "|| * Extract from M. Du Boisson's official report to the Marquis De Vaudreuil, gov- ernor-general of New France, of the siege of Detroit, dated June 15, 1712. This val- uable paper is published entire in vol. 3 of Wm. R. Smith's History of Wisconsin, a work that contains many important documents not otherwise accessible to the gen- eral public. Indeed, the publications of the Historical Society of Wisconsin, of which Judge Smith's two volumes are the beginning, are the repository of a fund of infor- mation of great utility, not only to the people of that state, but to the entire North- west. fRock River Assin-Sepe was also called Kickapoo River, and so laid down on a map of La Salle's discoveries. \ Narrative Journal, vol. 1, p. 287. Vol. 2, p. 199. I "The Fox River of the Illinois is called by the Indians Pish-ta-ko. It is the same mentioned by Charlevoix under the name of Pisticoui, and which flows as he, 156 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Prior to 1718 the Mascoutins and Kickapoos had villages upon the banks of Rock River, Illinois. "Both these tribes together do not amount to two hundred men. They are a clever people and brave warriors. Their language and manners strongly resemble those of the Foxes. They are the same stock. They catch deer by chasing them, and even at this day make considerable use of bows and arrows."* On a French map, issued in 1712, a village of Mas- coutins is located near the forks of the north and south branches of Chicago River. From references given, it is apparent that this people, like the Miamis and Pottawatomies, were progressing south and eastward. This movement was probably on account of the fierce Sioux, whose encroaching wars from the northwest were pressing them in this direction. Even before this date the Foxes, with Mascoutins and Kickapoos, were meditating a migration to the Wabash as a place of security from the Sioux. This threatened exodus alarmed the French, who feared that the migrating tribes would be in a position on the Wabash to eifect a junction with the Iroquois and English, which would be exceedingly detrimental to the French interests in the northwest. From an official document relative to the "occurrences in Canada, sent from Quebec to France in 1695, the Department at Paris is informed that the Sioux, who have mustered some two or three thousand warriors for the purpose, would come in large num- bers to seize their village. This has caused the outagamies to quit their country and disperse themselves for a season, and afterward return and save their harvest. They are then to retire toward the river Wabash to form a settlement, so much the more permanent, as they will be removed from the incursions of the Sioux, and in a position to eifect a junction easily with the Iroquois and the English without the French being able to prevent it. Should this project be realized, it is very apparent that the Mascoutins and Kickapoos will be of the party, and that the three tribes, forming a new village of fourteen or fifteen hundred men, would experience no difficulty in considerably increasing it by attracting other nations thither, which would be of most pernicious consequence, "f That the Mascoutins, at least, did go soon after this date toward the lower Wabash is con- says, through the country of the Mascoutins." Long's Second Expedition, vol. 1, p. 176. The Algonquin word Pish-tah-te-koosh, according to Edwin James' vocabulary, means an antelope. The Pottawatomies, from whom Major Long's party obtained the word Pish-ta-ko, may have used it to designate the same animal, judging from the similarity of the two words. * Memoir prepared in 1718 on the Indians between Lake Erie and the Missis- sippi: Paris Documents, vol. 9, p. 889. t Paris Documents, vol. 9, p. 019. OF THE NAME MASCOUTINS. 157 clusively shown by the fact of their presence about Juchereau's trading post, which was erected near the mouth of the Ohio in the year 1700. It is doubtful if either the Foxes or the Kickapoos followed the Mascoutins to the Wabash country, and it is evident that the Mas- coutins who survived the epidemic that broke out among them at Juchereau's post on the Ohio soon returned to the north. The French effected a conciliation with the Sioux, and for a number of years subsequent to 1705 we find the Mascoutins back again among the Foxes and Kickapoos upon their old hunting grounds in northern. Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The Kickapoos entered the plot of the Mascoutins to capture the post of Detroit in 1712, and the latter had repaired to the neighbor- hood of Detroit, and were awaiting the arrival of the Kickapoos to execute their purposes, when they were attacked by the confedera- tion of Indians who were friendly toward the French and had hast- ened to the relief of the garrison. * The Mascoutins were called u Machkoutench,"f "Machkouteng," " Maskouteins " and "Masquitens," by French writers. The Eng- lish called them "Masquattimes,":}: " Musquitons," "Mascou- tins," and " Musquitos," a corruption used by the American colo- nial traders, and ' ' Meadows, ' ' the English synonym for the French word " prairie. "^[ The derivation of the name has been a subject of discussion. Father Marquette, with some others, following the example of the Hurons, rendered it "fire-nation," while Fathers Allouez and Char- levoix, with recent American authors, claim that the word signifies a prairie, or " a land bare of trees," such as that which this people inhabit.** The name is doubtless derived from mus-kor-tence^\ or mus-ko-tia, a prairie, a derivative from skoutay or scote, the word for fire.^ " The Mascos or Mascoutins were, by the French traders of a more recent day, called gens des prairies, and lived and hunted on the great prairies between the Wabash and Illinois Rivers. " That * History of New France, vol. 5, p. 257. t Fathers Claude Allouez and Marquette. \ George Croghan's Narrative Journal. Minutes of the treaty at Greenville in 1795. || Samuel R. Brown's Western Gazetteer. 11 It was some years after the conquest of the northwest from the French before the name "prairie" became naturalized, as it were, into the English language. ** Charlevoix' Narrative Journal, vol. 1, p. 287. Father Allouez, in the Jesuit Re- lations between the years 1670 and 1671. ft Note of Callaghan: Paris Documents, vol. 10. it Tanner, Gallatin, Mackenzie and Johnson's vocabularies of Algonquin words. Manuscript account of this and other tribes, by Major Forsyth, quoted by Drake, in his Life of Black Hawk. 158 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. the word Muskotia is synonymous with, and has the same meaning as, the word prairie, is further confirmed by the fact that the Indians prefixed it to the names of those animals and plants found exclu- sively on the prairies.* Were the Kickapoos and Mascoutins separate tribes, or were they one and the same ? These queries have elicited the attention of scholars well versed in the history of the ISTorth American Indians, among whom might be named Schoolcraft, Gallatin and Shea. Sufficient references have been given in this chapter to show that, by the French, the Kickapoos and Mascoutins were regarded as dis- tinct tribes. If necessary, additional extracts to the same purport could be produced from numerous French documents down to the close of the French colonial war, in 1763, all bearing uniform testi- mony upon this point. The theory has been advanced that the Mascoutins and Kickapoos were bands of one tribe, first known to the French by the former name, and subsequently to the English by the latter, under which name alone they figure in our later annals, f This supposition is at variance with English and American authorities. It was a war party of Kickapoos and Mascoutins, from their contiguous villages near Fort Ouitanon, on the Wabash, who captured George Croghan, the English plenipotentiary, below the mouth of that river in 1765. \ Sir William Johnson, the English colonial agent on Indian affairs, in the classified list of Indians within his department, prepared in 1763, enumerates loth the Kickapoos and Mascoutins, locating them "in the neighborhood of the fort at Wawiaghta, and about the Wabash River." Captain Imlay, "commissioner for laying out lands in the back settlements,"- as the territory west of the Alleghanies was termed at that period, in his list of westward Indians, classifies the Kickapoos (under the name of Vermilions) and the Muscatiiies, lo- cating these two tribes between the Wabash and Illinois Rivers. This was in 1792. | The distinction between these two tribes was main- tained still later, and down to a period subsequent to the year 1816. At that time the Mascoutins were residing on the west bank of the Wabash, between Yincennes and the Tippecanoe River, while their old neighbors, the Kickapoos, were living a short distance above *For example, mus-ko-tia-chit-ta-mo, prairie squirrel; mus-ko-ti-pe-neeg, prairie potatoes. Edwin James' Catalogue of Plants and Animals found in the country of the Ojibbeways. See further references on page 35. fThe Indian Tribes of Wisconsin: Historical Collections of that State, vol. 3, p. 130. i Vide his Narrative Journal. Colonial History of New York, vol. 7: London Documents, p. 583. I Imlay's America, third edtion, London, 1797, p. 290. KICKAPOOS AND MASCOUTINS ONE PEOPLE. 159 them in several large villages. At this date the Kickapoos could raise four hundred warriors.* From the authors cited, and other references to the same eifect would be produced but for want of space, it is evident that the English and the Americans, equally with the French, regarded the Kickapoos and Mascoutins as separate bands or subdivisions of a tribe. While this was so, the language, manners and customs of the two tribes were not only similar, but the two tribes were almost invaria- bly found occupying continguous villages, and hunting in company with each other over the same country. "The Kickapoos are neigh- bors of the Mascoutins, and it seems that these two tribes have always been united in interests, "f There is no instance recorded where they were ever arrayed against each other, nor of a time when they took opposite sides in any alliance with other tribes. Another noticeable fact is that, with but one exception, the Mascoutins were never known as such in any treaty with the United States, while the Kickapoos were parties to many. We have seen that the former were occupying the Wabash country in common with the latter as far back, at least, as 1765, when they captured Croghan, until 1816 ; and in all of the treaties for the extinguishment of the title of the several Indian tribes bordering on the Wabash and its tributaries, the Mascoutins are nowhere alluded to, while the Kickapoos are prominent parties to many treaties at which extensive tracts of coun- try were ceded. 'No man living, in his time, was better informed than Gen. Harrison, who conducted these several treaties on behalf of the United States, of the relations and distinctions, however trifling, that may have existed among the numerous Indian tribes with whom, in a long course of official capacity, he came in contact, either with the pen, around the friendly council-fire, or with the up- lifted sword upon the field of hostile encounter. In all his volumi- nous correspondence during the years when the northwest was com- mitted to his charge the General makes no mention of the Mascoutins * Western Gazetteer, by Samuel R. Brown, p. 71. This work of Mr. Brown's is exceedingly valuable for the amount of reliable information it affords not obtainable from any other source. He was with Gen. Harrison in the campaigns of the war of 1812. In the preface to his Gazetteer he says: "Business and curiosity have made the writer acquainted with a large portion of the western country never before described. Where personal knowledge was wanting I have availed myself of the correspondence of many of the most intelligent gentlemen in the west. ' ' At the time Mr. Brown was compil- ing material for his Gazetteer, "the Harrison Purchase was being run out into townships and sections," and Mr. Brown came in contact with the surveyors doing the work, and derived much information from them. The book is carefully prepared, covering a topographical description of the country embraced, its towns, rivers, counties, popula- tion, Indian tribes, etc., and altogether is one of the most authentic and useful books relative to " the west," which was attracting the attention of emigrants at the time of its publication. t Charlevoix' History of New France. 160 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NOETHWEST. by that name, but often refers to "the Kickapoos of the prairies,'* to distinguish them from other bands of the same tribe who occupied villages in the timbered portions of the Wabash and its tributaries.* At a subsequent treaty of peace and friendship, concluded on the 27th of September, 1815, between Governor Ninian Edwards, of Illinois Territory, and the chiefs, warriors, etc., of the Kickapoo nation, Wash-e-own, who at the treaty of Vincennes signed as a Mas- coutin, was a party to it, and in this instance signed as a Kickapoo. No Mascoutins by that name appear in the record of the treaty, f The preceding facts, negative and direct, admit of the following inferences : that there were two subdivisions of the same nation, known first to the French, then to the English, and more recently to the Americans, the one under the name of Kickapoos and the other as Mascoutines ; that they spoke the same language and ob- served the same customs ; that they were living near each other, and always had a community of interest in their wars, alliances and migrations ; and that since the United States have held dominion over the territory of the northwest the Kickapoos and Mascoutines have considered themselves as one and the same people, whose tri- bal relations were so nearly identical that, in all official transactions with the federal government, they were recognized only as Kicka- poos. And is it not apparent, after all, that there was only a nom- inal distinction between these two tribes, or, rather, families of the same tribe ? Were not the Mascoutins bands of the Kickapoos who dwelt exclusively on the prairies ? It seems, from authorities cited, that this question admits of but one answer. The destruction that followed the attempt of the Mascoutins to capture Detroit was, perhaps, one of the most remorseless in which white men took a part of which we have an account in the annals of Indian warfare. As before stated, the Muscotins in 1712 laid siege to the Fort, hearing of which the Pottawatomies, with other tribes friendly to the French, collected in a large force for their assistance. *The only treaty which the Mascoutins, as such, were parties to was the one concluded at Vincennes on the 27th of September, 1792, between the several Wabash tribes and Gen. Rufus Putnam, on behalf of the United States. Two Mascoutins signed this treaty, viz, Waush-eown and At-schat-schaw. Three Kickapoo chiefs also signed the parchment, viz, Me-an-ach-kah, Ma-en-a-pah and Mash-a-ras-a, the Black Elk, and, what is singular, this last person, although a Kickapoo, signs himself to the treaty as "The Chief of The Meadows.'" This treaty was only one of peace and friend- ship. The text of the treaty is found in the American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. 1, p. 388; in Judge Dillon's History of Indiana, edition of 1859, pp. 293, 294, and in the Western Annals, Pittsburg edition, pp. 605, 606. The names of the tribes and of the individual chiefs who participated in it are not given in any of the works cited. They only appear in the copy on file at the War Department and in the original manu- script journal of Gen. Putnam. The author is indebted to Dr. Israel W. Andrews, president of Marietta College, for transcripts from Gen. Putnam's journal. t Treaties with the Indian Tribes, Washington edition, p. 172. IDENTITY OF KICKAPOOS WITH THE HASCOUTIXS. 161 The Muscotines, after protracted efforts, abandoned the position in which they were attacked, and fled, closely pursued, to an intrenched position on Presque Isle, opposite Hog Island, near Lake St. Clair, some distance above the fort. Here they held out for four days against the combined French and Indian forces. Their women and children were actually starving, numbers dying from hunger every day. They sent messengers to the French officer, begging for quar- ter, offering to surrender at discretion, only craving that their re- maining women and children and themselves might be spared the horror of a general massacre. The Indian allies of the French would submit to no such terms. "At the end of the fourth day, after fighting with much courage," says the French commander, "and not being able to resist further, the Muscotins surrendered at discretion to our people, who gave them no quarter. Our Indians lost sixty men, killed and wounded. The enemy lost a thousand souls men, women and children. All our allies returned to our fort with their slaves (meaning the captives), and their amusement was to shoot four or five of them every day. The Hurons did not spare a single one of theirs."* We find no instance in which the Kickapoos or Muscotins assisted either the French or the English in any of the intrigues or wars for the control of the fur trade, or the acquisition of disputed territory in the northwest. At the close of Pontiac's conspiracy, the Kicka- poos, whose temporary lodges were pitched on the prairie near Fort Wayne, notified Captain Morris, the English ambassador, on his way from Detroit to Fort Chartes, to take possession of " the coun- try of the Illinois" ; that if the Miamis did not put him to death, they themselves would do so, should he attempt to pass their camp.'f- Still later, on the 8th of June, 1Y65, as George Croghan, likewise an English ambassador, on his route by the Ohio River to Fort Chartes, was attacked at daybreak, at the mouth of the Wabash, by a party of eighty Kickapoo and Mascoutin warriors, who had set out from Fort Ouiatanon to intercept his passage, and killed two of hi& men and three Indians, and wounded Croghan himself, and all the rest of his party except two white men and one Indian. They then made all of them prisoners, and plundered them of everything they * Official Report of M. Du Boisson on the Siege of Detroit. t Parkman's History of the Conspiracy of Pontiac, 3d single volume edition, p. 474. j The narrative, Journal of Col. George Croghan, ''who was sent, at the peace of 1768, etc., to explore the country adjacent to the Ohio River, and to conciliate the Indian nations who had hitherto acted with the French." [Reprinted] from Feather- stonhaugh Am. Monthly Journal of Geology, Dec. 1831. Pamphlet, p. 17. 11 162 HISTORIC NOTES OX THE NORTHWEST. Having thrown such obstacles as were within their power against the French and English, the Kickapoos were ready to offer the same treatment to the Americans ; and, when Col. Rogers Clark was at Kaskaskia, in 1778, negotiating peace treaties with the west- ward Indians, his enemies found a party of young Kickapoos the willing instruments to undertake, for a reward promised, to kill him. As a military people, the Kickapoos were inferior to the Miamis, Delawares and Shawnees in movements requiring large bodies of men, but they were preeminent in predatory warfare. Parties con- sisting of from five to twenty persons were the usual number corn- prising their war parties. These small forces would push out hun- dreds of miles from their villages, and swoop down upon a feeble settlement, or an isolated pioneer cabin, and burn the property, kill the cattle, steal the horses, capture the women and children, and be off again before an alarm could be given of their approach. From such incursions of the Kickapoos the people of Kentucky suffered severely. * A small war party of these Indians hovered upon the skirts of Gen. Harmer's army when he was conducting the campaign against the upper Wabash tribes, in 1790. They cut out a squad of ten regular soldiers of Gen. Harmer by decoying them into an ambuscade. Jackson Johonnot, the orderly sergeant in command of the regulars, gave an interesting account of their capture and the killing of his companions, after they were subjected to the severest hunger and fatigue on the march, and the running of the gauntlet on reaching the Indian villages, f The Kickapoos were noted for their fondness of horses and their skill and daring in stealing them. They were so addicted to this practice that Joseph Brant, having been sent westward to the Maumee River in 1788, in the interest of the United States, to bring about a reconciliation with the several tribes inhabiting the Maumee and Wabash, wrote back that, in his opinion, ' ' the Kickapoos, with the Shawnees and Miamis, were so much addicted to horse stealing that it would be difficult to break them of it, and as that kind of business was their best harvest, they would, of course, declare for war and decline giving up any of their country.":}; *0ne of the reasons urged to induce the building of a town at the falls of the Ohio was that it would afford a means of strength against, and be an object of terror to, "our savage enemies, the Kickapoo Indians." Letter of Col. Williams, January 3, 1776, from Boonsborough, to the proprietors of the grant, found in Sketches of the West, by James Hall. t Sketches of Western Adventure, by M'Lung, contains a summarized account, taken from Johonnot's original narrative, published at Keene, New Hampshire, 1816. i Stone's Life of Joseph Brant, vol. 2, p. 278. KICKAPOOS DESTROY THE ILLINOIS. 163 Between the years 1786 and 1796, the Kickapoo war parties, from their villages on the Wabash and Vermilion Rivers, kept the settle- ments in the vicinity of Kaskaskia in a state of continual alarm. Within the period named they killed and captured a number of men, women and children in that part of Illinois. Among their notable captures was that of William Biggs, whom they took across the prairies to their village on the west bank of the Wabash, above Attica, Indiana.* Subsequent to the close of the Pontiac war, the Kickapoos, as- sisted by the- Pottawatomies, almost annihilated the Kaskaskias at a place since called Battle Ground Creek, on the road leading from Kaskaskia to Shawneetown, and about twenty-five miles from the former place. f The Kaskaskias were shut up in the villages of Kaskaskia and Cahokia, and the Kickapoos became the recognized proprietors of a large portion of the territory of the Kaskaskias on the west, and the hunting grounds of the Piankeshaw-Miamis on the east, of the dividing ridge between the Illinois and Wabash Rivers. The principal Kickapoo towns were on the left bank of the Illinois, near Peoria, and on the Yermilion, of the Wabash, and at several places on the west bank of the latter stream. + The Kickapoos of the prairie had villages west of Charleston, Illinois, about the head-waters of the Kaskaskia and in many of the groves scattered over the prairies between the Illinois and the Wa- bash and south of the Kankakee, notable among which were their towns at Elkhart Grove, on the Mackinaw, twelve miles north o Bloomington, and at Oliver's Grove, in Livingston county, Illinois. These people were much attached to the country along the Yer- milion River, and Gen. Harrison had great trouble in gaining their consent to cede it away. The Kickapoos valued it highly as a desirable home, and because of the minerals it was supposed to contain. In a letter, dated December 10, 1809, addressed to the * Biggs was a tall and handsome man. He had been one of Col. Clark's soldiers, and had settled near Bellefountaine. He was well versed in the Indians' ways and their language. The Kickapoos took a great fancy to him. They adopted him into their tribe, put him through a ridiculous ceremony which transformed him into a genuine Kickapoo, after which he was offered a handsome daughter of a Kickapoo brave for a wife. He declined all these flattering temptations, however, purchased his freedom through the agency of a Spanish trader at the Kickapoo village, and returned home to his family, going down the Wabash and Ohio and up the Mississippi in a canoe. His- torical Sketch of the Early Settlements in Illinois, etc., by John M. Peck, read before the Illinois State Lyceum, August 16, 1832. In 1826, shortly before his death, Mr. Biggs published a narrative of his experience "while he was a prisoner with the Kick- apoo Indians." It was published in pamphlet form, with poor type, and on very com- mon paper, and contains twenty-three pages. t J. M. Peck's Historical Address. \ Reynolds' Pioneer History of Illinois, J. M. Peck's Address, and Gen. Harrison's Memoirs. 164 HISTORIC NOTES ON" THE NORTHWEST. Secretary of War, by Gen. Harrison, the latter, referring to the treaty at Fort Wayne in connection with his efforts at that treaty to- induce the Kickapoos to release their title to the tract of country bounded on the east by the Wabash, on the south by the northern line of the so-called Harrison Purchase, extending from opposite the mouth of Raccoon Creek, northwest fifteen miles ; thence to a point on the Vermilion River, twenty-five miles in a direct line from its mouth; thence down the latter stream to its confluence, says "he was extremely anxious that the extinguishment of title should extend as high up as the Vermilion River. This small tract [of about twenty miles square] is one of the most beautiful that can be con- ceived, and is, moreover, believed to contain a very rich copper mine. The Indians were so extremely jealous of any search being made for this mine that the traders were always cautioned not to> approach the hills which were supposed to contain it."* In the desperate plans of Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, to unite all of the Indian tribes in a war of extermination against the whites, the Kickapoos took an active part. Gen. Harrison made extraordinary efforts to avert the troubles that culminated in the bat- tle of Tippecanoe. The Kickapoos were particularly uneasy ; and in 1806 Gen. Harrison dispatched Capt. Win. Prince to the Vermil- ion towns with a speech addressed to all the chiefs and warriors of the Kickapoo tribe, giving Capt. Prince further instructions to pro- ceed to the villages in the prairies, if, after having delivered the speech at the Vermilion towns, he discovered that there would be no danger in proceeding beyond. The speech, which was full of good words, had little effect, and "shortly after the mission of Capt.* * General Harrison's Official Letter: American State Papers of Indian Affairs, vol. 1, p. 726. It was not copper, but a mineral having something like the appearance of silver, that the Indians so jealously guarded. Recent explorations among the bluffs on the Little Vermilion have resulted in the discovery of a number of ancient smelting furnaces, with the charred coals and slag remaining in and about them. The furnaces are crude, consisting of shallow excavations of irregular shape in the hillsides. These basins, averaging a few feet across the top, were lined with fire-clay. The bottoms of the pits were connected by ducts or troughs, also made of fire-clay, leading into reser- voirs a little distance lower down the hillside, into which the metal could flow, when reduced to a liquid state, in the furnaces above. The pits were carefully filled with earth, and every precaution was taken to prevent their discovery, a slight depression in the surface of the ground being the only indication of their presence. The mines are from every appearance entitled to a claim of considerable antiquity, and are probably "the silver mines on the Wabash " that figure in the works of Hutchins, Imlay, and other early writers, as the geological formation of the country precludes there being any of the metals as high up or above "Ouiatanon," in the vicinity of which those authors, as well as other writers, have located these mines. The most plausible ex- planation of the use to which the metal was put is given by a half-breed Indian, whose ancestors lived in the vicinity and were in the secret that, after being smelted, the metal was sent to Montreal, where it was used as an alloy with silver, and con- verted into brooches, wristbands, and other like jewelry, and brought back by the traders and disposed of to the Indians. PA-KOI-SHEE-CAN. 165 Prince, the Prophet found means to bring the whole of the Kicka- poos entirely under his influence. He prevailed on the warriors to reduce their old chief, Joseph Renard"* s son, to a private man. He would have been put to death but for the insignificance of his char- acter. "* The Kickapoos fought in great numbers, and with frenzied cour- age, at the battle of Tippecanoe. They early sided with the British in the war that was declared between the United States and Great Britain the following June, and sent out numerous war parties that kept the settlements in Illinois and Indiana territories in constant peril, while other warriors represented their tribe in almost every battle fought on the western frontier during this war. As the Pottawatomies and other tribes friendly to the English laid siege to Fort Wayne, the Kickapoos, assisted by the "Winneba- goes, undertook the capture of Fort Harrison. They nearly sruc- ceeded, and would have taken the fort but for one of the most he- roic and determined defenses under Capt. (afterward Gen.) Zachary Taylor. Capt. Taylor's official letter to Gen. Harrison, dated September 10, 1812, contains a graphic account of the affair at Fort Harrison. The writer will here give the version of Pa-koi-shee-can, whom the French called La Farine and the Americans The Flour, the Kicka- poo chief who planned the attack and personally executed the most difficult part of the programme. f First, the Indians loitered about the fort, having a few of their women and children about them, to induce a belief that their pres- ence was of a friendly character, while the main body of warriors were secreted at some distance off, waiting for favorable develop- ments. Under the pretense of a want of provisions, the men and * Memoirs of Gen. Harrison, p. 85. A foot-note on the same page is as follows: ' ' Old Joseph Renard was a very different character, a great warrior and perfectly sav- age delighting in blood. He once told some of the inhabitants of Vincennes that he used to be much diverted at the different exclamations of the Americans and the French while the Indians were scalping them, the one exclaiming Oh Lord! oh Lord! oh Lord! the other Mon Dieu! mon Dieu! mon Dieu! " fThe account here given was narrated to the author by Mrs. Mary A. Baptiste, substantially as it was told to her by " Pa-koi-shee-can." This lady, with her hus- band, Christmas Dagney, was at Fort Harrison in 1821, where the latter was assisting in disbursing annuities to the assembled Indians. The business, and general spree which followed it, occupied two or three days. La Farine was present with his people to receive their share of annuities, and the old chief, having leisure, edified Mr. Dag- ney and his wife with a minute description of his attempt to capture the fort, pointing out the position of the attacking party and all the movements on the part of the Indians, La Farine was a large, fleshy man, well advanced in years and a thorough savage. As he related the story he warmed up and indulged in a great deal of pan- tomime, which gave force to, while it heightened the effect of, his narration. The particulars are given substantially as they were repeated to the author. The lady of whom he received it had never read an account of the engagement. 166 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. women were permitted to approach the fort, and had a chance to inspect the fort and its defenses, an opportunity of which the men fully availed themselves. A dark night, giving the appearance of rain, favored a plan which was at once put into execution. The warriors were called to the front, and the women and children retired to a place of safety. La Farine, with a large butcher knife in each hand, extended himself at full length upon the ground. He drove one knife into the ground and drew his body up against it, then he reached forward, with the knife in the other hand, and driv- ing that into the ground drew himself along. In this way he ap- proached the lower block-house, stealthily through the grass. He could hear the sentinels on their rounds within the fortified enclo- sure. As they advanced toward that part of the works where the lower block-house was situated, La Farine would lie still upon the ground, and when the sentinels made the turn and were moving in the opposite direction, he would again crawl nearer.* In this manner La Farine reached the very walls of the block-house. There was a crack between the logs of the block-house, and through this opening the Kickapoo placed a quantity of dry grass, bits of wood, and other combustible material, brought in a blanket tied about his back, so as to form a sack. As the preparation for this incendiarism was in progress, the sentinels passed within a very few feet of the place, as they paced by on the opposite side of the block-house. Everything being in readiness, and the sentinels at the farther end of the works, La Farine struck a fire with his flint and thrust it between the logs, and threw his blanket quickly over the opening, to prevent the light from flashing outside, and giving the alarm before the building should be well ablaze. When assured that the fire was well under way, he fell back and gave the signal, when the attack was immedi- ately begun by the Indians at the other extremity of the fort. The lower block-house burned up in spite of all the efforts of the gar- rison to put out the fire, and for awhile the Indians were exultant in the belief of an assured and complete victory. Gen. Taylor con- structed a barricade out of material taken from another building, and by the time the block-house burned the Indians discovered a. new line of defenses, closing up the breach by which they expected to effect an entrance, f * Capt. Taylor, being suspicious of mischief, took the precaution to order sentinels to make the rounds within the inclosure, as appears from his official report. fThe Indians, exasperated by the failure of their attempt upon Fort Harrison, made an incursion to the Pigeon Roost Fork of White River, where they massacred twenty-one of the inhabitants, many of them women and children. The details of some of the barbarities committed on this incursion are too shocking to narrate. They TERRITORY OF THE KICKAPOOS. 167 in 1819, at a treaty concluded at Edwardsville, Illinois, they ceded to the United States all of their lands. Their claim included the following territory: "Beginning on the Wabash River, at the upper point of their cession, made by the second article of their treaty at Vincennes on the 9th of December, 1809 ;* thence running northwestwardlyf to the dividing line between the states of Illinois and Indiana ;:}; thence along said line to the Kankakee River ; thence with said river to the Illinois River ; thence down the latter to its mouth ; thence in a direct line to the northwest corner of the Vin- cennes tract, and thence (north by a little east) with the western and northern boundaries of the cessions heretofore made by the Kickapoo tribe of Indians, to the beginning. Of which tract of land the said Kickapoo tribe claim a large portion by descent from their ancestors, and the balance by conquest from the Illinois Nation and uninterrupted possession for more than half a century '." An exam- ination, extended through many volumes, leaves no doubt of the just claims of the Kickapoos to the territory described, or the length of time it had been in their possession. With the close of the war of 1812, the Kickapoos ceased their active hostilities upon the whites, and within a few years afterward disposed of their lands in Illinois and Indiana, and, with the excep- tion of a few bands, went westward of the Mississippi. "The Kickapoos," says ex-Go v. Reynolds, "disliked the United States so much that they decided, when they left Illinois that they would not reside within the limits of our government," but would settle in Texas. || A large body of them did go to Texas, and when the are given by Capt. M'Affe in his History of the Late War in the Western Country, p. 155. The garrison at Fort Harrison was cut off from communication with Vincennes for several days, and reduced to great extremity for want of provisions. They were relieved by Col. Russell. After this officer had left the fort, on his return to Vincennes, he passed several wagons with provisions on their way up to the fort under an escort of thirteen men, commanded by Lieut. Fairbanks, of the regular army. This body of men were surprised and cut to pieces by the Indians, two or three only escaping, while the provisions and wagons fell into the hands of the savages. Vide M'Affe, p. 155. * At the mouth of Raccoon Creek, opposite Montezuma. t Following the northwestern line of the so-called Harrison Purchase. \ The state line had not been run at this time, and when it was surveyed in 1821 it was discovered to be several miles west of where it was generally supposed it would be. The territory of the Kickapoos extended nearly as far east as La Fayette, as is evident from the location of some of their villages. By the terms of the fourth article of the treaty of Greenville the United States reserved a tract of land on both sides of the Wabash, above and below Vincennes, to cover the rights of the inhabitants of that village who had received grants from the French and British governments. In 1803, for the purpose of settling the limits of this tract, General Harrison, on the 7th of June, 1803, at Fort Wayne, concluded a treaty with the Miamis, Kickapoos, Shawnees, Pottawatqmies and Delawares. This cession of land became known as the Vincennes tract, and its northwest corner extends twelve miles into Illinois, crossing the Wabash at Palestine. 1 Pioneer History of Illinois, p. 8. 168 HISTOKIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Lone Star Republic became one of the United States the Kickapoos retired to New Mexico, and subsequently some of them went to Old Mexico. Here on these isolated borders the wild bands of Kicka- poos have for years maintained the reputation of their sires as a busy and turbulent people.* A mixed band of Kickapoos and Pottawatomies, who resided on the Yermilion River and its tributaries, became christianized under the instructions of Ka-en-ne-kuck. This remarkable man, once a drunkard himself, reformed and became an exemplary Christian, and commanded such influence over his band that they, too, became Christians, abstained entirely from whisky, which had brought them to the verge of destruction, and gave up many of the other vices to which they were previously addicted. Ka-en-ne-kuck had religious services every Sunday, and so conscientious were his people that they abstained from labor and all frivolous pastimes on that day.f Ka-en-ne-kuck' s discourses were replete with religious thought, and advice given in accordance with the precepts of the Bible, and are more interesting because they were the utterances of an unedu- cated Indian, who is believed to have done more, in his sphere of action, in the cause of temperance and other moral reforms, than any other person has been able to accomplish among the Indians, although armed with all the power that education and talent could confer. Ka-en-ne-kuck' s band, numbering about two hundred persons, migrated to Kansas, and settled upon a reservation within the pres- ent limits of Jackson and Brown counties, where the survivors, and the immediate descendants of those who have since died, are now residing upon their farms. Their well-cultivated fields and their uniform good conduct attest the lasting effect of Ka-en-ne-kuck's teachings. The wild bands have always been troublesome upon the south- western borders, plundering upon all sides, making inroads into the settlements, killing stock and stealing horses. Every now and then * In 1854 a band of them were found by Col. Marcy, living near Fort Arbuckle. He says of them: "They are intelligent, active and brave; they frequently visit and traffic with the prairie Indians, and have no fear of meeting these people in battle, provided the odds are not more than six to one against them." Marcy 's Thirty Years of Army Life on the Border, p. 95. fOne of Ka-en-ne-kuck's sermons was delivered at Danville, Illinois, on the 17th of July, 1831, to his own tribe, and a large concourse of citizens who asked permission to be present. The sermon was delivered in the Kickapoo dialect, interpreted into English, sentence at a time as spoken by the orator, by Gurdeon S. Hubbard, who spoke the Kickapoo as well as the Pottawatomie dialect with great fluency. The sermon was taken down in writing by Solomon Banta, a lawyer then living in Danville, and for- warded by him and Col. Hubbard to Judge James Hall, at Vandalia, Illinois, and pub- lished in the October number (1831) of his " Illinois Monthly Magazine." CHARACTERISTICS. 169 their depredations form the subject of items for the current news- papers of the day. For years the government has failed in efforts to induce the wild band to remove to some point within the Indian Territory, where they might be restrained from annoying the border settlements of Texas and New Mexico. Some years ago a part of the semi-civilized Kickapoos in Kansas, preferring their old wild life to the ways of civilized society, left Kansas and joined the bands to the southwest. These last, after twelve years' roving in quest of plunder, were induced to return, and in 1875 they were settled in the Indian Territory and supplied with the necessary implements and provisions to enable them to go to work and earn an honest liv- ing. In this commendable effort at reform they are now making very satisfactory progress.* In 1875 the number of civilized Kick- apoos within the Kansas agency was three hundred and eight-five, while the wild or Mexican band numbered four hundred and twenty, as appears from the official report on Indian affairs for that year. As compared with other Indians, the Kickapoos were industrious, intelligent, and cleanly in their habits, and were better armed and clothed than the other tribes, f The men, as a rule, were tall, sin- ewy and active ; the women were lithe, and many of them by no means lacking in beauty. Their dialect was soft and liquid, as com- pared with the rough and guttural language of the Pottawatomies.:}; They kept aloof from the white people, as a rule, and in this way preserved their characteristics, and contracted fewer of the vices of the white man than other tribes. Their numbers were never great, as compared with the Miamis or Pottawatomies ; however, they made up for the deficiency in this respect by the energy of their movements. In language, manners and customs the Kickapoos bore a very close resemblance to the Sac and Fox Indians, whose allies they generally were, and with whom they have by some writers been confounded. * Report of C9mmissiqner on Indian Affairs for the year 1875. t Reynolds' Pioneer History of Illinois. \ Statement of Col. Hubbard to the writer. CHAPTER XVII. THE SHAWNEES AND DELA WARES. THE SHAWNEES were a branch of the Algonquin family, and in manners and customs bore a strong resemblance to the Delawares. They were the Bedouins of the wilderness, and their wanderings form a notable instance in the history of the nomadic races of JSTorth America. Before the arrival of the Europeans th&- Shawnees lived on the shores of the great lakes eastward of Cleveland. At that time the principal Iroquois villages were on the northern side of the lakes, above Montreal, and this tribe was under a species of subjec- tion to the Adirondacks, the original tribe from whence the several Algonquin tribes are alleged to have sprung, * and made ' ' the plant- ing of corn their business." "The Adirondacks, however, valued themselves as delighting in a more manly employment, and despised the Iroquois in following a business which they thought only fit for women. But it once hap- pened that game failed the Adirondacks, which made them desire some of the young men of the Iroquois to assist them in hunting. These young men soon became much more expert in hunting, and able to endure fatigues, than the Adirondacks expected or desired ; in short, they became jealous of them, and one night murdered all the young men they had with them." The chiefs of the Iroquois complained, but the Adirondacks treated their remonstrances with contempt, without being apprehensive of the resentment of the Iro- quois, "for they looked upon them as women." The Iroquois determined on revenge, and the Adirondacks, hear- ing of it, declared war. The Iroquois made but feeble resistance, and were forced to leave their country and fly to the south shores of the lakes, where they ever afterward lived. " Their chiefs, in order to raise their people's spirits, turned them against the Satarias, a less warlike nation, who then lived on the shores of the lakes." The Iroquois soon subdued the Satanas, and drove them from their country, f * Adirondack is the Iroquois name for Algonquin. t Colden's History of the Five Nations, pp. 22, 23, The Shawnees were known to the Iroquois by the name of Satanas. Same authority. 170 WANDEKINGS OF THE SHAWNEES. 171 In 1632 the Shawnees were on the south side of the Delaware.* From this time the Iroquois pursued them, each year driving them farther southward. Forty years later they were on the Tennessee, and Father Marquette, in speaking of them, calls them Chaouanons, which was the Illinois word for southerners, or people from the south, so termed because they lived to the south of the Illinois cantons. The Iroquois still waged war upon the Shawnees, driving them to the extremities mentioned in the extracts quoted from Father Marquette' s journal, f To escape further molestation from the Iroquois, the Shaw- nees continued a more southern course, and some of their bands penetrated the extreme southern states. The Suwanee River, in Florida, derived its name from the fact that the Shawnees once lived upon its banks. Black Hoof, the renowned chief of this tribe, was born in Florida, and informed Gen. Harrison, with whom for many years he was upon terms of intimacy, that he had often bathed in the sea. "It is well known that they were at a place which still bears their name;}: on the Ohio, a few miles below the mouth of the Wabash, some time before the commencement of the revolutionary war, where they remained before their removal to the Sciota, where they were found in the year 1774 by Gov. Dunmore. Their removal from Florida was a necessity, and their progress from thence a flight rather than a deliberate march. This is evident from their appear- ance when they presented themselves upon the Ohio and claimed protection of the Miamis. They are represented by the chiefs of the Miamis and Delawares as supplicants for protection, not against the Iroquois, but against the Creeks and Seminoles, or some other south- ern tribe, who had driven them from Florida, and they are said to have been literally sans provant et sans culottes [hungry and naked]. After their dispersion by the Iroquois, remnants of the tribe were found in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, but after the return of the main body from the south, they became once more united, the Pennsylvania band leaving that colony about the same time that the Delawares did. During the forty years following that period, the whole tribe was in a state of perpetual war with America, either as British colonies or as independent states. By the treaty of * De Laet. t Vide p. 49 of this work. \ Shawneetown, Illinois. Gen. Harrison's Historical Address, pp. 30, 31. This history of the Shawnees, says Gen. Harrison, was brought forward at a council at Vincennes in 1810, to resist the pretensions of Tecumseh to an interference with the Miamis in the disposal of their lands, and however prallinpr the reference to these facts must have been to Tecumseh, he was unable to deny them. 172 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Greenville, they lost nearly all the territory they had been permitted to occupy north of the Ohio."" In 1819 they were divided into four tribes, the Pequa,f the Me- quachake, the Chillicothe, and the Kiskapocoke. The latter tribe was the one to which Tecumseh belonged. They were always hos- tile to the United States, and joined every coalition against the gov- ernment. In 1806 they separated from the rest of the tribe, and took up their residence at Greenville. Soon afterward they removed to their former place of residence on Tippecanoe Creek, Indiana.:}: At the close of Gen. Wayne's campaign, a large body of the Shawnees settled near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, upon a tract of land granted to them and the Delawares in 1793, by Baron de Ca- rondelet, governor of the Spanish provinces west of the Mississippi. From their towns in eastern Ohio, the Shawnees spread north and westward to the headwaters of the Big and Little Miamis, the St. Mary's, and the Au Glaize, and for quite a distance down the Mau- mee. They had extensive cultivated fields upon these streams, which, with their villages, were destroyed by Gen. Wayne on his return from the victorious engagement with the confederated tribes on the field of "fallen timbers." Gen. Harmer, in his letter to the Secretary of War, communicating the details of his campaign on the Maumee, in October, 1T90, gives a fine description of the country, and the location of the Shawnee, Delaware and Miami vil- lages, in the neighborhood of Fort Wayne, as they appeared at that early day. We quote: "The savages and traders (who were, perhaps, the worst savages of the two) had evacuated their towns, and burnt the principal village called the Omee,*\\ together with all the traders' houses. This village lay on a pleasant point, formed by the junc- tion of the rivers Omee and St. Joseph. It was situate on the east *Gallatin. f " In ancient times they had a large fire, which, being burned down, a great puffing and blowing was heard among the ashes; they looked, and behold a man stood up from the ashes! hence the name Piqua a man coming out of the ashes, or made of ashes." | Account of the Present State of the Indian Tribes Inhabiting Ohio : Archaeologia Americana, vol. 1, pp. 274, 275. Mr. Johnson is in error in locating this band upon the Tippecanoe. The prophets' town was upon the west bank of the Wabash, near the mouth of the Tippecanoe. Treaties with the Several Indian Tribes, etc.: Government edition, 1837. The Shawnees and Delawares relinquished their title to their Spanish grant by a treaty concluded between them and the United States on the 26th of October, 1832. 1 "The army returned to this place [Fort Defiance] on the 27th, by easy inarches, laying waste to the villages and corn-fields for about fifty miles on each side of the Miami [Maumee]. There remains yet a great number of villages and a great quantity of corn to be consumed or destroyed upon the Au Glaize and Miami above this place, which will be effected in a few days." Gen. Wayne to the Secretary of War: Ameri- can State Papers on Indian Affairs, vol. 1, p. 491. ^[ The Miami village. COUNTRY OF THE SHAWNEES. 173 bank of the latter, opposite the mouth of St. Mary, and had for a long time past been the rendezvous of a set of Indian desperadoes, who infested the settlements, and stained the Ohio and parts adjacent with the blood of defenseless inhabitants. This day we advanced nearly the same distance, and kept nearly the same course as yester- day ; we encamped within six miles of the object, and on Sunday, the 17th, entered the ruins of the Omee town, or French village, as part of it is called. Appearances confirmed accounts I had received ' of the consternation into which the savages and their trading allies had been thrown by the approach of the army. Many valuables of the traders were destroyed in the confusion, and vast quantities of corn and other grain and vegetables were secreted in holes dug in the earth, and other hiding places. Colonel Hardin rejoined the army." ' ' Besides the town of Omee, there were several other villages situ- ate upon the banks of three rivers. One of them, belonging to the Omee Indians, called Kegaiogue,* was standing and contained thirty houses on the bank opposite the principal village. Two others, consisting together of about forty-five houses, lay a few miles up the St. Mary's, and were inhabited by Delawares. Thirty-six houses occupied by other savages of this tribe formed another but scattered town, on the east bank of the St. Joseph, two or three miles north from the French village. About the same distance down the Omee River, lay the Shawnee town of Chillicothe, consisting of fifty-eight houses, opposite which, on the other bank of the river, were sixteen more habitations, belonging to savages of the same nation. All these I ordered to be burnt during my stay there, together with great quantities of corn and vegetables hidden as at the principal village, in the earth and other places by the savages, who had aban- doned them. It is computed that there were no less than twenty thousand bushels of corn, in the ear, which the army either con- sumed or destroy ed.-'f The Shawnees also had a populous village within the present limits of Fountain county, Indiana, a few miles east of Attica. They gave their name to Shawnee Prairie and to a stream that dis- charges into the "Wabash from the east, a short distance below "Will- iamsport. * Ke-ki-ong-a. "The name in English is said to signify a blackberry patch [more probably a blackberry bush] which, in its turn, passed among the Mianiis as a symbol of antiquity." Brice's History of Fort Wayne, p. 23. fGen. Banner's Official Letter. It will be observed that Gen. Harmer treats the French Omee or Miami village as a separate town from that of Ke-ki-ong-a. His de- scription is so minute, and his opportunities so favorable to know the facts, that there is scarcely a probability of his having been mistaken. 174 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. In 1854 the Shawnees in Kansas numbered nine hundred persons, occupying a reservation of one million six hundred thousand acres. Their lands were divided into severalty. They have banished whisky, and many of them have fine farms under cultivation. Be- ing on the border of Missouri, they suffered from the rebel raids, and particularly that of Gen. Price in 1864. In 1865 they numbered eight hundred and forty-five persons. They furnished for the Union army one hundred and twenty-five men. The Shawnees have illus- trated by their own conduct the capability of an Indian tribe to become civilized.* THE DELAWARES called themselves Lenno Lenape, which signifies "original" or "unmixed" men. They were divided into three clans : the Turtle, the Wolf and the Turkey. When first met with by the Europeans, they occupied a district of country bounded eastwardly by the Hudson River and the Atlantic ; on the west their territories extended to the ridge separating the flow of the Delaware from the other streams emptying into the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.f They, according to their own traditions, "many hundred years ago resided in the western part of the continent ; thence by slow emigration, they at length reached the Alleghany River, so called from a nation of giants, the Allegewi, against whom the Delawares and Iroquois (the latter also emigrants from the west) carried on successful war ; and still proceeding eastward, settled on the Dela- ware, Hudson, Susquehanna and Potomac rivers, making the Dela- ware the center of their possessions.:}: By the other Algonquin tribes the Delawares were regarded with the utmost respect and veneration. They were called "fathers," "grandfathers," etc. " When William Penn landed in Pennsylvania the Delawares had been subjugated and made women by the Iroquois." They were prohibited from making war, placed under the sovereignty of the Iroquois, and even lost the right of dominion to the lands which they had occupied for so many generations. Gov. Penn, in his treaty with the Delawares, purchased from them the right of possession merely, and afterward obtained the relinquishment of the sovereignty from the Iroquois. The Delawares accounted for their humiliating relation to the Iroquois by claiming that their assumption of the role of women, or mediators, was entirely voluntary on their part. * Gale's Upper Mississippi. J Taylor's History of Ohio, p. 33, fGallatin's Synopsis of the Indian Tribes, p. 44. gGallatin's Synopsis, etc. DELAWARES BECOME AVOMEN. 175 They said they became "peacemakers," not through compulsion, but in compliance with the intercession of different belligerent tribes, and that this position enabled their tribe to command the respect of all the Indians east of the Mississippi. While it is true that the Delawares were very generally recognized as mediators, they never in any war or treaty exerted an influence through the possession of this title. It was an empty honor, and no additional power or ben- efit ever accrued from it. That the degrading position of the Dela- wares was not voluntary is proven in a variety of ways. " We possess none of the details of the war waged against the Lenapes, but we know that it resulted in the entire submission of the latter, and that the Iroquois, to prevent any further interruption from the Delawares, adopted a plan to humble and degrade them, as novel as it was ef- fectual. Singular as it may seem, it is nevertheless true that the Lenapes, upon the dictation of the Iroquois, agreed to lay aside the character of warriors and assume that of women."* The Iroquois, while they were not present at the treaty of Greenville, took care to inform Gen. Wayne that the Delawares were their subjects " that they had conquered them and put petticoats upon them." At a council held July 12, 1742, at the house of the lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania, where the subject of previous grants of land was under discussion, an Iroquois orator turned to the Delawares who were present at the council, and holding a belt of waumpum, ad- dressed them thus: "Cousins, let this belt of waumpum serve to chastise you. You ought to be taken by the hair of your head and shaked severely, till you recover your senses and become sober. . . . But how came you to take upon yourself to sell land at all ? " refer- ring to lands on the Delaware River, which the Delawares had sold some fifty years before. "We conquered you ; we made women of you. You know you are women, and can no more sell land than women ; nor is it fit you should have the power of selling lands, since you would abuse it." The Iroquois orator continues his chas- tisement of the Delawares, indulging in the most opprobrious lan- guage, and closed his speech by telling the Delawares to remove immediately. "We don't give you the liberty to think about it. You may return to the other side of the Delaware, where you came from ; but we don't know, considering how you had demeaned your- selves, whether you will be permitted to live there, "f The Quakers who settled Pennsylvania treated the Delawares in * Discourse of Gen. Harrison. t Minutes of the Conference at Philadelphia, in Golden 's History of the Five Nations. 176 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. accordance with the rules of justice and equity. The result was that during a period of sixty years peace and the utmost harmony pre- vailed. This is the only instance in the settling of America by the English where uninterrupted friendship and good will existed be- tween the colonists and the aboriginal inhabitants. Gradually and by peaceable means the Quakers obtained possession of the greater portion of their territory, and the Delawares were in the same situa- tion as other tribes, without lands, without means of subsistence. They were threatened with starvation. Induced by these motives, some of them, between the years 1740 and 1750, obtained from their uncles, the Wyandots, and with the assent of the Iroquois, a grant of land on the Muskingum, in Ohio. The greater part of the tribe re- mained in Pennsylvania, and becoming more and more dissatisfied with their lot, shook off the yoke of the Iroquois, joined the French and ravaged the frontiers of Pennsylvania. Peace was concluded at Easton in 1758, and ten years after the last remaining bands of the Delawares crossed the Alleghanies. Here, being removed from the influence of their dreaded masters, the Iroquois, the Delawares soon assumed their ancient independence. During the next four or five decades they were the most formidable of the western tribes. While the revolutionary war was in progress, as allies of the British, after its close, at the head of the northwestern confederacy of Indians, they fully regained their lost reputation. By their geographical position placed in the front of battle, they were, during those two wars, the most active and dangerous enemies of America.* The territory claimed by the Delawares subsequent to their being driven westward from their former possessions, is established in a paper addressed to congress May 10, 1779, from delegates assem- bled at Princeton, New Jersey. The boundaries of their country, as declared in the address, is as follows: "From the mouth of the Alleghany River, at Fort Pitt, to the Yenango, and from thence up French Creek, and by Le Boeuf,! along the old road to Presque Isle, on the east. The Ohio River, including all the islands in it, from Fort Pitt to the Ouabache, on t/ie south thence up the River Oua- bache to that branch, Ope-co-mee-cah^ and up the same to the head thereof; from thence to the headwaters and springs of the Great Miami, or Rocky River ; thence across to the headwaters and springs of the most northwestern branches of the Scioto River ; thence to * In the battle of Fallen Timbers there were three hundred Delawares out of seven hundred Indians who were in this engagement: Colonial History of Massachusetts, vol. 10. t A fort on the present site of Waterford, Pa. \ This was the name given by the Delawares to White River, Indiana. MAKE PEACE. 177 the westernmost springs of Sandusky River ; thence down said river, including the islands in it and in the little lake, * to Lake Erie, on the west and northwest, and Lake Erie on the north. These boundaries- contain the cessions of lands made to the Delaware nation by the Wayandots and other nations, f and the country we have seated our grandchildren, the Shawnees, upon, in our laps ; and we promise to- give to the United States of America such a part of the above described country as would be convenient to them and us, that they may have room for their children's children to set down upon.":}: After Wayne's victory the Delawares saw that further contests with the American colonies would be worse than useless. They submitted to the inevitable, acknowledged the supremacy of the Caucasian race, and desired to make peace with the victors. At the treaty of Greenville, in 1795, there were present three hundred and eighty-one Delawares, a larger representation than that of any other Indian tribe. By this treaty they ceded to the United States the greater part of the lands allotted to them by the Wyandots and Iroquois. For this cession they received an annuity of $1,000. At the close of the treaty, Bu-kon-ge-he-las, a Delaware chief, spoke as follows : Father: | Your children all well understand the sense of the treaty which is now concluded. We experience daily proofs of your increasing kindness. I hope we may all have sense enough to enjoy our dawning happiness. Many of your people are yet among us. I trust they will be immediately restored. Last winter our king came forward to you with two; and when he returned with your speech to us, we immediately prepared to come forward with the remainder, which we delivered at Fort Defiance. All who know me know me to be a man and a warrior, and I now declare that I will for the future be as steady and true a friend to the United States as I have heretofore been an active enemy. "[ This promise of the orator was faithfully kept by his people. They evaded all the efforts of the Shawnee prophet, Tecumseh, and the British who endeavored to induce them, by threats or bribes, to> violate it.** * Sandusky Bay. fThe Hurons and Iroquois. \ Pioneer History, by S. P. Hildreth, p. 137, where the paper setting forth the claims of the Delawares is copied. American State Papers: Indian Affairs, vol. 1. || Gen. Wayne. Tf American State Papers: Indian Affairs, vol. 1, p. 582. ** Bu-kon-ge-he-las was a warrior of great ability. He took a leading part in maneuvering the Indians at the dreadful battle known as St. Glair's defeat. He rose from a private warrior to the head of his tribe. Until after Gen. Wayne's great victory 12 178 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWKST. The Delawares remained faithful to the United States during the war of 1812, and, with the Shawnees, furnished some very able war- riors and scouts, who rendered valuable service to the United States during this war. After the treaty of Greenville, the great body of Delawares re- moved to their lands on White River, Indiana, whither some of their people had already preceded them. Their manner of obtaining possession of their lands on White River is thus related in Dawson's Life of Harrison: "The land in question had been granted to the Delawares about the year 1770, by the Piankeshaws, on condition of their settling upon it and assist- ing them in a war with the Kickapoos. " These terms were complied with, and the Delawares remained in possession of the land. The title to the tract of land lying between the Ohio and White Rivers soon became a subject of dispute between the Piankeshaws and Delawares. A chief of the latter tribe, in 1803, at Yincennes, stated to Gen. Harrison that the land belonged to his tribe, "and that he had with him a chief who had been present at the transfer made by the Piankeshaws to the Delawares, of all the country be- tween the Ohio and White Rivers more than thirty years previous." This claim was disputed by the Piankeshaws. They admitted that while they had granted the Delawares the right of occupancy, yet they had never conveyed the right of sovereignty to the tract in question. Gov. Harrison, on the 19th and 27th of August, 1804, concluded treaties with the Delawares and Piankeshaws by which the United States acquired all that fine country between the Ohio and Wabash Rivers. Both of "these tribes laying claim to the land, it became in 1794, he had been a devoted partisan of the British and a mortal foe to the United States. He was the most distinguished warrior in the Indian Confederacy; and as it was the British interests which had induced the Indians to commence, as well as to con- tinue, the war, Buck-on-ge-he-las relied upon British support and protection. This support had been given so far as relates to provisions, arms and ammunition; but at the end of the battle referred to, the gates of Fort Miamis, near which the action was fought, were shut, by the British within, against the wounded Indians after the battle. This opened the eyes of the Delaware warrior. He collected his braves in canoes, with the design of proceeding up the river, under a flag of truce, to Fort Wayne. On approaching the British fort he was requested to land. He did so, and addressing the British officer, said, " What have you to say to me?" The officer re- plied that the commandant wished to speak with him. "Then he may come here," was the chief's reply. " He will not do that," said the sub-officer; "and you will not be suffered to pass the fort if you do not comply." "What shall prevent me?" "These," said the officer, pointing to the cannon of the fort. "I fear not your cannon," replied the intrepid chief. "After suffering the Americans to insult and treat you with such contempt, without daring to fire upon tJietn, you cannot expect to frighten me." Buck-on-ge-he-las then ordered his canoes to push off from the shore, and the fleet passed the fort without molestation. A note [No. 2]: Memoirs of Gen. Harrison. BECOME CITIZENS. 17'.> necessary that both should be satisfied, in order to prevent disputes in the future. In this, however, the governor succeeded, on terms, perhaps, more favorable than if the title had been vested in only one of these tribes ; for, as both claimed the land, the value of each claim was considerably lowered in the estimation of both ; and, therefore, by judicious management, the governor effected the pur- chase upon probably as low, if not lower, terms that if he had been obliged to treat with only one of them. For this tract the Pianke- shaws received $700 in goods and $200 per annum for ten years; the compensation of the Delawares was an annuity of $300 for ten years. The Delawares continued to reside upon White River and its branches until 1819, when most of them joined the band who had emigrated to Missouri upon the tract of land granted jointly to them und the Shawnees, in 1T93, by the Spanish authorities. Others of their number who remained scattered themselves among the Miamis, Pottawatomies and Kickapoos ; while still others, including the Mo- ravian converts, went to -Canada. At that time, 1819, the total num- ber of those residing in Indiana was computed to be eight hundred souls. * In 1829 the majority of the nation were settled on the Kansas and Missouri rivers. They numbered about 1,000, were brave, en- terprising hunters, cultivated lands and were friendly to the whites. In 1853 they sold to the government all the lands granted them, ex- cepting a reservation in Kansas. During the late Rebellion they sent to the United States army one hundred and seventy out of their two hundred able-bodied men. Like their ancestors they proved valiant and trustworthy soldiers. Of late years they have almost entirely lost their aboriginal customs and manners. They live in nouses, have schools and churches, cultivate farms, and, in fact, bid fair to become useful and prominent citizens of the great Republic. * Their principal towns were on the branches of White River, within the present limits of Madison and Delaware counties, and the capital of the latter is named after -the "Muncy" or " Mon-o-sia " band. Pipe Creek and Kill Buck Creek, branches of White River, are also named after two distinguished Delaware chiefs. CHAPTER XVIII THE INDIANS: THEIR IMPLEMENTS, UTENSILS, FORTIFICATIONS, MOUNDS, AND THEIR MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. BEFORE the arrival of the Europeans the use of iron was but little known to the North American Indians. Marquette, in speaking of the Illinois, states that they were entirely ignorant of the use of iron tools, their weapons being made of stone. * This was true of all the Indians who made their homes north of the Ohio, but south of that stream metal tools were occasionally, met with. When Hernando- De Soto, in 1539-43, was traversing the southern part of that terri- tory, now known as the United States, in his vain search for gold, some of his followers found the natives on "the Savanna River using hatchets made of copper, f It is evident that these hatchets were of native manufacture, for they were "said to have a mixture of gold.' * The southern Indians ' ' had long bows, and their arrows were made of certain canes like reeds, very heavy, and so strong that a sharp cane passeth through a target. Some they arm in the point with a sharp bone of a fish, like a chisel, and in others they fasten certain stones like points of diamonds.":}: These bones or "scale of the armed fish" were neatly fastened to the head of the arrows with splits of cane and fish glue. The northern Indians used arrows with stone points. Father Rasles thus describes them : "Arrows are the principal arms which they use in war and in the chase. They are pointed at the end with a stone, cut and sharpened in the shape of a serpent's tongue ; and, if no knife is at hand, they use them also to skin the animals they have killed." "The bow- strings were prepared from the entrails of a stag, or of a stag's skin, which they know how to dress as well as any man in France, and with as many different colors. They head their arrows with the teeth of fishes an'd stone, which they work very finely and handsomely. "T * Sparks' Life of Marquette, p. 281. f A Narrative of the Expedition of Hernando De Soto, by a Gentleman of Elvas; published at Evpra in 1557, and afterward translated and published in the second volume of the Historical Collections of Louisiana, p. 149. \ Idem, p. 124. Du Pratz' History of Louisiana: English translation, vol. 2, pp. 223, 224. 1 Kip's Jesuit Missions, p. 39. *[ History of the First Attempt of the French to Colonize Florida, in 1562, by Rene" Laudonniere: published in Historical Collections of Louisiana and Florida, vol. 1, p. 170. 180 THEY USE STONE IMPLEMENTS. 181 Most of the hatchets and knives of the northern Indians were likewise made of sharpened stones, "which they fastened in a cleft piece of wood with leathern thongs."* Their tomahawks were con- structed from stone, the horn of a stag, or "from wood in the shape of a cutlass, and terminated by a large ball." The tomahawk was held in one hand and a knife in the other. As soon as they dealt a blow on the head of an enemy, they immediately cut it round with the knife, and took off the scalp with extraordinary rapidity, f Du Pratz thus describes their method of felling trees with stone implements and with fire: "Cutting instruments are almost con- tinually wanted ; but as they had no iron, which of all metals is the most useful in human society, they were obliged, with infinite pains, to form hatchets out of large flints, by sharpening their thin edge, and making a hole through them for receiving the handle. To cut down trees with these axes would have been almost an impracticable work ; they were, therefore, obliged to light fires round the roots of them, and to cut away the charcoal as the fire eat into the tree.":}: Charlevoix makes a similar statement: "These people, before we provided them with hatchets and other instruments, were very much at a loss in felling their trees, and making them fit for such uses as they intended them for. They burned them near the root, and in order to split and cut them into proper lengths they made use of hatchets made of flint, which never broke, but which required a prodigious time to sharpen. In order to fix them in a shaft, they cut off the top of a young tree, making a slit in it, as if they were going to draft it, into which slit they inserted the head of the axe. The tree, growing together again in length of time, held the head of the hatchet so firm that it was impossible for it to get loose ; they then cut the tree at the length they deemed sufficient for the handle. " When they were about to make wooden dishes, porringers or spoons, they cut the blocks of wood to the required shape with stone hatchets, hollowed them out with coals of fire, and polished them with beaver teeth. | Early settlers in the neighborhood of Thorntown, Indiana, no- ticed that the Indians made their hominy-blocks in a similar manner. Hound stones were heated and placed upon the blocks which were to be excavated. The charred wood was dug out with knives, and * Hennepin, vol. 2, p. 103. t Letter of Father Rasles in Kip's Jesuit Missions, p. 40. } Volume 2, p. 223. Narrative Journal, vol. 2, p. 126. || Hennepin, vol. 2, p. 103. 182 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. then the surface was polished with stone implements. These round stones were the common property of the tribe, and were used by individual families as occasion required.* "They dug their ground with an instrument of wood, which was fashioned like a broad mattock, wherewith they dig their vines as in France ; they put two grains of maize together."! For boiling their victuals they made use of earthen kettles.^; The kettle was held up by two crotches and a stick of wood laid across. The pot ladle, called by them mikoine, laid at the side. "In the north they often made use of wooden kettles, and made the water boil by throwing into it red hot pebbles. Our iron pots are esteemed by them as much more commodious than their own." That the North American Indians not only used, but actually manufactured, pottery for various culinary and religious purposes admits of no argument. Hennepin remarks: "Before the arrival of the Europeans in North America both the northern and southern savages made use of, and do to this day use, earthen pots, especially such as have no commerce with the Europeans, from whom they may procure kettles and other movables."*!" M. Pouchot, who was ac- quainted with the manners and customs of the Canadian Indians, states "that they formerly had usages and utensils to which they are now scarcely accustomed. They made pottery and drew fire from wood." ** In 1700, Father Gravier, in speaking of the Yazoos, says: "You see there in their cabins neither clothes, nor sacks, nor kettles, nor guns ; they carry all with them, and have no riches hut earthen pots, quite well made, especially little glazed pitchers, as neat as you would see in France." ft The Illinois also occasionally used glazed pitch- ers.^ The manufacturing of these earthen vessels was done by the women. By the southern Indians the earthenware goods were used for religious as well as domestic purposes. Gravier noticed several in their temples, containing bones of departed warriors,, ashes, etc. * Statements of early settlers. t Laudonniere. p. 174. \ Hennepin, vol. 2, p. 105. Pouchot's Memoirs, vol. 2, p. 186. I Charlevoix' Narrative Journal, vol. 2, pp. 123. 124. f Volume 2, pp. 102, 103. This work was written in 1697. ** Pouchot's Memoirs, vol. 2, p. 219. tfGravier's Journal, published in Shea's Early Voyages Up and Down the Missis- sippi, p 135. tt Vide p. 109 of this work. Gravier's Journal, published in Shea's Early Voyages Up and Down the Missis- sippi, p. 135; also, Du Pratz' History of Louisiana, vol. 2, p. 166. INDIAN FORTIFICATIONS. 183 The American Indians, both northern and southern, had most of their villages fortified either by wooden ^palisades, or earthen breastworks and palisades combined. De Soto, on the 19th of June, 1541, entered the town of Pacaha,* which w"as very great, walled, and beset with towers, and many loopholes were in the towers and wall.f Charlevoix said: "The Indians are more skillful in erect- ing their fortifications than in building their houses. Here you see villages surrounded with good palisades and with redoubts ; and they are very careful to lay in a proper provision of water and stones. These palisades are double, and even sometimes treble, and generally have battlements on the outer circumvallation. The piles, of which they are composed, are interwoven with branches of trees, without any void space between them. This sort of fortifica- tion was sufficient to sustain a long siege whilst the Indians were ignorant of the use of fire-arms."^: La Hontan thus describes these palisaded towns : "Their villages are fortified with double palisadoes of very hardwood, which are as thick as one's thigh, and fifteen feet high, with little squares about the middle of courtines." These wooden fortifications were used to a comparatively late day. At the siege of Detroit, in 1712, the Foxes and Mascoutins resisted, in a wooden fort, for nineteen days, the attack of a much, larger force of Frenchmen and Indians. In order to avoid the fire of the French, they dug holes four or five feet deep in the bot- tom of their fort, jj The western Indians, in their fortifications, made use of both earth and wood. An early American author remarks: "The re- mains of Indian fortifications seen throughout the western country, have given rise to strange conjectures, and have been supposed to appertain to a period extremely remote ; but it is a fact well known that in some of them the remains of palisadoes were found by the first settlers."*" When Maj. Long's party, in 1823, passed through Fort "Wayne, they inquired of Metea, a celebrated Pottawatomie chief well versed in the lore of his tribe, whether he had ever heard of any tradition accounting for the erection of those artificial mounds which are found scattered over the whole country. "He immediately replied that they had been constructed by the Indians as fortijica- * Probably in the limits of the present state of Arkansas: t Account by the Gentleman of Elvas, p. 172. I Narrative Journal, vol. 2, p. 128. Vol. 2, p. 6. || Dubuisson's Official Report. II Views of Louisiana: Brackenridge, p. 14. 184 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. tions before the white man had come among them. He had always heard this origin ascribed to them, and knew three of those con- structions which were supposed to have been made by his nation. One is at the fork of the Kankakee and the Des Plaines Rivers, a second on the Ohio, which, from his description, was supposed to be at the mouth of the Muskingum. He visited it, but could not de- scribe the spot accurately, and a third, which he had also seen, he stated to be on the head-waters of the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan. This latter place is about forty miles northwest of Fort Wayne." One of the Miami chiefs, whom the traders named Le Gros, told Barren* that " he had heard that his father had fought with his tribe in one of the forts at Piqua, Ohio ; that the fort had been erected by the Indians against the French, and that his father had been killed during one of the assaults made upon iff While at Chicago, and ''with a view to collect as much informa- tion as possible on the subject of Indian antiquities, we inquired of Robinson ^ whether any traditions on this subject were current among the Indians. He observed that these ancient fortifications were a frequent subject of conversation, and especially those in the nature of excavations made in the ground. He had heard of one made by the Kickapoos and Fox Indians on the Sangamo River, a stream running into the Illinois. This fortification is distinguished by the name of Etnataek. It is known to have served as an in- trenchment to the Kickapoos and Foxes, who were met there and defeated by the Pottawatomies, the Ottawas and Chippeways. No date was assigned to this transaction. We understood that the Et- nataek was near the Kickapoo village on the Sangamo. " Near the dividing Ijne between sections 4 and 5, township 31 north, of range 11 east, in Kankakee county, Illinois, on the prairie about a mile above the mouth of Rock Creek, are some ancient mounds. "One is very large, being about one hundred feet base in diameter and about twenty feet high, in a conic form, and is said to contain the remains of two hundred Indians who were killed in the celebrated battle between the Illinois and Chippeways, Delawares and Shawnees ; and about two chains to the northeast, and the same * An Indian interpreter. t Long's Expedition to the Sources of the St. Peters, vol. 1, pp. 121, 122. j Robinson was a Pottawatomie half-breed, of superior intelligence, and his state- ments can be relied upon. He died, only a few years ago, on the Au Sable River. Long's Expedition, vol. 1, p. 121. This stream is laid down on Joliet's map, pub- lished in 1681, as the Pierres Sanguines. In the early gazetteers it is called Sangamo: vide Beck's Illinois and Missouri Gazetteer, p. 154. Its signification in the Pottawat- omie dialect is " a plenty to eat ": Early History of the West and Northwest, by S. R. Beggs, p. 157. This definition, however, is somewhat doubtful. INDIAN MOUNDS. 185 distance to the northwest, are two other small mounds, which are said to contain the remains of the chiefs of the two parties. 1 '* Uncorroborated Indian traditions are not entitled to any high degree of credibility, and these quoted are introduced to refute the often repeated assertion that the Indians had no tradition concerning the origin of the mounds scattered through the western states, or that they supposed them to have been erected by a race who occu- pied the continent anterior to themselves. These mounds were seldom or never used for religious purposes by the Algonquins or Iroquois, but Penicault states that when he visited the Natchez Indians, in 1704, "the houses of the Sunst are built on mounds, and are distinguished from each other by their size. The mound upon which the house of the Great Chief, or Sun, is built is larger than the rest, and its sides are steeper. The temple in the village of the Great Sun is about thirty feet high and forty -eight in circumference, with the walls eight feet thick and covered with a matting of canes, in which they keep up a perpetual fire.":}: De Soto found the houses of the chiefs built on mounds of differ- ent heights, according to their rank, and their villages fortified with palisades, or walls of earth, with gateways to go in and out. When Gravier, in 1700, visited the Yazoos, he noticed that their temple was raised on a mound of earth. || He also, in speaking of the Ohio, states that "it is called by the Illinois and Oumiamis the river of the Akansea, because the Akansea formerly dwelt on it."^[ The Akansea or Arkansas Indians possessed many traits and cus- toms in common with the Natchez, having temples, pottery, etc. A still more important fact is noticed by Du Pratz, who was inti- mately acquainted with the Great Sun. He s^ays: "The temple is about thirty feet square, and stands on an artificial mound about eight feet high, by the side of a small river. The mound slopes insensibly from the main front, which is northward, but on the other sides it is somewhat steeper." According to their own traditions, the Natchez "were at one * Manuscript Kankakee Surveys, conducted by Dan W. Beckwith, deputy govern- ment surveyor, in 1834. Major Beckwith was intimately acquainted with the Potta- watomies of the Kankakee, whose villages were in the neighborhood, and without doubt the account of these mounds incorporated in his Field Notes was communicated to him by them. t The chiefs of the Natches were so called because they were supposed to be the direct descendants of a man and woman, who, descending from the sun, were the first rulers of this people. t Annals of Louisiana: Historical Collections of Louisiana and Florida, new series, pp. 94. 95. Account by the Gentleman of Elvas. || Early Voyages Up and Down the Mississippi, p. 136. IT Idem, p. 120. 186 HISTORIC 5K)TES ON THE NORTHWEST. time the most powerful nation in all North America, and were looked upon by the other nations as their superiors, and were, OIL that account, respected by them. Their territory extended from the River Ilterville, in Louisiana, to tlie Wabasli.' 1 ''* They had over five hundred suns, and, consequently, nearly that many villages. Their decline and retreat to the south was owing not to the superi- ority in arms of the less civilized surrounding tribes, but was due to the pride of their own chiefs, who, to lend an imposing magnificence to their funeral rites, adopted the impolitic custom of having hun- dreds of their followers strangled at their pyre. Many of the mounds, scattered up and down valleys of the Wabash, Ohio and Mississippi, while being the only, may be the time-defying monu- ments of the departed power and grandeur of these two tribes. The Indian manner of making a fire is thus related by Hennepin : "Their way of making a fire, which is new and unknown to us, is thus : they take a triangular piece of cedar wood of a foot and a half in length, wherein they bore some holes half through ; then they take a switch, or another small piece of hard wood, and with both their hands rub the strongest upon the weakest in the hole, which i& made in the cedar, and while they are thus rubbing they let fall a sort of dust or powder, which turns into fire. This white dust they roll up in a pellet of herbs, dried in autumn, and rubbing them all together, and then blowing upon the dust that is in the pellets, the fire kindles in a moment, "f The food of the Indians consisted of all the varieties of game r fishes and wild fruits in the vicinity ; and they cultivated Indian corn, melons and squashes. From corn they made a preparation called sagamite. They pulverized the corn, mixed it with water,, and added a small proportion of ground gourds or beans. The clothing of the northern Indians consisted only of the skins of wild animals, roughly prepared for that purpose. Their southern brethren were far in advance of them in this respect. "'Many of the- women wore cloaks of the bark of the mulberry tree, or of the feathers of swans, turkies or Indian ducks. The bark they take from young mulberry shoots that rise from the roots of trees that have been cut down. After it is dried in the sun they beat it to make all the woody parts fall off, and they give the threads that remain a second beating, after which they bleach them by exposing them to the dew. When they are well whitened they spin them about the coarseness of pack-thread, and weave them in the following manner : * Du Pratz' History of Louisiana, vol. 2, p. 146. t Ibid. vol. 2. p. 103. THEIR CANOES. 187 They plant two stakes in the ground about a yard and a half asunder, and having stretched a cord from the one to the other, they fasten their threads of bark double to this cord, and then interweave them in a curious manner into a cloak of about a yard square, with a wrought border round the edges.'' The Indians had three varieties of canoes, elm-bark, birch-bark and pirogues. "Canoes of elm-bark were not used for long voyages, as they were very frail. When the Indians wish to make a canoe of elm-bark they select the trunk of a tree which is very smooth, at the time when the sap remains. They cut it around, above and below, about ten, twelve or fifteen feet apart, according to the num- ber of people which it is to carry. After having taken off the whole in one piece, they shave off the roughest of the bark, which they make the inside of the canoe. They make end ties of the thickness of a finger, and of sufficient length for the canoe, using young oak or any other flexible and strong wood, and fasten the two larger folds of the bark between these strips, spreading them apart with wooden bows, which are fastened in about two feet apart. They sew up the two ends of the bark with strips drawn from the inner bark of the elm, giving attention to raise up a little the two extremities, which they call pinees, making a swell in the middle and a curve on the sides, to resist the wind. If there are any chinks, they sew them together with thongs and cover them with chewing-gum, which they crowd by heating it with a coal of fire. The bark is fastened to the wooden bows by wooden thongs. They add a mast, made of a piece of wood and cross-piece to serve as a yard, and their blankets serve them as sails. These canoes will carry from three to nine persons and all their equipage. They sit upon their heels, without moving, as do also their children, when they are in, from fear of losing their balance, when the whole machine would upset. But this very seldom happened, unless struck by a flaw of wind. They use these vessels particularly in their war parties. "The canoes made of birch bark were much more solid and more artistically constructed. The frames of these canoes are made of strips of cedar wood, which is very flexible, and which they render as thin as a side of a sword-scabbard, and three or four inches wide. They all touch one another, and come up to a point between the two end strips. This frame is covered with the bark of the birch tree, sewed together like skins, secured between the end strips and tied * Du Pratz, vol. 2, p. 231; also, Gravier's Voyage, p. 134. The aboriginal method of procuring thread to sew together their garments made of skins has already been no- ticed in the description of the manners and customs of the Illinois. 188 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. along the ribs with the inner bark of the roots of the cedar, as we twist willows around the hoops of a cask. All these seams are cov- ered with gum,* as is done with canoes of elm bark. They then put in cross-bars to hold it and to serve as seats, and a long pole, which they lay on from fore to aft in rough weather to prevent it from being broken by the shocks occasioned by pitching. They have with them three, six, twelve and even twenty-four places, which are designated as so many seats. The French are almost the only people who use these canoes for their long voyages. They will carry as much as three thousand pounds, "f These were vessels in which the fur trade of the entire northwest has been carried on for so many years. They were very light, four men being able to carry the largest of them over portages. At night they were unloaded, drawn upon the shore, turned over and served the savages or traders as huts. They could endure gales of wind that would play havoc with vessels of European manufacture. In calm water, the canoe men, in a sitting posture, used paddles ; in stemming currents, rising from their seats, they substituted poles for paddles, and in shooting rapids, they rested on their knees. Pirogues were the trunks of trees hollowed out and pointed at the extremities. A fire was started on the trunk, out of which the pirogue was to be constructed. The fire was kept within the desired limits by the dripping of water upon the edges of the trunk. As a part became charred, it was dug out with stone hatchets and the fire rekindled. This kind of canoes was especially adapted for the navi- gation of the Mississippi and Missouri ; the current of these streams carrying down trees, which formed snags, rendered their navigation by bark canoes exceedingly hazardous. It was probably owing to this reason, as well as because there were no birch trees in their country, that the Illinois and Miamis were not, as the Jesuits re- marked, "canoe nations;" they used the awkward, heavy pirogue instead. Each nation was divided into villages. The Indian village, when unfortified, had its cabins scattered along the banks of a river or the *"The small roots of the spruce tree afford the wattap with which the bark is sewed, and the gum of the pine tree supplies the place of tar and oakum. Bark, some spare wattap and gum are always carried in each canoe, for the repairs which fre- quently become necessary." Vide Henry's Travels, p. 14. t The above extracts are taken from the Memoir Upon the Late War in North Amer- ica Between the French and English, 1755-1760, by M. Pouchot; translated and edited by Franklin Hough, vol. 2, pp. 216. 217. 218. Pouchot was the commandant at Fort Niagara at the time of its surrender to the English. He was exceedingly well veVsed in all that pertained to Indian manners and customs, and his work received the indorse- ment of Marquis Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada. Of the translation, there were only two hundred copies printed. WIGWAMS. 189 shores of a lake, and often extended for three or four miles. Each cabin held the head of the family, the children, grandchildren, and often the brothers and sisters, so that a single c"abin not unfrequently contained as many as sixty persons. Some of their cabins were in the form of elongated squares, of which the sides were not more than five or six feet high. They were made of bark, and the roof was prepared from the same material, having an opening in the top for the passage of srnoke. At both ends of the cabin there were entrances. The fire was built under the hole in the roof, and there were as many fires as there were families. The beds were upon planks on the floor of the cabin, or upon simple hides, which they called a/ppichimon, placed along the parti- tions. They slept upon these skins, wrapped in their blankets, which, during the day, served them for clothing. Each one had his particular place. The man and wife crouched together, her back being against his body, their blankets passed around their heads and feet, so that they looked like a plate of ducks. * These bark cabins were used by the Iroquois, and, indeed, by many Indian tribes who lived exclusively in the forests. The prairie Indians, who were unable to procure bark, generally made mats out of platted reeds or flags, and placed thesejiiats around three or four poles tied together at the ends. They were, in form, round, and terminated in a cone. These mats were sewed together with so much skill that, when new, the rain could not penetrate- them. This variety of cabins possessed the great advantage that, when they moved their place of residence, the mats of reeds were rolled up and carried along by the squaws, f "The nastiness of these cabins alone, and that infection which was a necessary consequence of it, would have been to any one but an Indian a severe punishment. Having no windows, they were full of smoke, and in cold weather they were crowded with clogs. The Indians never changed their garments until they fell off by their very rottenness. Being never washed, they were fairly alive with vermin. In summer the savages bathed every day, but immediately afterward rubbed themselves with oil and grease of a very rank smell. "In winter they remained unwashed, and it was impossible to enter their cabins without being poisoned with the stench.'' All their food was very ill-seasoned and insipid, "and there pre- vailed in all their repasts an uncleanliness which passed all concep- * Extract from Pouchot's Memoirs, pp. 185. 186. t Letter of Father Marest, Kip's Jesuit Missions, p. 199. 190 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. tion. There were very few animals which did not feed cleaner."* They never washed their wooden or bark dishes, nor their porringers and spoons, t In this connection William Biggs states: " They^; plucked off a few of the largest feathers, then threw the duck, feathers, entrails and all, into the soup-kettle, and cooked it in that manner. ' ' The Indians were cannibals, though human flesh was only eaten at war feasts. It was often the case that after a prisoner had been tortured his body was thrown into "the war-kettle," and his remains greedily devoured. This fact is uniformly asserted by the early French writers. Members of Major Long's party made especial inquiries at Fort Wayne concerning this subject, and were entirely convinced. They met persons who had attended the feasts, and saw Indians who acknowledged that they had participated in them. Joseph Barron saw the Pottawatomies with hands and limbs, both of white men and Cherokees, which they were about to devour. Among some tribes cannibalism was universal, but it appears that among the Pottawatomies and Miamis it was restricted to a frater- nity whose privilege and duty it was on all occasions to eat of the enemy's flesh; at least one individual must be eaten. The flesh was sometimes dried and taken to the villages, j The Indians had some peculiar funeral customs. Joutel thus records some of his observations: "They pay a respect to their dead, as appears by their special care of burying them, and even of putting into lofty coffins the bodies of such as are considerable among them, as their chiefs and others, which is also practiced among the Accanceas, but they differ in this respect, that the Accan- ceas weep and make their complaints for some days, whereas the Shawnees and other people of the Illinois nation do just the con- trary, for when any of them die they wrap them up in skins and then put them into coffins made of the bark of trees, then sing and dance about them for twenty-four hours. Those dancers take care to tie calabashes, or gourds, about their bodies, with some Indian corn in them, to rattle and make a noise, and some of them have a drum, made of a great earthen pot, on which they extend a wild goat's skin, and beat thereon with one stick, like our tabors. During that rejoicing they threw their presents on the coffin, as bracelets, * Charlevoix' Narrative Journal, vol. 2, pp. 132, 133. t For a full account of their lack of neatness in the culinary department, vide Hen- nepin, vol. 2, p. 120. | The Kickapoos. Narrative of William Biggs, p. 9. Ji Long's Expedition to the sources of the St. Peters, vol. 1, pp. 103-106. BURIAL CEREMONIES. 191 pendants or pieces of earthenware. When the ceremony was over they buried the body, with a part of the presents, making choice of such as may be most proper for it. They also bury with it some store of Indian wheat, with a pot to boil it in, for fear the dead per- son should be hungry on his long journey, and they repeat the cere- mony at the year's end. A good number of presents still remaining, they divide them into several lots and play at a game called the stick to give them to the winner."* The Indian graves were made of a large size, and the whole of the inside lined with bark. On the bark was laid the corpse, accom- panied with axes, snow-shoes, kettle, common shoes, and, if a wo- man, carrying-belts and paddles. This was covered with bark, and at about two feet nearer the surface, logs were laid across, and these again covered with bark, so that the earth might by no means fall upon the corpse, f If the deceased, before his death, had so expressed his wish, a tree was hollowed out and the corpse deposited within. After the body had become entirely decomposed, the bones were often collected and buried in the earth. Many of these wooden sepulchres were dis- covered by the early settlers in Iroquois county, Illinois. Doubt- less they were the remains of Pottawatomies, who at that time re- sided there. After a death they took care to visit every place near their cabins, striking incessantly with rods and raising the most hideous cries, in order to drive the souls to a distance, and to keep them from lurk- ing about their cabins.^: The Indians believed that every animal contained a Manitou or God, and that these spirits could exert over them a beneficial or prejudicial influence. The rattlesnake was especially venerated by them. Henry relates an instance of this veneration. He saw a snake, and procured his gun, with the intention of dispatching it. The Indians begged him to desist, and, "with their pipes and to- bacco-pouches in their hands, approached the snake. They sur- rounded it, all addressing it by turns and calling it their grand- father, but yet kept at some distance. During this part of the cer- emony, they filled their pipes, and each blew the smoke toward the snake, which, as it appeared to rne, really received it with pleasure. In a word, after remaining coiled and receiving incense for the space of half an hour, it stretched itself along the ground in visible good * Joutel's Journal: Historical Collections of Louisiana, vol. 1. pp. 187, 188. t Extract from Henry's Travels, p. 150. j Charlevoix' Narrative Journal, vol. 2, p. 154. 192 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NOKTHWEST. humor. The Indians followed it, and, still addressing it by the title of grandfather, beseeched it to take care of their families dur- ing their absence, and also to open the hearts of the English, that that they might fill their (the Indians') canoes with rum.* This reverence of the Indians for the rattlesnake will account for the vast number of these reptiles met with by early settlers in localities fa- vorable for their increase and security. The clefts in the rocky cliffs below Niagara Falls were so infested with rattlesnakes that the Indians removed their village to a place of greater security. The Indians had several games, some of which have been already noticed. McCoy mentions a singular occurrence of this nature : ' 'A Miami Indian had been stabbed with a knife, who lingered, and of whose recovery there was doubt. On the 12th of May a party re- solved to decide by a game of moccasin whether the man should live or die. In this game the party seat themselves upon the earth opposite to each other, while one holds a moccasin on the ground with one hand, and holds in the other a small ball ; the ball he- affects to conceal in the moccasin, and does either insert it or not, as he shall choose, and then leaves the opposite party to guess where the ball is. In order to deceive his antagonist, he incessantly utters a kind of a sing-song, which is repeated about thrice in a minute, and moving his hands in unison with the notes, brings one of them, at every repetition, to the mouth of the moccasin, as though he had that moment inserted the ball. One party played for the wounded man's recovery and the other for his death Two games were played, in both of which the side for recovery was triumphant, and so they concluded the man would not die of his wounds, "f The Indians had a most excellent knowledge of the topography of their country, and they drew the most exact maps of the coun- tries they were acquainted with. They set down the true north according to the polar star; the ports, harbors, rivers, creeks, and coasts of the lakes ; roads, mountains, woods, marshes and meadows. They counted the distances by journeys and half-journeys, allowing to every journey five leagues. These maps were drawn upon birch bark.* "Previous to General Brock's crossing over to Detroit, he asked Tecumseh what sort of a country he should have to pass through in case of his preceding farther. Tecumsek took a roll of elm bark, and extending it on the ground, by means of four stones, drew forth his scalping knife, and, with the point, etched upon the * Alexander Henry's Travels, p. 176. t Baptist Missions, p. 98. \ La Hontan, vol. 2, p. 13. MARRIAGE AND RELIGION. bark a plan of the country, its hills, woods, rivers, morasses, a plan which, if riot as neat, was fully as accurate as if it had been made by a professional map-maker.* In marriage, they had no ceremony worth mentioning, the man and the woman agreeing that for so many bucks, beaver hides, or r in short, any valuables, she should be his wife. Of all the passions r the Indians were least influenced by love. Some authors claim that it had no existence, excepting, of course, mere lust, which is pos- sessed by all animals. "By women, beauty was commonly no mo- tive to marriage, the only inducement being the reward which she received. It was said that the women were purchased by the night, week, month or winter, so that they depended on fornication for a living ; nor was it thought either a crime or shame, none being esteemed as prostitutes but such as were licentious without a re- ward. "f Polygamy was common, but was seldom practiced except by the chiefs. On the smallest offense husband and wife parted, she taking the domestic utensils and the children of her sex. Chil- dren formed the only bond of affection between the two sexes ; and of them, to the credit of the Indian be it said, they were very fond. They never chastised them, the only punishment being to dash, by the hand, water into the face of the refractory child. Joutel noticed this method of correction among the Illinois, and nearly a hundred years later Jones mentions the same custom as existing among the The Algonquin tribes, differing in this respect from the southern Indians, had no especial religion. They believed in good and bad spirits, and thought it was only necessary to appease the wicked spirits, for the good ones "were all right anyway." These bad spirits were thought to occupy the bodies of animals, fishes and rep- tiles, to dwell in high mountains, gloomy caverns, dangerous whirl- pools, and all large bodies of water. This will account for the offerings of tobacco and other valuables which they made when passing such places. No ideas of morals or metaphysics ever en- tered the head of the Indians ; they believed what was told them upon those subjects, without having more than a vague impression of their meaning. Some of the Canadian Indians, in all sincerity, compared the Holy Trinity to a piece of pork. There they found the lean meat, the fat and the rind, three distinct parts that form * James' Military Occurrences in the Late War Between Great Britain and the United States, vol. 1, pp. 291, 292. * Journal of Two Visits made to Some Nations West of the Ohio, by the Rev. David Jones: Sabin's reprint, p. 75. t Idem. 194 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. the same piece."* Their ideas of heaven was a place full of sen- sual enjoyments, and free from physical pains. Indeed, it is doubt- ful if, before their mythology was changed by the partial adoption of some of the doctrines of Christianity, they had any idea of spir- itual reward or punishment. Wampum, prior to and many years subsequent to the advent of the Europeans, was the circulating medium among the North Ameri- can Indians. It is made out of a marine shell, or periwinkle, some of which are white, others violet, verging toward black. They are perforated in the direction of the greater diameter, and are worked into two forms, strings and belts. The strings consist of cylinders strung without any order, one after another, on to a thread. The belts are wide sashes in which the white and purple beads are arranged in rows and tied by little leathern strings, making a very pretty tissue. Wampum belts are used in state affairs, and their length, width and color are in proportion to the importance of the affair being negotiated. They are wrought, sometimes, into figures of considerable beauty. These belts and strings of wampum are the universal agent with the Indians, not only as money, jewelry or ornaments, but as annals and for registers to perpetuate treaties and compacts between indi- viduals and nations. They are the inviolable and sacred pledges which guarantee messages, promises and treaties. As writing is not in use among them, they make a local memoir by means of these belts, each of which signify a particular affair or a circum- stance relating to it. The village chiefs are the custodians, and com- municate the affairs they perpetuate to the young people, who thus learn the history, treaties and engagements of their nation, t Belts are classified as message, road, peace or war belts. White signifies peace, as black does war. The color therefore at once indicates the intention of the person or tribe who sends or accepts a belt. So general was the importance of the belt, that the French and English, and the Americans, even down as late as the treaty of Greenville, in 1795, used it in treating with the Indians.:}: * Pouchot's Memoir, vol. 2, p. 223. t The account given above is taken from a note of the editor of the documents relative to the Colonial History of New York, etc., vol. 9. Paris Documents, p. 556. | The explanation here given will assist the reader to an understanding of the grave significance attached to the giving or receiving of belts so frequently referred to in the course of this work. CHAPTER XIX. STONE IMPLEMENTS. THE stone implements illustrated in this chapter are introduced as specimens of workmanship of the comparatively modern Indians, who lived and hunted in the localities where the specimens were found. The author is aware that similar implements have been illustrated and described in works which relate to an exclusively prehistoric race. Without entering into a discussion concerning the so-called "Mound Builders," that being a subject foreign to the scope of this work, it may be stated that some theorists have placed the epoch of the ' ' prehistoric race ' ' quite too far within the bounda- ries of well-established historical mention, and have assigned to the " Mound Builders " remains and relics which were undoubtedly the handiwork of the modern American Indians.* Indeed many of the stone implements, also much of the pottery, and many of the so-called ancient mounds and excavations as well, found throughout the west, may be accounted for without going beyond the era of the North American Indian in quest of an explana- tion. It is not at all intended here to question the fact of the exist- ence of the prehistoric race, or to deny that they have left more or less of their remains, but the line of demarkation between that race * Mr. H. N. Rust, of Chicago, in his extensive collection, has many implements similar to those attributed to prehistoric man, which he obtained from the Sioux Indi- ans of northwestern Dakota, with whom they were in daily use. Among 1 his samples are large stone hammers with a groove around the head, and the handles nicely at- tached. The round stone, with flattened sides, generally regarded as a relic of a lost race, he found at the door of the lodges of the Sioux, with the little stone hammer, hooded with rawhide, to which the handle was fastened, with which bones, nuts and other hard substances were broken by the squaws or children as occasion required. The appearance of the larger disc, and the well-worn face of the hammer, indicate their long and constant use by this people. The round, egg-shaped stone, illustrated by Fig. 9. supposed to belong to the prehistoric age, Mr. Rust found in common use amonsr this tribe. The manner of fastening the handle is illustrated in the cuts. Figs. 9 and 36. The writer is indebted to Mr. Rust for favors conferred in the loan of imple- ments credited to his collection, as well, also, for his valuable aid in preparing the illustrated portion of this chapter. The other implements illustrated were selected from W. C. Beckwith's collection. The Indians informed Mr. Rust that these clubs (Figs. 8 and 9) were used to kill buffalo, or other animals that had been wounded; as implements of offense and defense in personal encounters ; as a walking-stick (the stone being used as a handle) by the dandies of the tribe; and they were carried as a mace or badge of authority in the rites and ceremonies of the societies established among these Indians, which were similar in some respects to our fraternities. inn 196 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. and the modern Indian cannot be traced with satisfaction until after large collections of the remains of both races shall have been secured and critically compared under all the light which a careful examina- tion of historical records will shed upon this new and interesting field of inquiry. Stone implements are by no means peculiar to North America; they have been found all over the inhabitable world. Europe is especially prolific in such remains. While the material of which they are made varies according to the geological resources of the several countries in which they are found, there is a striking similarity in the shape, size and form of them all. At the present time like implements are in use among some of the South Sea Islanders, and by a few tribes of North American Indians living in remote sections, and enjoying but a limited intercourse with the enlightened world. The stone age marks an important epoch in the progress of races of men from the early stages of their existence toward a higher civ- ilization. After they had passed the stone age, and learned how to manipulate iron and other metals, their advance, as a general rule, has been more rapid. The implements here illustrated are specimens of some of the more prominent types of the vast number which have been found throughout the valleys of the Maumee, Wabash and Illinois Rivers, and the sections of country drained by their tributaries. They are picked up about the sites of old Indian villages, in localities where game was pursued, on the hillsides and in the ravines where they have become exposed by the rains, and in the furrows turned up by the plowshare. They are the remains of the early occupants of the territory we have described, testimonials alike of their necessities and their ingenuity, and were used by them until an acquaintance with the Europeans supplied them with weapons and utensils formed out of metals.* It will be observed from extracts found in the preceding chapter that our Indians made and used implements of copper and stone, manufactured pottery, some of which was glazed, wove cloth of fiber and also of wool, erected fortifications of wooden palisades, or of palisades and ( earth combined, to protect their villages from their enemies, excavated holes in the ground, which were used for defen- * It may be well to state in this connection that the implements illustrated in this work, except the handled club, Figs. 9 and 36, were not found in mounds or in their vicinity, but were'gathered upon or in the immediate neighborhood of places known to the early settlers as the sites of Piankeshaw, Miami, Pottawatomie and Kickapoo vil- lages, and in the same localities where have been found red-stone pipes of Indian make, knives, hatchets, gun-barrels, buckles, flints for old-fashioned fusees, brooches, wrist- bands, kettles, and other articles of European manufacture. STONE IMPLEMENTS. 197 sive purposes, and erected mounds of earth, some of which were used for religious rites, and others as depositories for their dead. All these facts are wejl attested by early Spanish, French and Amer- ican authors, who have recorded their observations while passing through the country. We have also seen in previous chapters that our "red men" cultivated corn and other products of the soil, and were as much an agricultural people as is claimed for the "Mound Builders." The specimens marked Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are samples of a lot of one hundred and sixteen pieces, found in 187S in a "pocket" on Win. Pogue's farm, a few miles southeast of Rossville, Vermilion FIG. 3=%. FIG. 2= Vermilion county, 111. Vermilion county, 111. Vermilion county, 111. county, Illinois. Mr. Pogue had cleared off a piece of ground for- merly prairie, on which a growth of jack oak trees and underbrush had encroached since the early settlement of the county. This land had never been cultivated, and as it was being broken up, the plow- share ran into the "nest," and turned the implements to view. They were closely packed together, and buried about eight inches below the natural surface of the ground, which was level with the other parts of the field, and had no appearance of a mound, excava- tion, or any other artificial disturbance. Two of the implements, judging from their eroded fractures, were broken at the time they 198 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. were deposited, and one other was broken in two by the plow. The material of which they are composed is white chert. The samples illustrated are taken as an average, in size and shape, of the whole lot, the largest of which is 3f inches wide by 7 inches long, and the smallest 2 inches wide by nearly 4 inches in length. Some of them are nearly oval, others long and pointed at both ends, in others the "shoulders" are well denned, while, for the most part, they are broadly rounded at one end and pointed at the other. They are all in the rough, and no finished implement was found with or near them. Indeed the whole lot are apparently in an unfinished condition. With very little dressing they could be fashioned into perfect im- plements, such as the "fleshers," "scrapers," "knives," "spear" and "arrow" heads described farther on. There are no quarries or deposits of flint of the kind known to exist within many miles of the locality where these implements were found. We can only con- jecture the uses for which they were designed. We can imagine the owner to have been a merchant or trader, who had dressed them down or procured them at the quarries in this condition, so they would be lighter to carry to the tribes on the prairies, where they could be perfected to suit the taste of the purchaser. We might further imagine that the implement merchant, threatened with some approaching danger, hid them where they were afterward found, and never returned. The eroded appearance of many of the "find" bear witness that the lot were buried a great many years ago. * Fig. 4 is an axe and hammer combined. j, 4_i/ The material is a fine-grained granite. The handle is attached with thongs of rawhide passed around the groove, or with a split stick or forked branch wythed around, and either kind of fastening could be tightened by driv- ing a wedge between the attachment and the surface of the implement, which on the back is slightly concaved to hold the wedge in place. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are also axes ; material, dark granite. Heretofore it has been the popular opinion that these .instruments are "fleshers," and were used in skinning animals, cutting up the flesh, *The writer has divided the "lot,'' sending samples to the Historical Societies of Wisconsin and Chicago, and placed others in the collections of H. N. Rust, of Chicago; Prof. John Collett, of Indianapolis; Prof. A. H. Worthen, Springfield, Illinois; Jose- phus Collett, of Terre Haute, while the others remain in the collection of W. C. Beck- with, at Danville, Illinois. STONE IMPLEMENTS. 199 and for scraping hides when preparing them for tanning. The re- cent discoveries of remains of the ancient "Lake Dwellers," of Switzerland, have resulted in finding similar implements attached to handles, making them a very formidable battle-axe. FIG. 6= Vermilion county, 111. Vermilion co., 111. (H. N. Rust's Collection.) From the implements obtained by Mr. Rust of the Sioux it can readily be seen how implements like Fig. 6, although tapering from the bit to the top, could be attached to handles by means of a rawhide band. Before fastening on the handle the rawhide would be soaked in water, and on drying would tighten to the roughened surface of the stone with a secure grip. A blow given with the cut- ting edge of this implement would tend to wedge it the more firmly into the handle.* * In the Fifth Annual Report of the Regents of the University of New York (Albany, 1852, page 105), Mr. L. H. Morgan illustrates the ga-ne-a-ga-o-dus-ha, or war club, used by " the Iroquois at the period of their discovery." The helve is a crooked piece of wood, with a chisel-shaped bit formed out of deer's horn shaped like Fig. No. 7, on the next page inserted at the elbow, near the larger end; and in many respects it resembles the clubs illustrated in Plate X, vol. 2, of Dr. Keller's work on. the " Lake Dwellings of Switzerland and other parts of Europe." Mr. Morgan remarks that " in later times a piece of steel was substituted for the deer horn, thus making it a more deadly weapon than formerly." There is little doubt that the Indians used such implements as Figs. 5, 6 and 7 for splitting wood and various other pur- poses. The fact of their being used for splitting wood was mentioned by Father Charlevoix over a hundred and fifty years ago, as appears from extracts on page 181 of this book, quoted from his Narrative Journal. 200 ITISTOKIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Fig. 7 is another style of axe. The mate- FIG. 7=>. rial out of which it is composed is greenstone, admitting of a fine polish. There would be no difficulty at all in shrinking a rawhide band to its surface, and the somewhat polished condi- tion of its sides above the "bit" would indi- cate a long application of this kind of a fasten- ing. It could also be used as a chisel in exca- vating the charred surface of wood that was being fashioned into canoes, mortars for crack- ing corn, or in the construction of other domes- tic utensils. Fig. 8 is a club or hammer, or both. Its material is dark quartz. Some varieties of this implement have a groove cut around the cen- ter, like Fig. 9. The manner of handling it in- volves the use of rawhide, and, with some, is performed substantially in the same manner as in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, except that the band of rawhide is broader, and extends some distance on either side of the lesser diameter Vermilion county,Ill. FIG. 8= FIG. 36. Vermilion countv. 111. (H. N. Rust's Collection.) Dakota. (H. N. Rust's Collection.) of the stone. In other instances they are secured in a hood of rawhide that envelops nearly the whole implement, leaving the point or one end of the stone slightly exposed, as in Fig. 36.* *Mr. Rust has in his collection a number of such implements, some of them weighing several pounds, which, along with the ones illustrated, were obtained by him from the Sioux of northwest Dakota, and which are "hooded" in the manner here described. Mr. Wm. Gurley, of Danville, Illinois, while in southwestern Colorado in 1876, saw many such clubs in use by the Ute Indians. They were entirely encased in rawhide, having short handles. The handles were encased in the rawhide that extended continuously, enveloping both the handle and the stone. The Utes used these implements as hammers in crushing corn, etc., the rawhide covering of some being worn through from long use, and exposing the stone. IMPLEMENTS FOR DESTRUCTIVE PURPOSES. 201 Fig. 9 was obtained from the Sioux by Mr. Rust. The stone is composed of semi-transparent quartz. Its uses have already been described. Fio. 9. Northwest Dakota (H. N. Rust's Collection). FIG. 10= Figs. 10 and 11 were probably used as spear-heads, they are certainly too large for arrow-heads, and too thick and roundish to answer the purpose of knives. The material is white chert. The edges of FIG. n=%. both these implements are spiral, the "wind" of the opposite edges being quite uniform. Whether this was owing to the design of the maker or the twist in the grain of the chert, from which they are made, is a conjecture at best. FIG. 12= Vermilion county, 111. Vermilion county, 111. Fig. 12 was probably a spear or knife. The material is dark flint. A piece of quartz is impacted in the upper half of Vermilion county, the blade > the chi PP in g through of which 111. displays the skill of the person who made it. The shoulders of the implement are unequal, and the angle of its edges are not uniform. It is flatter upon one side than upon the other. These irregularities would throw it out of balance, and seemingly preclude its use as an arrow, while its strong shank and deep yokes above the shoulder would admit of its being firmly secured to a handle. Fig. 13 was probably intended for an arrow-head, and thrown aside because of a flaw on the surface opposite that shown in the cut. 202 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. It is introduced to illustrate the manner in which the work FIG. 13=} progresses in making such implements. From an exam- ination it would appear that the outline of the implement is first made. After this, one side is reduced to the re- quired form. Then work on the opposite side begins, the point and edges being first reduced. The flakes are chipped off from the edges upward toward the center of and against the part of the stone to be cut away. In this manner the delicate point and completed edges are pre- served while the implement is being perfected, leaving the shoulders, neck and shank the last to be finished. Fig. 14- is formed out of dark-colored, hard, fine-grained flint. Its edges are a uniform spiral, making nearly a half-turn from shoulder Fro.l6=W. Vermilion CO., 111. Vermilion county, 111. Vermilion county, 111. (H. N. Rust's Collection.) Vermilion county, 111. to point. It is neatly balanced, and if used as an arrow-head its wind or twist would, without doubt, give a rotary motion to the shaft in its flight. It is very ingeniously made, and its delicately chipped surface shows that the man who made the implement intentionally gave it the peculiar shape it possesses. Fig. 15 is made out of fine-grained blue flint. It is unusually long in proportion to its breadth. Its edges are neatly beveled from a line along its center, and are quite sharp. Its well defined shoulders and head, with the yoke deeply cut between to hold the thong, would indicate its use as an arrow-point. ARROW HEADS. Fig. 16 is a perfect implement, and its surfaces are smoother than the observer might infer from the illustration. Its edges are very sharp and smooth and parallel to the axis of the implement. Its head, unlike that of the other implements illustrated, is round and pointed, with cutting edges as carefully formed as any part of the blade. It has no yoked neck in w 7 hich to bury a thong or thread, and there seems to be no way of fastening it into a shaft or handle. It may be a perfect instrument without the addition of either. It is made out of blue flint. ARROW HEADS. Several different forms of implements (commonly recognized as arrow heads) are illustrated, to show some of the more common of the many varieties found everywhere over the country. Fig. 17 has uniformly slanting edges, sharp barbs and a strong shank. The material from which it is made is white chert. For shooting fish or in pursuing game or an enemy, where it was intended that the im- plement could not be easily withdrawn from the flesh in which it might be driven, the prominent barbs would secure a firm hold. Fig. 18 is composed of blue flint ; its outline is more rounded than the preceding specimen, while a spiral form is given to its deli- cate and sharp point. FIG. 17=. FIG. 18=}$. FIG. 20= FIG. 19= Vermilion county, 111. Vermilion county, 111. Vermilion county, 111. Vermilion county, 111. Fig. 19 is composed of white chert. Its surface is much smoother than the shadings in the cut would imply. Its shape is very much like a shield. Its barbs are prominent, and the instrument would make a wide incision in the body of an animal into which it might be forced. Fig. 20, like Fig. 17, has sharp and elongated barbs. It is fash- ioned out of white chert, and is a neat, smooth and well-balanced implement. 204 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. FlG. 21 = Fig. 21 is made from yellowish-brown quartz, semi-transparent and inclined to be impure. The surfaces are oval from edge to edge, while the edges themselves are beautifully serrated or notched, as is shown in the cut. It is, perhaps, a sample of the finest work- manship illustrated in this chapter. Indeed, among the many collections which the writer has had oppor- tunities to examine, he has never seen a specimen that was more skillfully made. Fig. 22 may be an arrow-point or a reamer. The material is white chert. Between the stem and the notches the implement is quite thick, tapering gradu- ally back to the head, giving great support to this part of the implement. Fig. 23 is an arrow-point, or would be so regarded. Its stem is roundish, and has a greater diameter than the cut would indicate to the eye. The material from which it is formed is white chert. Vermilion county, 111. FIG. 22=^. FIG. 23=}$. FIG. 24= FIG. 25=% Vermilion co., 111. Vermilion co., 111. Vermilion co., 111. Vermilion co., 111. Figs. 24 and 25 are specimens of the smaller variety of ' ' points ' ' with which arrows are tipped that are used in killing small game. Fig. 24 is made out of black "trap-rock," and Fig. 25 out of flesh- colored flint. Fig. 26 is displayed on account of its peculiar form ; the under surface is nearly flat, and the other side has quite a ridge or spine running the entire length from head to point. Besides this the head FIG. 26=}. Vermilion county, 111. are offered as to its probable uses. and point turn upward, giving a uniform curve to the implement. If used as an arrow-point, the shaft, in consequence of the shape of the stone, would describe a curved line when shot from the bow. It is made of white flint. No suggestions VARIETIES OF IMPLEMENTS FOR DOMESTIC USES. 205 IMPLEMENTS FOR DOMESTIC USES. Fig. 27 is a pestle or pounder. It is made out of common gran- ite. There are many different styles of this p TG 27 _ ^ implement, some varieties are more conical, while others are more bell-shaped than the one illustrated. They are used for crushing corn and other like purposes. The one illus- trated has a concave place near the center of the base ; this would the better adapt it to cracking nuts, as the hollow space would protect the kernel from being too severely crushed. In connection with this stone, the Indians sometimes used mortars, made either) of wood or stone, into which the articles to be pulverized could be placed ; or the corn or beans could be done up in the folds Vermilion county, Illinois. of a skin, or inclosed in a leathern bag, and < H - N - Rust ' s collection.) then crushed by blows struck with either the head or rim of the pestle. The stone mortars were usually flat discs, slightly hollowed out from the edges toward the center. Fig. 28 may be designated as a fleshcr or scraper. The specimen illustrated is made of white flint. It is very thin, considering the breadth and length of the implement, and has sharp cutting edges all the way around. It might be used as a knife, as well as for a variety of other purposes. It is an unusually smooth and highly finished tool. It and its mate, which is considerably broader, FIG. 28=i V'Tmiiioi and proportioned more like Fig. 29, were found sticking perpendicular in the ground, with their points barely ex- posed above the surface, on the farm of Win. Foster, a few miles east of Danville, Illinois. Both of them will make as clean a cut through several folds of paper as the FIG. 29=^. Vermilion co., 111. blade of a good pocket-knife. Fig. 29 is composed of an impure purplish flint. It is very much like Fig. 28, and was probably used for similar purposes. 206 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. FIG. 31= FIG. 30= %_. Fig. 30, as the illustration shows, is rougher- edged than the two preceding ones. The side opposite the one shown has a more uneven sur- face than the other. A smooth, well-defined groove runs across the implement (as shown by the dark shading) as though it were intended to be fastened to a helve, although the groove would afford good support for the thumb, if the implement were used only with the hand. The material is a coarse, impure, grayish flint. Fig. 31 might be said to Combine the qualities of a v>\/ knife, gimlet and bodkin. Its cutting edges extend all around, and along the stem the edges are quite abrupt. The implement was origi- nally much longer, but it appears to have lost about an inch in length, its point hav- ing been broken off. The blade will cut cloth or paper very readily. The mate- rial is white flint. Fig. 32 may be classed with Fig. 31. The material is dark fine-grained flint, and the implement perfect. There is a per- ceptible wind to the edges of the stem, while the edges of the head are parallel with the plane of the implement, and so sharp that they will cut cloth, leather or paper. It was probably used to bore holes and cut out skins that were being manu- factured into clothing and other articles. Fig. 33 may have been made for the same uses as Figs. 31 and 32. The blade is shaped like a spade,, the stem representing the handle. It tapers from the bit of the blade where the stem joins the shoulder, which is the thickest part of the imple- ment, and from the shoulder it tapers to both ends. The bit is shaped like a gouge, and makes a circular incision. It is a smooth piece of workmanship, made Vermilion county, 111. out ot white flint. Vertnilion county. 111. Vermilion county, 111. STONE IMPLEMENTS. 207 Vermilion county, 111. FIG. 35=^ Fig. 34 has been designated as a "rimmer." The FIG. 34= material of which it is made is flesh-colored flint. The stem is nearly round, and the implement could be used for piercing holes in leather or wood. Another use at- tributed to it is for drilling holes in pipes, gorgets, discs and other implements formed out of stone where the material was soft enough to admit of being perforated in this way. Fig. 35. By common consent this implement has received the name of "discoidal stone." The one illus- trated is composed of fine dark-gray granite. Several theories have been offered as to the uses of this imple- ment, one that they are quoits used by the Indians in playing a game similar to that of "pitching horse- shoes"; that they were employed in another game resembling "ten-pins," in which the stone would be grasped on its concave side by the thumb and Vermilion county, 111. (H. N. Rust's second finger, while the fore-finger Collection.) rested on the outer edge, or rim, and that by a peculiar motion of the arm in hurling the stone it would describe a convolute figure as it rolled along upon the ground. . We may suggest that implements like this might be used as paint cups, as their convex surface would enable the warrior to grind his pigments and reduce them to powder, preparatory to decorating his person. The implements illustrated were, no doubt, put to many other uses besides those suggested. As the pioneer would make his house, furniture, plow, ox yokes, and clear his land with his axe, so the Indians, in the poverty of their supply, we may assume, .were com- pelled to make a single tool serve as many purposes as their ingenu- ity could devise. CHAPTER XX. THE WAR FOR THE FUR TRADE. FORMERLY the great Northwest abounded in game and water-fowl. The small lakes and lesser water-courses were full of beaver, otter and muskrats. In the forests were found the marten, the raccoon, and other fur-bearing animals. The plains, partially submerged, and the rivers, whose current had a sluggish flow, the shallow lakes, producing annual crops of wild rice, of nature's own sowing, teemed with wild geese, duck and other aquatic fowl bursting in their very fatness. * The turkey, in his glossy feathers, strutted the forests, some of them being of prodigious size, weighing thirty-six pounds, f The shy deer and the lordly elk, crowned with outspreading horns, grazed upon the plain and in the open woods, while the solitary moose browsed upon the buds in the thick copsewood that gave him food and a hiding place as well. The fleet-footed antelope nibbled at the tender grasses on the prairies, or bounded away over the ridges to hide in the valleys beyond, from the approach of the stealthy wolf or wily Indian. The belts of timber along the water-courses *"The plains and prairies (referring to the country on either .side of the Illinois River) are all covered with buffaloes, roebucks, hinds, stags, and different kind of fallow deer. The feathered game is also here in the greatest abundance. We find, particu- larly, quantities of swan, geese and ducks. The wild oats, which grow naturally on the plains, fatten them to such a degree that they often die from being smothered in their own grease. 11 Father Marest's letter, written in 1712. We have already seen, from a description given on page 103, that water- fowl were equally abundant upon the Mauvnee. t In a letter of Father Rasles, dated October 12, 1723, there is a fine description of the game found in the Illinois country. It reads: " Of all the nations of Canada, there are none who live in so great abundance of everything as the Illinois. Their rivers are covered with swans, bustards, ducks and tea's. One can scarcely travel a league without finding a prodigious multitude of turkeys, who keep together in flocks, often to the number of two hundred. They are much larger than those we see in France. I had the curiosity to weigh one, which I found to be thhty-six pounds. They have hanging from the neck a kind of tuft of hair half a foot in length. "Bears and stags are found there in very great numbers, and buffaloes and roebucks are also seen in vast herds. Not a year passes but they (the Indians) kill more than a thousand roebucks and more than two thousand buffaloes. From four to five thousand of the latter can often be seen at one view grazing on the prairies. They have a hump on the back and an exceedingly large head. The hair, except that on the head, is curled and soft as wool. The flesh has naturally a salt taste, and is so light that, although eaten entirely raw, it does not cause the least indigestion. When they have killed a buffalo, which appears to them too lean, they content themselves with taking the tongue, and going in search of one which is fatter. 11 Vide Kip's Jesuit Missions, pp. 38, 39. THE HUNTER'S PARADISE. 209 afforded lodgment for the bear, and were the trellises that supported the tangled wild grapevines, the fruit of which, to this animal, was an article of food. The bear had for his neighbor the panther, the wild cat and the lynx, whose carnivorous appetites were appeased in the destruction of other animals. Immense herds of buffalo roamed over the extensive area bounded on the east by the Alleghanies and on the north by the lakes, embracing the states of Ohio, Indi- ana, Illinois, Wisconsin and the southern half of Michigan. Their trails checkered the prairies of Indiana and Illinois in every direction, the marks of which, deep worn in the turf, remained for many years after the disappearance of the animals that made them.* Their numbers when the country was first known to Europeans were immense, and beyond computation. In their migrations southward in the fall, and on their return from the blue-grass regions of Ken- tucky in the spring, the Ohio River was obstructed for miles during the time occupied by the vast herds in crossing it. Indeed, the French called the buffalo the "Illinois ox," on account of their numbers found in "the country of the Illinois," using that expres- sion in its wider sense, as explained on a preceding page. So great importance was attached to the supposed commercial value of the buffalo for its wool that when Mons. Iberville, in 1698. was engaged to undertake the colonization of Louisiana, the king instructed him to look after the buffalo wool as one of the most important of his duties; and Father Charlevoix, while traveling through "The Illinois," observed that he was surprised that the buffalo had been so long neglected, f Among the favorite haunts of the buffalo were the marshes of the Upper Kankakee, the low lands about the lakes of northern Indiana, where the oozy soil furnished early as well as late pasturage, the briny earth upon the Au Glaize, and the Salt Licks upon the Wabash and Illinois rivers were tempting places of resort. From the summit of the high hill at Ouiatanon, over- looking the Wea plains to the east and the Grand Prairie to the west, * " Nothing," says Father Charlevoix, writing of the country about the confluence of the Fox with the Illinois River, " is to be seen in this course but immense prairies, inter- spersed with small groves which seem to have been planted by the hands of men. The grass is so very high that a man would be almost lost in it, and through which paths are to be found everywhere, as ivell trodden as they could have been in the most popu- lated countries, although nothing passes over them but buffaloes, and from time to time a herd of deer or a few roebuck": Charlevoix' Narrative Journal, vol. 2, p. 200. t Brackenridge's Views of Louisiana. 210 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. as far as the eye could reach in either direction, the plains were seen covered with groups, grazing together, or, in long files, stretching away in the distance, their dark forms, contrasting with the green- sward upon which they fed or strolled, and inspiring the enthusiasm of the Frenchman, who gave the description quoted on page 104. Still later, when passing through the prairies of Illinois, on his way from Vincennes to Ouiatanon, more a prisoner than an ambassa- dor, George Croghan makes the following entry in his daily jour- nal : "18th and 19th of June, 1765. We traveled through a pro- digious large meadow, called the Pyankeshaws' hunting ground. Here is no wood ~ to be seen, and the country appears like an ocean. The ground is exceedingly rich and partially overgrown with wild hemp.* The land is well watered and full of Ijnffalo, deer, bears, and all kinds of wild game. 20th and 21st. We passed through some very large meadows, part of which belonged to the Pyanke- shaws. on the Yermilion River. The country and soil were much the same as that we traveled over for these three days past. Wild hemp grows here in abundance. The game is very plenty. At any time in a half hour we could kill as much as we wanted, "t Gen. Clark, in the postscript of his letter dated November, 1779, narrating his campaign in the Illinois country, says, concerning the prairies between Kaskaskia and Vincennes, that "there are large meadows extending beyond the reach of the eye, variegated with groves of trees appearing like islands in the seas, covered with buifaloes and other game. In many places, with a good glass, you may see all that are upon their feet in a half million acres. "J It is not known at what time the buffalo was last seen east of the Mis- sissippi. The Indians had a tradition that the cold winter of 17 , called by them "the great cold" on account of its severity, destroyed them. " The snow was so deep, and lay upon the ground for such a length of time, that the buffalo became poor and too weak to resist the inclemency of the weather;" great numbers of them perished, singly and in groups, and their bones, either as iso- lated skeletons or in bleaching piles, remained and were found over the country for many years afterwards. * Further on in his Journal Col. Croghan again refers to " wild hemp, growing in the prairies, ten or twelve feet high, which if properly cultivated would prove as good and answer all the purposes of the hemp we cultivate." Other writers also mention the wild hemp upon the prairies, and it seems to have been supplanted by other grasses that have followed in the changes of vegetable growth. t Croghan's Journal. i Clark's Campaign in the Illinois, p. 92. On the 4th of October, 1786, one day's march on the road from Vincennes to the Ohio Falls, Captains Zigler's and Strong's companies of regulars came across five buffalo. The animals tried to force a passage through the column, when the commanding officer THE DESTRUCTION OF THE GAME. 211 Before the coming of the Europeans the Indians hunted the game for the purpose of supplying themselves with the necessary food and clothing. The scattered tribes (whose numbers early writers greatly exaggerated) were few, when compared with the area of the coun- try they occupied, and the wild animals were so abundant that enough to supply their wants could be captured near at hand with such rude weapons as their ingenuity fashioned out of wood and stone. With the Europeans came a change. The fur of many of the animals possessed a commercial value in the marts of Europe, where they were bought and used as ornaments and dress by the aristocracy, whose wealth and taste fashioned them into garments of extraordi- nary richness. Canada was originally settled with a view to the fur trade, and this trade was, to her people, of the first importance the chief motor of her growth and prosperity. The Indians were sup- plied with guns, knives and hatchets by the Europeans, in place of their former inferior weapons. Thus encouraged and equipped, and .accompanied by the coureur des bois, the remotest regions were pen- etrated, and the fur trade extended to the most distant tribes. Stim- ulated with a desire for blankets, cotton goods and trinkets, the In- dians now began a war upon the wild animals in earnest ; and their wanton destruction for their skins and furs alone from that period forward was so enormous that within the next two or three genera- tions the improvident Indians in many localities could scarcely find enough game for their own subsistence. The coureur des lois were a class that had much to do with the development of trade and with giving a knQwledge of the geogra- phy of the country. They became extremely useful to the mer- chants engaged in the fur trade, and were often a source of great annoyance to the colonial authorities. Three or four of these pe,o- ple, having obtained goods upon credit, would join their stock, put their property into a birch bark canoe, which they worked them- selves, and accompany the Indians in their excursions or go directly ordered the men to fire upon them. The discharge killed three and wounded the others: Joseph Buell's Narrative Journal, published in S. P. Hildreth's Pioneer History. Thirteen years later, in December, 1799, Gov. St. Clair and Judge Jacob Burnett, on their way overland from Cincinnati to Vincennes, camped out over night, at the close of one of their days' journeys, not a great ways east of where the old road from Louisville to Vincennes crosses White River. The next day they encountered a severe snow-storm, during which they surprised eight or ten buffalo, sheltering themselves from the storm behind a beech-tree full of dead leaves which had fallen beside of the trace and hid the travelers from their view. The tree and the noise of the wind among its leaves prevented the buffalo from discovering the parties until the latter had approached within two rods of the place where they stood. They then took to their heels and were soon out of sight. One of the company drew a pistol and fired, but without effect: Burnett's Notes on the Northwest Territory, p. 72. 212 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. into the country where they knew they were to hunt.* These voyages were extended twelve or fifteen months (sometimes longer) before the traders would return laden with rich cargoes of fur, and often followed by great numbers of the natives. During the short time required to settle their accounts with the merchants and pro- cure credit for a new stock, the traders would contrive to squander their gains before they returned to their favorite mode of life among the savages, their labor being rewarded by indulging themselves in one month's dissipation for fifteen of exposure and hardship. "We may not be able to explain the cause, but experience proves that it requires much less time for a civilized people to degenerate into the ways of savage life than is required for the savage to rise into a state of civilization. The indifference about amassing property, and the pleasure of living free from all restraint, soon introduced a licen- tiousness among the coureur des bois that did not escape the eye of the missionaries, who complained, with good reason, that they were a disgrace to the Christian religion, "f " The food of the coureur des bois when on their long expeditions; was Indian corn, prepared for use by boiling it in strong lye to re- move the hull, after which it was mashed and dried. In this state it is soft and friable lijce rice. The allowance for each man on the voyage, was one quart per day ; and a bushel, with two pounds of prepared fat, is reckoned a month's subsistence. JSTo other allow- ance is made of any kind, not even of salt, and bread is never thought of; nevertheless the men are healthy on this diet, and ca- pable of performing great labor. This mode of victualing was es- sential to the trade, which was extended to great distances, and in canoes so small as not to admit of the use of any other food. If the men were supplied with bread and pork, the canoes would not carry six months' rations, while the ordinary duration of the voyage was not less than fourteen. No other men would be reconciled to such fare except the Canadians, and this fact enabled their employ- ers to secure a monopoly of the fur trade. "^ "The old voyageurs derisively called new hands at the business mangeurs de lard (pork eaters), as, on -leaving Montreal, and while en route to Mackinaw, their rations were pork, hard bread and pea *The merchandise was neatly tied into bundles weighing sixty or seventy pounds; the furs received in exchange were compressed into packets of about the same weight, so that they could be conveniently carried, strapped upon the back of the voyageur, around the portages and other places where the loaded canoes could effect no passage. fSir Alexander Mackenzie's Voyages, etc., and An Account of the Fur Trade, etc, \ Henry's Travels, p. 52. THE COUREUR DES BOIS. 213 soup, while the old voyageurs in the Indian country ate corn soup and such other food as could be conveniently procured."* "The coureur des lois were men of easy., virtue. They would eat, riot, drink and play as long as their furs held out," says La Hontan, ' ' and when these were gone they would sell their embroi- dery, their laces and their clothes. The proceeds of these exhausted, they were forced to go upon new voyages for subsistence, "f They did not scruple to intermarry with the Indians, among whom they spent the greater part of their lives. They made excel- lent soldiers, and in bush fighting and border warfare they were more than a match for the British regulars. "Their merits were hardihood and skill in woodcraft ; their chief faults were insubor- dination and lawlessness."^: Such were the characteristics of the French traders or coureur des bois. They penetrated the remotest parts, ^voyaged upon all of our western rivers, and traveled many of the insignificant streams that afforded hardly water enough to float a canoe. Their influence over the Indians (to whose mode of life they readily adapted themselves) was almost supreme. They were efficient in the service of their king, and materially assisted in staying the downfall of French rule in America. There is no data from which to ascertain the value of the fur trade, as there were no regular accounts kept. The value of the trade to the French, in 1703, was estimated at two millions of Jivres, and this could have been from only a partial return, as a large per cent of the trade was carried on clandestinely through Albany and New York, of which the French authorities in Canada could have no knowledge. With the loss of Canada, and the west to France, and owing to the dislike of the Indians toward the English, and the want of experience by the latter, the fur trade, controlled at Montreal, fell into decay, and the Hudson Bay Company secured the advan- tages of its downfall. During the winter of 1783-4 some merchants *Vol. 2 Wisconsin Historical Collection, p. 110. Judge Lockwood gives a very fine sketch of the coureur des bois and the manner of their employment, in the paper from which we have quoted. t La Hontan, vol. 1, pp. 20 and 21. \ Parkman's Count Frontenac and New France, p. 209. Judge Lockwood, in the paper referred to, speaking of the coureur des bois as their relations existed to the fur trade in 1817, thus describes them: " These men epgaged in Canada, generally for five jears, for Mackinaw and its dependencies, transferable like cattle, to any one who wanted them, at generally about 500 livres a year, or, in our currency, about $83.33, furnished with a yearly equipment or outfit of two cotton shirts, one three-point or triangular blanket, a portage collar and one pair of shoes. They were obliged to pur- chase their moccasins, tobacco and pipes at any price the trader saw fit to charge for them. At the end of five years the voyageurs were in debt from $50 to $150, and could not leave the country until they paid their indebtedness." 214 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. of Canada united their trade under the name of the ^Northwest Company"; they did not get successfully to work until 1787. Dur- ing that year the venture did not exceed forty thousand pounds, but by exertion and the enterprise of the proprietors it was brought, in eleven years, to more than triple that amount (equal to six hundred thousand dollars), yielding proportionate profits, and surpassing any- thing then known in America.* The fur trade was conducted by the English, and subsequently by the Americans, substantially upon the system originally estab- lished by the French, with this distinction, that the monopoly was controlfed by French officers and favorites, to whom the trade for particular districts was assigned, while the English and Americans controlled it through companies operating either under charters or permits from the government. Goods for Indian trao^e were guns, ammunition, steel for striking fire, gun-flints, and other supplies to repair fire-arms; knives, hatchets, kettles, beads, men's shirts, blue and red cloths for blankets and petticoats ; vermilion, red, yellow, green and blue ribbons, gener- ally of English manufacture ; needles, thread and awls ; looking- glasses, children's toys, woolen blankets, razors for shaving the head, paints of all colors, tobacco, and, more than all, spirituous liquors. For these articles the Indians gave in exchange the s'kins of deer, bear, otter, squirrel, marten, lynx, fox, wolf, buifalo, moose, and particularly the beaver, the highest prized of them all. Such was the value attached to the skins and fur of the last that it became the standard of value. All other values were measured by the beaver, the same as we now use gold, in adjusting com- mercial transactions. All differences in exchanges of property or in payment for labor were first reduced in value to the beaver skin. Money was rarely received or paid at any of the trading-posts, the only circulating medium were furs and peltries. In this exchange a pound of beaver skin was reckoned at thirty sous, an otter skin at six livres, and marten skins at thirty sous each. This was only about half of the real value of the furs, and it was therefore always agreed to pay either in furs at their equivalent cash value at the fort or double the amount reckoned at current fur value, t When the French controlled the fur trade, the posts in the interior of the country were assigned to officers who were in favor at head- quarters. As they had no money, the merchants of Quebec and Montreal supplied them on credit with the necessary goods, which * Mackenzie's Voyages, Fur Trade, etc. t Henry's Travels and Pouchot's Memoirs. THE FUR TRADE. 215 were to be paid for in peltries at a price agreed upon, thus being required to earn profits for themselves and the merchant. These officers were often employed to negotiate for the king with the tribes near their trading-posts and give them goods as presents, the price for the latter being paid by the intendant upon the approval of the governor. This occasioned many hypothecated accounts, which were turned to the profit of the commandants, particularly in time of war. The commandants as well as private traders were obliged to take out a license from the governor at a cost of four or five hundred livres, in order to carry their goods to the posts, and to charge some effects to the king's account. The most distant posts in the north- west were prized the greatest, because of the abundance and low price of peltries and the high price of goods at these remote estab- lishments. Another kind of trade was carried on by the coureurs des bois, who, sharing the license with the officer at the post, with their canoes laden with goods, went to the villages of the Indians, and followed them on their hunting expeditions, to return after a season's trading with their canoes well loaded. If the coureurs des bois were in a condition to purchase their goods of first hands a quick fortune was assured them, although to obtain it they had to lead a most danger- ous, and fatiguing life. Some of these traders would return to France after a few years' venture with wealth amounting to two million five hundred thousand livres.* The French were not permitted to exclusively enjoy the enormous profits of the fur trade. We jiave seen, in treating of the Miami Indians, that at an early day the English and the American colonists were determined to share it, and had become sharp competitors. We have seen (page 112) that to extend their trade the English had set their allies, the Iroquois, upon the Illinois. So formidable were the inroads made by the English upon the fur trade of the French, by means of the conquests to which they had incited the Iroquois to gain over other tribes that were friendly to the French, that the. latter became "of the opinion that if the Iroquois were allowed to proceed they would not only subdue the Illinois, but become masters of all the Ottawa tribes, t and divert the trade to the English, so that it was absolutely necessary that the French should either make the Iroquois their friends or destroy them.\ You perceive, my Lord, * Pouchot's Memoirs. t Whose territories embraced all the country west of Lake Huron and north of Illinois, one of the most prolific beaver grounds in the country. \ Memoir of M. Du Chesneau, the Intendant, to the King, September 9, 1681, before quoted. 216 HISTORIC NOTES OX THE NORTHWEST. that the subject which we have discussed [referring to the efforts of the English of New York and Albany to gain the beaver trade] is to determine who will be master of the heaver trade of the south and southwest"* In the struggle to determine who should be masters of the fur trade, the French cared as little, perhaps less, for their Indian allies than the British and Americans did for theirs. The blood that was shed in the English and "French colonies north of the Ohio River, for a period of over three-quarters of a century prior to 1763, might well be said to have been spilled in a war for the fur trade, f In the strife between the rivals, the French endeavoring to hold their former possessions, and the English to extend theirs, the strait of Detroit was an object of concern to both. Its strategical position was such that it would give the party possessing it a decided advantage. M. Du Lute, or L'Hut, under orders from Gov. De Nonville, left Mackinaw with some fifty odd coureurs des hois in 1688, sailed down Lake Huron and threw up a small stockade fort on the west bank of the lake, where it discharges into the River St. Clair. The following year Capt. McGregory, Major Patrick Ma- gregore, as his name is spelled in the commission he had in his pocket over the signature of Gov. Dongan, with sixty Englishmen and some Indians, with their merchandise loaded in thirty-two canoes, went up Lake Erie on a trading expedition among the In- dians at Detroit and Mackinaw. They were encountered and cap- tured by a body of troops under Tonty, La Forest and other officers, who, with coureur de bois and Indians from the upper country, were on their way to join the French forces of Canada in a campaign against the Iroquois villages in New York.;}: The prisoners were sent to Quebec, and the plunder distributed among the captors. Du Lute's stockade was called Fort St. Joseph. In 1688 the fort was placed in command of Baron LaHontan. Fort St. Joseph served the purposes for which it was constructed, and a few years later, in 1701, Mons. Cadillac established Fort Pont- ohartrain on the present site of the city of Detroit, for no other pur- * M. De La Barre to the Minister of the Marine, November 4, 1683 : Paris Docu- ments, vol. 9, p. 210, f War was not formally declared between France and England, on account of colonial difficulties, until May, 1756, but the discursory broils between their colonies in America had been going on from the time of their establishment. t Tonty's Memoir, and Paris Documents, vol. 9, pp. 363 and 866. Fort Du Luth, or St. Joseph, as it was afterward called, was ordered to be erected in 1686. " in order to fortify the pass leading to Mackinaw against the English." Du Luth, who erected it, was in command of fifty men. Several parties of English were either captured or sent back from this post within a year or two from its establishment. Vide Paris Documents, vol. 9, pp. 300, 302. 306, 383. ENGLISH AND AMERICAN TRADERS. 217 pose than to check the English in the prosecution of the fur trade in that country.* The French interests were soon threatened from another direc- tion. Traders from Pennsylvania found their way westward over the mountains, where they engaged in traffic with the Indians in the valleys of eastern Ohio, arid they soon established commercial rela- tions with the Wabash tribes, t It appears from a previous chapter that the Miamis were trading at Albany in 1708. To avert this danger the French were compelled at last to erect military posts at Fort Wayne, on the Maumee (called Fort Miamis), at Ouiatanon and Yincennes, upon the Wabash.;}: Prior to 1750 Sieur de Ligneris was commanding at Fort Ouiatanon, and St. Ange was in charge at Yincennes. As soon as the English settlements reached the eastern slope of the Alleghanies, their traders passed over the ridge, and they found it exceedingly profitable to trade with the western Indians. They could sell the same quality of goods for a third or a half of what the French usually charged, and still make a handsome profit. This new and rich field was soon overrun by eager adventurers. In the meantime a number of gentlemen, mostly from Yirginia, procured an act of parliament constituting "The Ohio Company," and grant- ing them six hundred thousand acres of land on or near the Ohio River. The objects of this company were to till the soil and to open up a trade with the Indians west of the Alleghanies and south of the Ohio. The French, being well aware that the English could offer their goods to the Indians at greatly reduced rates, feared that they would lose the entire Indian trade. At first they protested " against this invasion of the rights of His Most Christian Majesty" to the gov- ernor of the English colonies. This did not produce the desired effect. Their demands were met with equivocations and delays. At last the French determined on summary measures. An order * Statement of Mons. Cadillac of his reasons for establishing a fort on the Detroit River, copied in Sheldon's Early History of Michigan, pp. 85-90. t An Englishman by the name of Crawford had been trading on the Wabash prior to 1749. Vide Irving's Life of Washington, vol. 1, p. 48. \ The date of the establishment of these forts is a matter of conjecture, owing to the absence of reliable data. A " Miamis " is referred to in 1719, and in the same year Sieur Duboisson was selected as a suitable person to take command at Ouiatanon, and in 1735 M. de Vincenne is alluded to, in a letter written from Kaskaskia, as com- mandant of the Post on the Wabash. However, owing to the successive migrations of the Miami Indians, the " Miamis " mentioned in such documents, in 1719, may have referred to the Miami and Wea villages upon the Kalamazoo and St. Joseph rivers, in the state of Michigan. The post at Vincennes, it may be safely assumed, was garri- soned as early as 1735, and Ouiatanon, below La Fayette, and Miamis, at Fort Wayne, some years before, in the order of time. 218 HISTORIC NOTES ON 7 THE NORTHWEST. was issued to the commandants of their various posts on Lake Erie, the Ohio and the "Wabash, to seize all English traders found west of the Alleghanies. In pursuance of this order, in 1751, four English traders were captured on the Yermilion of the Wabash and sent to Canada/" Other traders, dealing with the Indians in other locali- ties, were captured and taken to Presque Isle,f and from thence to Canada. The contest between the rival colonies still went on, increasing in the extent of its line of operations and intensifying in the ani- mosity of the feeling with which it was conducted. We quote from a memoir prepared early in 1752, by M. de Longueuil, commandant at Detroit, showing the state of affairs at a previous date in the Wabash country. It appears, from the letters of the commandants at the several posts named, from which the memoir is compiled, that the Indian tribes upon the Maumee and Wabash, through the successful efforts of the English, had become very much disaffected toward their old friends and masters. M. de Ligneris, commandant at the Ouyatanons, says the memoir, believes that great reliance is not to be placed on the Maskoutins, and that their remaining neutral is all that is to be expected from them and the Kickapous. He even adds that "we are not to reckon on the nations which appear in our interests ; no Wea chief has appeared at this post for a long time. M. de Villiers, commandant at the Miamis, Ft. Wayne, has been disappointed in his expectation of bringing the Miamis back from the White River, part of whom had been to see him, the small-pox having put the whole of them to rout. Coldfoot and his son have died of it, as well as a large portion of our most trusty Indians. Le Grls, chief of the Tepicons,* and his mother are likewise dead > they are a loss, because they were well disposed toward the French." The memoir continues: "The nations of the River St. Joseph, who were to join those of Detroit, have said they would be ready to perform their promise as soon as Ononontio would have sent the necessary number of Frenchmen. The commandant of this post writes, on the loth of January, that all the nations appear to take * Paris Documents, vol. 10, p. 248. f Near Erie, Pennsylvania. j This is the first reference we have to Tippecanoe. Antoine Gamelin, the French merchant at Vincennes, whom Major Hamtramck sent, in 1790, to the Wabash towns with peace messages, calls the village, then upon this river, Qiti-ie-pi-con-nae. The name of the Tippecanoe is derived from the Algonquin word Ke-non-ge, or Ke-no-zha from Kenose, long, the name of the long-billed pike, a fish very abundant in this stream, vide Mackenzie's and James' Vocabularies. Timothy Flint, in his Geography and History of the Western States, first edition, published at Cincinnati, 1828, vol. 2, p. 125, says: " The Tippecanoe received its name from a kind of pike called Pic-ca-nau by the savages." The termination is evidently Frenchified. The name by which the Indians called the governor of Canada. FRENCH TRADERS KILLED. sides against us ; that he would not be responsible for the good dispositions these Indians seem to entertain, inasmuch as the Miamis are their near relatives. On the one hand, Mr. de Jon- caire* repeats that the Indians of the beautiful riverf are all English, for whom alone they work ; that all are resolved to sustain each other ; and that not a party of Indians go to the beautiful river but leave some [of their numbers] there to increase the rebel forces. On the other hand, "Mr. de St. Ange, commandant of the post of Vincennes, writes to M. des Ligneris [at Ouiatanon] to use all means to protect himself from the storm which is ready to burst on the French ; that he is busy securing himself against the fury of our enemies." "The Pianguichias, who are at war with the Chaoua-nons, ac- cording to the report rendered by Mr. St. Clin, have declared entirely against us. They killed on Christmas five Frenchmen at the Ver- milion. Mr. des Ligneris, who was aware of this attack, sent off a detachment to secure the effects of the Frenchmen from being plun- dered ; but when this detachment arrived at the Yermilion, the Piankashaws had decamped. The bodies of the Frenchmen were found on the ice.:J: "M. des Ligneris was assured that the Piankashaws had commit- ted this act because four men of their nation had been killed by the French at the Illinois, and four others had been taken and put in irons. It is said that these eight men were going to fight the Chick- asaws, and had, without distrusting anything, entered the quarters of the French, who killed them. It is also reported that the French- men had recourse to this extreme measure because a Frenchman and * A French half-breed having 1 great influence over the Indians, and whom the French authorities had sent into Ohio to conciliate the Indians. t The Ohio. i Col. Croghan's Journal, before quoted, gives the key to the aboriginal name of this stream. On the 22d of June, 1765, he makes the following entry: "We passed through a part of the same meadow mentioned yesterday; then came to a high wood- land and arrived at Vermilion River, so called from a fine red earth found there by the Indians, with which they paint themselves. About a half a mile from where we crossed this river there is a village of Piankashaws, distinguished by the addition of the name of the river" (that is, the Piankashaws of the Vermilion, or the Vermilions, as they were sometimes called). The red earth or red chalk, known under the provincial name of red keel, is abundant everywhere along the bluffs of the Vermilion, in the shales that overlay the outcropping coal. The annual fires frequently ignited the coal thus exposed, and would burn the shale above, turn it red and render it friable. Carpen- ters used it to chalk their lines, and the successive generation of boys have gathered it by the pocketful. Those acquainted with the passion of the Indian for paint, particu- larly red, will understand the importance which the Indians would attach to it. Hence, as rioted by Croghan, they called the river after the name of this red earth. Vermilion is the French word conveying the same idea, and it is a coincidence merely that Ver- milion in French has the same meaning as this word in English On the map in " Volney's View of the Soil and Climate of the United States," Phila. ed. 1804, it is called Red River. The Miami Indian name of the Vermilion was Piankashaw. as ap- pears from Gen. Putnam's manuscript Journal of the treaty at Vincennes m 1792. 220 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. two slaves had been killed a few days before by another party of Piankashaws, and that the Indians in question had no knowledge of that circumstance. The capture of four English traders by M. de Celoron's order last year has not prevented other Englishmen going to trade at the Yermilion River, where the Rev. Father la Riehardie wintered."* The memoir continues: "On the 19th of October the Pianka- shaws had killed two more Frenchmen, who were constructing pirogues lower down than the Post of Vincenne. Two days after- ward the Piankashaws killed two slaves in sight of Fort Yincenne. The murder of these nine Frenchmen and these two slaves is but too certain. A squaw, the widow of one of the Frenchmen who had been killed at the Yermilion, has reported that the Pianguichias, Illinois and Osages were to assemble at the prairies of - , the place where Messrs, de Yilliers and de Noyelle attacked the Foxes about twenty years ago, and when they had built a fort to secure their families, they were to make a general attack on all the French. "The Miamis of Rock Riverf have scalped two soldiers belong- ing to Mr. Yilliers' fort.:}: This blow was struck last fall. Finally, the English have paid the Miamis for the scalps of the two soldiers belonging to Mr. de Yilliers' garrison. To add to the misfortunes, M. des Ligneris has learned that the commandant of the Illinois at Fort Charters would not permit Sieurs Delisle and Fonblanche, who had contracted with the king to supply the Miamis, Ouyaton- ons, and even Detroit with provisions from the Illinois, to purchase any provisions for the subsistence of the garrisons of those posts, on the ground that an increased arrival of troops and families would consume the stock at the Illinois. Famine is not the sole scourge we experience ; the smallpox commits ravages ; it begins to reach Detroit. It were desirable that it should break out and spread gen- erally throughout the localities inhabited by our rebels. It would be fully as good as an army." The Piankashaws, now completely estranged from the French, withdrew, almost in a body, from the Wabash, and retired to the Big Miami, whither a number of Miamis and other Indians had, * Father Justinian de la Richardie came to Canada (according to the Liste Crono- logiqm. No. 429) in 1716. He served many years in the Huron country, and also in the Illinois, and died in February, 1758. Biographical note of the editor of Paris Documents : Col. Hist, of New York, vol. 9. p. 88. The time when and the place at which this missionary was stationed on the Vermilion River is not given. The date was before 1750, as is evident from the text. The place was probably at the large Piankashaw town where the traders were killed. fThe Big Miami River of Ohio, on which stream, near the mouth of Loramies Creek, the Miamis had an extensive village, hereafter referred to. \ Ft. Wayne, where Mr. Vilhers was then stationed in charge of Fort Miamis. PICKAW1LLANY. 221 some years previous, established a village, to be nearer the English traders. The village was called Pickawillany, or Picktown. To the English and Iroquois it was known as the Tawixtwi Town, or Miamitown. It was located at the mouth of what has since been called Loramie's creek. The stream derived this name from the fact that a Frenchman of that name, subsequent to the events here nar- rated, had a trading-house at this place. The town was visited in 1751 by Christopher Gist, who gives the following description of it:* "The Twightee town is situated on the northwest side of the Big Min e ami River, about one hundred and fifty miles from its mouth. It consists of four hundred families, and is daily increasing. It is accounted one of the strongest Indian towns in this part of the con- tinent. The Twightees are a very numerous people, consisting of many different tribes under the same form of government. Each tribe has a particular chief, or king, one of which is chosen indiffer- ently out of any tribe to rule the whole nation, and is vested with greater authority than any of the others. They have but lately traded with the English. They formerly lived on the farther side of the Wabash, and were in the French interests, who supplied them with some few trifles at a most exorbitant price. They have now revolted from them and left their former habitations for the sake of trading with the English, and notwithstanding all the artifices the French have used, they have not been able to recall them." George Croghan and Mr. Montour, agents in the English interests, were in the town at the time of Gist's visit, doing what they could to inten- sify the animosity of the inhabitants against the French. Speeches were made and presents exchanged to cement the friendship with the English. While these conferences were going on, a deputation of Indians in the French interests arrived, with soft words and valu- able presents, marching into the village under French colors. The deputation was admitted to the council-house, that they might make the object of their visit known. The Piankashaw chief, or king, "Old Britton," as he was called, on account of his attachment for the English, had both the British and French flags hoisted from the council-house. The old chief refused the brandy, tobacco and other presents sent to him from the French king. In reply to the speeches of the French ambassadors he said that the road to the French had been made foul and bloody by them ; that he had cleared a road to our brothers, the English, and that the French had made that bad. The French flag was taken down, and the emissaries * Christopher Gist's Journal. 222 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. of that people, with their presents, returned to the French post from whence they came. When negotiations failed to* win the Miamis back to French authority, force was resorted to. On the 21st of June, 1752, a party of two hundred and forty French and Indians appeared before Pick- awillany, surprised the Indians in their corn-fields, approaching so suddenly that the white men who were in their houses had great difficulty in reaching the fort. They killed one Englishman and fourteen Miamis, captured the stockade fort, killed the old Pianka- shaw king, and put his body in a kettle, boiled it and ate it up in retaliation for his people having killed the French traders on the Vermilion River and at Yincennes.* "Thus," says the eloquent historian, George Bancroft, "on the alluvial lands of western Ohio began the contest that was to scatter death broadcast through the world."f * The account of the affair at Pickawillany is summarized from the Journal of Capt. Wm. Trent and other papers contained in a valuable book edited by A. T. Goodman, secretary of the Western Reserve Historical Society, and published by Robert Clarke & Co., 1871, entitled "Journal of Captain Trent." | Old Britton's successor was his son, a young man, whose name was Mu-she- gu-a-nock-que, or "The Turtle." The English, and Indians in their interests, had a very high esteem for the young Piankashaw king. It is said by some writers, and there is much probability of the correctness of their opinion, that the great Miami chief, Little Turtle, was none other than the person here referred to. His age would correspond very well with that of the Piankashaw, and members of one band of the Miami nation frequently took up their abode with other bands or families of their kin- dred. CHAPTER XXI. THE WAR FOR THE EMPIRE. ITS LOSS TO THE FRENCH. THE English not only disputed the right of the French to the fur trade, but denied their title to the valley of the Mississippi, which lay west of their American colonies on the Atlantic coast. The grants from the British crown conveyed to the chartered pro- prietors all of the country lying between certain parallels of latitude, according to the location of the several grants, and extending west- ward to the South Sea, as the Pacific was then called. Seeing the weakness of such a claim to vast tracts of country, upon which no Englishman had ever set his foot, they obtained deeds of cession from the Iroquois Indians, the dominant tribe east of the Mississip- pi, who claimed all of the country between the Alleghanies and the Mississippi by conquest from the several Algonquin tribes, who occu- pied it. On the 13th of July. 1701, the sachems of the Five Nations conveyed to William III, King of .Great Britain, "their beaver- hunting grounds northwest and west from Albany," including a broad strip on the south side of Lake Erie, all of the present states of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, and Illinois as far west as the Illi- nois River, claiming "that their ancestors did, more than fourscore years before, totally conquer, subdue and drive the former occupants out of that country, and had peaceable and quiet possession of the same, to hunt beavers in, it being the only chief place for hunting in that part of the world," etc.* The Iroquois, for themselves and heirs, granted the English crown "the whole soil, the lakes, the * The deed is found in London Documents, vol. 4, p. 908. The boundaries of the grant are indefinite in many respects. Its westward limit, says the deed, " abutts upon the Twichtwichs [Miamis], and is bounded on the right hand by a place called Quadoge." On Eman Bowen's map, ^which is certainly the most authentic from the British standpoint, is a " pecked line " extending from the mouth of the Illinois river, up that stream, to the Desplaines, thence across the prairies to Lake Michigan at Quadoge or Quadaghe, which is located on the map some distance southeast of Chicago, which is also shown in its correct place, and at or near the mouth of the stream that forms the harbor at Michigan City, formerly known by the French as Riviere du Che- min, or " Trail River," because the great trail from Chicago to Detroit and Ft. Wayne left the lake shore at this place. The " pecked line," as Mr. Bowen calls the dotted line which he traces as the boundary of the Iroquois deed of cession, extends from Michigan City northward through the entire length of Lake Michigan, the Straits of Mackinaw and between the Manitou-lin islands and the main shore in Lake Huron; thence into Canada around the riorth shore of Lake Nipissing; and thence down the Ottawa River to its confluence with the St. Lawrence. 988 224 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. rivers, and all things pertaining to said tract of land, with power to erect forts and castles there," only reserving to the grantors and "their descendants forever the right of hunting upon the same," in which privilege the grantee "was expected to protect them." The grant of the Iroquois was confirmed to the British crown by deeds of renewal in 1726 and 1744. The reader will have observed, from what has been said in the preceding chapters upon the Illinois and Miamis and Pottawatomies relative to the pretended conquests of the Iroquois, how little merit there was in the claim they set up to the territory in question. Their war parties only raided upon the country, they never occupied it; their war parties, after doing as much mischief as they could, returned to their own country as rapidly as they came. Still their several deeds to the English crown were a "color of title" on which the latter laid great stress, and paraded at every treaty with other powers, where questions involv- ing the right to this territory were a subject of discussion. * The war for the fur trade expanded into a struggle for empire that convulsed both continents of America and Europe. The limit assigned this work forbids a notice of the principal occurrences in the progress of the French-Colonial War, as most of the military movements in that contest were outside of the territory we are con- sidering. There were, however, two campaigns conducted by troops recruited in the northwest, and these engagements will be noticed. We believe they have not heretofore been compiled as fully as their importance would seem to demand. In 1758 Gen. Forbes, with about six thousand troops, advanced against Fort Du Quesne.f In mid-September the British troops had only reached Loyal-hannon, ^ where they raised a fort. "Intelli- gence had been received that Fort Du Quesne was defended by but eight hundred men, of whom three hundred were Indians, " and Major Grant, commanding eight hundred Highlanders and a com- pany of Virginians, was sent toward the French fort. On the third * The Iroquois themselves, as appears from an English memoir on the Indian trade, and contained among the London Documents, vol. 7, p. 18, never supposed they had actually conveyed their right of dominion to these lands. Indeed, it appears that the Indians generally could not comprehend the purport of a deed or grant in the sense that the Europeans attach to these formidable instruments. The idea of an absolute, fee-simple right of an individual, or of a body of persons, to exclusively own real estate against the right of others even to enter upon it, to hunt or cut a shrub, was beyond the power of an Indian to comprehend. From long habit and the owner- ship (not only of land but many articles of domestic use) by the tribe or village of property in common, they could not understand how it could be held otherwise. t At the present site of Pittsburgh. Pa. JLoyal-hannon, afterward Fort .Ligonier, was situated on the east side of Loyal- hannon Creek, Westmoreland county, Pa., and was about forty-five miles from Fort Du Quesne; vide Pennsylvania Archives, XII, 389. Bancroft, vol. iv, p. 311. DEFEAT OF THE ENGLISH. 225 day's march Grant had arrived within two miles of Fort Du Quesne. Leaving his baggage there, he took position on a hill, a quarter of a mile from the fort, and encamped.* Grant, who was not aware that the garrison had been reinforced by the arrival of Mons. Aubry, commandant at Fort Chartes, with four hundred men from the Illinois country, determined on an am- buscade. At break of day Major Lewis was sent, with four hundred men, to lie in ambush a mile and a half from the main body, on the path on which they left their baggage, imagining the French would send a force to attack the baggage guard and seize it. Four hundred men were posted along the hill facing the fort to cover the retreat of MacDonald's company, which marched with drums beating toward the fort, in order to draw a party out of it, as Major Grant had rea- son to believe there were, including Indians, only two hundred men within it.f M. de Ligneris, commandant at Fort Du Quesne, at once assem- bled seven or eight hundred men, and gave the command to M. Aubry. ^ The French sallied out of the fort, and the Indians, who had crossed the river to keep out of the way of the British, returned and made a flank movement. Aubry, by a rapid movement, attacked the different divisions of the English, and completely routed and dispersed them. The force under Major Lewis was compelled to give way. Being flanked, a number were driven into the river, most of whom were drowned. The English lost two hundred and seventy killed, forty-two wounded, and several prisoners ; among the latter was Grant. On the 22d of September M. Aubry left Fort Du Quesne, with a force of six hundred French and Indians, intending to reconnoitre the position of the English at Loyal-hannon. "He found a little camp in front of some intrenchments which would cover a body of two thousand men. The advance guard of the French detachment having been discovered, the English sent a captain and fifty men to reconnoitre, who fell in with the detach- ment and were entirely defeated. In following the fugitives the French fell upon this camp, and surprised and dispersed it. "The fugitives scarcely gained the principal intrenchment, which M. Aubry held in blockade two days. He killed two hundred horses and cattle." The French returned to Fort Du Quesne mounted. "The English lost in the engagement one hundred and fifty men, * The hill has ever since borne Grant's name, f- Craig's History of Pittsburgh, p. 74. JGarneau's History of Canada, Bell's translation, vol. 2, p. 214. Pouchot's Memoir, p. 130. 15 226 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. killed, wounded and missing. The French loss was two killed and seven wounded." The Louisiana detachment, which took the principal part in both of these battles, was recruited from the French posts in "The Illi- nois," and consisted of soldiers taken from the garrison in that terri- tory, and the coureurs des bois, traders and settlers in their respective neighborhoods. It was the first battalion ever raised within the limits of the present states of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. After the action of Loyal-hannon, "the Louisiana detachment, as well as those from Detroit, returned home."* Soon after their departure, and on the 24th of November, the French abandoned Fort Du Quesne. Pouchot says: "It came to pass that by blundering at Fort Du Quesne the French were obliged to abandon it. for want of provisions." This may have been the true reason for the abandonment, but doubtless the near approach of a large English army, commanded by Gen. Forbes, had no small influence in accelerating their movements. The fort was a mere stockade, of small dimensions, and not suited to resist the attacks of artillery. "I* Having burnt the stockade and storehouses, the garrison sepa- rated. One hundred retired to Presque Isle, by land. Two hundred, by way of the Alleghany, went to Yenango. The remaining hun- dred descended the Ohio. About forty miles above its confluence with the Mississippi, and on a beautiful eminence on the north bank of the river, they erected a fort and named it Fort Massac, in honor of the commander, M. Massac, who superintended its construction. This was the last fort erected by the French on the Ohio, and it was occupied by a garrison of French troops until the evacuation of the country under the stipulations of the treaty of Paris. Such was the origin of Fort Massac, divested of the romance which fable has thrown around its name.";}: * Letter of Marquis Montcalm: Paris Documents, vol. 10, p. 901. f Hildreth's Pioneer History, p. 42. \ Monette's Valley of the Mississippi, vol. 1, p. 317. Goy. Reynolds, who visited the remains of Fort Massac in 1855, thus describes its remains: " The outside walls were one hundred and thirty-6ve feet square, and at each angle strong bastions were erected. The walls were palisades, with earth between the wood. A large well was sunk in the fortress, and the whole appeared to have been strong and substantial in its day. Three or four acres of gravel walks were made on the north of the fort, on which the soldiers paraded. The walks were made in exact angles, and beautifully graveled with pebbles from the river. The site is one of the most beautiful on La Belle Rivere, and commands a view of the Ohio that is charming and lovely. French genius for the selection of sites for forts is eminently sustained in their choice of Fort Massacre." The Governor states that the fort was first established in 1711, and "was enlarged and made a respectable fortress in 1756." Vide Reynolds' Life and Times, pp. 28, 29. This is, probably, a mistake. There are no records in the French official documerts of any military post in that vicinity until the so-called French and Indian war. CHANGE OF WAR-PLAN. 227 On the day following the evacuation, the English took peaceable possession of the smoking ruins of Fort Du Quesne. They erected a temporary fortification, named it Fort Pitt, in honor of the great English statesman of that name, and leaving two hundred men as a garrison, retired over the mountains. On the 5th of December, 1758, Thomas Pownall, governor of Massachusetts Bay Province, addressed a memorial to the British Ministry, suggesting that there should be an entire change in the method of carrying on the war. Pownall stated that the French were superior in battles fought in the wilderness ; that Canada never could be conquered by land campaigns ; that the proper way to succeed in the reduction of Canada would be to make an attack on Quebec by sea, and thus, by cutting off supplies from the home gov- ernment, Canada would be starved out.* Pitt, if he did not act on the recommendations of Gov. Pownall, at least had similar views, and the next year (1759), in accordance with this plan, Gen. Wolfe made a successful assault on Quebec, and from that time, the supplies and reinforcements from the home gov- ernment being cut off, the cause of the French in Canada became almost hopeless. During this year the French made every effort to stir up the Indians north of the Ohio to take the tomahawk and scalping-knife in hand, and make one more attempt to preserve the northwest for the joint occupancy of the Gallic and American races. Emissa- ries were sent to Lake Erie, Detroit, Mackinaw, Ouiatanon, Vincennes, Kaskaskia and Fort Chartes, loaded with presents and ammunition, for the purpose of collecting all those stragglers who had not enter- prise enough to go voluntarily to the seat of war. Canada was hard pressed for soldiers ; the English navy cut o'ff most of the rein- * Pownall's Administration of the Colonies, Appendix, p. 57. Thomas Pownall, born in England in 1720, came to America in 1753; was governor of Massachusetts Bay, and subsequently was appointed governor of South Carolina. He was highly edu- cated, and possessed a thorough knowledge of the geography, history and policy of both the French and English colonies in America. His work on the "Administration of the American Colonies" passed through many editions. In 1756 he addressed a memorial to His Highness the Duke of Cumberland, on the conduct of the colonial war, in which he recommended a plan for its further prosecution. The paper is a very able one. Much 'of it compiled from the official letters of Marquis Vaudreuil, Governor- General of. Canada, written between the years 1,743 and 1752, showing the policy of the French, and giving a minute description of their settlements, military establishments in the west, their manner of dealing with the Indians, and a description of the river communications of the French between their possessions in Canada and Louisiana. In 1776 he revised Evans 1 celebrated map of the " Middle British Provinces in America." After his return to England he devoted himself to scientific pursuits. He was a warm friend of the American colonists in the contest with the mother country, and de- nounced the measures of parliament concerning the colonies as harsh and wholly unwarranted, and predicted the result that followed. He died in 1805. 228 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NOKTHWEST. forcements from France, while the English, on the contrary, were constantly receiving troops from the mother country. Mons. de Aubry, commandant at Fort Chartes, persuaded four hundred men from the "Illinois country" to follow him eastward. Taking with him two hundred thousand pounds of flour, he em- barked his heterogeneous force in bateaux and canoes. The route by way of the Ohio was closed ; the English were in possession of its headwaters. He went down the Mississippi, thence up the Ohio to the mouth of the Wabash. Having ascended the latter stream to the Miami villages, near the present site of Fort Wayne, his fol- lowers made the portage, passed down the Maumee, and entered Lake Erie. During the whole course of their journey they were being con- stantly reinforced by bands of different tribes of Indians, arid by Canadian militia as they passed the several posts, until the army was augmented to sixteen hundred men, of whom there were six hundred French and one thousand Indians. An eye-witness, in speaking of the appearance of the force, said : " When they passed the little rapid at the outlet of Lake Erie (at Bufialo) the flotilla ap- peared like a floating island, as the river was covered with their bateaux and canoes."* Aubry was compelled to leave his flour and provisions at the Miami portage. He afterward requested M. de Port-neuf, com- mandant at Presque Isle, to take charge of the portage, and to send it constantly in his bateaux, f Before Aubry reached Presque Isle he was joined by other bodies of Indians and Canadians from the region of the upper lakes. They were under the command of French traders and commandants of interior posts. At Fort Machault^; he was joined by M. de Lignery ; the latter had assembled the Ohio Indians at Presque Isle. It was the original intention of Aubry to recapture Fort Du Quesne from the English. On the 12th of July a grand council was held at Fort Machault, in which the commandant thanked the Indians for their attendance, threw down the war belt, and told them he would set out the next day for Fort Du Quesne. Soon after messengers arrived with a packet of letters for the officers. After reading them Aubry told the Indians: "Children, I have received bad news; the Eng- lish are gone against Niagara. We must give over thoughts of going down the river to Fort Du Quesne till we have cleared that place of *Pouchot's Memoirs, vol. 1, pp. 186, 187 fldem, p. 152. i Located at the mouth of French Creek, Pennsylvania. Idem, 187. AUBRY'S CAMPAIGN. 229 the enemy. If it should be taken, our road to you is stopped, and you must become poor." Orders were immediately given to pro- ceed with the artillery, provisions, etc., up French Creek, and the Indians prepared to follow.* These letters were from M. Pouchot, commandant at Niagara,! and stated that he was besieged by a much superior force of English and Indians, who were under the command of Gen. Predeaux and Sir William Johnson. Aubry answered these letters on the next day, and said he thought they might fight the enemy successfully, and compel them to raise the siege. The Indians who brought these mes- sages to Pouchot informed him that they, on the part of the Indians with Aubry and Lignery, had offered the Iroquois and other Indian allies of the English five war belts if they would retire. These prom- ised that they would not mingle in the quarrel. "We will here recall the fact that Pouchot, by his letter of the 10th, had notified Lignery and Aubry that the enemy might be four or five thousand strong without the Indians, and if they could put themselves in condition to attack so large a force, he should pass Chenondac to come to Niagara by the other side of the river, where he would be in con- dition to drive the English, who were only two hundred strong on that side, and could not easily be reinforced. This done, they could easily come to him, because after the defeat of this body they could send bateaux to bring them to the fort." M. Pouchot now recalled his previous request, and informed Aubry that the enemy were in three positions, in one of which there were three thousand nine hundred Indians. He added, could Aubry succeed in driving the enemy from any of these positions, he had no doubt they would be forced to raise the siege. ^ Aubry 's route was up French Creek to its head-waters, thence making the portage to Presque Isle and sailing along the shores of Lake Erie until he reached Niagara. Arriving at the foot of Lake Erie he left one hundred and fifty men in charge of his canoes, and with the remainder advanced toward Niagara. Sir William John- son was informed, on the evening of the 23d, of this advance of the French, and ordered his light infantry and pickets to take post on the left, on the road between Niagara Falls and the fort; and these, after reinforcing them with grenadiers and parts of the 46th and 44th regiments, were so arranged as to effectually support the guard left * Extract from a letter dated July 17, 1759, of Col. Mercer, commandant at Fort Pitt, published in Craig's Olden Time, vol. 1, p. 194. t Fort Niagara was one of the earliest French military posts, and situated on the right, or American shore of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of Niagara River. It has iigured conspicuously in all of the wars on the lake frontier. t Pouchot's Memoirs, vol. 1, pp. 186, 187, 188. 230 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. in the trenches. Most of his men were concealed either in the trenches or by trees. On the morning of the 24th the French made their appearance. They were inarching along a path about eight feet wide, and "were in readiness to fight in close order and without ranks or files." On their right were thirty Indians, who formed a front on the enemy's left. The Indians of the English army advanced to speak to those of the French. Seeing the Iroquois in the latter' s company, the French Indians refused to advance, under pretext that they were at peace with the first named. Though thus abandoned by their chief force, Aubry and Lignery still proceeded on their way, thinking that the few savages they saw were isolated men, till they reached a narrow pathway, when they discovered great numbers beyond. The English Indians then gave the war-whoop and the action com- menced. The English regulars attacked the French in front, while the Indians poured in on their flank. Thus surprised by an am- buscade, and deserted by their savage allies, the French proved easy victims to the prowess of far superior numbers. They were assailed in front and rear by two thousand men. The rear of the column, unable to resist, gave way, and left the head exposed to the enemy's fire, which crushed it entirely. An Indian massacre followed, and the pursuit of the victors continued until they were compelled to desist by sheer fatigue. Almost all the French officers were killed, wounded or taken prisoners. Among the latter was Aubry. Those who escaped joined M. Rocheblave, and with his detachment re- treated to Detroit and other western lake posts."" This defeat on the shores of Lake Erie was very severe on the struggling western settlements. Most all of the able-bodied men had gone with Aubry, many never to return. In 1760 M. de Mac- Carty, commandant at Fort Chartes, in a letter to Marquis Vaudreuil, stated that "the garrison was weaker than ever before, the check at Niagara having cost him the elite of his men."f It is apparent, from the desertion of Aubry by his savage allies, that they perceived that the English were certain to conquer in the end. They felt no particular desire to prop a falling cause, and thus deserted Mons. Aubry at the crisis when their assistance was most needed. Thus was defeated the greatest French-Indian force ever collected in the northwest. % * The account of this action has been compiled from Mante, p. 226; Pouchot, vol. 1, p. 192; and Garneau's History of Canada, vol. 2, pp. 250, 251, Bell's translation. t Paris Documents, vol. 10, p. 1093. \ Aubry returned to Louisiana and remained there until after the peace of 1763. In 1765 he was appointed governor of Louisiana, and surrendered the colony, in March,. THE DOWNFALL OF FKENCH RULE. 231 The next day after Aubry's defeat, near Fort Niagara, the fortress surrendered. After the surrender of Niagara and Fort Du Quesne, the Indian allies of France retired to the deep recesses of the western forests, and the English frontiers suffered no more from their depredations. Settlements were gradually formed on the western side of the Alle- ghanies, and they remained secure from Indian invasions. In the meantime many Canadians, becoming satisfied that the conquest of Canada was only a mere question of time, determined, before that event took place, to remove to the French settlements on the lower Mississippi. "Many of them accordingly departed from Canada by way of the lakes, and thence through the Illinois and Wabash Rivers to the Mississippi."* After the surrender of Quebec, in 1759, Montreal became the headquarters of the French in Canada, and in the spring of 1760 Mons. Levi, the French cornmander-in-chief, besieged Quebec. The arrival of an English fleet compelled him to relinquish his designs. Amherst and Johnson formed a junction, and advanced against Montreal. The French governor of Canada, Marquis Vaudreil, believing that further resistance was impossible, surrendered all Canada to the English. This included the western posts of Detroit, Mackinaw, Fort Miami, Ouiatanon, Yiiicennes, Fort St. Joseph, etc. After this war ceased to be waged in America, though the treaty of Paris was not concluded until February, 1763, the most essential parts of which are contained in the following extracts : "In order to establish peace on solid and durable foundations, and to remove forever all subjects of dispute with regard to the limits of the British and French territories on the continent of America, it is agreed that for the future the confines between the dominions of his Britannic Majesty and those of His Most Christian Majesty in that part of the world, shall be fixed irrevocably by a line drawn along the middle of the River Mississippi from its source to the River Iberville, and from thence by a line drawn along the middle of this river and the lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain, to the sea ; and for this purpose the most Christian King cedes, in full right, and guarantees to his Britannic Majesty, the river and port of Mobile, and everything which he possesses, or ought to possess, on the left side of the Mississippi, with the exception of the town of 1766, to the Spanish governor, Ulloa. _ After the expulsion of Ulloa, he held the government until relieved by O'Reilly, in July, 1769. He soon afterward sailed for France. The vessel was lost, and Aubry perished in the depths of the sea. * Monette's Valley of the Mississippi, vol. 1, p. 305. 232 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. New Orleans and of the island on which it is situated ; it being well understood that the navigation of the Mississippi shall be equally free, as well to the subjects of Great Britain as to those of France, in its whole length and breadth, from its source to the sea."* Thus Gallic rule came to an end in North America. Its downfall was the result of natural causes, and was owing largely to the differ- ence between the Frenchmen and the Englishmen. The former, as a rule, gave no attention to agriculture, but found occupation in hunting and trading with the Indians, acquiring nomadic habits that unfitted them for the cultivation of the soil ; their families dwelt in villages separated by wide stretches of wilderness. While the able men were hunting and trading, the old men, women and children produced scanty crops sown in " common fields," or inclosures of a piece of ground which were portioned off" among the families of the village. The Englishman, on the other hand, loved to own land, and pushed his improvements from the coast line up through all the valleys extending westward. Reaching the summit of the Allegha- nies, the tide of emigration flowed into the valleys beyond. Every cabin was a fort, every advancing farm a new line of intrenchment. The distinguishing characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon is consistency and firmness in his designs, arid, more than all, his love for a home. In the trials and hardships necessarily connected with the opening up of the wilderness these traits come prominently into play. The result was, that the English colonies prospered in a degree hitherto unknown in the annals of the world's progress. And by way of con- trast, how little did the French have to show in the way of lasting improvements in the northwest after it had been in their possession for nearly a century ! However, the very traits that disqualified the Gaul as a successful colonist gave him a preeminent advantage over the Anglo-Saxon in the influence he exerted upon the Indian. He did not want their * "On the 3d day of the previous November, France, by a secret treaty ceded to Spain all her possessions west of the Mississippi. His Most Christian Majesty made known to the inhabitants of Louisiana the fact of the cession by a letter, dated April 21, 1764. Don Ulloa, the New Spanish governor, arrived at New Orleans in 1766. The French inhabitants objected to the transfer of Louisiana to Spain, and, resorting to arms, compelled Ulloa to return to Havana. In 1769, O'Reilly, with a Spanish force, arrived and took possession. He killed six of the ringleaders and sent others to Cuba. Spain remained in possession of Louisiana until March, 1801, when Louisiana was retroceded to the French republic. The French made preparations to occupy Lousiana, and an army of twenty-five thousand men was designed for that territory, but the fleet and army were suddenly blockaded in one of the ports of Hol- land by an English squadron. This occurrence, together with the gloomy aspect of affairs in Europe, induced Napoleon, who was then at the head of the French republic, to cede Louisiana to the United States. The tneaty was dated April 30, 1803. The actual transfer occurred in December of the same year." Vide Stoddard's Sketches of Louisiana, pp. 71, 102. FRENCH WAYS WITH THE INDIANS. lands ; he fraternized with them, adopted their ways, and flattered and pleased them. The Anglo-Saxon wanted their lands. From the start he was clamorous for deeds and cessions of territory, and at once began crowding the Indian out of the country. "The Iro- quois told Sir Wm. Johnson that they believed soon they should not be able to hunt a bear into a hole in a tree but some Englishman would claim a right to the property of it, as being found in his tree."* The happiness which the Indians enjoyed from their intercourse with the French was their perpetual theme ; it was their golden age. "Those who are old enough to remember it speak of it with rap- ture, and teach their children to venerate it, as the ancients did the reign of Saturn. ' You call us your children, ' said an aged chief to Gen. Harrison, ' why do you not make us happy, as our fathers the French did? They never took from us our lands, which, indeed, were in common between us. They planted where they pleased, and cut wood where they pleased, and so did we ; but now, if a poor Indian attempts to take a little bark from a tree to cover him from the rain, up comes a white man and threatens to shoot him, claim- ing the tree as his own.' "+ * Pownall's Administration of the Colonies, t Memoirs of Gen. Harrison, p. 134. CHAPTER XXII. PONTIAC'S WAR TO RECOVER THE NORTHWEST FROM THE ENGLISH. AFTEK the surrender of Canada to the English by the Marquis Yaudreuil, Sir Jeffery Amherst, commander-in-chief of His Majesty's forces in North America, ordered Major Robert Rogers to ascend the lakes and take possession of the western forts. On the 13th of September Rogers, with two hundred of his rangers, left Montreal. After weeks of weary traveling, they readied the mouth of Cuyahoga, River, the present site of Cleveland, on the 7th of November. Here they were met by Pontiac, a celebrated Ottawa chieftain, who asked Rogers what his intentions were, and how he dared enter that coun- try without his permission. Rogers replied that the French had been defeated ; that Canada was surrendered into the hands of the British ; and that he was on his way to take possession of Detroit, Mackinaw, Miamis and Ouitanon. He also proposed to restore a general peace to white men and Indians alike. "Pontiac listened with attention, but only replied that he should stand in the path of the English until morning." In the morning he returned, and allowed the English to advance. He said there would be no trouble so long as they treated him with deference and respect. Embarking on the 12th of November, they arrived in a few days at Maumee Bay, at the western end of Lake Erie. The western Indians, to the number of four hundred, had collected at the mouth of Detroit River. They were determined to massacre the entire party under Rogers. It afterward appeared that they were acting under the influence of the French commandant at Detroit. Rogers pre- vailed upon Pontiac to use his influence to induce the warlike Indians to disband. After some parleying, Pontiac succeeded, and the road was open to Detroit. Before his arrival at Detroit Rogers had sent in advance Lieuten- ant Brehm with a letter to Captain Beletre, the commandant, inform- ing the latter that his garrison was included -in the surrender of Canada. Beletre wholly disregarded the letter. He declared he thought it was a trick of the English, and that they intended to obtain possession of his fortress by treachery. He made use of every endeavor to excite the Indians against the English. "He 2:!4 DETROIT SURRENDERED. 235- displayed upon a pole, before the yelling multitude, the effigy of a crow pecking a man's head, the crow representing himself, and the head, observes Rogers, 'being meant for my own.' "* Rogers then sent forward Captain Campbell "with a copy of the capitulation and a letter from the Marquis Yaudreuil, directing that the place should be given up in accordance with the articles agreed upon between him and General Amherst." The French command- ant could hold out no longer, and, much against his will, was com- pelled to deliver the fortress to the English. The lilies of France were lowered from the flagstaff, and their place was taken by the cross of St. George. Seven hundred Indian warriors and their families, all of whom had aided the French by murdering innocent women and children on the frontiers of Pennsylvania and New York, greeted the change with demoniacal yells of apparent pleasure ; but concealed in their breasts was a natural dislike for the English. Dissembling for the present, they kept their hatred to themselves, for the late successes of British arms had awed them into silence. It was on the 29th of November, 1760, that Detroit was given, over to the English. The garrison, as prisoners of war, were taken to Philadelphia. Rogers sent an officer up the Maumee, and from thence down the Wabash, to take possession of the posts at the portage and at Oui- atanon. Both of these objects were attained without any difficulty. On- account of the lateness of the season the detachment which had started for Mackinaw returned to Detroit, and all efforts against the posts on the upper lakes were laid as'ide until the following sea- son. In that year the English took possession of Mackinaw, Green Bay and St. Joseph. The French still retained possession of Vin- cennes and Fort Chartes.f It always was the characteristic policy of the French to render the savages dependent upon them, and with that design in view they had earnestly endeavored to cultivate among the Indians a desire for European goods. By prevailing upon the Indians to throw aside hides and skins of wild beasts for clothing of European manufacture, to discontinue the use of their pottery for cooking utensils of iron, to exchange the bow and arrow and stone weapons for the gun, the knife and hatchet of French manufacture, it was thought that in the course of one or two generations they would become dependent upon their French neighbors for the common necessaries of life. When * Parkman's Conspiracy of Pontiac, p. 150. fThis account of the delivery of the western forts to Rogers has been collated from his Journal and from Parkman's Conspiracy of Pontiac. 236 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. this change in their customs had taken place, by simply withholding the supply of ammunition they could coerce the savages to adopt any measures that the French government saw fit to propose. The pol- icy of the French was not to force, but to lead, the savages into sub- jection. They told the barbarians that they were the children of the great king, who had sent his people among them to preserve them from their implacable enemies, the English. Flattering them, asking their advice, bestowing upon them presents, and, above all, showing them respect and deference, the French gained the good will of the savages in a degree that no other European nation ever equaled. After the surrender of the western posts all this was changed. The accustomed presents formerly bestowed upon them were withheld. English traders robbed, bullied and cheated them. English officers treated them with rudeness and contempt. But, most of all, the steady advance of the English colonists over the mountains, occupy- ing their lands, driving away their game, and forcing them to retire farther west, alarmed and exasperated the aborigines to the limit of endurance. "The wrongs and neglect the Indians felt were inflamed by the French coureurs de bois and traders. They had every motive to excite the tribes against the English, such as their national rancor, their religious antipathies, and most especially the fear of losing the profitable Indian trade." Every effort was made to excite and in- flame the slumbering passions of the tribes of the Northwest. Secret councils were held, and different plans for obtaining possession of the western fortresses were discussed. The year after Rogers ob- tained Detroit there was, in the summer, an outbreak, but it was easily quelled, being only local. The next year, also, there was another disturbance, but it, like the former, did not spread. During these two years one Indian alone, Pontiac, compre- hended the situation. He read correctly the signs and portents of the times. He well knew that English supremacy on the North American continent meant the destruction of his race. He saw the great difference between the English and the French. The former were settlers, the latter traders. The French came to the far west for their beaver skins and peltries, while the English would only be satisfied with their lands. Pontiac soon arrived at the conclusion that unless the ceaseless flow of English immigration was stopped, it would not be many decades before the Indian race would be driven from the face of the earth. Well has time justified this opin- ion of the able Indian chieftain ! To accomplish his designs. Pontiac was well aware that he must induce all the tribes of the northwest to join him. Even then he PONTIAC'S WAR. 237 had doubts of final success. To encourage him, the French traders informed him " that the English had stolen Canada while their com- mon father was asleep at Versailles ; that he would soon awaken and again wrest his domains from the intruders ; that even now large French armies were on their way up the St. Lawrence and Missis- sippi rivers." Pontiac believed these tales, for let it be borne in mind that this was previous to the treaty of Paris, and late in the autumn of 1762 he sent emissaries with black wampum and the red tomahawk to the villages of the Ottawas, Pottawatomies, Sacs, Foxes, Menominees, Illinois, Miamis, Shawnees, Delawares, Wyan- dots, Kickapoos and Senecas. These emissaries were instructed to inform the various tribes that the English had determined to exter- minate the northwestern Indians ; to accomplish this they intended to erect numerous fortifications in the territory named ; and also that the English had induced the southern Indians to aid them.* To avert these inimical designs of the English, the messengers of Pon- tiac proposed that on a certain day all the tribes, by concerted action, should seize all the English posts and then attack the whole English border. Pontiac' s plan was contrived and developed with wonderful secrecy, and all of a sudden the conspiracy burst its fury simultane- ously over all the forts held by the British west of the Alleghanies. By stratagem or forcible assault every garrison west of Pittsburgh, excepting Detroit, was captured. Fort St. Joseph, on the river of that name, in the present state of Michigan, was captured by the Pottawatomies. These emissaries of Pontiac collected about the fort on the 23d of May, 1763, and under the guise of friendship effected an entrance within the palisades, when they suddenly turned upon and massacred the whole garrison, except the commandant, Ensign Slussee and three soldiers, whom they made prisoners and sent to Detroit. The Ojibbeways effected an entry within the defenses of Fort Mackinaw, the gate being left open while the Indians were amusing the officer and soldiers with a game of ball. In the play the ball was knocked over within the palisade. The players, hurrying through the gates, seemingly intent on regaining the ball, seized their knives and guns from beneath the blankets of their squaws, where they had been purposely concealed, and commenced an indis- criminate massacre, f * The Chickasaws and Cherokees were at that time, though on their own responsi- bility, waging war aginst some of the tribes of the northwest. fA detailed account of this most horrible massacre is given by the fur-trader Alex- 238 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Ensign Holmes, who was in command at Fort Miami,* learned that to the Miamis in the vicinity of his post was allotted the de- struction of his garrison. Holmes collected the Indians in an assembly, and charged them with forming a conspiracy against his post. They confessed ; said that they were influenced by hostile Indians, and promised to relinquish their designs. The village of Pontiac was within a short distance of the post, and some of his im- mediate followers doubtless attended the assembly. Holmes sup- posed he had partially allayed their irritation, as appears from a letter written ftom him to Major Gladwyn.f On the 27th of May a young Indian squaw, who was the mistress of Holmes, requested him to visit a sick Indian woman who lived in a wigwam near at hand. "Having confidence in the girl, Holmes followed her out of the fort." Two Indians, who were concealed behind the hut, as he approached it, fired and "stretched him life- less on the ground." The sergeant rushed outside of the palisade to learn the cause of the firing. He was immediately seized by the Indians. The garrison, who by this time had become thoroughly alarmed, and had climbed upon the palisades, was ordered to surren- der by one Godefroy, a Canadian. They were informed, if they submitted their lives would be spared, otherwise they all would be massacred. Having lost their officers and being in great terror, they threw open the gate and gave themselves up as prisoners. Accord- ing to tradition, the garrison was afterward massacred.;}: Fort Ouiatanon was under the command of Lieut. Jenkins, who had no suspicion of any Indian troubles, and on the 1st of June, when he was requested by some of the Indians to visit them in their cabins near by, he unhesitatingly complied with the request. Upon his entering the hut he was immediately seized by the Indian war- riors. Through various other stratagems of a similar nature several of the soldiers were also taken. Jenkins was then told to have the soldiers in the fort surrender. "For," said the Indians, "should your men kill one of our braves, we shall put you all to death." ander Henry, an eye-witness and one of the few survivors, in his interesting Book of Travels and Adventures, p. 85. * Now Fort Wayne. FORT MIAMIS, March 30th, 1763. f Since my Last Letter to You, wherein I Acquainted You of the Bloody Belt being in this Village, I have made all the search I could about it, and have found it not to be True; Whereon I Assembled all the chiefs of this Nation, & after a long and trouble- some Spell with them, I Obtained the Belt, with a Speech, as You will Receive En- closed; This affair is very timely Stopt, and I hope the News of a Peace will put a Stop to any further Troubles with these Indians, who are the Principal Ones of Setting Mischief on Foot. I send you the Belt, with this Packet, which I hope You will For- ward to the General. | Brice's History of Fort Wayne. PONTIAC'S FAILURE. 239 Jenkins thinking that resistance would be useless, ordered the re- maining soldiers to deliver the fort to the Indians. During the night the Indians resolved to break their plighted word, and mas- sacre all their prisoners. Two of the French residents, M. M. Mai- gonville and Lorain, gave the Indians valuable presents, including wampum, brandy, etc., and thus preserved the lives of the English captives. Jenkins, in his letter to Major Gladwyn, commandant at Detroit, states that the Weas were not favorably inclined toward Pontiac's designs ; but being coerced by the surrounding tribes, they undertook to carry out their part of the programme. Well did they succeed. Lieut. Jenkins, with the other prisoners, were, within a few days afterward, sent across the prairies of Illinois to Fort Char- tres. Detroit held out, though regularly besieged by Pontiac in person, for more than fifteen months, when, at last, the suffering garrison was relieved by the approach of troops under Gen. Bradstreet. In the meantime Pontiac confederates, wearied and disheartened by the protracted struggle, longed for peace. Several tribes abandoned the declining fortune of Pontiac ; and finally the latter gave up the con- test, and retired to the neighborhood of Fort Miamis. Here he remained for several months, when he went westward, down the Wabash and across the prairies to Fort Chartres. The latter fort remained in possession of a French officer, not having been as yet surrendered to the English, the hostility of the Indians preventing its delivery; and by agreements of the two governments, France and England, it was left in charge of the veteran St.'Ange. The English having acquired the territory herein considered, by conquest and treaty, from France, renewed their efforts to reclaim authority over it from its aboriginal inhabitants. To effect this object, they now resort to conciliation and diplomacy. They sent westward George Croghan.* After closing a treaty with the Indians at Fort Pitt, Croghan started on his mission on the 15th of May 1765, going down the Ohio in two bateaux. His movements were known to the hostile * Croghan was an old trader who had spent his life among the Indians, and was versed in their language, ways and habits of thought, and who well knew how to flat- ter and cajole them. Besides this, Croghan enjoyed the advantage of a personal ac- quaintance with many of the chiefs and principal men of the Wabash tribes, who had met him while trading at Pickawillany and other places where he had trading estab- lishments. Among the Miami, Wea and Piankashaw bands Croghan had many Indian friends whose attachments toward him were very warm. He was a veteran, up to all the arts of the Indian council house, and had in years gone by conducted many impor- tant treaties between the authorities of New York and Pennsylvania with the Iroquois, Delawares and Shawnees. In the war for the fur trade Croghan suffered severely; the French captured his traders, confiscated his goods, and bankrupted his fortune. 240 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. tribes. A war party of eighty Kickapoos and Mascoutins, " spirited up " to the act by the French traders at Ouiatanon, as Croghan says in his Journal, left the latter place, and captured Croghan and his party at daybreak on the 8th of June, in the manner narrated in a previous chapter.* He was carried to Vincennes, his captors con- ducting him a devious course through marshes, tangled forests and small prairie, to the latter place, f After Croghan had procured wearing apparel (his captors had stripped him well-nigh naked) and purchased some horses he crossed the Wabash, and soon entered the great prairie which he describes in extracts we have already taken from his journal. His route was up through Crawford, Edgar and Vermilion counties, fol- lowing the old traveled trail running along the divide between the Embarrass and the Wabash, and which was a part of the great high- way leading from Detroit to Kaskaskia ; ^ crossed the Yermilion River near Danville, thence along the trail through Warren county, Indiana. Croghan, still a prisoner in charge of his captors, reached Ouiatonon on the afternoon of the 23d of June. Here the Weas, *P. 161. f Croghan, in his Journal, says: " I found Vincennes a village of eighty or ninety French families, settled on the east side of the river, being one of the finest situations that can be found. The French inhabitants hereabouts are an idle, lazy people, a parcel of renegadoes from Canada, and are much worse than the Indians. They took secret pleasure at our misfortune, and the moment we arrived they came to the Indians, exchanging trifles for their valuable plunder. Here is likewise an Indian village of Piankashaws, who were much displeased with the party that took me, telling them that ' our and your chiefs are gone to make peace, and you have begun war, for which our women and children, will have reason to cry. 1 Port Vincent is a place of great consequence for trade, being a fine hunting country all along the Wabash." \ That part of the route from Kaskaskia east, from the earliest settlement of Illi- nois and Indiana, was called "the old Vincennes trace." "This trace," says Gov. Reynolds, in his Pioneer History of Illinois, p. 79, "was celebrated in Illinois. The Indians laid it out more than one hundred and fifty years ago. It commenced at Detroit, thence to Ouiatonon, on the Wabash, thence to Vincennes and thence to Kas- kaskia. It was the Appian way of Illinois in ancient times. It is yet (in 1852) visible in many places between Kaskaskia and Vincennes." It was also visible for years after the white settlements began, between the last place, the Vermilion and Ouiatonon, on the route described. [AUTHOR. Croghan says of Ouiatonon that there were "about fourteen French families liv- ing in the fort, which stands on the north side of the river; that the Kickapoos and Mascoutins, whose warriors had taken us, live nigh the fort, on the same side of the river, where they have two villages, and the Ouicatonons or Wawcottonans [as Croghan variously spells the name of the Weasj have a village on the south side of the river." " On the south side of the Wabash runs a high bank, in which are several very fine coal mines, and behind this bank is a very large meadow, clear for several miles." The printer made a mistake in setting up Croghan 's manuscript, or else Croghan himself committed an unintentional error in his diary in substituting the word south for north in describing the side of the river on which the appearances of coal banks are found. The only locality on the banks of the Wabash, above the Vermilion, where the carbonifer- ous shales resembling coal are exposed is on the west, or north bank, of the river, about four miles above Independence, at a place known as ""Black Rock," which, says Prof. Collett, in his report on the geology of Warren county, Indiana, published in the Geolog- ical Survey of Indiana for 1873, pp. 224-5, " is a notable and romantic feature in the river scenery." "A precipitous or overhanging cliff exhibits an almost sheer descent of a SUCCESS OF CKOGHAN'S MISSION. 241 from the opposite side of the river, took great interest in Mr. Croghan, and were deeply "concerned at what had happened. They charged the Ivickapoos and Mascoutins to take the greatest care of him, and the Indians and white men captured with him, until their chiefs should arrive from Fort Chartres, whither the} 7 had gone, some time before, to meet him, and who were necessarily ignorant of his being captured on his way to the same place." From the 4th to the 8th of July Croghan held conferences with the Weas, Pianke- shaws, Kickapoos and Mascoutins, in which, he says, "I was lucky enough to reconcile those nations to His Majesty's interests, and ob- tained their consent to take possession of the posts in their country which the French formerly possessed, and they oflered their services should any nation oppose our taking such possession, all of which they confirmed by four large pipes."* On the llth a messenger arrived from Fort Chartres requesting the Indians to take Croghan and his party thither ; and as Fort Chartres was the place to which he had originally designed going, he desired the chiefs to get ready to set out with him for that place as soon as possible. On the 13th the chiefs from "the Miamis" came in and renewed their "ancient friendship with His Majesty." On the 18th Croghan, with his party and the chiefs of the Miami arid other tribes we have mentioned, forming an imposing procession, started off across the country toward Fort Chartres. On the way (neither Croghan' s official report or his private journal show the place) they met the great "Pontiac himself, together with the deputies of the Iroquois, Delawares and Shawnees,f who had gone on around to Fort Chartres with Capt. hundred and forty feet to the Wabash, at its foot. The top is composed of yellow, red, brown or black conglomerate sandrock, highly ferruginous, and in part pebbly. At the base of the sandrock, where it joins upon the underlying carbonaceous and pyritous shales are 'pot 'or 'rock-houses,' which so constantly accompany this formation in southern Indiana. Some of these, of no great height, have been tunneled back under the cliff to a distance of thirty or forty feet by force of the ancient river once flowing at this level." The position, in many respects, is like Starved Rock, on the Illinois, where La Salle built Fort St. Louis, and commands a fine view of the Wea plains, across the river eastward, and, before the recent growth of timber, of an arm of the Grand Prairie to the westward. The stockade fort and trading-post of Ouiatonon has often been confounded with the Wea villages, which were strung for several miles along the margin of the prairie, near the river, between Attica and LaFayette, on the south or east side of the river; and some writers have mistaken it for the village of Keth- tip-e-ca-nuk, situated on the north bank of the Wabash River, near the mouth of the Tippecanoe. The fort was abandoned as a military post after its capture from the British by the Indians. It was always a place of considerable trade to the English, as well as the French. Thomas Hutchins, in his Historical and Topographical Atlas, pub- lished in 1778, estimates " the annual amount of skins and furs obtained at Ouiatonon at forty thousand dollars." * Croghan's official report to Sir Wm. Johnson : London Documents, vol. 7. p. 780. t These last-named Indian deputies, with Mr. Frazer,had gone down the Ohio with Croghan, and thence on to Fort Chartres. Not hearing anything from Croghan, or knowing what had become of him, Pontiac and these Indian deputies, on learning that Croghan was at Ouiatanon, set out for that place to meet him. 16 242 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. Frazer. The whole party, with deputies from the Illinois Indians, now returned to Ouiatanon, and there held another conference, in which were settled all matters with the Illinois Indians. " Pontiac and the Illinois deputies agreed to everything which the other tribes had conceded in the previous conferences at Ouiatanon, all of which was ratified with a solemn formality of pipes and belts."* Here, then, upon the banks of the AVabash at Ouiatonon, did the Indian tribes, with the sanction of Pontiac, solemnly surrender pos- session of the northwest territory to the accredited agent of Great Britain, f Croghan and -his party, now swollen to a large body by the accession of the principal chiefs of the several nations, set out "for the Miamis, and traveled the whole way through a fine rich bottom, alongside the Ouabache, arriving at Eel River on the 27th. About six miles up this river they found a small village of the Twightwec, situated on a very delightful spot of ground on the bank of the river.";}: Croghah's private journal continues: "-July 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st we traveled still alongside the Eel River, passing through fine clear woods and some good meadows, though not so large as those we passed some days before. The country is more overgrown with woods, the soil is sufficiently rich, and well watered with springs." On the 1st of August they "arrived at the carrying place be- tween the River Miamis and the Ouabache, which is about nine miles long in dry seasons, but not above half that length in freshets." "Within a mile of the Twightwee village," says Croghan, "I was met by the chiefs of that nation, who received us very kindly. Most part of these Indians knew me, and conducted me to their village, where they immediately hoisted an English flag that / had formerly given them at Fort Pitt. The next day they held a council, after which they gave me up all the English prisoners they had, and ex- pressed the pleasure it gave them to see [that] the unhappy differ- ences which had embroiled the several nations in a war with their brethren, the English, were now so near a happy conclusion, and that peace was established in their country. " *Croghan's official report, already quoted. f It is true that Pontiac, with deputies of all the westward tribes, followed Croghan to Detroit, where another conference took place; but this was only a more formal rati- fication of the surrender which the Indians declared they had already made of the country at Ouiatonon. JThe Miami Indian name of this village was Ke-na-pa-com-a-qua. Its French name was A 1'Anguillo, or Eel River town. The Miami name of Eel River was Kin- na-peei-knoh Sepe, or Water Snake (the Indians call the eel a water-snake fish) River. The village was situated on the north bank of Eel River, about six miles from Logans- port. It was scattered alone: the river for some three miles. The following is Mr. Croghan's description of the "Miamis," as it appeared in POXTIAC'S TRAGIC DEATH. 24o From the Miamis the party proceeded down the Maumee in canoes. "About ninety miles, continues the journal, from the Miamis or Twightwee we came to where a large river, that heads in a large ^lickS falls into the Miami River; this they call 'The Forks.' The Ottawas claim this country and hunt here.* This nation for- merly lived at Detroit, but are now settled here on account of the richness of the country, where game is always to be found in plenty." From Defiance Croghan' s party were obliged to drag their canoes several miles, "on account of the riffs which interrupt the naviga- tion," at the end of which they came to a village of Wyandottes, who received them kindly. From thence they proceeded in their canoes to the mouth of the Maurnee. Passing several large bays and a number of rivers, they reached the Detroit River on the 16th of August, and Detroit on the following morning, f As for Pontiac, his fate was tragical. He was fond of the French, and often visited the Spanish post at St. Louis, whither many of his old friends had gone from the Illinois side of the river. One day in 1767, as is supposed, he came to Mr. St. Ange (this veteran soldier of France still remained in the country), and said he was going over to Cahokia to visit the Kaskaskia Indians. St. Ange endeavored to dissuade him from it, reminding him of the little friendship existing between him and the British. Pontiac' s answer was : "Captain, I am a man. I know how to fight. I have always fought openly. They will not murder me, and if any one attacks me as a brave man, 1765: " The Twightwee village is situated on both sides of a river called St. Joseph's. This river, where it falls into the Miami River, about a quarter of a mile from this place, is one hundred yards wide, on the east side of which stands a stockade fort some- what ruinous." The Indian village consists of about forty or fifty cabins, besides nine or ten French houses, a runaway colony from Detroit during the late Indian war; they were concerned in it, and being afraid of punishment came to this post, where they have ever since spirited up the Indians against the English. All the French residing here are a lazy, indolent people, fond of breeding mischief, and they should not be suffered to remain. The country is pleasant, the soil rich and well watered." *The place referred to is the mouth of the Auglaize, often designated as "The Forks " in many of the early accounts of the country. It may be noted that Croghan, like nearly all other early travelers, overestimates distances. t Croghan describes Detroit as a large stockade "inclosing about eighty houses. It stands on the north side of the river on a high bank, and commands a very pleasant prospect for nine miles above and below the fort. The country is thick settled with French. Their plantations are generally laid out about three or four acres in breadth on the river, and eighty acres in depth; the soil is good, producing plenty of grain. All the people here are generally poor wretches, and consist of three or four hundred French families, a lazy, idle people, depending chiefly on the savages for their subsist- ence. Though the land, with little labor, produces plenty of grain, they scarcely raise as much as will supply their wants, in imitation of Indians, whose manners and customs they have entirely adopted, and cannot subsist without them. The men, women and children speak the Indian tongue perfectly well." At the conclusion of the lengthy conferences with the Indians, in which all matters were " settled to their satisfaction," Croghan set out from Detroit for Niagara, coasting along the north shore of Lake Erie in a birch canoe, arriving at the latter place on the 8th of October. 244 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. I am his match." Pontiac went over the river, was feasted, got drunk, and retired to the woods to sing medicine songs. In the meanwhile, an English merchant named Williamson bribed a Kas- kaskia Indian with a barrel of rum and promises of a greater reward if he would take Pontiac' s life. Pontiac was struck with a pa-ka- ma-gon tomahawk, and his skull fractured, causing death. This murder aroused the vengeance of all the Indian tribes friendly to Pontiac, and brought about the war resulting in the almost total ex- termination of the Illinois nation. He was a remarkably fine-looking man, neat in his person, and tasty in dress and in the arrangement of his ornaments. His complexion is said to have approached that of the whites.* St. Ange, hearing of Pontiac' s death, kindly took charge of the body, and gave it a decent burial near the fort, the site of which is now covered by the city of St. Louis. "Neither mound nor tablet," says Francis Parkman, "marked the burial- place of Pontiac. For a mausoleum a city has arisen above the for- est hue, and the race whom he hated with such burning rancor tram- ple with unceasing footsteps over his forgotten grave." *I. N. Nicollet's Report, etc., p. 81. Mr. Nicollet received his information con- cerning Pontiac from Col. Pierre Chouteau, of St. Louis, and Col. Pierre Menard, of Kaskaskia, who were personally acquainted with the facts. CHAPTER XXIII. GEN. CLARK'S CONQUEST OF "THE ILLINOIS." AFTER the Indians had submitted to English rule the west en- joyed a period of quiet. When the American colonists, long com- plaining against the oppressive acts of the mother country, broke out into open revolt, and the war of the revolution fairly began, the English, from the westward posts of Detroit, Vincennes and Kaskaskia, incited the Indians against the frontier settlements, and from these depots supplied their war parties with guns and ammunition. The Depredations of the Indians in Kentucky were so severe that in the fall of 17T7 George Rogers Clark conceived, and next year executed, an expe- dition against the French settle- ments of Kaskaskia and Vin- cennes, which not only relieved Kentucky from the incursions of the savages, but at the same time resulted in consequences which are without parallel in the annals of the Northwest.* *Gen. Clark was born in Albemarle county, Virginia, on the 19th of November, 1752, and died and was buried at Locust Grove, near Louisville, Kentucky, in February, 1818. He came to Kentucky in the spring of 1775, and became early identified as a conspicuous leader in the border wars of that country. The border settlers of Kentucky could not successfully contend against the numerous and active war parties from the Wabash who were continually lurking in their neighborhoods, coming, as Indians do, stealthily, striking a blow where least expected, and escaping before assistance could relieve the localities which they devastated, killing women and children, destroying live stock and bvirning the pioneers 1 cabins. Clark conceived the idea of capturing Vincennes and Kaskaskia. Keeping his plans to himself, he proceeded to Williams- burg and laid them before Patrick Henry, then governor of Virginia, who promptly aided in their execution. From Gov. Henry Clark received two sets of instructions, one, to enlist seven companies of men, ostensibly for the protection of the people of Kentucky, which at that time was a county of Virginia, the other, a secret order, to attack the British post of Kaskaskia! The result of his achievements was overshad- owed by the stirring events of the revolution eastward of the Alleghanies, where other heroes were winning a glory that dazzled while it drew public attention exclusively to >45 24(5 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. The account here given of Clark's campaign in "The Illinois'" is taken from a manuscript memoir composed by Clark himself, at the joint request of Presidents Jefferson and Madison.* We prefer giving the account in -Gen. Clark's own words, as far as practicable. The memoir of Gen. Clark proceeds: "On the (24th) of June, 1778, we left our little island, + and run about a mile up the river in order to gain the main channel, and shot the falls at the very mo- ment of the sun being in a great eclipse, which caused various con- jectures among the superstitious. As I knew that spies were kept on the river below the towns of the Illinois, I had resolved to march part of the way by land, and of course left the whole of our bag- gage, except as much as would equip us in the Indian mode. The whole of our force, after leaving such as was judged not competent to [endure] the expected fatigue, consisted only of four companies, commanded by Captains John Montgomery, Joseph Bowman, Leonard Helms and William Ilarrod. My force being so small to what I expected, owing to the various circumstances already men- tioned, I found it necessary to alter, my plans of operation. "I had fully acquainted myself that the French inhabitants in those western settlements had great influence among the Indians in general, and were more beloved by them than any other Europeans ; that their commercial intercourse was universal throughout the west- ern and northwestern countries, and that the governing interest on the lakes was mostly in the hands of the English, who were not much beloved by them. These, and many other ideas similar thereto, caused me to resolve, if possible, to strengthen myself by such train of conduct as might probably attach the French inhabit- ants to our interest, and give us influence in the country we were aiming for. These were the principles that influenced my future- conduct, and, fortunately, I had just received a letter from Col. them. The west was a wilderness, excepting the isolated French settlements about Kaskaskia, and at Vincennes and Detroit, and occupied only by savages and wild animals. It was not until after the great Northwest began to be settled, and its capa- bilities to sustain the empire, since seated in its lap, was realized, that the magni- tude of the conquest forced itself into notice. The several states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, carved out of the territory which he so gloriously won, nay, the whole nation, owe to the memory of George Rogers Clark a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid in a mere expression of words. An account of his life and eminent services, worthy of the man, yet remains to be written. *.Iudge John B. Dillon, when preparing his first history of Indiana, in 1843, had access to Clark's original manuscript memoir, and copied copious extracts in the vol- ume named, and it is from this source that the extracts appearing in this work were taken. This book of Judge Dillon is not to be confounded with a History of Indiana^ prepared and published by him in 1859. His first book, although somewhat crude, is exceedingly valuable for the historical matter it contains relating to the whole North- west, while the latter is a better digested history of the state of which he was an emi- nent citizen. t At Louisville. CLARK'S CAMPAIGN. 247 Campbell, dated Pittsburgh, informing me of the contents of the treaties* between France and America. As I intended to leave the Ohio at Fort Massac, three leagues below the Tennessee, I landed on a small island in the mouth of that river, in order to prepare for the march. In a few hours after, one John Duff and a party of hunters coming down the river were brought to by our boats. They were men formerly from the states, and assured us of their happiness in the adventure. . . . They had been but lately from Kaskaskia, and were able to give us all the intelligence we wished. They said that Gov. Abbot had lately left Port Yincennes, and gone to Detroit on business of importance ; that Mr. Rochblave commanded at Kas- kaskia, etc. ; that the militia was kept in good order, and spies on the Mississippi, and that all hunters, both Indians and others, were ordered to keep a good look-out for the rebels ; that the fort was kept in good order as .an asylum, etc., but they believed the whole to proceed more from the fondness for parade than the expectation of a visit ; that if they received timely notice of us, they would collect and give us a warm reception, as they were taught to harbor a most horrid idea of the rebels, especially the Virginians ; but that if we could surprise the place, which they were in hopes we might, they made no doubt of our being able to do as we pleased ; that they hoped to be received as partakers in the enterprise, and wished us to put full confidence in them, and they would assist the guides in conducting the party. This was agreed to, and they proved valua- ble men. "The acquisition to us was great, as I had no intelligence from those posts since the spies I sent twelve months past. But no part of their information pleased me more than that of the inhabitants viewing us as more savage than their neighbors, the Indians. I was determined to improve upon this if I was fortunate enough to get them into my possession, as I conceived the greater the shock I could give them at first, the more sensibly would they feel my lenity, and become more valuable friends. This I conceived to be agree- able to human nature, as I had observed it in many instances. Having everything prepared, we moved down to a little gully a small distance above Massac, in which we concealed our boats, and set out a northwest course. The weather was favorable. In some parts water was scarce, as well as game. Of course we suffered drought and hunger, but not to excess. On the third day John *The timely information received of the alliance between the United States and France was made use of by Gen. Clark with his usual tact and with great success, as will be seen farther on. 248 HISTORIC NOTES OX THE NORTHWEST. Saunders, our principal guide, appeared confused, and we soon dis- covered that he was totally lost, without there was some other cause of his present conduct. " I asked him various questions, and from his answers I could scarcely determine what to think of him, whether or not that he was lost, or that he wished to deceive us. ... The cry of the whole detachment was that he was a traitor. He begged that he might be suifered to go some distance into a plain that was in full view, to try to make some discovery whether or not he was right. I told him he might go, but that I was suspicious of him, from his conduct ; that from the first day of his being employed he always said he knew the way well ; that there was now a different appearance ; that I saw the nature of the country was such that a person once acquainted with it could not in a short time forget it ; that a few men should go with him to prevent his escape, and that if he did not discover and take us into the hunter's road that led from the east into Kaskaskia, which he had frequently described, I would have him immediately put to death, which I was determined to have done. But after a search of an hour or two he came to a place that he knew perfectly, and we discovered that the poor fellow had been, as they call it, bewildered. " On the fourth of July, in the evening, we got within a few miles of the town, where we lay until near dark, keeping spies ahead, after which we commenced our march, and took possession of a house wherein a large family lived, on the bank of the Kaskaskia River, about three-quarters of a mile above the town. Here we were in- formed that the people a few days before were under arms, but had concluded that the cause of the alarm was without foundation, and that at that time there was a great number of men in town, but that the Indians had generally left it, and at present all was quiet. We soon procured a sufficiency of vessels, the more in ease to convey us across the river. "With one of the divisions I marched to the fort, and ordered the other two into different quarters of the town.' If I met with no resist- ance, at a certain signal a general shout was to be given and certain parts were to be immediately possessed, and men of each detach- ment, who could speak the French language, were to run through every street and proclaim what had happened, and inform the inhab- itants that every person that appeared in the streets would be shot down. This disposition had its desired effect. In a very little time we had complete possession, and every avenue was guarded to prevent any escape to give the alarm to the other villages in case of opposi- CLARK'S CONQUEST. :M;> tion. Various orders had been issued not worth mentioning. I don't suppose greater silence ever reigned among the inhabitants of a place than did at this at present ; not a person to be seen, not a word to be heard by them, for some time, but, designedly, the greatest noise kept up by our troops through every quarter of the town, and patrols continually the whole night around it, as intercepting any information was a capital object, and in about two hours the whole of the inhabitants were disarmed, and informed that if one was taken attempting to make his escape he should be immediately put to death." When Col. Clark, by the use of various bloodless means, had raised the terror of the French inhabitants to a painful height, he surprised them, and won their confidence and friendship, by perform- ing, unexpectedly, several acts of justice and generosity. On the morning of the 5th of July a few of the principal men were arrested and put in irons. Soon afterward M. Gibault, the priest of the vil- lage, accompanied by five or six aged citizens, waited on Col. Clark, and said that the inhabitants expected to be separated, perhaps never to meet again, and they begged to be permitted to assemble in their church, and there to take leave of each other. Col. Clark mildly told the priest that he had nothing to say against his religion ; that it was a matter which Americans left for every man to settle with his God ; that the people might assemble in their church, if they would, but that they must not venture out of town. ]STearly the whole French population assembled at the church. The houses were deserted by all who could leave them, and Col. Clark gave orders to prevent any soldiers from entering the vacant buildings. After the close of the meeting at the church a deputation, consisting of M. Guibault and several other persons, waited on Col. Clark, and said "that their present situation was the fate of war, and that they could submit to the loss of their property, but they solic- ited that they might not be separated from their wives and children, and that some clothes and provisions might be allowed for their support." Clark feigned surprise at this request, and abruptly exclaimed, "Do you mistake us for savages? I am almost cer- tain you do from your language ! Do you think that Americans intend to strip women and children, or take the bread out of their mouths? My countrymen," said Clark, "disdain to make war upon helpless innocence. It was to prevent the horrors of Indian butchery upon, our own wives and children that we have taken arms and penetrated into this remote stronghold of British and Indian barbarity, and not the despicable prospect of plunder; that now the 250 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. king of France had united his powerful arms with those of America, the war would not, in all probability, continue long, but the inhabit- ants of Kaskaskia were at liberty to take which side they pleased, without the least danger to either their property or families. Nor would their religion be any source of disagreement, as all religions were regarded with equal respect in the eye of the American law, and that any insult offered to it would be immediately punished." "And now," Clark continues, "to prove my sincerity, you will please inform your fellow-citizens that they are quite at liberty to conduct themselves as usual, without the least apprehension. I am now convinced, from what I have learned since my arrival among you, that you have been misinformed and prejudiced against us by British officers, and your friends who are in confinement shall imme- diately be released."* In a few minutes after the delivery of this speech the gloom that rested on the minds of the inhabitants of Kaskaskia had passed away. The news of the treaty of alliance between France and the United States, and the influence of the mag- nanimous conduct of Clark, induced the French villagers to take the oath of allegiance to the state of Virginia. Their arms were restored to them, and a volunteer company of French militia joined a detach- ment under Capt. Bowman, when that officer was dispatched to take possession of Cahokia. The inhabitants of this small village, on hearing what had taken place at Kaskaskia, readily took the oath of allegiance to Virginia. The memoir of Clark proceeds: " Post Vincennes never being out of my mind, and from some things that I had learned I suspected that Mr. Gibault, the priest, was inclined to the American interest previous to our arrival in the country. He had great influence over the people at this period, and Post Vincennes was under his juris- diction. I made no doubt of his integrity to us. I sent for him, and had a long conference with him on the subject of Post Vincennes. In answer to all my queries he informed me that he did not think it worth my while to cause any military preparation to be made at the Falls of the Ohio for the attack of Post Vincennes, although the place was strong and a great number of Indians in its neighborhood, who, to his knowledge, were generally at war; that the governor had, a. few weeks before, left the place on some business to Detroit ; that he expected that when the inhabitants were fully acquainted with what had passed at the Illinois, and the present happiness of their friends, and made fully acquainted with the nature of the war, their sentiments would greatly change ; that he knew that his appearance * Clark's Mfmoir. SECURES VINCENNES. 251 there would have great weight, even among the savages ; that if it was agreeable to me he would take this business on himself, and had no doubt of his being able to bring that place over to the Amer- ican interest without my being at the trouble of marching against it ; that the business being altogether spiritual, he wished that another person might be charged with the temporal part of the embassy, but that he would privately direct the whole, and he named Dr. Lafont as his associate. "This was perfectly agreeable to what I had been secretly aim- ing at for some days. The plan was immediately settled, and the two doctors, with their intended retinue, among whom I had a spy, set about preparing for their journey, and set out on the 14th of July, with an address to the inhabitants of Post Vincennes, authorizing them to garrison their own town themselves, which would convince them of the great confidence we put in them, etc. All this had its desired effect. Mr. Gibault and his party arrived safe, and after their spending a day or two in explaining matters to the people, they universally acceded to the proposal (except a few emissaries left by Mr. Abbot, who immediately left the country), and went in a body to the church, where the oath of allegiance was administered to them in a most solemn manner. An officer was elected, the fort immediately [garrisoned], and ' the American flag displayed to the astonishment of the Indians, and everything settled far beyond our most sanguine hopes. The people here immediately began to put on a new face, and to talk in a different style, and to act as perfect freemen. With a garrison of their own. with the United States at their elbow, their language to the Indians was immediately altered. They began as citizens of the United States, and informed the Indians that their old father, the. king of France, was come to life again, and was mad at them for fighting for the English ; that they would advise them to make peace with the Americans as soon as they could, otherwise they might expect the land to be very bloody, etc. The Indians began to think seriously ; throughout the country this was the kind of language they generally got from their ancient friends of the W abash and Illinois. Through the means of their correspondence spreading among the nations, our batteries began now to play in a proper channel. Mr. Gibault and party, accom- panied by several gentlemen of Post Yincennes, returned to Kas- kaskia about the 1st of August with the joyful news. During his absence on this business, which caused great anxiety to me (for without the possession of this post all our views would have been blasted), I was exceedingly engaged in regulating things in the Illi- 252 HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. nois. The reduction of these posts was the period of the enlistment of our troops. I was at a great loss at the time to determine how to act, and how far I might venture to strain my authority. My instructions were silent on many important points, as it was impos- sible to foresee the events that would take place. To abandon the country, and all the prospects that opened to our view in the Indian department at this time, for the want of instruction in certain cases, I thought would amount to a reflection on government, as having no confidence in me. I resolved to usurp all the authority necessary to carry my points. I had the greater part of our [troops] recnlisted on a different establishment, commissioned French officers in the country to command a company of the young inhabitants, estab- lished a garrison at Cahokia, commanded by Capt. Bowman, and another at Kaskaskia, commanded by Capt. "Williams. Post Vin- cennes remained in the situation as mentioned. Col. William Linn, who had accompanied us as a volunteer, took charge of a party that was to be discharged upon their arrival at the Falls, and orders were sent for the removal of that post to the mainland. Capt. John Montgomery was dispatched to government with letters. ... I again turned my attention to Post Vincennes. I plainly saw that it would be highly necessary to have an American officer at that post. Capt. Leonard Helm appeared calculated to answer my pur- pose ; he was past the meridian of life, and a good deal acquainted with the Indian [disposition]. I sent him to command at that post, and also appointed him agent for Indian affairs in the department of the Wabash. . . . About the middle of August he set out to take possession of his new command.* Thus," says Clark, referring to * "An Indian chief called the Tobacco's Son, a Piankeshaw, at this time resided in a village adjoining Post Vincennes. This man was called by the Indians 'The Grand Door to the Wabash'; and as nothing of consequence was to be undertaken by the league on the Wabash without his assent, I discovered that to win him was an object of signal importance. I sent him a spirited compliment by Mr. Gibault; he returned it. I now, by Capt. Helm, touched him on the same spring that I had done the inhab- itants, and sent a speech, with a belt of wampum, directing Capt. Helm how to man- age if the chief was pacifically inclined or otherwise. The captain arrived safe at Post Vincennes, and was received with acclamations by the people. After the usual cere- mony was over he sent for the Grand Door, and delivered my letter to him. After having read it, he informed the captain that he was happy to see him, one of the Big Knife chiefs, in this town; it was here he had joined the English against him; but he confessed that he always thought they looked gloomy; that as the contents of the let- ter were of great moment, he could not give an answer for some time; that he must collect his counsellors on the suV>ject. and was in hopes the captain would be patient. In short, he put on all the courtly dignity that he was master of. and dipt. Helm fol- lowing his example, it was several days before this business was finished, as the whole proceeding was very ceremonious. At length the captain was invited to the Indian council, and informed by Tobacco that they had maturely considered the case in hand, and had got the nature of the war between the Enirlish and ns explained to their sat- isfaction; that as we spoke the same language and appeared to be the same people, he always thought that he was in the dark as to the truth of it, but now the sky was CLAUK'S INFLUENCE OVER THE INDIANS. 1253 Helm's success, "ended this valuable negotiation, and the saving of much blood. ... In a short time almost the whole of the various tribes of the different nations on the Wabash, as high as the Ouia- tanon, came to Post Vincennes, and followed the example of the Grand Door Chief; and as expresses were continually passing be- tween Capt. Helm and myself the whole time of these treaties, the business was settled perfectly to my satisfaction, and greatly to the advantage of the public. The British interest daily lost ground in this quarter, and in a short time our influence reached the Indians on the River St. Joseph and the border of Lake Michigan. The French gentlemen at the different posts we now had possession of engaged warmly in our interest. They appeared to vie with each other in promoting the business, and through the means of their correspondence, trading among the Indians, and otherwise, in a short time the Indians of various tribes inhabiting the region of Illinois came in great numbers to Cahokia, in order to make treaties of peace with us. From the information they generally got from the French gentlemen (whom they implicitly believed) respecting us, they were truly alarmed, and, consequently, we were visited by the greater part of them, without any invitation from us. Of course we had greatly the advantage in making use of such language as suited our [interest]. Those treaties, which commenced about the last of August and continued between three and four weeks, were probably conducted in a way different from any other known in America at that time. I had been always convinced that our general conduct with the Indians was wrong ; that inviting them to treaties was con- sidered by them in a different manner from what we expected, and imputed by them to fear, and that giving them great presents con- firmed it. I resolved to guard against this, and I took good pains to make myself acquainted fully with the French and Spanish methods of treating Indians, and with the manners, genius and dis- position of the Indians in general. As in this quarter they had not yet been spoiled by us, I was resolved that they should not be. I began the business fully prepared, having copies of the British trea- ties." At the first great council, which was opened at Cahokia, an Indian chief, with a belt of peace in his hand, advanced to the table at which cleaned up; that ho (bund tli;it, tin- ' P>L r Knifo' was in the ri Co. Co Co Co Co. July 24, 1862 . Co. Henry Jones Middleport July 24, 18W . Co. Daniel G. Jacobs .. Middleport July 24. 186'i . Co Frank Jackson Belmont... July 24, 1862 . Co Elisha M. Kendall . ; Belmont . ... July 24, 1862 . Co Joel Lesco Iroquois Tp July 24, 1862 . Co William McAtee. . . iBelmont . . . July 24, 186:3 . Co IroquoisTp July 24, 1862 . Co Concord . . . July 24. 186'2 < o Middleport July 24, 1862 . Co [Belmont... Jill y 24. 18'i2 . Co Middleport July 24, 1862 . Co {Belmont... 'July 24, 1862. Co George Miller James II. O'Brine John Rineheart. . . Ezekiel Rockhold Samuel Roberts . . Asa Sapp Chas. W. Spencer 1) I) D A. nth Inf. IP A. 76th Inf. I) A. 76rh Inf. D. A, 76th Inf. D A, 76th Inf. I) A. 76th Inf. P. A, 76th Inf. K A. 7fith Inf. D. A, 76th Inf D. A. 76th Inf. D A. 76th Inf. D, A, 76th Inf. D, A. 76th Inf. D. A. 76th Inf. K. A. 76tli Inf. D. A. 76th Inf. I), A. 76th Inf. K, A. 76th Inf. 1). A. 76th Inf. D. A. 76th Inf. D at St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 27. 1861. at St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 10. 1861. at St.. Louis. Mo., Dec. 18, 1863. at Ottervllle, Mo., Oct. 15. 1861. at Chickamaugji. Sep. 19. 1863. at Rolla. Mo.. Dec. 7, 1861. at. Stone River. Dec. 31. 1862. near Atlanta. Ga., July 22. 1864. at Bridgeport, Ala., Nov. 16, 1863. at Rolla, Mo.. Nov. 25. 1861. at St. Louis. Mo.. Dec. 11, 1861. at Chattanooga, Dec. 23, 1863. at Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 22, 1864. at Knoxville, Tenn., Feb. 7, 1863. at Di ury's Bluffs, Va., May 14. 1864. lit Tipton, Mo., Jan. 24, 1862. at Tipton, Mo., Dec. 25. 1861. Nov. 11. 1861. at Smithton. Mo., Jan. 3, 1862. at Kesaca. Ga.. May 14, 1864. at Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 4, 1865. in action, Sept. 20, 1863. at Sheldon. 111., March 26. 1862. at Middleport, 111.. July 23. 1863. atFaimington,Miss., July 24. 1862. atFarmington, Miss., May 28 1862. at Farmington. Miss., July 24, 1862. at Andersonville. Oct. 15. 1864. at Chicago. Jan. 30. 1862. near Corinth. June 11. 1862. at Richmond, Va.. March 12, 1864. at Mound City. March 25, 1862. at Chicago, Jan. 7. 1862. at Chickamuuga, Sept. 20, 1864. at Louisville, Ky.. July 6. 1864. at Chattanooga, Sept. 14. 1864 at Franklin, Tenn , Nov. 30. 1864. near Atlanta, Gn., Sept. 20. 1864. at Kern-saw M'n, June 27, 1864. at Nashville. Nov. 2, . at Annapolis. Md.. May 8. 1864. Dec. 6, 1864. June 30. 1864. at Corinth, Oct. 3, 1862. at Paducah, Ky. at PittsburgLand'g. April 15, 1862. at Quincy, 111., May 21. 1862. at shiloh. April 6, 1862. April 13, 1862. at Montgomery/Ala., Sept. 29. 1865. at Montgomery, Oct. 15. 1865. at Montgomery, Sept.. 23. 1865. at Montgomery. Sept. 27, 1865. at Montgomery, Sept. 6, 1865. at Montgomery. Aug. 25, 1865. at Montgomery, Aug. 11, 1865. at Montgomery, July 1. 1865. at Montgomery, July 9, 1865. at Montgomery, July 17, 1865. at Franklin. Teim., Nov. 30. 1864. near Vicksbnrg, May 9. 1863. at Bolivar. Tenn., Oct. 26, 1862. at Jackson. Miss.. July 11, 1863. Oct. 2-2. 1864. at Vickburg, Dec. 25, 1863. at Columbus. Ky., Oct. 8. 18i:2. at Port Hud-on. LS.. Aug. 30, 1864. at St. Louis. Dec. 18. 1862. at Jackson. Miss.. July 7. 18IV4. at Memphis. Tenn.. April 7. 1863. at Memphis. Tenn., Feb. 12. 1863. ut Vick acres of land as a donation to the county ; but if the selection was in a town or village, then not less than fifty lots of an average value with the remaining ones, for which, in either case, they should take a deed in fee-simple to the county. On the 13th Messrs. Moore and Covel met at Middleport. and after subscribing the required oath, entered upon their labors. On the 17th they rendered their report to Jonathan Wright, Adam Karr and Samuel McFall, county com- missioners, declaring the county-seat removed from Montgomery and permanently located at Middleport. For their services each of the commissioners was allowed s33. They obtained from Hugh Newell Jacob A. Whiteman. Jacob Troup and James Smith a deed to 100 town lots. Most of these were subsequently sold and conveyed by Micajah Stanley, and after him a few by George B. Joiner, for the county, at prices ranging from *5 to s4<>. They furnished a much needed revenue, and contributed toward the erection of county buildings. The growing necessities of the public business dictated the build- ing of a court-house- and a jail, but the county was too weak finan- cially to accomplish much in that direction. The commissioners decided to begin the jail first, as that was more urgently demanded. Hugh Newell was appointed agent to let the contracts, but this had not been done when he died, May 8, 1841, and his place as agent 352 HISTORY OF IEOQUOIS COUNTY. was supplied by the appointment of Micajah Stanley. Meantime the offices had been removed to Middleport, and sessions of the cir- cuit court held there. The last term of this court, as probably that of the county commissioners, held in Montgomery, was in Septem- ber, 1831). A frame building in Middleport, belonging to Newell, had been rented by the county. The second floor was used for a court-room. Office rooms were also rented of Garrett Eoff. James Crawford took the contract for building the jail. It was a hewed log structure, about 16x20 feet square, and cost $159.30 when ready for the reception of occupants. It was finished in the winter of 1842-3, nearly two years having transpired from the letting of the contract. The door was fastened on the outside with an ordinary padlock. The floor was made of square timbers laid together, on which the walls of the house were raised. After becoming seasoned some of them were loose, and it was only necessary to slip one either way to have a place of egress. The breaking of this jail was rather a pastime. It is told that the prisoners used facetiously to complain that the swine worked their way under the floor after the crumbs of bread that fell through, and rooted them out of jail. Pancake, a faithful infractor of the law, charged "Garry" Eoif, the keeper, one night when he was leaving, to prop the door well, as thje hogs were in the habit of rooting it open and getting his corn-bread. It is not said which this sarcasm reflected against most the jail or the bread. No other place for the confinement of criminals was provided in Iroquois county until 1858. At the March term, 1843, it was ordered that a court-house be built on the public square in Middleport. Certain dimensions, together with the general features of a plan, were specified, and a committee named to procure a plan and to estimate the cost. Acting on the report rendered that day. the commissioners, on the 10th of April, appointed Lorenzo I). Xorthnip. Charles Gardner, Isaac ( 'ourtright, Samuel Harper and .John llarwood a building commit- tee. The dimensions were slightly changed. The building was to be 37 feet square, of two twelve-toot stories; and the committee was limited to $1,506, fifty-two town lots in Middleport, and the saline land in Vermilion county for its inclosure. The town lots included those which had already been sold. s.SoO were appropri- ated from the treasury to begin the work. The house was of brick, 4-0x40 feet, with a square roof, surmounted by a belfry, which was never furnished with a bell. The first floor was laid with brick and kept covered with sawdust to render it noiseless; this was the court- room. The offices and jury rooms were up-stairs. LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 353 By the fire of October 16, 1866, a part of the county records, on which we have thus far depended for information, were destroyed. The hiatus extends to September 23, 1861, about eighteen and one- half years. Through this period we are as a traveler that wanders in a desert. The saline land above referred to was a part of the salines situ- ated in Yermilion county, and which were granted to the two coun- ties by the state in 1837, for the purpose of building a bridge across each the Yermilion and Iroquois rivers. When Illinois was a terri- tory the salt springs on these lands were considered valuable for the manufacture of salt, and were reserved from sale and leased by the government ; but the management of them proving unprofitable and troublesome, the lands were ceded to the state. Salt-making at these springs was abandoned many years ago. The amount of land appor- tioned to Iroquois county we have not been able to learn, but it was inconsiderable. Mr. Stanley states that he was empowered to sell the land, and that he went to Yermilion county and exchanged -a tract (either 40 or 80 acres) for a horse, which was disposed of in Chicago, and the proceeds arj^ed on the court-house. Joseph B. Dean had the first contract to 1^ the brick. In June, 1845, the walls had been reared about four feet; all the funds on hand had been expended, and work was discontinued. George B. Joiner and William Pierce were now appointed commissioners to superintend the further con- struction. New contracts we*e made, and it is thought that Aaron Hoel and his son burned the rest of the brick, and that Spencer Case did the mason work. The Hebrews were required to make brick without straw, a thing scarc%y Aore difficult than this committee had to do when it was forced to build a court-house without money. They disbursed county orders till these were so depreciated toward the close, that they paid them out at half their face value. The con- tractors who accepted them were compelled to negotiate them a^ 75 per cent discount. To encourage settlement, public lands were exempted from taxa- tion five years from the date of entry. While this was, no doubt, a judicious course, it can be understood t^at the resources of the pub- lic treasury were so disproportioned tvhole to be under the control and at the expense of the state. Mr. [lolbrooke's charter was, consequently, repealed. Over a million lollars were spent on this single improvement when the financial 'evulsion of 1837 came on and bankrupted the state, and forced an ibandonment of all these works. Mr. Holbrooke asked and obtained i renewal of his charter, by which was granted to him and his asso- 2iates all the work that had been done on the line, provided that he should build the road. Judge Breese, then a senator of the United States, from Illinois, brought forward a bill from the committee of the public lands of the senate, conferring exclusive preemption privi- leges on Holbrooke to all the lands on each side -of the road at $1.25 per acre, for a period of ten years. Mr. Douglas denounced it as a gigantic scheme for speculation, and demonstrated that it would be injurious to the interest of the state. He then introduced in the senate the bill, which finally passed, granting to the state every alternate section within six miles of the road on each side of the main track and branches, designated by even numbers, to aid in its construction from the southern terminus of the Illinois and Mich- igan canal to Cairo, with a branch to Chicago, and another via Galena to a point on the Mississippi river opposite Dubuque, Iowa. For any lands embraced in this donation which might have been sold or preempted, the company was entitled to receive an equal amount to be selected from the public lands within fifteen miles on either side of the line by agents to be appointed by the governor. The lands reserved by the government within the six-mile limits were not to be sold for less than double the minimum price of the public lands. The road was to be commenced simultaneously at both extremities of the main line, and continued therefrom until completed ; and if not completed within ten years the grant should be forfeited. The inside history of this bill in detail, as related by Mr. Douglas himself, in a small work on constitutional and party questions, to which we are indebted for some of our facts, is of no little interest ; but we can refer only to a single incident. When introduced in congress it met with sufficient opposition in the house to defeat it by two votes, which proved in the end, and to the great 360 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. satisfaction of all parties, with a single exception perhaps, a fortu- nate circumstance, owing to a certain fraudulent proceeding, prob- ably of some engrossing clerk of the Illinois legislature, acting in the interest of Holbrooke, which transaction was discovered and exposed by Mr. Douglas himself. He then procured from Hol- brooke a release of his charter for the road, which the recent discov- ery had shown to be necessary, and had it recorded in the office of the secretary of state at Springfield. The bill had received the opposition of the delegations from Alabama and Mississippi, and he felt that their cooperation was necessary. The Mobile railroad was then building, but had failed for want of means, and Mr. Douglas went to Alabama and held a conference with the president and directors, proposing to obtain for them a grant of lands by making it a part of his bill. This was readily accepted, and he quietly departed for Washington, desirous of not being seen in those parts, lest his influence upon the action of the legislatures of Alabama and Mississippi should be revealed to the senators and representatives in congress from those states. Before he left it had been arranged for the directors to procure from those legislatures instructions to their congressional delegations to support the bill. When the instruc- tions reached them at Washington they were bewildered and in no good humor. It was amusing to Douglas when they came to him for his assistance. Concealing his secret gratification, and assuming an attitude of independence toward them till he could seem to yield, he at length consented to a proposition to amend his bill so as to make a grant to each of the states of Alabama and Mississippi, in the same manner as it did to Illinois. It then became a law, Sep- tember 20, 1850. It had been ably advocated in the house by the representative from this district, the Hon. John Went worth. This explains how the two southern states came to be included ; as it also revives the memory of the fact that Mr. Douglas was the author and master-spirit of the measure. In 1859, he said : "If any man ever passed a bill, I did that one. I did the whole work, and was de- voted to it for two entire years. The people of Illinois are begin- ning to forget it. It is said Douglas never made a speech upon it." And again: "The Illinois bill was the pioneer bill, and went through without a dollar, pure, uncorrupt, and is the only one that has worked well." * The grant was accepted, and on February 10, 1851, the act passed by the Illinois legislature incorporating the Central company was approved by the governor and became a law. *" Constitutional and Party Questions," p. 199. HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 3t>l The incorporators were Robert Schuyler, George Griswold, Gouver- neur Morris, Franklin Haven, David A. Neal, Robert Rantoul, Jr., Jonathan Sturgis, George "W. Ludlow, John F. A. Sanford, Henry Grinnell, Leroy Wiley, Joseph W. Alsop, and William H. Aspin- wall. These gentlemen, exclusive of the one last named, were the first board of directors. The interest of the state was protected by appropriate guarantees that the road would be built, and the com- pletion of the main line limited to four years. Near the close of this period the time was, without necessity, extended six months. The branches were to be finished in six years. All the work that had been done on this line by the state, and all the rights of every nature which it had acquired, were transferred to this company by its charter. The lands granted were to be exempt from taxation till sold and conveyed. It was afterward claimed that this provi- sion of the law was retarding the development of the country wher- ever these lands were situated, as purchasers, instead of paying for their tracts and getting deeds from the company, kept renewing their contracts, thus evading taxation, and in 1873 a law was enacted requiring the trustees of the road to offer all unsold lands at public auction once every six months. The lands of this company were sold at prices ranging from $5 to $25 per acre, according to quality and location. The sale of lands within the six and fifteen-mile limits of the road was suspended by the commissioner of the general land office, September 20, 1850, by order of President Fillmore. Those granted to the Central Railroad Company were selected by David A. Neal, assisted some of the time by Col. R. B. Mason, the chief engineer, and the whole grant, save an inconsiderable amount, was certified, March 13, 1852 ; and the remainder of the lands within the railroad limits, which had been withdrawn from sale, were soon after placed in market by executive proclamation. In return for the grants and franchises conferred, the company was required to pay semi-annually into the state treasury, on the first Mondays of June and December of each year, a sum of money equal to seven per cent of the gross proceeds of the road, which revenue was to be applied to the payment of the interest-bearing indebtedness of the state until it should be extin- guished. The constitution of 1870 makes this a perpetual obliga- tion, and provides that after the extinction of the state debt the rev- enue from this source shall be used to defray the ordinary expenses of the state government. The amount of this revenue to the state of Illinois has been, to the end of 1879, over $8,000,000. At the time the first annual meeting of the company was held 362 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. March, 1851 there were but ninety-eight miles of railroad in the state, and this was laid with strap iron. The first engineering party was organized in Chicago, on May 21, 1851, and commenced pre- liminary surveys of the Chicago branch, making that city a point of departure, and by the middle of summer seven other parties had been organized and were in the field : at Freeport, La Salle, Blooming- ton, Decatur, Cairo and Urbana ; and the whole line was surveyed and located before the end of the year. The work of construction was begun at Cairo and La Salle about Christmas. The first con- tract for grading was made March 15, 1852, for the division between Chicago and Calumet, and that section was opened for travel by the middle of May. A long contest ensued with the city of Chicago for the privilege of entering the corporation and locating its line along the shore of Lake Michigan ; and at last, on June 14, the city coun- cil passed an ordinance granting permission. On May 15, 1853, the first sixty miles, from La Salle to Bloomington, was opened, arid the company commenced operating the road on its own account. In March the Chicago branch was extended to Blue Island, from which point a line of stages were run by Chipman and Wilcox to Middle- port and Danville, furnishing the only regular communication which the county then had with the metropolis. The railroad was rapidly extended during the year, and just at its close was finished to Del Rey, which point the cars reached but little in advance of the new year. The company designed building machine-shops there, but land could not be obtained on liberal terms, and so they erected them at Champaign. We subjoin the following facts relating to the completion of the Chicago branch, which were first published in the Chicago "Daily Press," of November, 1856: " Dates of opening by sections : Chicago to Calumet, 14 miles, May 15, 1852. Calumet to Kankakee, 42 miles, July 14, 1853. Kan- kakee to Spring Creek, 31 miles, December 2, 1853. Spring Creek to Pera, 22 miles, May 28, 1854. Pera to Urbana (Champaign), 20 miles, July 24, 1854. Urbana to Mattoon, 44 miles, June 25, 1855. Mattoon to Centralia, 77 miles, September 27, 1856. The main line, from Cairo to La Salle, 309 miles in length, was finished January 8, 1855. The Galena branch, from La Salle to Dunleith, 147 miles, was completed June 12, 1855." The total cost of the entire line was $36,500,000. The capital stock of the company is $29,000,000, and the debt $10,500,000. The general offices are at No. 78 Michigan avenue, Chicago. This road, by its network of branches and by its connections, furnishes direct communication with both the south and the northwest. Daily passenger trains are run between Chicago and HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 363 New Orleans, 915 miles, without change of cars, a transfer boat being used on the Ohio. St. Louis has, by this route, direct connec- tion south as well as north. Between Chicago and St. Louis through trains are run, and Peoria and Keokuk also are reached without change. From Cairo connections are made with all principal points in the south. The company controls, by lease, the route to Sioux City, thus providing for Dakota travel and emigration. This is one of the best and most safely managed roads in the country. No other public improvement in Iroquois county has done so much for the material and intellectual advancement of her people as the Illi- nois Central railroad. It was opened at a time when attention began to be largely awakened in the east to the subject of making western homes, and the rich country is brought into com mini ication with the world, invited great numbers of settlers from the sterile lands and jostling population of New York and New England. The uniting of eastern culture with western sinew has produced most positive and important benefits to the county. The Peoria & Oquawka Eastern Extension railroad was constructed east from Peoria. In 1859 it was styled Logansport, Peoria & Bur- lington, a few years later Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw, which name it retained until the transfer early in the present year, when it was changed to Toledo, Peoria & Western. The charter from the state bore date February 12, 1849, and has been several times amended. This important railway was built and put in operation in sections at considerable intervals, and its present line and connecting branches were not completed until 1871. The main line itself was not finished between Peoria and Warsaw but a little earlier. The citizens of this county early displayed a practical interest in the undertaking, by voting, under the law of 1849 providing for a general system of railroad incorporations, to take $50,000 of stock in the road. The election was held June 7, 1853, and the question was decided by a majority of 357. Prior to this the individual subscriptions taken in the county had reached the same amount. As soon as the result of the election was known, the county court being required to pay five per cent of the stock in money or in bonds, issued a bond for $2,500. The same per cent was also collected on the private sub- scriptions. Col. Richard P. Morgan obtained the contract for grading and furnishing with ties all that portion of the eastern extension located between the Chicago & Mississippi (now Chicago, Alton & St. Louis) railroad and the town of Middleport. By this contract, made in September, 1854, the company assigned to him all the proceeds of 364 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. subscriptions obtained, or to be obtained, in Iroquois county. He then entered into a contract, bearing date November 13, 1854, with the county court, by which he was to receive 75,000 acres of swamp lands at seventy-five cents per acre. When the stock was voted it was generally understood that it was to be paid for from the proceeds of these lands. Morgan bound himself to procure from the railroad company certificates of the full paid shares of stock, to be transferred or issued to the county, to the amount of the estimates by the com- pany's engineers from time to time, and as such estimates should be presented the county court was to pay to Morgan an amount equal to the par value of the stock so presented, in cash, or by a deed or a bond for a deed, to such a part of the said 75,000 acres of swamp lands as should at that time be unsold. Seventy thousand acres of these lands were set apart, commencing at township 24, range 10 east, and proceeding north by succession of numbers in each range successively until the complement should be obtained, and the other five thousand were to be those which might be selected in any part of the county by the citizens who should bid them off at public auc- tion, at a price exceeding seventy-five cents per acre. The selection was to include all lands of this description entered at the land office, and Morgan was to receive the proceeds of the same. He was also to be entitled to all receipts from the sales of swamp lands by the county, provided that he should expend the money accruing from the sale of the 75,000 acres on the railroad within the limits of this county. The court also agreed to convey to him all the remaining swamp lands after the sale of the 75,000 acres, at $1 per acre, when- ever he should give satisfactory evidence that he could command from the sale of the residue means sufficient, by the addition of such securities as should be due from the company, to complete his contract. He was to pay for these lands with bonds of the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad Company, secured by mortgage on a portion of the road, to which bonds he would be entitled under his contract with that company. Morgan further stipulated that he would en- gineer and drain the lands free of charge before demanding a title, and also that all previous expenses in surveys or otherwise, made according to law. should be provided for from the proceeds of the lands. He was to receive the $2.500 bond which had been issued to the railroad company, and the lands purchased by him were to be exempt from county taxes for three years from the date of this con- tract. Owing to a feeling among capitalists that the title to these lands was uncertain, Morgan failed to obtain means to prosecute the work, and as he could not get money or land from the county only HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 365 as that should be completed in sections and estimates made of the same, a lock was soon produced, leaving neither party capable of exercising separate power over the lands. The demand for them seemed to increase when it became known that they could not be sold. Settlers on adjoining tracts, as fast as they could accumulate means, were anxious to add some portion of these lands to their farms. The jobbers and speculators grew disquiet, for once a pro- pitious circumstance, for their interest and discontent were sure to break the land embargo, if that were possible. Col. Morgan, self- willed and impracticable, meanwhile refused to give any satisfactory assurance of his willingness to accede to an accommodation. Influ- ential persons suggested to him the expedient of making a new contract with the county. Among these were Joseph Thomas and George B. Joiner. The latter finding him on an occasion in the right humor, pressed the matter upon his favorable notice, and the consequence was, that on the 18th of August, 1855, Col. Morgan surrendered his contract, and a new one was made. The county court covenanted with Morgan to pay the monthly installments on the $50,000 subscription in cash, or in county bonds drawing seven per cent semi-annual interest, principal to be paid in fifteen years, with a guaranty on the back of the bonds pledging the proceeds of the swamp lands for their payment. A reservation was made, by which the county was to retain a sum sufficient to defray all the expenses of the survey and selection, as well as the expense of quiet- ing the contests of the title of the county to the lands. It was fur- ther agreed that the county should take steps to bring them imme- diately into market, and to pay Morgan the installments on the county subscription, either from the proceeds or with bonds, when he should procure from the Peoria & Oquawka company certificates of paid-up stock to the amount of the installments. The court gave immediate public notice, through the columns of the "Middleport Press," to all who wished to purchase any of the swamp lands to make application to the county clerk by the 15th of September, and Monday, October 15, was set for the sale to commence. A second sale was held on May 6, 1856 ; these were the only public sales of swamp lands in Iroquois county. Up to this date the county court, which was vested by the special act of February 14, 1855, with power to appoint an engineer to survey the lands, had made no move in the matter, but on September 15, at a special term, they appointed Elkanah Doolittle, who subscribed the proper oath, and then nominated as his assistants, Robert Nil- son, Benjamin F. Masters, George B. Joiner and Joseph Thomas, 366 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. who were confirmed by the court. The lands were exainined and classified as first, second and third class, and appraised at $1.25, $1 and 75 cents per acre respectively. It will be necessary now to go back and trace up the history of the swamp land grant. By the provisions of an act of congress approved September 28, 1850, entitled "An act to enable the state of Arkansas and other states to reclaim the swamp lands within their limits," all the swamp and overflowed lands in the several states, unfit for cultivation at the date of the act, were granted to the states respectively. Every legal subdivision of land, the greater part of which was "wet and unfit for cultivation," was to be considered of this class. The reader's attention is invited to the condition upon which the cession was made, as expressed in the act, by which the title to these lands in fee-simple, vested in the state, viz: "That the proceeds of said lands, whether from sale or by direct appropriation in kind, should be applied exclusively, as far as necessary, to the purpose of reclaim- ing said lands by means of the levees and drains aforesaid." The legislature of Illinois, by an act in force June 22, 1852, granted to each county all the lands of this description within its boundaries so donated by the general government, and annexed the same condition as congress had before, " For the purpose of constructing the neces- sary levees and drains to reclaim the same ; and the balance of said lands, if any there be, after the same are reclaimed as aforesaid, shall be distributed in each county, equally, among the townships thereof, for the purposes of education ; or the same may be applied to the construction of roads and bridges, or to such other purposes as may be deemed expedient by the courts or county judge herein- after mentioned desiring so to apply it." The control and disposi- tion of these lands was vested in the county courts. By an act approved March 4, 1854, the control was changed to the board of supervisors in counties under township organization. All swamp tracts which had been sold by the government after the passage of this act of the general assembly, were to be conveyed by the county in which they were situated to the purchaser, who was to assign all his rights in the premises, and as such assignee the county was authorized to receive the .purchase-money from the United States. Likewise, any which had been located by warrants after the passage of the act of congress were to be conveyed by the county, when the locator was to assign the warrant to the county judge, who was then to be regarded as the assignee of the state, and as such was em- powered to locate the same on any of the public lands. In case that any had been appropriated in any other manner after the dona- HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 367 tion to the state, the county was authorized to locate a like quantity elsewhere. The grant to the state for the building of the Illinois Central railroad was made September 20, 1850, eight days anterior to the passage of the swamp land act. By a ruling of the secretary of the interior in 1855, which is held to be binding on his successors, the state has been deprived of the swamp lands lying within the six-mile limit of that thoroughfare, the title to which remained in the United States. " The history of the operations under the grant, however, reveal the fact that in the years of land speculation immediately following its passage, many of the lands conveyed by the grant were entered with cash or located with warrants by individuals. As a result of this, contests arose as to the actual character of the lands thus dis- posed of, and the land bureau found itself overwhelmed with con- flicting claims of this description. The process of adjusting these conflicts was necessarily slow, and congress intervened to relieve the department and at the same time relieve the individual purchasers and locators. By act of March 2, 1855, all sales and locations made to that date were confirmed, and upon presentation of proof that the lands were actually swamp, the state was allowed indemnity, to be paid in cash where cash had been received, and in other lands where the swamp lands had been taken by warrant locations. Now it cannot be gainsaid, in view of the strong array of judicial decis- ions on the subject, that had the state of Illinois chosen to contest the right of the government to thus dispose of lands previously granted to her, she could have successfully done so. The moment the swamp grant was approved, the title to the lands vested in the state, and were as much beyond the power of the government to again dispose of them as if it had never owned them. In a spirit of accommodation, however, and to afford relief to many of her citi- zens who had ignorantly purchased these lands, the state of Illinois acquiesced in the plan of relief embodied in the act of 1855, and agreed to relinquish her claim to the land, and accepted the proffered indemnity."* From these complications have arisen a mass of claims which are yet unadjusted, though legislation is now pending in congress for their settlement, the importance and magnitude of which claims will appear farther on. * Report of Isaac R. Hitt, state agent of Illinois for the adjustment of swamp land claims against the United States, p. 8. 368 HISTORY OF IROQUOTS COUNTY. The general law of 1852, granting the lands to the counties in which situated, was not adopting Judge Chamberlain's own lan- guage satisfactory either to Col. Morgan or to the county court, as it did not authorize or justify the application of the lands to the pay- ment of bonds used in constructing that part of the railroad lying without and beyond the limits of the county. Before, then, the avails of the lands could be pledged to the payment or security of the bonds, the proceeds of which were to be expended as well on that part of the Eastern Extension lying without as within the county, the law had to be changed. It therefore became expedient, if not necessary, to procure a special act applicable to this new state of things. Other counties had set the example of getting special acts from the state to suit existing emergencies, and advance certain objects. Judge Chamberlain and Col. Morgan attended the legisla- ture and obtained the passage of a law, entitled "An act to expedite and insure the thorough drainage of the swamp lands of Iroquois county, and to facilitate the sale thereof," in force February 14, 1855. This act is so important to a full understanding of the sub- ject that we shall be justified in giving a synopsis of the principal portions. The county court of Iroquois county was authorized to appoint an engineer, with assistants, to survey the swamp lands, who should recommend to the court an effectual and thorough system of drainage, and make such rules, regulations and compensations as would insure the draining of the lands. From the maps and reports of the engineer the court was to place a valuation on each piece, and to fix the price to be allowed for drainage ; the judge was empow- ered to sell the same at public or private sale under the direction of the county court, either in large or small tracts. But those contigu- ous to improved farms were to be sold at public vendue after thirty- days notice in some newspaper in the county, at prices not below the appraised value. The surplus arising from the sales over and above the cost of drainage, was to be applied by the county court in payment for the capital stock of the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad Company on that part of the Eastern Extension situated between Middleport and the Chicago & Mississippi railroad ; also in payment of such other securities of that company as the court might deem expedient ; and to appropriate such portions thereof to school and other purposes as they might think advisable. Payments by pur- chasers were to be made to the county treasurer, in cash, or such securities as the court should deem sufficient, on the day of sale or the succeeding day, the cost of drainage first to be deducted there- from. A certificate was to be given for lands sold subject to drain- HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 369 age, and whenever the drainage should be completed in conformity with the system which the county court should adopt, deeds were to be executed. The balance due for draining each tract might remain unpaid by the purchaser for eight months after the day of sale ; but if the estimated cost should not be paid, or if the labor of draining should not be performed within that time, the land should revert, and the money advanced should be forfeited to the county. Authority was given to receive for all the swamp lands, any money, scrip, war- rant or other evidence of entry which should be issued by congress to the state of Illinois, the same to be subject to the order of the county court. Iroquois county was exempted from all the provi- sions of the general laws enacted to fix the mode of draining and selling the swamp lands which conflicted with this act. Only a little while now elapsed till a disagreement arose, Judge Chamberlain says, "Between Col. Morgan and the county court, as to the policy of issuing county bonds as fast as, and to the extent that he desired ; and also as to the policy of giving to him the swamp lands with no very good prospect of realizing anything for them, but with the strong probability of losing them entirely." Charges and denunciations were freely indulged at the expense of the court. Distrust of its capacity and integrity grew apace, until it had deteri- orated so much in public favor that this became the chief argument in support of township organization. "Writing in his own defense in 185T, Judge Chamberlain used the following language in regard to Col. Morgan, which is an authoritative explanation of the reasons for resisting his importunities: "His extravagance and folly, and utter incapacity to take care of any financial business was such that there was not, as I believe, 25 per cent worth of work done, with the avails of the bonds, on the road. The bonds were literally squandered, and lost both to him and the county. But where should we have been now if Col. Morgan had gotten the swamp lands ? Judging by the estimates of work he obtained and presented for the bonds, he could have received any amount of certificates and presented for the lands. It was not the business of the court, but of the railroad company, to look after the estimates. Had he received the lands, it is fair to presume, such was his recklessness in other matters, that he would have sold them for a slight consideration." At the general election in November, 1855, the township system of local government was adopted. Robert Kilson, Dr. William Fowler and Foreman Moore were commissioners to district the county into political townships. The original number was eleven, as follows : Ash Grove, Beaver, Belmont, Concord, Chebanse, Crab 24 370 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Apple, Loda, Milford, Middleport, Onarga and Wygant. Let us turn again to the Peoria & Oquawka Eastern Extension railroad. The grading of the Middleport division, under contract to Morgan, was done without any of the usual energy displayed on such improve- ments, and several times labor was wholly remitted. Work on the west end of the Middleport division was continued until the track was laid to Gil man. That portion of the line was opened for busi- ness, and the first train ran over it September 21, 1857. At the close of the year 1853 a sub-contract was taken by Sherman & Patterson, and Chamberlain & Thomas, of Middleport, who graded one mile of the route west from that place. This lay several years serving no other purpose than to keep in memory what was expressively termed, after the bonds had all been issued without a better prospect of seeing the work completed, the "dead horse" railroad. These men re- ceived three of the county bonds, which were paid by the county before the intervention of the Tallman arrangement. Conflicting interests concerning the location of the route at Mid- dleport retarded, in some degree, the construction of the line. It was surveyed to the Old Town, but disagreements occurring in regard to depot grounds, and a proposition on that point being entertained from Micajah Stanley, it was laid out and finally built on the present route. These cross-purposes furnished a pretext for the private sub- scribers to the capital stock to refuse to make payment. Fearing that they would be a total loss, the county court refused to issue the bonds. As has been elsewhere remarked, Judge Chamberlain was from the first strenuously opposed to the county's taking stock in the road, and exerted all his influence, by making speeches and otherwise, to prevent it. In May, 1856, $19,000 of bonds were out- standing. Some of the first had been taken in and renewed for reasons not ascertained, nor even conjectured, unless because of the new arrangement made by which Morgan was to receive the bonds from the county. These bonds were executed with great reluctance by the county court, but the pressure of public opinion was irresist- ible. The measure was warmly advocated by such leading and in- fluential men as Micajah Stanley, William Pierce and Joseph Thomas. At the second session of the board of supervisors, May 30 and 31, a special meeting convened to appoint a person to repre- sent the interests of the county in the election of the board of directors of the Peoria & Oquawka railroad for the ensuing year, Joseph Thomas was appointed agent ; and the county treasurer was directed to deliver to Col. Morgan on the presentation of certified full paid stock, bonds sufficient to cancel the same, in pursuance of HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 371 the contract existing between him and the county. The bonds were at this time executed and held by the treasurer. On June 3 follow- ing, the contract with Tallman, which will be noticed at length hereafter, was made, and at this time there were outstanding, as shown by this contract, thirty-one bonds, an increase of the bonded indebtedness in two weeks by $12,000. The grading between Middleport and Gilman was well advanced, and the bridges on the principal streams were raised. Fresh efforts were made by Morgan to obtain private aid for the road, but beyond getting hold of the county bonds he accomplished nothing. The diverse interests which were operating to locate the line, one at Middleport and the other where it now is, brought matters to a crisis- between Morgan and the company. He decided to run the track to- Middleport, when some who were interested in the New Town, among them Mr. Stanley, the proprietor, who donated 10 acres for a station, appealed to the company, and his purpose was reversed and contract terminated. This resulted in litigation in wjiich Morgan recovered judgment against the company for $50,000. The following spring, 1857, this division being extended to the state line where connection was to be made with the Toledo, Logansport & Burlington railroad, and its construction in new hands T. C. Field, of New York, and other contractors witnessed a renewal of interest in the enterprise, and private subscriptions secured by mortgage on real estate, amount- ing to $47,000, payable on completion of the road to the state line, but void if not so completed by January 1, 1859, were obtained by George B. Joiner, agent for the company. But the hope raised and confidence inspired by the new energy apparently infused into the project underwent again, as grading was not resumed for two years, a mortifying transition. Both the company and the people continu- ally realized defeats and disappointments. In the "Iroquois Kepublican," August 26, 1858, Dr. Blades thus alludes to this matter : " For years the company have struggled with counter rail- road interests and schemes, and have thus far defeated them ; have struggled with enemies within its own organization, and have exposed and rid themselves of such enemies ; have struggled beneath pecu- niary depressions that would have completely crushed most other enterprises, yet through it all, in spite of all, they have built 180 miles of the road. * * * Our people have waited, and wished, and hoped, and wondered, and have at last settled down into a kind of apathetic feeling somewhere between indifference and despair." The stock subscriptions taken by Mr. Joiner two years before were forfeited. 372 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. In the spring of 1859 the company caused it to be made known that unless the people should aid the road with at least $25,000 its completion would' have to be abandoned, perhaps for years ; and with this announcement was coupled the intimation that in such an event the route might be diverted from Gilman to some new point on the Wabash ; but if such aid should be forthcoming they would finish the line during the year. Asa B. Roff, as agent, made a strong effort to raise the amount asked. On May 5, 1859, he had secured $17,975. With only this amount subscribed the company resumed work to encourage the people and strengthen their faith in its ulti- mate completion, at the same time giving assurance that it would be necessary for them to raise an additional seven or eight thousand. A contractor named Doyle laid the track on this section and made connection at the state line with the road just put down from Monti- cello, on the Wabash, and the first train of cars ran through from Peoria to Logansport but a day or two before the ushering in of the new year, 1860. This result was mainly achieved by the indomitable will and energy of Charles A. Secor, president, and W. H. Cruger, superintendent of the road. We have given an account of the swamp land question so far as it was involved with the railroad. We now recur finally to that subject. At the December term of the county court in 1852 the surveying and selecting of the swamp lands was let to John Wilson, George B. Joiner, Benjamin F. Masters, Robert JSTilson, Belva T. Clark and Amos O. Whiteman. Legislation providing for this was loose and indefinite, and the lands were not selected with nice dis- crimination ; some of the work was done in the spring of the year, a season when it was not difficult to find swamp lands, and without any excuse at all some of the finest pieces were thus condemned, and so the result was that much was designated as swamp land which was not of that description. Representations being made to the commissioner of the land department of the unfairness of counties in making selections, he rendered and published a decision requiring certain proofs to be made by the counties that the lands entered at the district land office and selected as swamp lands were of that character, within the meaning of the act of congress of 1850, which decision opened the way to contests and endless litigation. To enable contestants to enter the lands, they were required only to make proper applications, with proof that the tracts applied for were not swamp lands, within the meaning of the law. The country swarmed with sharpers, a class who never wait for .a second hint, and rarely, if ever, need the first. Citizens of the HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 373 county as well as others did not neglect to take advantage of this state of affairs. It has been said that a flood of applications poured in upon the department from this county ; but as some of the mate- rial, which we are obliged to draw upon, was the stock of political campaigns, the narrow line which divides fact from tumid campaign rhetoric is not always clear. No figures are at command by which to determine this question ; the defenders of the county court, but more especially of its principal member, Judge Chamberlain, repre- sent the number extravagantly large. But these were partisan utter- ances on the eve of election a case was to be made out. One campaign circular, signed by nearly a dozen prominent citizens who were giving a loose rein to assertion for the ticket which had to find reasons for the sale, and some of whom were agents or attorneys for Tallman, estimates the amount at "nearly, or quite, one-half." After the partisan ardor of the hour had cooled, the same persons would likely have discounted their own statement, "nearly, or quite, one-half." Another, a candidate, touching off a last gun of the campaign, thinks ' ' all the lands that were valuable, to say the least, were under contest." Still another, soaring high in imagina- tion, says that "application upon application piled in upon every piece worth contending for." Regarding the efforts made to perfect the title to these lands, Judge Chamberlain wrote: "The county court of our county had exhausted their efforts in trying to get a title to the lands. Messrs. Thomas and Joiner had been to Wash- ington at the expense of the county ; Mr. Norton, too, our repre- sentative in congress, had exerted himself strongly throughout in our behalf, keeping us well posted in all that transpired there calcu- lated to affect us ; the governor, Mr. Matteson, had visited Wash- ington in person concerning these lands on the part of the state, and had two agents through one session of congress there, to wit : Judge Scates, of the supreme court of the state, and Mr. Gilbert, in the hope of changing the mind of the commissioner, and having the order granting contests revoked, or of getting congress to pass an act confirming the titles. But all was of no avail." The county had $47,000 of bonded indebtedness, on which there was an annual liability of $3,290 for interest, and it owed the state $2,500 for the surveying of the swamp lands. The contests and the debt served the useful purpose of specters to make it appear all the more probable that the lands would be lost, by showing through the magnifying lens of alarm the appalling extent of the evil in such a case. June 3, 1856, an agreement was entered into by the county court, and George C. Tallman, of Utica, New York, by which the 374 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. court agreed to sell, or issue certificates of sale, to Tallman for 10,000 to 20,000 acres of the swamp lands, for which the latter was to pay at the rate of $1 per acre on an average, upon the following terms : $1,000 when the certificates of sale should be issued to him, and the balance according to the quantity of land taken (which was to be selected for Tallman by Joseph Thomas within thirty days) on or before the first day of September, 1857, in cash, at seven per cent interest, or in county bonds at par, as he should decide, the interest to be payable from the first day of September, 1856. He agreed to drain the lands at his own expense, which was to be over and above the price at $1 per acre. His selections were to embrace, first, all the vacant swamp lands on the west side of the Central railroad ; he was to take none adjoining improved farms on the east side of that road, and also none under contest at the time of making the con- tract, of which the court had received written notice. He cove- nanted, besides, to procure at his option a valid title to one-half of the lands which he should select by the first day of September, 1857, or to defray at his own expense, when called upon, one-half of the cost of defending the contests, which might be made of any of the lands purchased by him. In case of failure on his part to perform one or the other of these stipulations, he was to forfeit $1,000 advanced on the certificates, and the county court was to have power to determine the contract. The certificates to be issued to Tallman were to be unassignable, and the lands not subject to sale by him until the county had obtained, or the court was satisfied it would obtain, a title to them. On receiving title, the lands having first been drained, or the court being satisfied that they would be drained, a deed was to be executed to Tallman for the same. In case of fail- ure of the county to get title to the lands, or to any part of them, a corresponding deduction was to be made from the amount mentioned to be paid for them, or others might be selected by him, as he should choose. In the event of his making payment in county bonds, he was limited to those outstanding at the date of the con- tract, the highest number being thirty-one. When made, it was left to the discretion of Judge Chamberlain whether this contract should ever take effect. One of the conditions was that if he should decide to accept it, it was to be entered upon, and become a part of, the swamp land record. Accordingly, on the 17th, the court ordered that it be ratified by placing it upon the record to date from that day, whereupon, agreeably to the contract, Tallman decided to take 20,000 acres. On the 16th he was engaged by the county court, and authorized HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 375 to employ, at his own expense, such assistance as he should think best to obtain such a reversal or modification of the opinion of the commissioners of the general land office, as would enable the county to receive the proceeds of the lands entered and selected as swamp lands, and approved as such by the surveyor-general. On condition of his success, and as a result, if Iroquois county should come into possession of the avails, without further trouble or expense, he was to receive, as compensation, $1,000 in money or swamp lands at their appraised value, according to the choice of the county. On the following day an order was entered to pay Tallman the money, ' ' Upon the condition that he should procure from fhe commissioner of the land office at Washington, within six months, a good and valid title to the swamp lands of the county by having the same patented to the state, excepting that the said George C. Tallman is not by this order required to obtain title to any lands already gone into con- test where evidence has been taken in said contest by the parties therein, or where the right to contest has been granted to contest- ants and notice of said contest served upon the county judge." A question existed in the minds of most people as to which of the two bodies, the county court or the board of supervisors, had jurisdiction of the swamp lands. The administration of this interest by the county court had engendered a dissatisfaction so general that refuge had been sought from the evils, real or fancied, which the people imagined afflicted them, in a different form of county govern- ment ; and the adoption of township organization was, to a certain extent, an arraignment of the court and a disavowal of confidence in it, however much they lacked of being well grounded. As the peo- ple would reorganize the board once a year, it was believed they would secure to themselves direct and perfect control of the lands. A law was passed, in 1854, giving the management of the swamp lands to the board of supervisors, in counties under township organ- ization, to harmonize with the growth of the republican idea in the northern half of the state, because the original act invested county courts with that responsibility. As before stated, Judge Chamber- lain and Col. Morgan obtained from the state, at the regular session of the legislature in 1855, a special act granting to the county court of Iroquois county entire control of the swamp lands in the county, for particular purposes. Foreseeing that a conflict of views concern- ing the proper tribunal to dispose of them would arise, now that township organization had been adopted, in January, 1856, the county court procured from the lion. Ur_i Osgood, of Joliet, a lawyer of reputation, an opinion relative to the question. He held that the 376 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. board of supervisors would have no supervision over the swamp lands, or the sale of them, or over the proceeds of the lands when sold. In a controversy upon this subject, between John "W. White, of Pike Creek, and Judge Chamberlain, in the spring of 1857, this point was urged with much pertinacity and no little seeming cogency by Mr. White, he taking the ground, without doubt erroneously, that the board of supervisors and not the county court was the law- ful custodian of this immense interest. Judge Chamberlain determined upon the sale of the swamp lands to Tallman. At just what time is not known, nor is it material ; but his sentiments in regard to the matter cannot be better and more fairly represented than in his own language when a candidate for reelection in 1857: "The issuing of the bonds by the county has created a large debt against it ; to pay off that debt with the swamp lands and their proceeds has been the uniform and expressed intention of the county court." Pertinent in this connection is the fact that seems to have been understood in that period of sharp discussions, that John Wilson at one time proposed on behalf of Elijah Huntley and James Culbertson, both responsible capitalists, to pay the bonded indebtedness of the county for one-half of the swamp lands, $20,000 to be paid down. This was charged to Judge Chamberlain's account in the campaign of 1861, when the contest for his place was between Samuel Williams and Charles Rumley, and which, we believe, was never publicly' denied ; though he had been careful enough on a former occasion to contradict the truth of a similar charge, embody- ing a kindred proposition. It is said that he promised to accept Wilson's proposal, or at least to take it under advisement, but always declined definite action. What reasons the judge could have brought forward to excuse his course in preterrnitting so handsome a sale we have no means of knowing, and can only express our surprise. John Wilson and Charles Rumley are authority for this statement. That it was his uniform purpose to extinguish the county debt with the lands is a fact resting upon his own assertion. It appears that he had decided to sell to Tallrnan in preference to anybody else. They were friends; he well understood Tallman' s character and financial ability, and knew that his word was at all times as good as his bond, though Judge Chamberlain was not the man to omit any man's bond for his unsupported oral obligation. The contract jointly consummated between the county court and board of super- visors on the one part and Tallrnan on the other, bearing date Octo- ber 16, 1856, was a sacrifice of the county's interests which public sentiment has never been charitable enough to excuse. Tallman HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 377 anticipating that some dispute might arise as to the authority of the county court to make a valid sale, preferred to have the two bodies cooperate in making the contract. The substance of this was that by virtue of the grants of congress and of the state the county sold and agreed to convey "all the lands now remaining not sold in the county, obtained under said grants, amounting to 40,000 acres or thereabouts, subject to drainage," for which Tallman agreed to pay $30,000 in the bonds of Iroquois county, with interest from Septem- ber 1, 1856, $20,000 of which bonds were to be delivered in three months, the remaining $10,000 whenever Tallman should see fit, by his providing for the interest on the same from the date mentioned ; his performance of this stipulation to be secured by bond with two good securities, upon delivery of which to the county court, the clerk thereof was to issue certificates of sale. As fast as ascertained that any of the lands had been sold by the government, Tallman was to be entitled to a conveyance of them. The consideration for his pay- ment of the $30,000 of bonds was increased by "all the money, being the proceeds of the lands sold by the county up to this time, with the interest thereon," the county reserving the right to withhold the money until it should be ascertained what amount might have to be repaid to purchasers of lands already sold, which might be con- tested away ; also to deduct the amount required to meet incidental expenses and to defend contestants [contests], besides other legal fees. The consideration was further increased by granting to Tall- man "all the remaining interest of the county which they have to the land or the proceeds of the same, which have been sold by the general government at the land office at Danville, which were embraced in the selections of this county as swamp lands, inside of six miles as outside of the six miles on each side of the Illinois Cen- tral railroad," and he was empowered to receive the avails. He was still further entitled to receive "the benefit and the proceeds or otherwise that might be obtained by any new act of congress touch- ing said lands, and all and every benefit that might be derived from the same, either in warrants or money, under the present law ; and in every way, directly or indirectly, the same shall become the prop- erty " of Tallman, upon condition that he should deliver to the county court ten bonds of the county at any time- before they should become due, and should provide for the interest on the same from September 1, 1856. He was allowed nine months to decide whether he would accept this last provision. The consideration was even further enlarged by the agreement that the $50,000 of stock owned by the county in the Peoria tfc Oquawka Eastern Extension railroad 37# HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. should be sold and transferred to him, provided he should pay seven remaining and outstanding bonds in like manner and time as the $10, 000 of bonds last above referred to, with the interest thereon from the same date. Tallman was grwn nine months " in which to make up his mind to accept of the same," and if accepted the county clerk was authorized to issue to him certificates of sold stock under a resolu- tion of the board of supervisors passed October 15, 1856. The stock was to be delivered to Tallman, who was to leave it in the hands of i the county court, to be by them delivered to him if they saw fit, when he should execute a bond, with approved security, guarantee- ing that the seven bonds should eventually be redeemed and restored to the county. The contract of June 3d was canceled, and the $1,000 paid upon it by the county was made the consideration for Tall man's performance of this, which sum was to be repaid when any of the county bonds should first be delivered to the county court. The county was "to pay out of other funds than those arising from the sal6 of the swamp lands the interest due on all or any of the bonds of the county up to September 1, 1856 ; and also all sums of money due the state for surveying and selecting said swamp lands." It was also "to procure, if possible, a repeal or modification of the law requiring said lands to be drained within eight months from the sale of the same." It was understood and so expressed in the con- tract that the bonds in question were only those at that time out- standing and issued for railroad stock. The instrument was signed by John Chamberlain, county judge-; Samuel M. Ayres and Thomas M. Pangborn, associate judges ; R. W. Andrews, Samuel Williams and Thomas Maggee, on behalf of the board of supervisors, and George C. Tallman. This transaction was Judge Chamberlain's, and the credit or re- sponsibility, whether it be approved or condemned, belongs to him. By his zealous championship it was accomplished, and for several years his overmastering will, ingenuity and prestige were constantly employed to keep the tide of opposition from breaking over its banks in proceedings either to nullify the sale or to test its validity. The committee of the board had been previously appointed to con- fer with the county court and Tallman on the subject. Their delib- erations occupied two days. The report of the committee recom- mended making the contract, but Mr. Williams voted against its adoption, not being satisfied with the scheme, but after it was done supported the sale. The same committee was instructed to complete the bargain jointly with the county court. This sale was unknown to the general public for some time, but when it was published there HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 379 was deep agitation. Some indorsed it ; many shook their heads in grave doubt of its expediency and soundness, while others were outspoken in their denunciation. We quote from an editorial in the Iroquois "Republican," of May 21, 1857, by Dr. Blades, in which he says: "Whether it be correct or not, there is an impression pervading the public mind of this county, that the county has had its interests badly financiered in disposing of the swamp lands, under the contract to Mr. Tallman. There are but few who believe that the board of supervisors and the old county court had any other view in the matter than for what they deemed for the best interests of the county. But a considerable portion of our citizens believe they have made a bad job of it, not- withstanding " ; and "a large number believe that the contract was made without sufficient consideration, and that it is not a valid one. And they demand that if the contract is not a good one, the board should repudiate it." Again : " The people want this matter satis- factorily explained, and they are determined it shall be, from- what indications we can gather." He then urges the board to publish the facts upon which it is assumed that the sale is for the best inter- ests of the county, and was at the time it was effected ; and also that an able attorney be employed to investigate the subject and pass an opinion upon it, out of respect to the demands of the people. Owing to the scantiness of authentic material we cannot under- take to follow this important question in detail to the time it ceased to engross attention and be a factor in the politics of the county. Like Banquo's ghost, it would never down. The reason was, that the sale was not believed by many to be certainly completed in law until some years afterward. There was continual uneasiness, a strong disposition to overturn, if possible, what had been done ; repeated threats concerning such an intention ; and prophetic decla- rations as to the issue, should it once be tried. The board of super- visors could not but be in a feverish state, and the subject was often warmly debated. Tallman was present during several of these ses- sions, at which all his art and persuasion, as well as those of his friends, including Judge Chamberlain, were required to appease the high state of feeling and subdue the determination to take such steps as would ultimately have made it a matter of judicial investi- gation. We have often to recur to the fact that the people were beaten in their ulterior object in adopting township organization, and we have already stated how the contingency of such an event had been fore- stalled by a special act procured, conferring on the county court full 380 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. powers for the control of the swamp lands. The people certainly were not looking for so surprising a thing as the sale of those lands on such terms by the first board of supervisors. Having had enough of that business with Morgan, and lost faith in the efficiency of the county court to manage that interest, had they not adopted town- ship organization to take the control of it into their own hands through a board elected every year ? It is not to be wondered at that they were sorely displeased, if they were not amazed, at so irresolute a proceeding. All they could do, then, was to possess themselves in patience until a new board was elected. As soon as this was done notice was given convening the supervisors on May 18, 1857, for the purpose principally of making an appropriation to investigate the swamp land business. No record of this meeting is in existence, we believe, so it is impossible to outline the proceed- ings, but from collateral sources we are able to state that the ques- tion got an airing, which called out the editorial by Dr. Blades, from which 'we have made extracts. The board adjourned till June 16. The situation must have been felt to be critical, for Tallman was sent for to be present, to defend his interest. This subject was made the special order for two o'clock in the afternoon. An effort was made to obtain an order rescinding all former orders pertaining to the contract. Tallman was invited to explain how he became pos- sessed of the lands, and did so in a lengthy speech, giving a history of the sale. He held that the county had no title of any value ; that it was unable to procure it, and that he and his friends stood a better chance of doing so through congress. Joseph Thomas and Judge Chamberlain followed him with substantially the same argu- ment. The latter, also, took occasion to justify his motives and to defend himself against the aspersions of those who were trying to break the contract. James Fletcher, then the acknowledged head of the Iroquois bar, was employed to reply, which he did in an able manner, showing up the whole transaction. Then the board engaged in a full discussion, when a vote was taken, and the proposition lost by nine to three. Following is a record of the vote : Ayes B. F. Brady, Chebanse ; Dr. E. K. Farmer, Milford ; Dr. William Miller, Crab Apple. Nays Samuel Williams, Belmont ; George West, Middleport ; William Smith, Concord ; William B. Lyman, Beaver ; Thomas Maggee, Wygant ; Michael B. White, Ashkum ; R. W. Andrews, Onarga ; Wesley Harvey, Ash Grove ; James H. Major, Loda. The board then passed a resolution, by an exactly similar vote, indorsing in every particular the contract with Tallman. This was the third ratification of the sale by the supervisors. Messrs. HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 381 Brady, Farmer and Miller entered a formal protest against it. The spirit was bitter and the session stormy. The board continued its sitting well into the night, a sharp struggle going on in the endeavor to expunge the protest. Early the next morning Tallman called on Brady to learn the grounds of his hostility. He informed him, among other things, that he was standing by the sentiment of his town ; that the people who sent him believed the sale was an iniquity ; that the county was getting comparatively nothing for this magnifi- cent land grant ; and that the county, besides, was in debt several thousand dollars for expenses incurred on account of the lands. Tallman simulated surprise at this last fact, and said at once that he would pay the amount (some $6,000) and clear the county from debt. In good faith he bound himself by contract with the supervisors (dated the 16th) to do it. This contract was lost in the fire of 1866, and all we know of it is what we learn from another, between Tall- man and the county court, dated the 22d, and preserved in the swamp land record, ratifying it and engaging to fulfill all its require- ments. Tallman agreed to pay the indebtedness due by the county to the state for the expense of selecting the swamp lands, some $2,500 ; and also to pay certain coupons due upon the county bonds previous to the first of September, 1856, amounting, according to reasonable inference, to $1,500 or $1,600, but not in excess of the latter sum. * The board, in this agreement, authorized the county court to carry out fully all contracts made or to be made with Tall- man respecting the sale of the swamp lands, and to execute the necessary conveyances ; ' ' and to do all and every other act by which said Tallman shall enjoy the full benefit of his purchase and con- tracts. ' ' The grounds on which the board held the sale to be advantageous to the county at the time it was made, are stated by Dr. Blades (who was opposed to the sale), in the issue of the "Republican " of May 28. He says: "They set out with the proposition that the county was $50,000 [$47,000] in debt for stock in the Eastern Exten- sion of the Peoria & Oquawka railroad ; that the people of the * This will not make the $ 6,000. We are not able to account for that sum, and doubt if the amount was more than $4,000 ; though all our information (not purport- ing to be exact) puts it at $6,000, and we have so stated it. We subjoin this addi- tional suggestion : When the surveyor-general, under the direction of the secretary of the interior, listed the swamp and overflowed lands to the governor, the state was charged, contrary to the law, with the cost of the lists and plats, which amount the governor paid under protest. The proportion which fell to Iroquois county was $3,814.50. This may have been included in Tallman's contract, in which case the aggregate reached about $7,000. 382 HISTORY OF IROQUO1S COUNTY. county were induced to assume that debt on account of the prospect that we should be able to pay that stock with the proceeds of the swamp lands ; that it came shortly to appear that as a large majority of those lands were contested, which necessarily put the county to considerable expense in defense, in many instances absorbing the value of the land, and in others the lands would be wholly lost ; that the commissioner of public lands had decided that every separate tract must be re-surve}^ed and proved up by at least two witnesses in person at the land office at Springfield, all of which tended strongly to show that the lands would not only be worse than valueless, but that in the end the county would be left with the onerous debt of $50,000 hanging over it with no other resource than that of special taxation wherewithal to meet that debt ; they very plausibly maintain that they were making a bargain which certainly appeared to be for the best interest of the county." We continue to quote from the same candid authority, in an article published more than a year earlier (May 8, 1856), being a notice of the first meeting of the board of supervisors held on the 2d and 3d, and before the first contract was entered into with Tallman. "The question as to the proper authorities to control the county swamp lands occupied much of the time, some members of the board being of the opinion that they had the legal right exclusively to manage the swamp lands as well as any other interest of the county, and that the interests of the county require the postponement of the coming land sale [May 6] ; that the lands are daily becoming more valuable, and that if sold on credit, or partly on credit with interest, the accruing interest could be used to meet the interest we are bound to pay semi-annually on our railroad bonds. A motion to apply for a bill of injunction on the former court or upon Judge Chamberlain, to prevent the approaching sale of such lands, was discussed and finally lost." The actual situation in regard to these lands before Tallman pur- chased them, was not nearly so alarming as it was made to appear when the sale had been accomplished, and "reasons" were in demand to excuse it. He got the lands and all the benefits accruing from them, which would indicate that the difficulties were either greatly magnified, or that his business ability was scarcely less in degree and far more practical and conspicuous than the combined wisdom of the county court and board of supervisors. Starting with the result and running back from eifect to cause, the impolicy of this sale and the puerility of the reasons assigned are so apparent that he who runs may read. We must now go back a few months in our relation to note some HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 383 transactions of essential interest. At the January term of the county court Tallman presented twenty county bonds, together with his personal bond with three good sureties J. B. Warner, Samuel Stocking, of Oneida county, New York, and W. P. Swift & Co., of Chicago for the delivery of ten other bonds, in pursuance of his contract, and an order was entered to issue certificates for the lands. On the following day another order was made countermanding the first, together with the certificate of sale annexed on the record, another contract (marked B) having in the meantime been executed between Tallman and the county court. In substance the stipulations of this were that the contract of October 16, 1856, was "based on the condition that time should be given said Tallman in which to drain said lands [no such condition appears in the contract], inasmuch as many of the lands were under contest; and it being impossible to ascertain what lands, or how many, the county was entitled to by reason of an x>rder issued by the commissioner of the land office at Washington, permitting parties to contest away any of such lands," it was agreed that this should form a part of the above mentioned contract, and that the county court should get an amendment to the law extending the time for draining the lands as the law then stood, with the express understanding that the court should convey the lands to Tallman, conditioned that if it should be unable to procure such amendment, Tallman should pay over the expenses of draining the lands, which expenses were to be estimated by the county engi- neer ; or he might drain them after it should be found what lands were not under contest. In case there should be any informality in the conveyance the court guaranteed a perfect future one. The cer- tifica'e of the county engineer or surveyor was to be the only evi- dence required as to the proper draining of the lands, and upon the production of such certificate he was thereupon to be discharged from any further liability in that regard. But no advantage was to be taken of him even if the lands sold to him by the contract of Octo- ber 16 should not be drained within the time required by law. A quit-claim was this day January 3, 1857 executed to Tallman for 44,029 acres for $30, 000, covered by the thirty bonds of $1,000 each. At the same time he made choice of the remaining interest of the county in the lands sold by the government, including those within six miles on either side of the Central railroad, or the proceeds of the same, and also the $50,000 of railroad stock for which he was to deliver the seventeen remaining and outstanding bonds. On the 5th he deposited his personal bond with two good securities (William P. Swift & Co. and A. J. Galloway), guaranteeing the delivery of the bonds. 384 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. In fulfillment of the contract just cited, Judge Chamberlain, seconded by Joseph Thomas and others, did secure an amendment to the law extending the time of drainage, which law took effect February 16, 1857. We will turn aside to remark that for the first two years the proceedings of the board of supervisors were not pub- lished. The county papers at that day were conducted for more general objects, and the editorial department received greater atten- tion than is bestowed on similar publications now, and while they surpassed their successors in these features, they exhibited less local enterprise than is to be found in the press of to-day. This explains why even a synopsis of the official transactions of the county court and of the board of supervisors was never published. It is not sur- prising, then, that the sale to Tallman should not have come to the knowledge of the general public until the contract was copied from the records by Spottswood A. Washington, and published in the "Iroquois Republican" January 1, 1857", when the scheme was well matured and nigh accomplished for the legalizing of the sale in the act of February 16, already noticed. The circumstances attending the passage of this act were such that they cannot be passed without notice. Franklin Blades was repre- sentative from Iroquois county in the general assembly at the time, and it was well known that he did not favor the sale, though he was by no means extreme in his opposition. In getting the law amended on the point of drainage the occasion was taken to encompass another, if not the principal, object, which was carefully concealed. Artful and gradual approaches were necessary not to awaken the sus- picions of representative Blades. Joseph Thomas got Uri Osgood, of Joliet, to draft the bill "in an ambiguous and circuitous manner on purpose to escape detection," and assured Blades "that the only end sought in having the bill passed was merely to extend the time of drainage." A letter from Judge Chamberlain to Blades, the burden of which was drainage, contained this clause : ' ' We want an act amending the special law, already passed, with reference to the swamp lands of Iroquois county, extending the time, and also with regard to some other points of less importance." This feinting had the eifect to call off Blades' attention from the "points of less im- portance," and in the hurry of business, as he afterward admitted in a published explanation, he "took the bill and read it (we are now convinced too carelessly), and not detecting, through a mass of gar- bage and meaningless tautology and ambiguity, the clandestine clause legalizing the swamp land sale, we introduced it. We are certain that not one single member of either the house or the senate ever HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 385 suspected the legal effect of that bill." In the running controversy between John "W. White, of Pike Creek, and Judge Chamberlain, the former indirectly charged that the bill was got through by "trickery or ledgerdemain," whereupon the judge replied by assert- ing that Blades knew all about it, and referred to the fact of their having had correspondence on the subject. This brought Blades out in astonishment that the judge should charge that he "did know all about the passage of the bill," which charge itself was cautiously worded and perhaps literally true, without his knowing "all about" the contents of the bill. Judge Chamberlain is entitled to the ben- efit of everything that can be said to his credit or in his defense. We aim to keep this object in view. In a published communication in answer to Mr. White he stated that he did not know that the bill contained the legalizing clause until he received a copy of it from Springfield. We have sought to find if Judge Chamberlain explained away the shadow of dark doings in this matter, but without success. This discussion transpired in the campaign of 1857, when he was a candidate for reelection. On November 3 he received 758 votes, to 472 for his opponent, H. C. Bryant, which majority of 286, while being an apparent indorsement of the policy he had championed from the beginning, reflected not the less a nervous but groundless appre- hension that, if elected, Bryant would involve the county in costly litigation. This was the superior harping-string of the canvass, as it was among the leading ones four years later. This' dread of going to law was co-extensive with the dissatisfaction prevailing ; and the most violent opposers of the sale shrunk from it ; even as prominent and outspoken a man of that number as John W. White said in one of his communications : "I, as a citizen of the county, am opposed to going to law in this matter if it can be possibly avoided ; it would be ruinous to the county." The student who has observed in the history and practical workings of politics, instances of a popular dread of unsettling or burdening the business interests of a com- munity or state, not subject to fluctuations of danger and security, must have been struck with the uniformity with which the candidates who were looked upon in the light of disorganizes have been de- feated. Of the very large class who doubted the wisdom of the financiering, but few thought anything could be gained by trying to abrogate the proceedings of the court and the board. Continuing to quote from the same authority as before in a careful and exceedingly liberal editorial after the election : " We are satisfied that when the terms of the sale of the swamp lands to Mr. Tallman first became known, there was a large majority of the people of this 25 386 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. county who were decidedly opposed to it. There were but very few, indeed, even among the warmest political friends of Judge Chamber- lain, who were so bold as to come out in approbation of the sale. But it seems that a great reaction has taken place, and we are inclined to impute that reaction to a fuller knowledge of all the circumstances connecting with the contesting of those lands and the uncertainty of ever obtaining a title to them. We are not sure that the majority are yet convinced that the sale was the beSt thing that could have been done with them ; but having been made, they were strongly opposed to meddling with it." From this postulate Dr. Blades pro- ceeded to draw a conclusion that the result, induced by " a nervous apprehension, which was kept alive and increased by unscrupulous misrepresentation ; that in case Mr. Bryant should be elected county judge, he would proceed at once to involve the county in an expen- sive lawsuit, by contesting the validity of the sale," was a " handsome indorsement by the people," and "that the people, by an emphatic vote, have made it, with its good or bad policy, their own," and that " their decision should be cheerfully and without cavil submitted to." If the people had known that they still possessed an equitable right to the lands, it would have been a "handsome indorsement," and further cavil should have ceased ; but as the impression was growing that they were conveyed out of reach, and the fear of a chancery contest was made an element of the canvass, and consequently of the vote, it is just as clear that it was deemed best to permit Judge Chamberlain to complete, according to his own design, the policy which he had inaugurated, as that he was elected. We have omitted thus far to chronicle that Col. Morgan, in June, 1857, commenced an injunction suit in the United States district court, at Chicago, to assert his rights under the original contract he made with the county, alleging the later one to be fraudulent and void ; and to set aside the contract with Tallman and restrain the county from selling the lands to him. On his own motion, Tallman bore one-half the expenses incurred by the county, and retained the Hon. I. N. Arnold, of Chicago, as one of the attorneys in the case. The county employed James Fletcher and George' B. Joiner. An answer was filed to Morgan's bill, and the case was thrown out of court. The surface of public feeling was kept in a troubled state by the smoldering fires within, and every little while there would be an eruption when the board met. Tallman was, at least once, before this body in 1858, explaining and defending his course. He could well afford an occasional tilt ; the stake he was at this time playing for was no mean forfeit. Meanwhile he was addressing himself to HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 387 the matter of perfecting the title to the swamp lands by getting them, or as many as had been approved by the surveyor-general, patented to the state. A six-months- sojourn in Washington with the agent for the state sufficed for that purpose. In course of time another special act touching the swamp lands was regarded as indis- pensable to the closing up of this vexed patchwork. It was forth- coming, and was accordingly obtained from the state, February 18, 1859 Judge Chamberlain and Ray W. Andrews attending the legis- lature for this and other purposes. George B. Joiner was employed by the county court to lobby this bill, for which he was allowed $50 from the swamp land fund. Nothing was left to petition for again, nothing left for a future subject of legislation it was sweeping in every provision. The county court was given as full discretion in regard to selling and draining as an individual has in the disposition of his private property ; and this was a release from all obligation to drain the lands. A new article of agreement was drawn up April 22, to which the county court and Tallman were the parties, resell- ing the entire swamp land grant, the net proceeds of all the lands which had ever been sold by the county to other parties than Tall- man himself, and the proceeds of all such lands in the county which had been sold by the government, including whatever remote or con- tingent interest the county had or ever should have in the lands within six miles of the Central railroad, and also a like interest in any land warrants or money arising from the grant to which the county had or ever should have any right. The consideration was twenty-three $1,000 bonds, which Tallman had already delivered under his contract of October 16, 1856, and his guaranty, with two good sureties, to pay and deliver the remaining twenty-four $1,000 bonds at any time before maturity, with the coupons ; including, also, his guaranty to pay the state for selecting the lands, which were at this time sold to him subject to drainage, Tallman agreeing to sell them as soon as practicable, and to require purchasers to drain them when they required it and were susceptible of drainage. This guaranty with the delivered bonds, constituted the whole consideration and purchase price of the lands, and every interest or benefit accruing at any time- from them. Tallman presented his bond, wi h B. D. Hurl- bnrt and I. R. Warner, of Oneida county, New York, as sureties. Judge Chamberlain was then directed by the court to execute to Tallman a deed of conveyance in fee-simple for the lands, and to carry out every part of thu agreement. This deed was of concr.rrent date with the contract, and conveyed 45,527 acres, "and a so all other .lands, not heretofore described, that said county of Iroquois, 388 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. obtained a title to by means of the laws aforesaid, or any of them." All the old contracts were canceled and restored to him, and he returned the $50,000 of railioad stock, being released from his obli- gation to pay for the same. This he made a pretense of giving to the county, all of which was for effect, and to have material in hand for defense and to keep down clamor, when in fact it \vas nearly worthless. In 1864 the county obtained a reissue of this stock, and four years alterward sold it to William H. Cruger, vice-president of the comp ny, for $4,000. At the annual meeting in September, 1860, A. B. Ives, a noted real-estate lawyer, of Bloomington (having been employed by a committee previously appointed), read a report to the board of supervisors concerning the validity of the sale by the court and board jointly, October 16, 1856. Having reviewed the contracts with Tallman, and the several acts of the legislature, he held that the county court had never been divested of jurisdiction of the swamp lands ; that the joint sale was consequently void or voidable ; and that the one made April 22, 1859, by the court, the only compe- tent authority, was binding in law. A few scattered details and items of information is all that re- mains to complete the account of this once engrossing theme and fruitful source of controversy. From October 15, 1855, to February 25, 1858 (the first and last dates of sale), there were sold by the county, exclusive of the sales to Tallman, 16,155 acres, for which it received $18,360.69; and there were due November 1, 1861, from purchasers holding certificates, $1,282.40. Under the act of Feb- ruary 14, 1855, the county sold 14,490 acres of these lands. On April 22, 1859, when the sale was renewed to Tallman, the court passed an order declaring that where the purchasers of swamp lands complied with the law of 1859 they were entitled to deeds, and the judge of the court was directed to execute clear conveyances, requir- ing the lands to be drained when they were intended to be put to cultivation. By virtue of this order deeds were given under the provisions of the act of 1859 for the lands sold under the act of 1855. The court becoming satisfied that these deeds, not being authorized by the law of 1859, were invalid, at the October special term, ordered new ones executed. At a special term, November 1, 1861, the court instructed Judge Chamberlain to make a deed in fee-simple to Tallman for all the swamp and overflowed lands 4 'donated to this county, . . . whether all or any part of thorn have been patented or certified to the state or county or not. ex- cepting, however, out of such deed any of the lands heretofore HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 389 duly sold by the general government, or by this county, and also those heretofore conveyed to said Tallman by John Chamberlain as such county judge. " There were smaller deeds to Tallman, convey- ing in the aggregate about 1,000 acres. The act of 1857 authorized the county judge, whenever he should be satisfied, either by report of the swamp land engineer " or by other evidence, that any portion of the swamp lands which have been sold are thoroughly drained," to convey the same by deed in fee-simple. One of these minor deeds to Tallman recites that he had furnished satisfactory evidence to the court and to the county judge that the lands were thoroughly drained. This is the only one in which any pretense whatever is made that the lands had been drained, and it is a notorious fact that neither spade nor implement of any other kind ever broke the sod to drain them, except as it was done by actual cultivators upon them. The act of 1855 required the lands to be drained within eight months from the date of sale ; before the expiration of the contract of Octo- ber 16, 1856, the act of 1857, by which the time for drainage was ex- tended to two years in the judgment of the county court, took effect ; at the end of two years the act of 1859 became a law, investing the court with an absolute discretion in this matter. The sole intention of the grant was the drainage and reclamation of the lands for the health of the people and the development of the country. Never was a thing more "provided for" in laws and contracts, and yet more completely legislated out of existence. There have been pat- ented to the state, of swamp and overflowed lands, (about) 63,580 acres ; and the number concerning which proofs are on file in the general land office, showing the character of the lands entered with cash and land warrants, and which are unadjusted, is 32,000, making a total of this class of lands in Iroquois county of 95,580 acres.* Tallman realized from this bargain in swamp land funds of the county, which were paid over to him by the treasurer on the order of the county court, $10,427.10. The cash indemnity which he received from the land office for swamp lands, entered with cash and land warrants, by virtue of his contract witli the county, amounted to $15, 664. 56. f The amount of land which passed to Tallman was about 47,000 acres. It was sold by him at prices ranging from $1.50 to $5.50 per acre. Tallman acquired the equitable rights of the county in the 32,000 acres of unadjusted swamp lands which lie along the Central railroad. Legislation is pending in congress to dispose of the claims of states against the government, growing out of this subject. * Hitt's Report, p. 11. t Hitt's Report, p. 35. 390 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. It would be curious to know what these lands cost Tallman, and it will be expected that some statement on this point will be made, but it is not our province to speculate ; nevertheless, there are some facts, though dimly preserved, bearing on this topic, which are legitimate history and ought not to be omitted. There is an indi- rect allusion in one of White's articles to Morgan's having sued the county for interest on some of the bonds ; and also for bonds claimed under his contract. Until forced to do so by public opinion, Cham- berlain refused to deliver them, or some part of them, on his esti- mates. Those outstanding at the date of the sale to Tallman were nearly all of recent issue. We are not well favored with informa- tion on this head, even after diligent research, but prefer to believe that they were about thirty-five per cent below par, though common report makes the discount considerably greater. We remember hav- ing seen a newspaper published about the time of which we write, which stated that the bonds were worth sixty-four cents on the dol- lar. As some confirmation of this, at the June (1857) special term of the county court, a bond was presented by S. M. Ayres, and as Tallman was bound to pay it, and the swamp fund belonged to him, the court ordered it received, and that Ayres be credited on the note held against him for borrowed swamp funds, the sum of $650. It is interesting to know something of the history of the manage- ment of the swamp land grant in other counties. "Of sixty-eight counties interested in the swamp land acts, but five have sold out their interest to speculators, the remaining counties have been judi- cious in the disposal of their swamp lands. Most of these lands have been drained and the country has been made healthier, and the revenues of the state, as well as the health of the counties largely increased."* In taking leave of this topic we may be excused for adding, that if wisdom could have controlled in the management of this rich interest, Iroquois county might have had a source of rev- enue for many years to come ; at least it might now have been free from debt. This is to be modified by the condition that the same wisdom which was lacking in 1856 should not afterward have been wanting to resist the many temptations to prodigality through which our country has since passed. But with the experience of the past twenty years vividly before us, we have the most solemn doubt if prudential action would have held the ascendency and made the most of this magnificent donation ; and, after all, perhaps it ought not to be regretted that it went at the time and in the manner that it did. *Hitt's Report, p. 11. HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 391 ATTEMPT TO DETACH A PART OF IROQUOIS COUNTY TO FORM FORD. A strong effort, begun in 1856 and maintained till 1859, was made to detach the southwest corner of Iroquois county, and unite it with that part of Vermilion county which is now Ford. The leading men of Loda, chief among them Adam Smith (deceased April, 1880), con- ceived the scheme of detaching a part of Iroquois, and making their village the county town of the new county. If they could secure the division, there was no doubt, owing to the peculiar, chance-shape of the proposed county, that they could succeed in this purpose. The petition that was laid before the legislature from these movers con- tained about 150 names of residents in the southwest corner, and sev- eral hundred of the citizens of Vermilion. A county was to be formed in any event; the only opposition was to the dismemberment of Iro- quois, and this was exerted from two opposite quarters. James Mix was interested in Prospect City (Paxton), and wanted the seat of justice at that place. This was enough to make him an opponent of the Loda movement. There was little following in the county outside of Loda township. Meetings were held in various places, and vigor- ous efforts made on both sides. At an adjourned meeting held at the Loda hotel December 20, 1856, a verbal report, designating the bound- aries of the new county, was made by Capt. J. M. Hood and David S. Crandall, committee. It was voted to embody the suggestions in a petition to be submitted to the citizens of Iroquois and Vermilion counties, and these gentlemen, with E,. D. Foster and I. O. Butler, were appointed to draft it, with power to change the north line of division indicated by the committee. Addison Goodell, George Shat'er and Moses Walker were appointed, with power to increase their num- ber, to circulate the petition for signatures in the limits of the pro- posed new county. Messrs. Hood and Crandall were unanimously elected to carry the petition to Springfield, and lobby in the interest of the petitioners. A committee on finance, consisting of Addison Goodell, I. O. Butler, C. O. Barstow, Adam Smith and R. D. Foster, was appointed, with the privilege of adding to their number. On the 23d a meeting of the citizens of Onarga was held, to remonstrate against the proceedings at Loda, and to organize for effective resistance to the project. E. W. Andrews, "W. P. Pierson, E. Knight, W. H. Skeels, Dr. J. L. Parmalee and Joseph Thomas were chosen a commit- tee to draw up a remonstrance against any portion of Iroquois county being taken to form a new one. The following persons were selected to canvass the county : W. P. Pierson and Capt. E. Doolittle, Onarga ; Thomas Magee, Wygant ; "W. B. Young, Chebanse ; Alonzo Taylor, Ash Grove; Dr. E. K. Farmer, Milford ; W.. B. Lyman, Beaver; 392 HISTORY OF IEOQUOIS COUNTY. "Winslow "Woods, Crab Apple; J. Strickler, Concord, and Samuel Williams, Belmont. Dr. A. K Crawford, E. Knight, William A. Davis and W. P. Pierson were named to correspond on this subject with the three county papers: "Iroquois Republican," "Middleport Press," and " Garden State," the latter published at Loda. Meetings were held subsequently ; but the account is carried far enough to afford a view of the thorough preparations by each party to canvass the sub- ject. The petition and the remonstrance were presented to the legis- lature, and a bill was introduced to carry out the object of the former. Mix attended the session and used his. influence against it. The repre- sentative, Franklin Blades, harmonized with a large majority of his constituents in opposition to it, and when a motion was made to sus- pend the rules and take up the bill, he announced his determination to resist its passage. The motion did not prevail, and afterward the bill was stolen, and so never came to a vote. Not having been able to enlist Blades' support, and the measure having failed ingloriously through theft of the bill, as it would likely have done had it reached a vote, Crandall came home and assailed Blades with caustic vehemence through the columns of his paper, the "Garden State," charging that he had promised his influence in favor of the project ; whereupon Blades, replying through his own organ, the "Republican," denied the accusation in the same withering style and bitter spirit. On Sep- tember 13, 1858, the republican convention, for the selection of a can- didate for representative, was held in Middleport, and Capt. Hood, of Loda, was nominated by one vote over his competitor, C. F. McNeill. This was understood to be a triumph for the division of the county. Hood was elected. The work of getting up petitions and remon- strances was repeated. Judge Chamberlain and Ray Andrews were at this time in attendance on the general assembly to influence swamp land legislation, and James Mix was also there to lobby the bill estab- lishing Ford county. These men killed Hood's bill, which was the end of the whole question. PUBLICATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ETC. At the May (1858) special term of the board of supervisors two important measures were passed. On these points there had arisen a general demand. One provided for the publication of the current proceedings of the supervisors, accompanied by a resolution that "the board approve of the copying or searching for the purpose of publish- ing a general synopsis of the transactions of the county courts and boards of supervisors previous to this meeting of the board." This last was only permissive and amounted to nothing but a gerrymander HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 393 to rid the board of an attempt of Ray Andrews to create influence for himself, besides preventing expense to the county. The "Republican " had teemed with appeals in this matter. At this session both that and the "Press" came forward with propositions to publish the proceed- ings free of charge if furnished by the county clerk. Up to this time there had been no such publication, and of course the people could have little knowledge of how the public business was managed, or of the condition of their aifairs. Ray Andrews had been the central figure in all the proceedings of the board. It is surprising that he should have had so much influence, and it seems paradoxical that, well known to be without principle, and corrupt, his support of any measure, or his antipathy to it, was nearly certain to bring it to successful issue in the one case, or to be fatal to its chances in the other. It is hard to believe that those in whose nostrils his reputation was inodorous should not have firmly opposed him. He was energetic, insinuating, unscrupulous. His push and manners made him agreeable to a large class with whom it was an easy matter for him to become a hail-fellow on short notice. It long has been, and likely long will be, that a vigorous, unprincipled character, capable of much harm, will inspire a certain degree of timidity and passivity. In all bodies, too, a few men of strong character rule, while the majority are either echoes or gaping spectators. The other matter referred to, which had also been well ventilated in the " Republican," was the repair of the court-house and the furnish- ing of a jail. An undisguised prejudice existed against Middleport, which detracted from the disposition to improve this, or to erect new buildings. While the walls were substantial and sufficient, they did not inclose enough space, being but forty feet square; the inside of the building was dilapidated and crowded ; there were no vaults for the records, and they were liable to destruction at any time by fire ; the treasurer had no depository for the safe-keeping of funds, and large amounts, when there were such, had to be taken to Chicago and placed on deposit. The old log jail had long since been abandoned as utterly unfit for use, and prisoners were confined at Kankakee. This was an unavoidable expense, for the board had early devoted its atten- tion to the purchase of a poor-farm and the building of bridges, which had diverted most of the county funds from other objects. A serious obstacle, besides, was the lack of building material within easy trans- porting distance. But at the meeting in question, A. 0. Mantor, D. B. Gardner and M. Hogle were appointed to examine the court- house and ascertain what repairs were necessary, and whether it were better to build offices entirely disconnected from that building, with 394 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. instructions to report a plan and the cost at the sitting in June. They reported in favor of an addition of twenty-five feet to the east side, which would make the court-house 40x65 feet, and also proposed the erection of prison apartments in the basement. The suggestions of the committee were concurred in, except that the addition was made on the west side, and vaults were constructed in the court-house instead of erecting a separate building for the records. Inside, the house was entirely remodeled and refitted. The circuit court room was trans- ferred to the upper floor and all the offices were removed below, where the cells and the vaults were arranged. C. R. Brown, A. C. Mantor and George B. Joiner were the com- mittee appointed by the board to supervise the improvement. On July 19 they let the contract to M. and J. Hogle. The job was to be turned over by the contractors by the first day of December. The heavy rains of the season interfered with the progress of the work, and de- layed the completion of the contract till the latest moment. On the 22d the board closed its December session, and on that day the same building committee was continued and authorized to contract with the Hogle brothers " for the completion of the jail and cells, the furniture, shelving, and the recess for the vaults, seating the court room, and making the judge's stand and desk." The jail consisted of three cells, inclosed on the south and west sides with oak studding, spiked or bolted together, on the inside of which was another row of the same device lined on both sides with No. 16 iron; the north wall of the cells was four or five feet from the brick wall of the court-house, leav- a narrow corridor, and that and the east side were made in the same manner, and lined on the inside also with iron. The floor was laid of joists, edgewise, covered with iron in the cells, and overlaid with floor- ing. The ceiling, too, of the cells was likewise sheeted with iron. The whole expense, including commissioners' fees and cost of plan and specifications, was $7,218.58. When this improvement was completed the court-house had cost the county a sum estimated from 10,000 to $16,000. The county offices were occupied February 1, 1859. The vaults, wanting ventilation, turned out altogether worthless, and the records were never kept in them. It was early found that the jail would not answer expectations concerning its security. Before the close of the year it became necessary to strengthen the cells and increase the safety of the prisoners by an additional wall on the north side, composed of heavy plank spiked together transversely ; the insertion of a strong grate window in the partition between the corridor and the sheriff's office; an additional door made of heavy plank placed inside the hall door, to be well secured by locks, and the apartments to be ceiled over- HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 395 head with two-inch plank placed crosswise. A month before this the prisoners had almost effected their escape by digging through the wall. But these improvements did not keep pace with the enterprise and industry of the criminals. Between May 1 and the middle of Septem- ber, 1860, the jail was three times broken, and eleven prisoners escaped. The board of supervisors was in session when the last lot got away, on the night of the llth, and they promptly comdemned the jail and ordered that the criminals of the county be taken to Kankakee and confined. But at the November meeting this was rescinded, and orders were given for securing the locks and fastenings of the doors. En the winter of 1861-2 Miles Williams and Henry Davis were con- fined for larceny, and indicted by the grand jury at the February term of court. With an auger and a saw, which had been passed in at the rate, Williams made a hole in the ceiling, through which he climbed up into the grand jury room, from which he escaped by lowering him- self to the ground with a cord made from his bed clothing. After this the corridor was sheeted with iron overhead. Davis was tried on the 20th, and sentenced to the penitentiary for three years. On the 25th :;ourt adjourned till the following morning, and that night he under- took to break jail. Contrary to custom, he had not been locked in his sell, and this circumstance gave him opportunity to attempt escape. Not knowing that the hall door was irou lined, he built a fire against it, designing to burn through into the passage, when he could get out by way of the window. The heavy joists beneath the pine flooring bad once before been burned partly through in the same place by Matt Lynch. They had now shrunk from seasoning, and when the fire penetrated the overlying boards a current of air sucked the flames through the interstices, when they were at once beyond the prisoner's control, and the dry material was swiftly lapped up by the devouring slement. The fire was discovered about 2 o'clock in the morning. Some person broke in the window in the west end of the jail, but the lames poured out so that no entrance could be made. There was barely time to remove the records, which were in the east end, and the building was in ruins. Davis' body was found on the floor of his sell lying upon the breast with the head and limbs totally consumed. His mattress, burned off at both ends, covered the charred trunk. The 3ourt-house was insured in the Hartford and Plxunix Insurance Com- panies. COUNTY SEAT CONTEST. The rivalry between the old and new towns now waxed hot. The friends of South Middleport wanted the court-house at that place, and though the old town people would not acknowledge it, and made a 396 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. gallant fight, it was a foregone conclusion that a removal must take place ; for wherever the thoroughfares of travel thread, the public con- venience requires the establishment of every accommodation, and never waits long to have the need supplied. The people of the old town at first maintained that the seat of justice had been permanently located there, and that the county had accepted 100 town lots as a considera- tion, and that in equity they were entitled to its continuance in that place. Its removal would entail on property-holders a loss which men of little means could ill afford, and which none ought to be compelled to suffer. The hardship was apparent ; but the location of the railroad had made it inevitable that it should be borne; for no voting popula- tion were ever known to have any scruples on such a point. Discov- ering at last that it would be next to impossible to prevent a removal, they then strove earnestly for a compromise location, which had strong supporters, Judge Chamberlain being of the number. The contest is to be admired for the ingenuity, energy and game spirit displayed by the two factions, but a too close view of all the details might detract measurably from any hastily conceived admiration ; for this reason, and want of time and space, we shall only briefly outline it, believing that there is always much that should be forgotten, as well as much that ought to be preserved. At the March term of the board of supervisors, held on the 4th, Charles H. Wood, Joseph Leonard and John Paul were appointed to settle with the insurance companies, and were given full power of adjustment, with authority to receive the funds and receipt for the same. This committee procured an assessment of the damages to the building by three disinterested appraisers, who reported it to be $4,385.84 ; but as other parties had made proposals to rebuild for a less sum, the companies refused to pay that amount. They proposed to the committee to pay $4,000, which was accepted, and drafts were promptly drawn in favor of the county. The committee reported their doings at the May term, and were directed to deposit the money safely in Chicago, which they did as follows: $2,000 in the bank of Solo- mon Sturgis 5 more competent to speak than Judge Blades, of Watseka, Illinois. The judge was at that time a doctor by profession, and was in a position to form a correct opinion of the surgeon and the man. The following discriminating and appreciative article was written by Judge Blades, on the occasion of the death of Dr. Babcock, and was published at the time in the Watseka " Republican." Without consulting the judge the writer takes the liberty of inserting it here as a fitting conclusion to this memorial. It may be well, however, first to remark that Dr. Babcock entered the army as assistant-surgeon of the 76th 111., the first regiment of the state to be enrolled under the call for 600,000 men. He followed the varying fortunes of the war through several of the southern states, and was present at many sieges and battles. It was his high privilege to share in the closing campaign of the war, the investment of Mobile, and the war's closing battle the storming of Fort Blakely. At the close of the war he was with the army at Galveston, where, in August, 1865, the army was disbanded, 'and Dr. Babcock returned to Onarga after a service of more than three years. He was promoted from the position of assistant-surgeon to that of surgeon of the 76th, and finally to that of division-surgeon, having many surgeons and their assistants under him. The following is the article by Judge Blades: "To THE EDITOHS OF THE ' REPUBLICAN ' : "This county, and especially the community of Onarga, has met with a serious loss in the death of Dr. William A. Babcock, who died at his residence in the village of Onarga, on the 7th instant. It had been my good fortune to know the doctor inti- mately for many years, and I am sure no one can testify with greater heartiness than myself to the excellent qualities and virtues of the man, and also to his eminent pro- fessional attainments. We were both, and at the same time, on the medical staff of the 76th 111. Vol. Inf. in the great war of the rebellion ; and for many months we occupied the same tent and ate at the same board. I came to know him with great intimacy, and had opportunities to observe him under circumstances well calculated to develop various and subtle phases of character, as also to test his professional courage and resources. I found him to be a man of strong convictions on every subject to which he professed to have given attention : earnest, plain and emphatic in giving expression to his opinions, and thoroughly upright in all that he did. He had a moral contempt for all subterfuge, shallowness and sham. He was well learned in his pro- fession, having graduated in the University of New York, in 1845, in the days when the illustrious Valentine Mott was the glory and pride of American surgeons. His powers of shrewd and patient observation, together with his long professional experi- ence, had imparted a solidity to his judgment and an acuteness to his intuitions that gave great value to his professional advice. Withal, he was modest, even diffident, and rarely, except when brought into contact with ignorance or insolence, would the great decision and courage of the man be exhibited. During my service with him in the army I have sometimes been amused at the cluinfounded astonishment of some one who had presumed upon the retiring and reticent demeanor of the doctor, at the sudden and sometimes terrible energy he displayed. He was a man of high patriotism. He went into the army out of a strong desire to bear a part in the great struggle for the preservation and redemption of his country ; and he entered that department of the service where, above all other places, he could be most useful. And that he was greatly useful none can know so well as those who served with him in the army, many of whom, including myself, will gratefully remember, to the end of life, the devotion and professional skill he displayed when they were lying at death's door. I have been long satisfied that it was his original and cour- 30 466 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. ageous treatment which saved me from a grave under the breastworks of Vicksburg. . I lament that this tribute I pay him is so inadequate and so feebly expressed ; but I could not refrain from saying something. I could not bear that the dear old friend I had known so long should be covered up in the ground without some expres- sion of my admiration for the man, and of my sorrow that he has departed, to be with us no more. FRANKLIN BLADES." We would add that, at the conclusion- of the war, Dr. Babcock re- turned to his beautiful home iu Onarga, where he resumed the practice of his profession, and in which he continued until the time of his death. He died April 7, 1875, of paralysis, aged fifty-seven years and seven months, leaving a faithful and devoted wife and an estimable daughter to mourn his loss. In the death of Dr. Babcock the poor and afflicted lost a kind and sympathizing friend, the town of Onarga and the count}- of Iroquois an eminent physician and surgeon, and the country a faith- ful, patriotic and distinguished citizen. EXECUTION OF JOHN M'DONNELL. On September 27, 1861, John McDonnell killed his brother-in-law, James Hare, in the store of Smith & Chapin, in Ashkum in this county, by striking him three times with a rod of iron, which he had procured from the blacksmith shop of Peter Kelly, and he was arrested and com- mitted to jail. At the following November term of the circuit court he was indicted for murder, and arraigned for trial before the following jury : Joel Brandenburg, Oscar Kinney, O. W. Dean, James Cauvins, George Pineo, G. G. Newland, William S. Gould, J. H. Bishop, James Egbert, Putnam Gaffield, William Alderman and John Snyder ; Judge C. R. Starr presiding. The trial commenced December 5, 1861, and occupied that and the next day, and on the 6th a verdict of "guilty " was returned, and on the 21st McDonnell was sentenced to be hanged on Friday, January 14, 1862. C. H. Wood, Esq., was attorney for the state, and Fletcher & Kinney for the defense. The attorneys for the defense deeming some ack-horses, which was the commencement of my trail. I was then MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 5 in the employ of the American Fur Company (John Jacob Astor & Co.), having engaged my services to them in the spring of 1818, for a term of five years, on a salary of $120 per annum. The fall of 1825, not liking the location I built a new post about a half mile north of the town of 'Bunkum,' being then free to exercise my own discre- tion. I left my boats at Chicago and bought Indian horses to convey my goods, now largely increased. From there by a new trail, with loaded pack-horses, I struck at Sugar creek, at or near Watseka, the trail or, as you call it, 'trace' intersecting there the one 1 had before used. That fall I established quite a number of trading-posts south, and one north of Iroqnois, making the latter my headquarters, visiting, as occasion required, rny posts. At the Iroquois I opened a farm which I preempted, so that by the inclosing and cultivating over eighty acres, with a nice hewed log farm house near my trading-post, I was the first to cultivate in Iroquois county, and also in Cook county, except Mr. Kinzie and Mr. Clayton, who at that time had small patches, about twenty acres each, in the present limits of Chicago. Mr. Baxter Allen was my farmer, and who, after the first year, got mar- ried in Indiana, his wife being the first white woman, I think, in the territory now embraced in your county. I continued my Indian trade south of Danville up to 1832, when I withdrew, still continuing to keep an assortment of Indian goods, but mostly for whites, at Danville and trading-post at Iroquois, withdrawing from both places wholly in 1834, so that m^ entire business was at Chicago." "When Col. Hubbard came among the Indians on the Iroquois, he soon saw the necessity, as a matter of protection and safety, to form more intimate relations with them than that of mere trade, and there- fore, in the course of time, married according to the Indian custom an Indian woman by the name of " Watch-e-kee" who was the niece of the Pottawatomie chief, Tamin. whose village was then on the present site of Concord (" Buncombe "). In answer to an inquiry made by the writer as to this matter, Col. Hubbard says: "I have no wish to deny the fact of her being my wife, given me by her uncle (the chief) when she was about ten, in the place of his own grown daugh- ter whom he presented to me, and whom I declined. This little girl was to take her place, and was, under my pledge to make her my wife, brought to me by her mother at the age of fourteen or fifteen. She bore me a daughter who died at about eight months old. I lived with this Indian woman about two years in harmony. Our separation was by mutual agreement, in perfect friendship, and because I was about to abandon the Indian trade, and of course my connection with her tribe. Both thought each other's happiness would be promoted by 6 HISTOKY OF IKOQUOIS COUNTY. separation, as it doubtless was." The names of the father and mother of Watch-e-kee, or " "Watseka," as she was called by the whites, appears to have been unknown to both Hubbard and Yasseur, as they so state to the writer. Watseka was born at the Indian village at the site of "Buncombe," about the year 1810. She is said to have been a hand- some, intelligent and superior Indian woman. After her separation from Col. Hubbard, according to the Indian custom, and his retiring from "Buncombe," she, in 1828, married Noel Le Yasseur, who had COL. GURDON S. HUBBARD. been left in charge of the post. Her tribe, except a remnant, were removed west after the treaty of October, 1833, and she and Vasseur then removed to Bourbonnais Grove, on the Kankakee river. She bore him several children, some of whom are still living in Kansas. She went west in 1837 with the remnant of her tribe, and located near Council Bluffs, and there married a Frenchman by the name of Ber- geron. When she went west Mr. Yasseur took her in a carriage as far as the Mississippi river, and it is said made ample provision for her, and that she was in comfortable circumstances until her death. About the year 1863 she returned on a visit to Mr. Yasseur, at Bourbonnais Grove, and from there she plodded her weary way afoot and alone to the scenes of her childhood, and visited the graves of her kindred and tribe, near MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 7 Middleport and " Buncombe." Sadly she left, as the last Pottawatornie to set foot upon the soil of Iroquois county, and returned to Kansas, and about the year 1878, in the Pottawatornie Reservation in Kansas, passed to "the happy hunting-grounds." Noel Le Yasseur died at his residence in Bourbonnais Grove, on Friday night, December 15, 1879. Col. Gurdon S. Hubbard is still living, at the ripe old age of nearly eighty years, at 243 White street, Chicago, highly honored and respected by all who know him. We have devoted this much space to " Watseka " for the reason that the city of Watseka has been named for her, and as her name will therefore be perpetuated in history, it becomes a matter of interest to have her biography. In the " Historic Notes of the Northwest," by Mr. Beckwith, at page 114 of this work, it is stated that there was an Indian tradition that the custom of perpetuating the name of "Wat- seka" originated in a conflict between the Iroquois and Illinois tribes of Indians, which took place on the Iroquois river, a few miles below Middleport, about two hundred years ago. As the heroine of this conflict belonged to the Illinois tribe, and the conflict must have occurred, if at all, at least one hundred years before the Pottawatomies occupied this territory, and as the last named tribe and the Illinois were always inveterate enemies, the Pottawatomies could have had no desire to perpetuate a remembrance of this conflict. The " tradition," there- fore, becomes mythical, and is evidently more poetic than truthful. Mr. Noel Le Vasseur, in an interview with him before his death, in- formed the writer that there was no significance whatever in the name of " Watseka." FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN BELMONT. The first emigrants to T. 26 N., E. 12 W. were John S. Moore and wife (Nancy) and their family : Jesse Moore and wife, Foster Moore, William S., Foreman, John B., Aaron, Joseph, Rebecca, Cath- arine, Mary and Nancy Moore. They all came from Adams county, Ohio, some in the spring and others in the fall of 1831, and located at what has since been known as "Moore's Point," on lands in sec- tions 14 and 15. Mary married John Crowl, about the year 1837, and located near " Buncombe." She died a few years ago, leaving five children. Mr. Crowl is still living, and resides on his old homestead. Rebecca married, January 1, 1833, Hon. Micajah Stanley, and they located near Milford, but afterward, in 1835, removed to the place where they now reside, in the limits of Watseka. Catharine married Samuel Fleming, and they located on his farm in section 30, where he died a few years ago. She is still living. Nancy married Reuben Carman, and settled in the northern part of the town. The sons all 8 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. married and located in the neighborhood. Foreman and John B. have since died and left families in the town. John S. Moore died July 10, 1843, and afterward his wife resided with her daughter, Mrs. Stanley, until July 5, 1853, when she died while on a visit to her daughter, Mrs. Growl. The Moore family were Methodists, and John S., in 1835, bnilt a log church, 25x30 feet, with clap-board roof and puncheon floor, and furnished with hewed bench-seats, for the use of the church. This was the first church in the county, and Moore's was the preacher's home. What ministers occupied this church the writer has not been able to learn. Alexander Wilson came in 1833, and laid a claim on land in section 10 ; sold out to Aaron H. James, and June 4, 1834, entered the N.E. ^ of Sec. 5, and built a hewed log house on it and removed to it. A few years after he established a tannery, and resided on the place until he sold out to Alfred Beckett, November 7, 1847. Beckett came from Perrysville, Indiana, and with him Benjamin F. Raney, who located on part of section 4. Raney and Beckett both died several years ago. Beckett sold to Hon. John Chamberlain, July 28, 1856. This land is in the present limits of Watseka. When Wilson sold out he removed to the west side of Sugar creek, where he still resides. John Hudson, Sr., and family came from Kent county, Delaware, July 4, 1834. His family consisted of his wife (Mary) and children : John, Jonathan, Henry and Deborah. Deborah afterward married James Longshore. John, Sr., died November 12, 1834, and his widow, March 13, 1835. They were both buried in the cemetery on the land where they located, in section 4, and which had been donated by them for burial purposes. They were each about sixty years of age when they died. Jonathan was accidentally drowned in Sugar creek, June 6, 1835. John was married to Sarah Longshore, and Deborah to James Longshore, both the same day, in December, 1835. They were married by Alexander Wilson, who was then a justice of the peace. John, Henry and Deborah are still living west of the creek. Mrs. Sarah Longshore, James, William and wife, and Mahlon Longshore came in the spring of 1835, and all settled west of the creek. John Longshore came two or three years after. The Longshores all died several years ago. They built the first house on the west side of the creek. Jesse Oppy and Samuel Oppy came in 1835. Jesse located on lands in section 23, where he and family still reside. Samuel Oppy removed to Iowa in 1866. Henry Barna, known also by the name of Barnhouse (German), with his two sons, located on the N.E. J S.E. of Sec. 20, in 1832 or 1833. He was a carpenter by trade, and made some of the furniture first used in the offices of the county. He sold his land to Robert L. Williams, in 1835, and left. MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 9- John Strean located on N.W. i of Sec. 22 in 1834 or 1835. He married Jane Yennum, daughter of Col. Thomas Vennum. They are both still living, but have no children. They are highly respected people. Aaron Hoel and family came from Ohio in 1834, and settled on W. |- S.W. of Sec. 27. He died several years ago, and the family are scattered. Jeremiah Hoel came in 1837. He was a brick-maker, and burned the brick for the old court-house. He and family removed several years ago to Union county, Illinois. John "Wamsley and fam- ily came from Adams county, Ohio, in 1834, and located on S. S.W. of Sec. 28. He sold out in 1836 and returned to Ohio. Eli Murray and family came from Ohio in 1834, and located on "W. -| N.E. of Sec. 29. He died man} 7 years ago. Lemuel and William John and families located in section 32 in 1834. Lemuel has been dead some years. Hozea T., Elijah and Thomas Kendall came from Indiana in 1835, all locating in sections 10, 11 and 14. All died several years ago. Peter Hardenbrook and family came from Ohio in 1835 ; settled on E. S.E. ^ of Sec. 29, and died many years ago. Samuel Keene came from Indiana in 1836 ; located on S.W. \ S.W. \ of Sec. 5. He followed hunting and trapping, as well as farming. He and family still reside on the premises. Oliver Smith and family, from Ohio, located on lands in section 22 in 1836. He died there many years ago. Samuel B. Swim and his sons, Samuel and Isaac, came from Adams county, Ohio, in 1837, and settled on lands in section 3. Samuel B. long since died. Samuel now resides at Onarga. Isaac removed to Iowa. Charles and John Shields and families came about the same time as did the Longshores, and settled in the same locality. They are both dead. Henry Furtig (German) came from Ohio about 1836, and located on the E. -| of Lot 2, N.E. -J- of Sec. 4. He lived with his widowed mother until she died, a few years after. His brothers, John and George, also lived with them. They all removed west many years ago. John Paul came from Pennsylvania in 1839. He married one of Jonathan Wright's daughters, and they settled on the S.W. of Sec. 26. Several years ago lie sold out and removed to Watseka and engaged in buying and selling grain. A few years ago he removed to Denver, Colorado, where he and family now reside. William, Austin, John arid Joshua Sherrill, settled near Lister's Point in 1847. They are all dead, but some of their descendants still reside in the neighborhood. Benjamin Raymond came about the same time. He married a Slier-, rill. Reuben, Aaron and Sarah Carman, with their father, came about 1850. Their father died here two or three years after. The others- settled on lands in section 3. Sarah married Henry Fortig, and they,, with Aaron, went west. Reuben married Nancy Moore, and a few 10 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. years ago sold his farm to A. J. Gillfillan, removed to Fairbury, Illi- nois, and from thence to Missouri. David McClanahan came from Tennessee about 1841, married Alex. Wilson's daughter (Mary) and located west of the creek. They removed to Kansas in 1864 or 1865. Abram Troxell and family came in 1840, and located west of the creek. He died several years ago. His two sons, John and Christopher, were both drowned in the creek in 1840, by accident, while getting cattle out during a freshet. Alfred C. Johnson came from Ohio several years ago, married here, and set- tled on lands in section 19, west of the creek, where he and family now reside. David McGill came to Belmont when a youth, in 1838, and was for several years in the employ of John Strean. He married in that town, and by energy and economy has acquired a large amount of lands and property. He is vice-president of the First National Bank of Watseka, and now resides in that city. Hon. Samuel Williams, with his father, Thomas Williams, and mother (Elizabeth) and brothers and sisters, John, Melissa, William, Josiah, Susan, Mary and Harvey, came to the county in 1845. He located in Belmont in 1847. His father died there in 1855. He is highly respected and a nran of prominence in the county; has-been judge of the county court, and is now the president of the First National Bank of Watseka, but still resides in Belmont. He was married in 1849 to Catherine Body, of that town. He was formerly from Adams county, Ohio. The first child born within the limits of Belmont, was Marion Francis Moore, son of Jesse and Leticia Moore, born in the summer of 1831. The first marriage was Hon. Micajah Stanley to Rebecca Moore ; and the first death was John Hudson, Sr., who died November 12, 1834. The first settlers of Belmont had to endure the hardships usual to a new country. John Strean had a little store on Coon creek, where he sold a few necessaries brought by teams from La Fayette, Indiana, and Chicago, Illinois, and which places were the nearest markets. The post-office was at Driftwood, northwest of Milford, on Sugar creek, where a "semi-occasional" mail was received on the mail route from Joliet to Danville. The nearest mills (except a " corn-cracker " run by horse-power, by William Pickrell, where Milford now is), were on Pine creek and the Big Shawnee, in Indiana, and at Wilmington, on the Kankakee river, about fifty miles away, and the nearest towns and physicians were at Williamsport and La Fayette. The first schools taught in the town, so far as the writer has been able to learn, were by Benjamin Raymond, on the east side of the MIDDLEPOHT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 11 town, and by Mahlon Boyd on the west side of Sugar creek. The first preaching was by Revs. Mr. Springer and Hooper Crews, of the M. E. church, and by John Hoobler and the Kenoyers of the United Brethren church. The town was first organized embracing town 26 north, ranges 12 and 13 west. Town 26 north, range 13 west, was organized as the town of Crescent a few years ago. The Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad runs through this town, on which, and in the S.E. ^ of Sec. 20 and KE. i of Sec. 29, the village of WOODLAND Is located. This village was laid off by Russell Search, Samuel Will- iams and John L. Donovan, April 17, 1876. It is a station on the WILLIAMS & SONS CREAMERY. railroad, four miles south of Watseka; has a post-office, lumberyard, steam mill, several stores, etc., and does considerable trade. At this village is located one of the best regulated and constructed creameries in the country, owned by Hon. Samuel Williams & Sons. The Poor Farm of the county is located principally in section 3, and was purchased of Henry B. Coberly, January 31, 1857. This town has two iron bridges across Sugar creek, one near the residence of Samuel Keene, built a few years ago, costing $6,500, and one lately built at Woodland, costing $3,200. Part of the corporate limits of the city of Watseka is within the town. James T. Phenix, a colored man, who resided on a farm he had purchased of David McGill, in section 26, committed suicide by drown- ing himself in Coon creek, on the night of Wednesday, February 4, 1880. He had been defeated on Monday before, by McGill, in a suit for 12 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. forcible detainer of the premises, and believing that he had been mis- used in the matter, he became insane and committed the deed. He left a wife and four small children in destitute circumstances. OFFICERS OF BELMONT. YEAR. SUPERVISOR. CLERK. ASSESSOR. COLLECTOR. 1856 1857 1858 1859 1880 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 - 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 Samuel Williams . . Elihu Moore David McGill Wm. Williams. David McGill. Same. H. L. Roll. Same. Henry Smith. H. L. Roll. Same. William Warren, Same. Same. Same. Same. S. W. Warren. M. Hogle. J. W. Carr. James Cauvins. G. W. Andrews. Same. S. W. Warren. G. H. Featherling. Same. Same. Justus Smith. Same. E H Moore Daniel Parker Same Same John Paul .... John Hudson Same Same John Paul A C. Johnson David McGill E H Moore S. W. Montgomery. A C Johnson .... Same Same Same Same Same . Same Same. Same F Blades Stanford Hoel Same Samuel Williams. . Same David John Same Same Same David McGill J. F. Good Same Same Same Same . Samuel Williams. . C Secrest J. L. McConnell, Jr. G. W. Garrison . . . G. W. Andrews . . . W S Browne J G. Wagner Same Same Abner Frame S. W. Montgomery C Secrest A D Frame .... Same Same Same J B Moore Same Same J . L. Donovan Same Same Same S W Warren Henry Tate Same Same '. . ... Same Same Same A D Frame March 10, 1865, David McGill was appointed to fill vacancy in the office of town clerk, occasioned by the removal of E. H. Moore from the town. November 16, 1864, John Strean was appointed supervisor to fill vacancy occasioned by the removal of John Paul from the town. November 1, 1870, William Warren was appointed town clerk to fill vacancy occasioned by the removal of J. L. McConnell. December 30, 1876, John L. Donovan was appointed supervisor to fill vacancy occasioned by the resignation of C. Secrest. July 6, 1877, William Warren was appointed assessor to fill vacancy occasioned by the assessor elect having been declared insane. FIRST SETTLEMENT IN THE TOWN OF MIDDLErORT. David and Oliver Bookless came from Ohio in 1833 or 1834, and located on lands in section 27, north of the river. David died many years ago. Oliver still lives near " Lister's Point." Hon. Micajah Stanley built a log house on the S.E. -J- of Sec. 32 in March, 1835, and in April following moved into it from near Milford, where he had previously resided. He improved his farm and in 1846 MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 13 built the finest barn then in the county. His premises are now in the city of Watseka, of the most of which he is the proprietor. His old residence has been replaced by a commodious and comfortable l.rick dwelling, where he and wife and some of his children now reside. He is honored and respected by all. James Crozzar came from Ohio in 1835. He married the widow of Hezekiah Eastburn, who lived near " Lister's Point," and built on the N.E. ^ of S.E. ^ of Sec. 35, where he resided until his death. He died June 17, 1869, and his wife January 6, 1880. He bequeathed his home property to Richard Roberts, who now occupies it. Crozzar left no children. Leander Hogle and family came from Coshocton county, Ohio, in 1836, and located on the E. of S.E. of Sec. 28. He died March 7, 1853, leaving surviving him his widow (Elizabeth) and Michael, George "W., Polly, John, Isaac and David, his children. His widow died about 1865, and his children Isaac and David several years before. Michael and John were several years engaged in selling goods at Middleport. George W. was a stock-trader. Michael was at one time sheriff of the county, and for several years the editor of the " Middleport Press," a justice of the peace, and prominent in the poli- tics of the county. Michael, George W. and John now reside in Chicago. Polly is married to John Thompson, and resides in Coshoc- ton county, Ohio. John Lyman, Sr., and wife (Hannah) and daughter (Susan) came from Starke county, Ohio, and landed at Middleport in June, 1836. Daniel Rondebush and wife (Polly Lyman), William Lyman, Samuel Lyman and Jacob Lyman and families, and Matthias Shipman, who afterward married Susan Lyman, came with them from the same place. John Lyman, Sr., and Daniel Rondebush and families, located in Middleport. Jacob and family located on lands in section 30, and William and Samuel and families farther north. These were the first settlements in the town north of Middleport and the river. George Lyman, David Buck and John Lyrnan, Jr., and families, and Jonathan Lyman, came from same place about two years after. John, Jr., died in about one year, and Jonathan subsequently married his widow. George Lyman located in Belmont, and David Buck and Jonathan Lyman, north of the river. Daniel Lyman came about 1840, and also settled north of the river. John Lyman, Sr., died in 1840, and his wife about ten years later. Daniel Lyman died about 1870 ; Buck in 1874; and Shipman about a year ago. Jacob Lyman died about 1850. Samuel Platner also came with the Lymans, and when Rondebush died, two or three years after, Platner married his widow and located 14 HISTORY OF IBOQUOIS COUNTY. on the E. -| of the N.E. of Sec. 29, north of the river. Jacob Snyder,. Sr., and son-in-law, Jacob Rhodes, and sons, Jacob and John, came from Wayne county, Ohio, in the spring of 1837. Rhodes and family located on N.E. \ of S.E. \ of Sec. 33. He died several years ago, and his wife later. John Snyder located on S.W. \ of N.E. \ of Sec. 33, in 1838. John died several years ago, and Jacob in Peoria about two or three months ago. Jacob Shultz came about 1837, and settled north of the river. Joseph Egbert and wife (Mary) and children, Eliz- abeth, James, Susan, Samuel, Hugh, Adrian and George, came from Akron, Ohio, November 15, 1840. The coming winter he built a dwelling house, saw-mill and "corn-cracker" on the river, in W. \ of N.E. \ of Sec. 32. No lumber was to be had nearer than Chicago or the Wabash river; he therefore sawed all the necessary lumber for these improvements with a whipsaw. George and his mother died in 1841, Hugh and Samuel in 1845. A Mr. Davis built a distillery near the mill, in which an old-fashioned copper still was used, which was purchased by Mr. Egbert in 1846, and was run about four years. Trie mill was run until 1856, and then abandoned. Elizabeth married Josiah Williams in April, 1849. Susan married a Mr. Pearsoll, and soon after died. Joseph Egbert died September 27, 1854. Josiah Williams and wife, and James and Adrian Egbert reside in Watseka. In 1836 Reuben Lister, Nathan Foster and Joshua Sherrill, made loca- tions in sections 35 and 36 ; and Mons K. Olland, Erick G. Medborn and Niels T. Bouge, in section 22 ; and Charles Holseclaw in section 23. David, Frederick and Benjamin Leatherman, William Jerman, Jones Green, John Merely, Mason Vermillion, A. J. Galaspie, Jason Bull, Charles F. Tyler, John Mellinger and Daniel Davis settled in the northeastern part of the town at a later day. William McCollock entered the S.E. \ of S.E. \ of Sec. 25, Decem- ber 25, 1832. This was the first purchase of the government made in the town. This covered the crossing of the river on the Vincennes and Chicago state road. Isaac Courtright, who then resided near "Buncombe," afterward purchased this land, and in 1839 or 1840 built a saw-mill and grist-mill on it. Cyrus Clapp came from near Attica, Indiana, lived in a " shanty " near the mill, and boarded the hands during its construction. George Courtright went there in 1843 and resided in the log house formerly occupied by Clapp, until he built a house which he occupied as a hotel several years, then sold it to Sanford Claggett, and he to William S. Torbett soon after. William Steerman and family, Richard and William Roberts, all came to the place from Indiana in 1848, and engaged in blacksmithing. Claggett and Woods- sold goods there from about 1850 to 1854, when Claggett. MIDDLEPOKT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 15 removed to Lexington, Illinois. Joseph Thomas came there with his family in 1848 and bought an interest in the mill. He was also justice of the peace, and from 1852 to 1856, a member of the legislature. His wife died there. He died at Onarga in 1858. Isaac Courtright located there with his family in 1843, and his wife died about one year after. A few years after he married Mrs. Ruth Kay, mother of Wilson S., Joseph W. and James W. Kay. They both died of cholera about the same time, in October, 1854. The mill property wafe conveyed to- George West, July 25, 1848. In 1854 he built a new mill, on north side of the river. This he sold to John Steele and Edward Collins, in 1865, who removed it to Sheldon. He sold the mill site to John Shankland, September 2, 1867, who built a saw-mill upon it, and sold out to Edward W. Bishop, January 21, 1868, who still owns it. Thi& place was formerly known as " Courtright's Mills," but for many years past as " Texas," but how it obtained this name the writer has been unable to learn. Mr. George King, father of Mrs. Nancy Blades (wife of HOIK Franklin Blades), Capt. George E. King, and Charles N. King, with his wife (Delilah) and family, came to the town in 1850, and located on a large farm he owned in sections 34 and 35, where he remained until 1854, when he removed to Middleport and engaged in selling goods,, which business he followed about four years and then sold his stock-in- trade. In 1861 and also in 1863 he was elected county treasurer. He died September 11, 1870, at the age of about sixty-six years. He was the son of William and Hannah King, and born in Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1804. Was a farmer by trade and engaged in that business both at Clarksville and Columbus, Ohio, for several years. In 1836 he removed to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, where he was engaged in farming, and also packing pork until 1840, when he removed to Will- iamsport, Indiana, where he engaged in selling goods and packing- until 1850, when he removed to Iroquois county, as before stated. He was a man of integrity, honesty, and unbounded liberality, and honored and respected by all who knew him. The farm he formerly owned in the town is now owned and occupied by Stephen Cissna. The town of Middleport was first organized embracing townships 27 N., ranges 12 and 13 W. T. 27 K, R. 13 W. was organized into a separate town in 1858. Middleport has three iron bridges, one across the creek, one across the river at Middleport, and one across the river about two miles above, in section 27. The first named cost about $4,800 ; the second $6,000 ; and the last $7,000. The first is a truss, and the other two arched bridges. The Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad, and the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroad run 16 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. through the town, crossing at Watseka. The most of the city of Watseka, and also " Old Middleport," are within the town. OFFICERS OF MIDDLEPORT. YEAR. SUPERVISOR. CLERK. ASSESSOR. COLLECTOR. 1856 Alvin Fiddler Alfred Fletcher Daniel Lyman Giles E Chapin 1857 George ^Vest Wm B White E Brandenburg. . W S Kay 1858 1859 James Fletcher. . . . Same Theodore Troup... Wm B White Same Same ... Wm. B. White. Theodore Troup 1860 1861 D. B. Gardner C R Brown J. C. Steely George Warren .... Same J A Graham. . . . Wm. B. White. ^W^m ^V^arren 1862 Daniel Fry L P. Mead V^m Brown J L Horton 1863 Wni Frees S. A. Washington. James Egbert E. Brandenburg 1864 1865 C. F. McNeill Same . W. S. Kay Same E. Brandenburg. . . ^Vm Jerman . Wm. Jerman. Paul Reeves 1866 H T Skeels R K Mclntyre . . Daniel Parker 1867 Josiah Williams. . . Same J A Graham Wm Williams. 1868 1869 Jas. P. Martin F J Sears Same S C Munhall . . . Same Same L. M. Hogle. Same 1870 1871 1872 E. B. Sleeth Stephen Cissna R K Mclntyre Same Same Same Same Same (No Record) Same. Henry H. Shultz. (No Record) 1873 Same Same (No Record) T A Graham 1874 Geo W Parker . . . Wm. I Jones H Henry (No Record) 1875 1876 1877 1878 Daniel Parker Same Same C. G. Culver H. H. Alter Same Same Same James Egbert Same Same J. A. Graham L. M. Hogle. Adrian Egbert. Chas. Franklin. Same. 1879 1880 Daniel Fry T. S Arnold Same Same Same Same E. M. Amos. Wm Fisher January 14, 1858, "W. S. Kay resigned as collector, and Henry C. Bryant was appointed in his place. November 21, 1861, James "W. Kay was appointed town clerk to fill vacancy ; 1871, H. H. Shultz, collector, resigned, and S. W.Warren was appointed to fill the vacancy. November 27, 1873, C. F. McNeill was appointed supervisor to fill the vacancy occa- sioned by the death of K. K. Mclntyre. January 16, 1877, A.'B. Roff was appointed collector vice Adrian Egbert, who did not qualify. Sep- tember 15, 1877, C. F. McNeill was appointed supervisor to fill vacancy occasioned by the death of Daniel Parker. January 16, 1879, A. L. Whitehall was appointed collector in place of Charles Franklin, who did not qualify. The following justices of the peace have been elected for the town : 1857, C. F. McNeill, William Brown and William F. Keady ; 1858, William F. Keady ; 1860, William Brooks and B. F. Barnum ; 1861, Michael Hogle and James C. Steely ; 1865, James C. Steely and A. B. Roff; 1866, Joseph L. Horton ; 1869, James C. Steely and L. Armstrong; 1870, James C. Steely; 1872, C. F. McNeill; 1873, Andrew Rush; 1877, A. B. Roff and Peter C. Hoyt: and May 13, 1879, Harrison Garner was elected in place of A. B. Roff who resigned. At the town meeting in 1863 a vote was taken for or against township MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 17 organization, which resulted in 642 votes being cast for, and 3 votes against it. A like vote was taken again in 1867, which resulted in 187 votes being cast for. and 85 votes against township organization. At a special town meeting, June 8, 1867, a vote was taken for and against $15,000 aid to the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes railroad, which resulted in 233 votes being cast for, and 68 votes against it. The town bonds for this aid were issued February 20, 1871. The payment of these bonds has since been enjoined. MIDDLEPORT. Middleport was laid off on the W. i of N.W. i of Sec. 32, and that part of E. of N.E. of Sec. 31, lying east of the Iroquois river, in 27 north, range 12 west. The E. of N.E. of Sec. 31 was entered by Hugh Newell, August 27, 1836; and the N.W. i N.W. of Sec. 32, by Jacob A. Whiteman and Hugh Newell, same date; and the'S.W. i N.W. i by Austin Cole, Sep- tember 21, 1836, who sold, September 30, 1836, the north half of this tract to White- man & Newell. The plat is recorded in book A of the deed records of the county, pages 128 and 129, as follows : " A map of the town of Middleport, situated at the mouth of Sugar creek, on southeast bank of the Iroquois river, Iroquois county, state of Illinois, surveyed at the request of Hugh Newell and Jacob A. Whiteman, in December, 1836, by James Smith, deputy for Jonas Smith, surveyor of Iroquois county, Illinois." " COBERLY'S ADDITION TO MIDDLEPORT " Was laid off, March 15, 1848, by.Henry B. Co- berly, the owner of the N.E. S.E. \ of Sec. 31 (Robert Nilson, surveyor), comprised of only two blocks adjoining Middleport. The plat is recorded in book B, page 547. The first house built in Middleport was built by Daniel Ronde- bush, soon after he came, as before stated, on lot 5, block 32. This was a log house about sixteen feet square. The second was a double log cabin, built by John Lyman, Sr., on lot 8, block 27, which lot is now 2 18 HISTORY OF IEOQUOIS COUNTY. owned by S. R. Hawks. The third was a double log house, built by William Shellenbarger, on lot 2, block 38, and on the bank of the river. The first school taught in the village was by Dr. John Harwood, in one end of this house, in the winter of 1840-1. This school was attended by one scholar from M. Stanley's family, three from Alex. Wilson's, four from John Findley's, three from Frazier's, two from Shipley's, four from Egbert's and two from Harwood's, making nine- teen scholars. The fourth one was a log house built by Stephen Flesher, on lot 8. block 50, 16x18 feet, where the Wilson House now stands. He also had a blacksmith-shop on this lot and followed that trade. The fifth was a log house built by David Buck, 16x24 feet, on lot 5, block 31. The first court held in Middleport convened in this house in May, 1840. The house was afterward sold to Henry Troup, and finally fell to Mrs. Troup, who sold it a few years ago to a Mrs. Soucey, who moved it on a lot near the cemetery, in the N.E. ^ S.W. % of Sec. 32, where it can still be seen. All these houses were built in 1836 and 1837. In 1837 Henry Troup visited this county from Man- chester, Starke county, Ohio, for the purpose of selecting a location, and engaged Hugh Newell to build him a house and storeroom in Middle- port. He and family came August 10, 1838, with his father-in-law, John Little and family. When they came Troup's house was not com- pleted, and they all had to camp under a large oak tree on the bank of the river, about six weeks. During this time Little built him a log house west of block 41, near where the mill now stands, and moved into it. In the meantime Troup's building on lot 7, block 41, was com- pleted and he moved into that. In a short time his store building, 16x24 feet, just across the street, was also completed. The old oak tree under which they camped was precipitated into the river by a storm, April 23, 1853. . The Troup dwelling was a two-story frame, and the first frame building in the place. It was used for about three years by Mr. Troup as a hotel, and until he built a dwelling-house on lot 1, block 42, in 1841, just north of his storeroom, and moved into it, and where his widow, Mary Ann Troup, still resides. The former house belonged to Hugh Newell, was subsequently sold to Winthrop Patterson, by him to George King and by him to the writer, who sold it to James Bowen, who removed it on lots 7 and 8, block 36, where it still stands and is used as a barn. In 1839 Hugh Newell built a two-story frame building on the northeast corner of lot 5, block 41. The upper story of this building was used for a court-room and the lower story for county offices, until the school-house was built. The school-house, 20x30 feet, was erected on lots 3 and 4,' block 37, in 1842, and in this court was held until the court-house was completed in 1847. MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 19 Dr. John Harwood and family came in 1840. He was the first physician to locate in the place. He built a frame residence on lot 1, block 34:. This building is still standing, and is occupied by Joseph L. Horton and family. Jacob A. Whiteman came about the same time. He was probate justice, county treasurer and assessor. He was admit- ted to the bar in 1846. Samuel D. Younglove and family, Samuel 'Haviland and family, John Shipley and family, Jacob Frazier and family, John S. Findley and family, Benj. Brackney and family, and Alpha H. Torrey came soon after. Younglove and Shipley were black- smiths, Haviland a tanner, and Torrey a gunsmith. Finley was elected justice of the peace, and Brackney, constable. Charles Gardner (attor- ney) and family came from New York. He was the first attornej r to- locate in the place. Van H. Higgins (now of Chicago) came from the Wabash in 1843. He taught school until 1845, and during the time he was admitted to the bar. He left in 1845. Henry Starr, brother to Judge Starr, and also an attorney, located here about 1844. He married Shipley's daughter in 1846, and removed to Morris, Illinois. George B. Joiner and wife came from Williamsport, Indiana,* in June, 1845. He practiced law, taught school, and kept the post-office for Henry Troup, who was the first postmaster. His books show that at the ends of the following quarters his receipts in the post-office were : October 1. 1845, $7.25; January 1, 1846, $5.65, and January 1, 1849, $13.81. A. B. Roff was appointed postmaster in 1849 ; C. R. Brown in 1852; Daniel B. Gardner in 1853 ; William F. Keady in 1857, and R. K. Mclntyre in 1861, who held the office until it \vas vacated in 1868. Garret EofF occupied the Newell building vacated by Mr. Troup, in 1842, and kept hotel in it. Mrs. Gardner and sons (Farrand and Daniel B.) came in 1845, and her sons, Horace and Samuel S., came in 1846. Farrand was elected justice of the peace, in 1846. Horace kept hotel in the building built by Newell for a court-house, and was suc- ceeded by Hardin Graves in 1847, who was his brother-in-law, and who came with the Gardners Garrett EofF built a hotel on lot 5, block 39, in 1846 or 1847. It was burned down in 1848. This was the first fire in Middleport. It was immediately rebuilt by EofF, and was after- ward known as the "American House." About the same time Hardin Graves built a brick hotel on lots 7 and 8, block 50. A few years after he sold it to Dr. Nathaniel Wilson, who occupied it, and it has since been known as the "Wilson House," and is still standing, bnt has not been used as a hotel for many years. The American House was suc- cessively kept by EofF, Adam Barr, Snyder & Lyman, William H. Ward, William Brooks, and John N. Urmston. A few years ago the building was demolished. 20 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. In 1851 Charles Sherman and Cyrus R. Brown built a steam saw- mill in the northern part of the town. At the raising of this mill, October 31, a Mr. Daniel Bailey was killed instantly by the falling of a heavy piece of timber. He left a family of wife and ten children. This mill was successively owned and run by Sherman & Brown, Wheeler & Torrey, Torrey, Harrison & Master, and Caldwell & Steely. It has not been run for several years, and was destroyed by fire last year, being owned at the time by Lazarus Steely. Hugh Newell died in spring of 1841. He was circuit clerk and recorder. John Harwood succeeded him in that office. John F. Wag- ner succeeded Harwood in 1847, and became a citizen of the place. Jesse Bennett succeeded Wagner in the fall of 1849, and came from "Buncombe" to Middleport at that time. He built a residence on lots 3 and 4, block 33, the next year. Don Alonzo Falkenbury came in 1842. He succeeded Jacob A. Whiteman, as probate justice, in 1845, and held that office until the county court was organized in 1849. He also taught school part of the time, and occasionally entertained the people by preaching, as a local Methodist minister. He left in 1852, and now resides in Arkan- sas. Asa B. Roff came in 1848. He engaged in boot and shoe- making. He was postmaster, as before stated, and also a justice of the peace for several years. He went to Texas in 1857, returned in 1858, resided a short time at Onarga, and built the first house in South Mid- dleport. Dr. Richard Taliaferro came about the same time. He practiced medicine, and kept a small stock of drugs. Joseph Myers built the first brick business building in the place, on lot 1, block 49, in 1850. He afterward sold it to John Murdock, and he subse- quently sold to Ezekiel Bowman. Mrs. Charlotte Hogle, widow of Henry W. Hogle, with her children, Henry W., Caroline, Leander M., Horatio A. and Austin W., came from Lower Canada, August 12, 1849. She died November 3, 1874, aged about sixty-nine years. Caro- line married John Fagan in 1853, and died in 1855. Henry W. died on February 10, 1858, and Horatio A. died in Denver, Colo., Novem- ber 13, 1879. Leander is now living in Middleport and Austin W. in Colorado. John Fagan, a saddler and harness-maker, came from the Wabash in 1849, and in 1851 built a brick store building on lot 5, block 39. James Fletcher, attorney, came in 1849, and S. A. Wash- ington, also an attorney, came in 1850. They were brothers-in-law. Washington died in 1866, and his wife a few years ago. In 1851 E. Bowman, Jacob A. Whiteman, C. S. Stryker, Milton Scofield and S. A. Washington built residences. Daniel Parker came from Indiana in 1850. He sold goods in Middleport at different times; bought and MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 21 run a saw-mill on Sugar creek, near Middleport, a short time; was engaged in trading in stock and farming several years; and also sold goods in Watseka. For three years he was supervisor. He died in September, 1877, having been an energetic, useful and respected citizen. In the summer of 1851, the members of the M. E. church at Middleport, A. B. Roflf, M. Stanley, D. A. Falkenbury, Alex. Wilson, Samuel Williams, S. B. Swim and Foreman Moore, acting as trustees, built a church (frame), 36x45 feet, on lot 5, block 33. Daniel Parker was contractor. At the. time this was built there was not another church building in the county. Before this the court-house had been used for church purposes. This church was also occupied as a court- house after the old court-house was burned, on the night of February 25, 1862, and until the county-seat was removed to Watseka. It was also used for several years for school purposes. It was sold in 1866, and removed to Watseka, where it has since been occupied as a livery stable, and is now owned by Lovett & Hayes. S. S. and D. B. Gardner erected a large double two-story store building in 1851, which is still standing where erected; and, in 1854, George King and M. and J. Hogle built a large three-story store building on lots 6 and 7, block 41. This was, in 1857, purchased by the writer and William Frees, who removed it to Watseka in 1866. Frees afterward sold his half to Col. M. H. Peters, and the building is now known as the " McNeill & Peters Building." The upper story has been occupied as lodge rooms by the Masons and Odd-Fellows, and other secret societies, both in the old and new town. William Frees, of Joliet, 111., located in Middleport in the spring of 1854. He engaged in the hardware and tinning business, and his was the first establishment of the kind in the place. He remained in the business here until 1863, then removed to Watseka, and sold out in 1865, after which he and wife visited Germany, their native place, returned to this country and located, in the same business, at Ashton, Illinois, where he still resides. His wife died last fall. They were highly respected, sociable and charitable people. Hon. John Chamberlain located here in the spring of 1855. He formerly resided at " Buncombe," to which place he had come from the state of New York. He died in December, 1866. (See his biography elsewhere.) Hon. Franklin Blades located at Middleport in 1852, and engaged in the practice of medicine. He was also for a time in partnership with Dr. Jesse Bennett in the drug business; became editor of the Republican in 1856; engaged in the practice of the law in 1858, and is now judge of the circuit court. He has been a 22 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. leading man in the county, and filled many honorable and prominent positions. Henry C. Bryant came frqm Williamsport, Indiana, in 1850 or 1851. He was for a time in partnership with Henry "W. Hogle in carriage and wagon-making; afterward he engaged in the drug business, and for several years was a justice of the peace. He purchased a farm south of Middleport in 1858, and located on it. In 1854 Mr. George King came to this place from his farm, east of town, and engaged in the dry-goods business, as noticed in the history of the town, to which the reader is referred. In the fall of 1853 the Presbyterian church of the place -was organ- ized by Rev. James Ferguson. Rev. C. H. Palmer came in 1855. The church building was built in 1861, and is still standing. Mr. Palmer died at Watseka, February 12, 1877, an exemplary Christian, beloved and respected by all. His widow and family reside there. Stephen G. Bovie, attorney, came to Middleport in 1853. He engaged in the practice of the law, and he and lady also taught the Mid- dleport school for several years. From 1859 to 1863 he was master-in- chancery of the county, and in 1877 was the republican nominee for county judge. He resides at Watseka. The writer came to Middle- port from his farm on lower Spring creek, April 1, 1857, where he resided until January 1, 1867, when he removed to Watseka, where he now resides. (See biography.) In 1858 an addition was made to the court-house, and from that time until 1862, at which time the court-house was burned, many buildings were erected and improvements made, among which were the Presbyterian church and school-house, built in 1861. From the burning of the court-house the village declined, and after the removal of the county-seat to Watseka in April, 1865, most of the buildings worth removing were removed to the latter place in 1866 and 1867. The business men and firms of the place were : Merchants Henry Troup, Hardin Graves, Goodenow & Brown, Sherman & Brown, Daniel Parker, John Youndt, Zeigler & Co., Sherman, Ayres & Co., Sherman & Patterson, King & Patterson, Winthrop Patterson, M. & J. Hogle, S. S. & D. B. Gardner, May & High, David Hoover, Joseph Rogers, John F. Wright, Joiner & Allen, Fowler & Fry, Bowman & White, Keady & Petts, John H. Empie, and a few others not remem- bered : Druggists R. Taliaferro, Harwood & Fletcher, Bennett & Blades, H. C. Bryant, E. R. Sheffield, Wesley Bonfield, H. A. Tilling- hast and Henry Tillinghast, H. A. Tillinghast & Co., and J. & M. Y. B. Harwood : Physicians John Harwood, Nathaniel Wilson, A. E. Mandeville, R. Taliaferro, Samuel Hueston, Jesse Bennett, Franklin Blades, A. N. Crawford, C. F. McNeill, E. R. Sheffield, Edward MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 23 Tupper, Ryder, Joseph Brelsford, William H. Sommers and L. N. Pittwood. The physicians of the county organized a county med- ical society at Middleport, May 13, 1851. How long this organization was continued the writer is not able to state. The physicians of the county again organized, February 23, 1861, and this organization con- tinued for several years, and in which much interest was manifested. The attorneys were Charles Gardner, Henry Starr, George B. Joiner, Van H. Higgins, Jacob A. Whiteman, James Fletcher, S. A. Washing- ton, S. G. Bovie, A. B. Roff, Chester Kinney, Charles P. Kinney, C. F. McNeill, Franklin Blades, George H. Walser, Wilson S. Kay, Thomas Vennum and George E.King: Justices Jacob A. Whiteman, John S. Finley, D. A. Falkenbury, Samuel M. Ayres, Henry C. Bryant, C. F. McNeill, William F. Keady, C. P. Kinney, James C. Steely and Andrew Rush. Circuit courts at Middleport were attended by the following for- eign attorneys: Pearson, Terry and Davis, of Danville; Bryant, Chandler and Gregory, of Williamsport, Indiana; JSeard, Mace, Jones and others, of La Fayette, Indiana ; Voorhees, of Covington, Indiana ; Osgood, Fellows, Snapp, Randall and Fuller, of Joliet ; Ives and others, of Bloomington ; and Starr, Loring, Bonfield, Paddock and Moore, of Kankakee, and many others. Schools were taught by the following persons : John Harwood, Adrian Egbert, Sr., D. A. Falkenburg, George B. Joiner, S. A. Wash- ington, Rolla Pearsoll, W. S. Kay, Chauncey Finley, W. D. Robinson, F. Winkley, S. G. and Mrs. Bovie, George W. Rider, E. R. Akin, N. M. Bancroft, J. M. Mercer, and many others. A county agricultural society was organized at Middleport, and fairs held there in 1855, 1856, 1857 and 1858. Middleport was well located and once a prosperous and thriving vil- lage of about 800 inhabitants, and the memory of many pleasant associa- tions is connected with it. The failure to secure the location of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railway, from the lack of liberality and man- agement on the part of its citizens, together with the consequent loss of the county seat, has been its ruin. We would like to say many more things about Middleport that might be of interest to the reader, but the fact that we are limited aa to space forbids it. Henry Troup was the leading spirit of the village and one of its most prominent citizens. He was born in Maryland, April 25, 1800, and died April 8, 1859. By prudence and economy he accumulated quite a fortune for his day, and it is truly said of him that " He was a faithful, industrious and correct business man, affable and courteous, domestic in his habits, and strictly moral and honorable." His widow 24 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. still resides in their old homestead in Middleport, respected as one of the oldest settlers of the place. Middleport was incorporated as a village, April 16, 1859, by the election of John Hogle, Wilson S. Kay, B. F. Barnnm, D. B. Gardner and Alfred H. Torrey as trustees. D. B. Gardner was elected presi- dent, and William H. Taylor was appointed clerk. The territory incorporated was one square mile, commencing at the S.E. corner of the S.W. i of S.E. I of Sec. 30, T. 27 K, K. 12 W., and running east one mile and south one mile. This incorporation was maintained only until the loss of the county-seat, and Middleport has since been added to the corporation of Watseka. A child was born to Mr. and Mrs. William Lyman soon after they came, in 1836. Mandaville Little was married to Lavina Frazier in 1838 or 1839. The wife of John Lyman, Jr., died in 1840. These constitute the first birth, marriage and death in Middleport. WATSEKA COURT HOUSE. WATSEKA. Watseka was first known and designated by the name of " South Middleport," Hon. Micajah Stanley, proprietor. The village covered MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 25 the west 123 ^ acres of the S.E. i of Sec. 32, T. 27 K, R. 12 W. The W. of said S.E. i was. entered by Mr. Stanley, April 28, 1835, and the E. ^ September 3, 1836. The survey was made in October, 1859, by Moses H. Messer, county surveyor; plat made May 9, certi- fied by the proprietor May 16, and recorded June 1, 1860. "Stanley's Addition to South Middleport," covering the balance of said S.E. ^, was surveyed by Messer September 12, 1861, certified by the proprie- tor September 17, and recorded October 1, 1861. At the suggestion of Mr. Stanley, Winthrop, Patterson and other old citizens, the board of supervisors of the county, at their September meeting in 1863, changed the name of "South* Middleport" to " Watseka," in honor of the Indian woman of that name, heretofore referred to in this history ; and by act of the general assembly, approved February 16, 1865, and in force from and after its passage, said order of said board so changing the name of said town, was defined and declared to embrace; South Middleport and Stanley's addition thereto, as laid out and platted on the entire S.E. ^ of said Sec. 32. The county-seat having been removed to Watseka, as thus defined, it will be ^en that, in law, it covers only said S.E. ^ and not the whole of the city of Watseka. Hon. John Chamberlain, April 4, 1860, by M. H. Messer, surveyor, laid off a tier of twenty-four lots on the north side of lot 2, N.E. ^ of Sec. 5, T. 26 K, R. 12 W., adjoining South Middleport, the plat of which was recorded May 11, 1860. On October 5, 1864, this plat (as to lots from 1 to 18 inclusive, and also lot 23), was vacated, and lots 18 and 23, corresponding with Third and Fourth streets, were dedicated as streets. " Troup's Addition to Watseka," surveyed by E. W. Dodson, county surveyor, covering a large part of the S.W. of N.E. \ of Sec. 32, was laid off by Theodore and Anna F. Troup, his wife, December 4, 1865, and plat recorded December 29, 1865. "Roff and Doyle's Addition of Out-Lots to the town of Watseka," surveyed by M. H. Messer, was laid off by Asa B. Roff and Robert Doyle, covering the most of the S.E. of KE. \ of Sec. 32, July 12, 1866, and plat recorded July 13, 1866. "Fairman's Addition to the town of Watseka," surveyed by M. H. Messer, on S.E. \ of N.E. I of Sec. 5, T. 26 N., R. 12 W., was laid off by John F. Fairman, July 3, 1866, and plat recorded July 13, 1866. "Charles Sherman's Out-Lots to Watseka," were surveyed and plat- ted February 9, 1869, and plat recorded March 10, 1869. They cover the N.W. i of N.W. \ of Sec. 4, T. 26 K, R. 12 W. "County Clerk's Plat of Belmont Addition to Watseka," covering the Sherman out-lots, and also the out-lots sold,by Chamberlain, by 26 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. metes and bounds, east of Fourth street, was platted by John M. Bur- ton, county surveyor, by order of A. Honeywell, county clerk, June 18, 1873, and recorded June 26, 1873. " Chamberlain's Addition to the City of Watseka," covering nearly all of the north half of said Sec. 5, east of Sugar creek and west of Fourth street, was platted September 21, 1871, and plat recorded July 1, 1873. " Stanley's Second Addition to Watseka," on S. i of S.W. , K W. of S.W. i, and S.W. \ of K.W. \ of Sec. 33, T. 27 N., R. 12 W., was surveyed by John M. Burton, county surveyor, April 14, 1873, and plat recorded April 23, 1873. John Chamberlain and James W. Lawrence laid off the N.E. \ of S.W. \ of said Sec. 32, into out-lots, May 2, 1860, and the plat of which was recorded June 7, 1860. A cemetery lot in this tract had been con- veyed by Samuel M. Ayres and wife, August 13, 1855, to the county court of Iroquois county, Illinois, and deed was recorded December 9, 1873. An addition to this cemetery was made by Chamberlain and Lawrence, and in which both have been buried. Many of the ojd citi- zens of the two towns and surrounding country have been buried here. A " County Clerk's Plat " of out-lots in S.E. \ of S.W. \ of said Sec. 32, surveyed by John M. Burton, county surveyor, June 10, 1875, was recorded June 15, 1875. Also a "county clerk's plat "of out- lots in the N.E. \ of said Sec. 32, surveyed by John M. Burton, county surveyor, May 20, 1876, was recorded May 26, 1876. Said plats, with the territory beyond them included within the corporate limits, comprise the city of Watseka. INCORPORATION. South Middleport was incorporated, by vote, as a village, August 28, 1863. An election for trustees was held, September 7, 1863, at which A. B. Roff, Ransom Munson, George G. Mayo, Francis J. Sears and Conrad Secrest were elected. On September 12, 1863, the board of trustees organized by electing C. Secrest president, and R. Munson secretary. The city of Watseka was incorporated by charter, approved Febru- ary 19, 1867. The distinctive feature of this charter was that it pro- hibited the sale or giving away of intoxicating liquors, except for sacramental, mechanical and medicinal purposes. The charter in other respects conferred the usual powers granted to cities. The corporate limits embraced the N.W. \ of Sec. 4, and the N. \ of Sec. 5, T. 26 K, R. 12 W., and the S.E. \ of N.W. , the S.W. , and the E. \ of Sec. 32, and the W. of Sec. 33, T. 27 N., R. 12 W. The MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 27 city existed under this charter until November 16, 1872, when by vote it adopted the powers conferred by the general incorporation act of the state, approved April 18, 1872. The village of Middleport was annexed by ordinance to the city, April 5, 1869. The following persons have been elected mayors and appointed clerks of the city : March 4, 1867, Charles Sherman, mayor, and A. B. Roff, clerk ; March 2, 1868, Micajah Stanley, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk ; March 1, 1869, Thomas Yennum, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk ; March 7, 1870, George C. Harrington, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk ; March 6, 1871, George C. Harrington, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk ; March 4, 1872, Seeley Hetfield, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk ; April 15, 1873, Seeley Hetfield, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk ; April 20, 1875, M. H. Peters, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk ; April 17, 1877, Franklin Blades, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk; April 15, 1879, M. Stanley, mayor, and H. H. Alter, clerk. Blades resigned, as mayor, September 8, 1877, and on October 9, 1877, Mathew H. Peters was elected to fill the vacancy. Daniel C. Secrest, son of Hon. C. Secrest, was born June 10, 1860 ; Daniel Parker, son of Daniel Parker, Sr., died January 7, 1863; and Ransom Munson was married to Miss Julia A. Follett in April, 1860. These constitute the first birth, death and marriage in Watseka. Mr. Munson died January 8, 1871, aged about forty-one years. His widow resides in the city. David Johnson is the first colored person who located in the city. He was born a slave, in Rutherford county, Tennessee, August 31, 1832. He was received in the 76th 111. Vol. Inf. as a "contraband," in the summer of 1862, at Bolivar, Tennessee, and came to Watseka in November of that year. He married Mary A. Hemming, of Ross county, Ohio, April 25, 1867. Her father, Madison Hemming, son of " Dusky Sally," one of Thomas Jefferson's house servants, claims to be a son of Jefferson, and one of his colony of servants located by him in Ross county, Ohio, in 1830. Johnson is a barber by trade. A post-office was established at Watseka in 1862, and A. B. Roff was appointed first postmaster. He held the office until 1866, when Charles Jouvenat was appointed his successor. In 1868 Zacheus Beatty, editor of the "Republican," was appointed to succeed him. On February 23, 1874, our present postmaster was appointed, who is one of the most efficient and accommodating officers in the state. The statistics of the office for 1879 show : Number of mails forwarded, 3,120 ; number of stamps sold, 68,646 ; envelopes and wrappers, 12,150 ; postal cards, 35,778; total, 116,574; value of above, $3,021.80, and total receipts, $3,460.16. Money orders issued, 1,296; amount, 28 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUXTY. $14,898.80 ; money orders paid, 843, and amount, $10,999.38. Letters mailed, 71,240 ; postal cards, 27,976 ; newspapers, 88,036 ; packages, 728; total, 187,980. Total receipts, $18,358.96. The first building in South Middleport (now Watseka) was a dwelling, 32x38 feet, ground floor, and 22x28 feet above, seven rooms below and four in second story, erected by Asa B. Roff, Esq., on lots 7 and 8, in block 11, in the fall of 1859, costing $1,500. This building is still standing, and is occupied and owned by Mrs. Taliaferro, daughter of Hon Micajah Stanley. Mr. Roff and family occupied this building until he built him a fine brick residence, just north of Roff & Doyle's addition, in 1868. He sold this about one year ago, and with his family removed to Kansas, where he now resides. The second was a warehouse, also used for a depot, 26x50 feet, with two rooms above for family, erected by John F. Fairman, at a cost of about $500. This warehouse is still standing on the railroad, just east of the " Williams House," and is occupied by Mr. Fields. The third was a lumber office, 14x16 feet, built by Andrew Dalton on the railroad grounds. A large stock of lumber was kept in connection with it. This office is now occupied by Edward Dalton. The fourth was a hardware storeroom, built by William P. Pierson, of Onarga, in the spring of 1860, 20x56 feet, on block 21. This was filled by him with a stock of stoves, hardware, agricultural implements, etc., and he also had a stock of lumber in connection with it. The fifth was a restaurant and saloon building, built by John Steele, on the northeast corner of the depot grounds. This was occupied by him and others for some years, and finally sold to A. Willoughby and moved to a lot between Second and Third streets, on Walnut street. Steele came to Middleport in 1859, and brought there the first billiard table ever brought to the county. He has lately reformed and appears sincere. The sixth was a shoe shop, built by John Shafer, south of the depot grounds. The seventh was a grocery store building, 20x40 feet, with cellar, built by William M. Coney, on east half of lot 13, block 19. The eighth was a drug store and dwelling, 20x40 feet, two stories, built by Dr. C. Secrest, on lot 1, block 28. The ninth was a store building, 22x60 feet, two stories, with an addition, one story, 18x40 feet, built by Dr. William Fowler, on the south ends of lots 7 and 8, block 26. This building is now occupied by Mr. Daniel Fry with a stock of goods. The tenth was a saddler shop, built by William Munson, on west half of lot 13, block 19, and sold by him to John Fagan. This is now known as C. Wade's store building, and occupied by the Martin Brothers. The eleventh was a dwelling 16x36 feet, story and a half, with six rooms, built on west half of lot 14, block 19, by Dr. MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 29 Samuel Hueston. The twelfth was a grocery store building, 18x24 feet, with cellar, and four rooms above, erected by George Courtright, on lot 11, block 19, and now occupied and owned by him. These were all built in the spring of 1860. During the summer the following residences were erected : Cottage, 34x40 feet, two stories, six rooms, hall and porch below, and three rooms and hall above, finished in good style, built by John L. Dono- van, and still occupied by him and family. A dwelling, 16x24 feet, one story and a half, with an addition, 18x20 feet, five rooms below and three above, was built by William Brooks. This was subsequently purchased by Hon. Thomas Yennum, and has been enlarged and much improved, and is occupied by him and family. A dwelling, 20x30 feet, two stories and six rooms, built by David Hutchinson, on lots 7 and 8, block 28 ; the building is now owned by Dr. Joseph Euans. A dwelling, 20x30 feet, two stories and five rooms, built by Dr. D. Fenner, on lot 16, block 35, is now owned by Mr. David Johnson, and occupied by him and family. A dwelling by James Markle, 20x20 feet, four rooms and cellar, on lot 9, block 2. During the fall Hon. M. Stanley completed a hotel, 44x72 feet, three stories, with one-story kitchen on southeast corner, erected on northwest corner of block 26. It contained a hall in second story, 30x50 feet, and the building was well finished and furnished in first- class order. Mr. Stanley kept this house for the accommodation of the public about five years, and including the period of the war, and was noted for his liberality and kind disposition toward all, and especially the soldiers, justly and deservedly earning a reputation for the house attained by few. The house was destroyed by fire on Saturday night, February 16, 1866, caused by leaving kindling in the oven of the kitchen stove, which took fire. The inmates and guests were alarmed by the fire about three o'clock in the morning, and some were compelled to desert the building in their night-clothes. Three Irishman in the third story, who had failed to heed a timely warning to leave, were compelled to jump from a window to the pavement below, alighting upon some bedding thrown down for that purpose, all escaping without injury, although one of them, more scared than hurt, was heard to ex- claim : " Holy Muther of Jasus, have mercy on me ; my back's broke ; whisper to God fur me!" This house was not rebuilt by Mr. Stanley, but the lots sold by him to Mr. James McCurdy, who rebuilt it in 1869. This property was sold, March 28, 1877, to Mr. William Williams, who has fitted it up in good order, and keeps a first-class house. In the fall of 1860, Mr. Daniel Parker erected on lot 7, block 20, corner of Fourth and Walnut streets, a brick storeroom, 21x46 feet, 30 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. two stories, with six rooms above for dwelling. This was the tirst brick built in the town. He filled the storeroom with a stock of goods and resided above. His son, Daniel, died here with small-pox, Jan- nary 7, 1863. During the summer and fall of 1860 the following residences were erected on out-lots in the N.E. of S.W. of Sec. 32, T. 27 N., range 14 west: A dwelling, 16x25 feet, with two. wings, 13x13 feet each, two stories, ten rooms and two halls, finished in fine style, by Chester Kinney, Esq. This building was destroyed by fire about the time it was completed, the last of September, 1860, supposed to have been the work of an incendiary. A dwelling, 20X26 feet, two stories, and a wing one story and a half, 14x17 feet, eight rooms, hall and cellar, finished in good style, was built by S. G. Bovie, Esq. He still resides in this building. The dwelling, 15x22 feet, one and a half story, five rooms, was built by G. H. Walser, Esq. ; and dwelling by Aaron F. Wright, 14x21 feet, two rooms and cellar. A store building (frame), 40x50 feet, two stories and attic, was built by Benjamin F. Masters, on lot 9, block 19, corner of Third and Walnut streets, in 1861. This is now owned by John Reeder, and the west room, to which a one- story addition on back end, fifty feet in length, has been added, is now occupied by Isaac C. Wade's hardware store. Andrew Dal ton, in 1862, built a frame two-story store building, 20 x 90 feet, on the east half of lot 16, block 19. This building was afterward occupied by William Frees, Dodd & Browne, and Woodford & Har- rington with stocks of hardware, but for several years has been occu- pied by C. G. Culver with a stock of dry-goods, groceries, etc. Dr. William Fowler built a fine cottage residence on a large out-lot in Cham- berlain's addition in 1862, which, with the surroundings, was fitted up in good taste. Here he resided until his death, December 31, 1872. His first \vife, Eleanor White, whom he had married at " Buncombe," in this county, in 1839, also died here in October, 1871. He had again married a short time before his death, and his widow still resides in this homestead. Dr. Fowler was born in England in 1814, came to Virginia when a youth, studied medicine there, and located in this county in 1837, resided in "Buncombe" until he came to Watseka with his family in 1862, and where he remained until his death. During the time he lived in this county he practiced his profes- sion, and also for several years was engaged in selling goods. He was one of the pioneers of the county, a man of high standing and char- acter both in his profession and out of it, kind in disposition, and highly respected. He was very sensitive, and by mistreatment he was induced to commit suicide by taking morphine. MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 31 In the spring of 1863, through the exertions of Rev. P. T. Rhodes, $3,000 in amount were raised by subscription for building a M. E. church. A building committee, of which Dr. C. Secrest was chairman, was appointed, arid the contract for building was let May 18, 1863. The building was erected during the summer, on the north half of lots 15 and 16, block 29, where it still stands. Since that time $900 in amount has been raised and expended in improving the building. This was the first church built in the city of Watseka. January 1, 1864, the Iroquois County Medical Society met in Wat- seka, and among other things adopted a bill of prices for medical and surgical services, the first of the kind adopted in the county. An extra- ordinary cold storm set in that evening, during which several persons returning to the country were badly frozen, among whom was a Mr. Ooton and a lady with him, who resided in Belmont. Ooton's limbs had to be amputated, and the lady died at the Poor Farm from the effects of the cold. In April, 1865, the county seat was removed from Middleport to Watseka. The circuit clerk's and recorder's offices were first moved into a small building on lot 6, block 27, east across the street from Secrest's drug store, and the county clerk's office was moved into John Paul's building on the south side of the depot grounds. They were kept in these places a short time and then again moved, the circuit clerk's office to the lower story of the school building, on lot 11, block 20, and the county clerk's office to a room owned by William F. Ready,, just west of it and on lot 10, of the same block. This was the east lower room of a two-story frame block that had a short time before been erected by William F. Keady, A. P. Furguson and Daniel Parker. The offices were kept in these buildings until they were destroyed by fire, on the night of October 15, 1866, and they were then moved into the new court-house, which was nearly completed. During said time the upper story of the school-house had been used for a court room. In 1865 Vennum & Tillinghast and John F. Fairman erected a wooden block on lot 15, block 19. The east lower room has been used for a drug store, and is owned by Mrs. George E. King (formerly Mrs. H. A. Tillinghast), and now occupied by the Arnold Bros. ; and the west half of the building is owned by Adam K. McNeill, and occu- pied by Alex. Gillfillan as a dry-goods and grocery store. In 1866 Francis J. Sears, Thomas Vennum, William M. Coney, H. A. Tilling- hast and John Paul, at a cost of about $8,000, erected a brick building, 25 x 80 feet, and three stories, on the west half of lot 14, block 19. The lower story is occupied as a hardware store by L. Marsh, and the upper 32 HISTORY OF IROQU01S COUNTY. story has been used as a Masonic hall, and is occupied by the lodge and the chapter of the order. The three-story frame block, 44x54 feet, on lot 10, block 19, with brick basement, was moved from the " Old Town " in 1866, by C. F. McNeill and William Frees, at a cost of $1,000. It is occupied by Dr. H. A. Alter's book store, and by Mr. Greene's grocery and boot and shoe store. Aaron Willoughby's brick, 25 X 70 feet, with stone cellar, was built in 1868, at a cost of $6,500, on west half of lot 12, block 19. It is occupied by him as a grocery store. William M. Coney's brick, 25 x 100 feet, two stories and cellar, was built by him on east half of lot 13, block 19, in 1875, at a cost of $4,500. It is occupied by him as a dry-goods and grocery store. Mrs. Emily English's brick, 20x50 feet, on west half of lot 16, block 19, was built by her in 1869, at a cost of $5,000. It is two stories and used as a bakery and boarding house. The National Bank Building, 25 x 70 feet, two stories, on west half of lot 8, block 20, was built in 1875, at a cost of about $4,500. The lower story is used by the First National Bank, and the upper story as an Odd-Fellows hall, and is used by the lodge and encampment of that order. The court-house was erected on the west half of block 29, in 1866, at a cost of $28,000. For further particulars as to this, the reader is referred to the General History of the county. The brick school building was erected in 1868, at a cost of about $12,000, on a tract of four acres immediately south of block 34, bought for the sum of 1,200 of the executors of the estate of Hon. John Chamberlain. The building is 60x75 feet, two stories and basement, warmed by a hot-air furnace, and well furnished. Between the years 1855 and 1870, and somewhat later, several fine brick residences were erected in the city, among which may be men- tioned those built by Charles Sherman, Mrs. Orra L. Chamberlain, Decatur Morgan, Asa B. Roff, William P. Anthony, M. Stanley, L. Marquardt, Daniel Parker, George E. King and the writer. During the same time many tine frame residences were erected, among which may be mentioned those built by Hon. Franklin Blades, Dr. William Fowler, Dr. C. Secrest, Daniel Fry, Seeley Hetfield, John L. Donovan, William M. Coney, John Sheridan, John Fagan, Thadeus Wade, Robert Doyle, George C. Harrington, Dr. Jewett, Hon. Thomas Yennurn, Tracy B. Harris and many others, which we cannot take the space to mention. The city is noted for tine residences. Between the years 1862 and 1868, many store buildings and resi- dences were moved from the "Old Town " to Watseka. LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 33 THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF WATSEKA Was organized in the year 1870, with a capital of $50,000, the stockholders representing some of the best known and wealthiest citizens of the county. At the first election of officers Hon. Samuel Williams was chosen president, David McGill, vice-president, and George C. Harrington, cashier. There has been no change in the officers of the bank since its organization, with the ex- ception of the election of an assistant cashier, in the person of Josiah G. Williams. Not knowing whether the enterprise would receive immediate recognition by the public, the bank made its first office in the second story of the Willoughby Building. However, meeting with unexpected favor, it was soon necessitated to seek a more ac- cessible and commodious office and shortly erected a wood structure on the site of the present building. This building not proving adequate, the bank, in connection with the lodge of Odd- Fellows, as before stated, erected their present fine building in 1875. The bank now has the reputation of doing the largest volume of com- mercial business of any bank of its capital in the Northwest, its ex- changes running in to millions of dollars annually. During the financial panic of 1871, caused by the Chicago fire, and the subsequent panic of 1873, when most of the banks in the country were necessitated to close their doors, the First National Bank of Watseka kept open doors and hon- ored every demand made upon it. It is recognized as one of the institu- tions of the county in which the people feel a just pride, solid and safe beyond question, and its management conservative enough to keep it so. The banking house of Donovan, Woodford & Co. (John L. Don- ovan, George A. Woodford and Thomas Yennum, proprietors) com- menced operations in the second story of the Masonic Building, in 1869. This bank did a profitable and reputable business, unaffected by the panics, until November 2, 1874, when the proprietors sold out to the firm of J. Matzenbaugh & Co., composed of Josiah Matzenbaugh and Henry T. Skeels. ..The name was then changed to the Watseka Bank. This firm dissolved partnership, March 1, 1878, and the busi- ness was continued by Henry T. Skeels. This bank failed, and an assignment of its effects was made to Daniel Fry, for the benefit of its creditors, March 14, 1879. It is presumed that the effects will satisfy all just claims. The Opera Hall Building, 40x60 feet, was erected on the south 3 34 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. halves of lots 1 and 2, block 18, in 1867, by John Reeder, for a woolen factory. It was filled with machinery for this purpose by Mr. Russell, and run for some time manufacturing woolen goods ; but the supply of water failing (this was before artesian wells), the machinery was sold to J. W. Stearns & Co., and removed to the "Old Town." It stood unused for several years, and was then fitted up for a hall. It is now owned by Mr. John W. Riggs, who is well patronized the citizens manifesting a taste for theatrical, scientific, intellectual and other entertainments. The Baptist church, on lots 9 and 10, block 9, was built in 1869. It is a frame, 40x60 feet, and not yet entirely finished. The Catholic church, 35x55 feet, was erected on lots 9 and 10, block 3, in the fall of 1878. It is a frame, and cost about $3,000. The Methodist Episcopal church, Presbyterians, Baptists, Catholics, United Brethren and Adventists have church organizations in Wat- seka, the dates of which the writer has not been able to procure, but most of them have had organizations for many years. THE SCHOOLS OF WATSEKA. The first school in Watseka was a small frame building erected on the south side of the depot grounds in 1861. This was sold, and removed by James T. S. Irons to his lot in the southeastern part of the city in 1865, and was afterward used by him for a carpenter shop. In 1863 a two-story frame school-house, 20x36 feet, was built on lot 11, block 20, at a cost of about $2,000. The first school taught in this was by J. B. Eno, now of Crescent. This building was rented to the county in the summer of 1865, the lower story being used for the county clerk's and the treasurer's offices, and the upper story for a court-room. It was in this room that Harper was tried and convicted for the murder of Nelson. This building was destroyed by fire on the night of October 15, 1866, as before stated. The present brick school-house, on the four-acre lot south of block 34, was erected in 1868, as elsewhere stated, at a cost, including the grounds, of about $14,000, and the bonds of the district to that amount were issued and sold to John Sheridan to raise the necessary amtnint to purchase the grounds and erect the building. The district is a union district, No. 7, towns 26 and 27 north, range 12 west, 2d principal meridian. Previous to 1866, M. Stanley, Charles Sherman and A. B. Roff were directors. Since that date the following directors have been elected: 1866, John Paul; 1867, Thadeus Wade; 1868, C. Secrest; 1869, C. F. McNeill, in place of Secrest, resigned; 1869, John Paul ; 1870, W. I. Jones, Z. Beatty and William Fowler MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 35 McNeill and Paul having resigned ; 1871, Fowler reflected for three years; 1872, Seeley Hetfield elected for three years; January 11, 1873, Henry H. Alter elected in place of William Fowler, deceased; 1873, W. L Jones reflected; 1874, John Allison; 1875, L. N. Pittwood ; 1876, W. I. Jones reflected; 1877, D. W. Ayres; 1878, H. A. But- zow ; and 1879, Josiah Williams. The amount borrowed on the bonds of the district, except $6,000, has been paid. After the burning of the school-house, and until the present one was erected, John Paul's store-room on south side was used for a school-room. The amount of $1,300 insurance was collected and appropriated for school purposes. The school, since the present building was erected, has been a graded" school, and attained a high reputation under the management of Profs. Neal and Paisley. THE PRESS OF THE COUNTY-SEAT. The first paper published at the county -seat and in the county, was " The Iroquois Journal," a weekly newspaper, devoted to politics, lit- erature, the arts and sciences, agriculture, etc., published every Wednes- day, by J. A. Graham ; office in Wagner & Patterson's building, up stairs (Middleport). The subscription price was $1.50 per annum. This was a six-column paper, set in long primer type, and whig in pol- itics. This paper was printed on a "Ramage press" of the style of the days of Franklin, wooden frame, double bed and single platen, requiring two pulls to print one side of the paper. It was almost use- less, the bed having been worn so much by rubbing with pumice stone that it required several layers of paper under the form to bring the center up. This press was used fifty years before in printing the terri- torial laws of Indiana, at Yincennes. It was bought by John R. Jones in 1842, and taken to Perrysville, Indiana, where Jones pub- lished the " Perrysville Eagle," which he printed on this press. In 1843 or 1844, Jones sold the press and office to Daniel Clapp, who took it to Danville, Illinois, and started the "Danville Patriot," which was printed on it. He afterward sold out to Roney & Peabody, who pub- lished the "'Illinois Herald," which was also printed on this press up to November, 1850. On January 1, 1851, they sold this press and office to Joseph A. Graham for $400. It was hauled from Danville.to Middleport for Mr. Graham, by Henry Root (since of Onarga) and Garrett Eoff (then of Middleport, but since deceased). Three volumes of the "Iroquois Journal" were printed on this press, when about April 1, 1854, it was sold to William F. Ready and Benjamin Scott, who printed one volume of the "Iroquois County Press" on it. It then went out of use until 1861, when it was sold to George Sellers & Bro., then of Clifton, in this county, who took it to Tuscola, in this 36 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. state, and there printed a paper on it which they published, the name of which the writer is not now able to give. If this old press could still be found it would prove, a valuable relic of a past age. The first issue of the " Iroquois Journal " is dated February 19, 1851. It has a " leader " on the prospects of Middleport, and also advocates slack- water navigation by the improvement, for that purpose, of the Iroquois and Kankakee rivers ; chronicles the return of G. B. Joiner, H. C. Bryant and John Lehigh from California, and contains the advertise- ments of A. B. Roff, boot and shoe maker, Market street, Middleport; and S. A. Washington, J. A. Whiteman, and Gardner & Fletcher, attornej's-at-law, Middleport Illinois. Three volumes of this paper were published at Middleport by Mr. Graham, the last issue being dated March 29, 1854, and a complete file of which is in the possession of the writer. It was ably conducted, and a lively interesting paper for its day. Mr. Graham sold the " Journal " office, about April 1, 1854, to William F. Keadyand Benjamin Scott for $450, who then commenced the publication of the " Iroquois County Press," a democratic paper, at Middleport. About one year after, Keady bought Scott's interest in the paper, purchased a new Washington press, and enlarged the paper to seven columns, and changed the name to " The Middleport Weekly Press." It was ably conducted by him in the interests of his party, but on account of his opposition to what he called " The Swamp Land Swindle," in the sale of the swamp lands of the county, he incurred the displeasure and opposition of some of the magnates of the demo- cratic party, and thought it prudent to sell out, which he did to Joseph Thomas and Ray W. Andrews, and retired from the paper, with the issue of July 18, 1857. Harmon Westbrook was employed by Thomas & Andrews as editor, but soon becoming offensive he was discharged by them, and was succeeded by Caleb Pink. Mr. Pink withdrew from the paper, July 27, 1858, and was succeeded by Michael Hogle as editor, and about the same time Hon. John Chamberlain became the proprietor. Mr. Hogle conducted the paper with some ability for sever- al years, but his strong southern sentiments at the commencement of the war became very offensive, even to many of his own party, and they repudiated his paper, and he retired from it about October 1, 1864. He was succeeded by George C. Harrington as editor, who had charge of the paper for one year, and conducted it with ability and taste. The " Press " then ceased to exist. " The Investigator," a democratic paper, was started at Middleport, during the summer of 1855, by Dr. Richard Taliaferro and James H. Graham, in opposition to the "Middleport Press," in the interests of MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 37 a faction of the democratic party, the members of which had become offended at Mr. Keady. It was a six column paper, set in long primer and printed on a " Foster press." It was published irregularly about six months, and then died for the want of patronage, and the office was sold to Mr. Thomas Yennum, and soon after the press and material were used for publishing u The Iroquois Republican," published every Thursday morning by J. A. Graham and D. T. Lindley, Jesse Ben- nett and Franklin Blades, editors, with the motto, " Strike, But Hear ! " The first issue of this paper is dated at 'Middleport, May 8, 1856, office in the room adjoining the store of S. S. & D. B. Gard- ner. The paper appears to have been well patronized from the start, and the first issue contains the cards of Drs. Harwood and Tupper, Dr. Jesse Bennett, Franklin Blakes, M.D. ; M. Y. B. Harwood and H. C. Bryant, druggists ; G. B. Joiner, James Fletcher, Stephen G. Bovie and Jacob A. Whiteman, attorneys; Empie & Eldridge, saddlers; Seldon & White, bridge-builders; Daniel Hutchinson, blacksmith; E. R. Aiken, A.M., Middleport Collegiate Institute and Female Semi- nary ; Barr & White, American House ; and H. O. Henry, Wilson House. This issue also contains the names of the first republican central committee of the county, appointed at a convention held at Middleport, March 29, 1856, as follows: Middleport, Dr. Bennett, Dr. Blades and S. M. Ayers; Crab Apple, Winslow Woods; Milford, William Gray; Onarga, Judge Pangborn ; Belmont, John Strean ; Wygandt, James P. Martin ; Concord, Dr. Urmston ; Beaver, Jonathan Watkins; Loda, James H. Major; Ash Grove, John H. Stidham ; and Chebanse, R. J. Hannah. October 9, 1856, Graham & Lindley dissolved partnership, and Graham continues as publisher, and associates Andrew Robertson with him as printer. December 18, 1856, Graham & Yennum enter into partnership as publishers. March 26, 1857, Dr. Jesse Bennett severs his connection with the paper, and Dr. Blades continues as sole editor. August 6, 1857, Thomas Yennum closes his connection with the paper as publisher. November 5, 1857, Graham sells out to Andrew Rob- ertson and William H. Sheward, who become publishers. June 30, 1859, Dr. Blades withdraws from the paper and Andrew Robertson becomes editor. September 29, 1859, Robertson retires ; and Novem- ber 3, 1859, Thomas Yennum announces the sale of the office to C. F. McNeill, who takes charge of it, and Samuel S. Patton is employed as foreman. January 7, 1861, McNeil 1 sells the office to J. Ralph Robinson and Ancel B. Caddy. Robinson had formerly been editor of the "North Fairfield Gazette," Ohio, and latterly local of the " Peoria Transcript," and Mr. Caddy had for the three years previous been foreman 88 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. in the " Transcript " office. Caddy left, October 27, 1861, to join Capt. McAllister's battery, at Fort Holt, and he died in the military service March 7, 1862, on the government hospital boat " Memphis." The office was sold to A. G. Smith February 19, 1862. Robinson went to Ohio and became the editor of the " Bucyrus Journal," having pur- chased that paper of D. R. Locke (" Nasby "). The office was removed by Mr. Smith to Watseka, in the spring of 1863. In October, 1866, Smith sold the office to Zacheus Beatty, of Knoxville, Illinois, and removed to Danville, Illinois, where he became the proprietor and pub- lisher of the "Danville Daily and Weekly Times." He was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, in 1831, and educated in Ohio. April 1, 1873, Mr. Beatty sold the office to Alex. L. Whitehall and Elmer Brimhall, of Watseka. He had enlarged the paper in 1872 and changed its name to the "Watseka Republican." After selling out, Mr. Beatty and family returned to Knoxville, Illi- nois, where he now resides, and is publishing the " Republican Regis- ter." Mr. Brimhall purchased the interest of Mr. Whitehall in the paper, August 24, 1876, and became its sole editor and proprietor, and changed it to its present quarto form. August 1, 1877, he sold the office to Lorenzo Watson and H. A. Jerauld. Mr. Jerauld disposed of his interest to Watson, October 1, 1878, who is now the sole editor and proprietor of the paper. A power press has been added to the office. The " Republican " is the oldest paper in the county, having been established over twenty-four years ago. It has generally been conducted with ability, and has had much influence in shaping the political and civil affairs of the county, and has been foremost in every moral reform. The " Iroquois County Herald " was established about October 1, 1865, on the ruins of the " Middleport Weekly Press." This paper was published weekly, on Saturday, by George W. Keady (Michael Hogle, editor), at Middleport. It was independent in politics. The office was moved to Watseka about February 1, 1867, the last issue at Middleport being dated January 27, 1866, and this being the last paper published at Middleport. This issue contains an account of " a singu- lar stroke of lightning" at Middleport, on Friday evening, about nine o'clock, January 19, 1866, at which time the dwelling-house of the writer and the writer himself were struck, the house being badly dam- aged and the writer severely injured by the bolt. We give this inci- dent to prove that it is even possible to he struck with lightning in January, and survive it. Some time after the removal of the paper to Watseka, Charles Jouvenat became its editor. He was also appointed in the meantime postmaster at Watseka, and through the means thus MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 39 obtained he sustained the paper until the spring of 1869, when he was removed from the post-office, and his paper ceased to exist. The press and material were sold some time after and taken to Rensselaer, Indiana. " The Iroquois County Times " was founded at Onarga, in this county, by Louis M. Babcock and Jacob Keiser, the first issue being dated December 1, 1870, under the name of the ' ; Onarga Times." Mr. Keiser in a short time withdrew from the firm, and Mr. Charles Drumm purchased an interest in the paper, Babcock being editor and Drnmm foreman. On March 16, 1871, the paper was enlarged to an eight-column folio. In May of the same year the office was removed to Watseka, the last issue at Onarga being dated May 4, 1871, and the first at Watseka, May 27, 1871, the name having been changed to " The Iroquois Times." In December, 1872, the office was sold to Col. M. H. Peters, who took control of the paper January 1, 1873. He sold it to Mr. Otto H. Wangelin, of Belleville, Illinois, June 5, 1874, who on February 26, 1875, enlarged it to a seven-column quarto, and on August 13, 1875, sold it to Mr. Auguste Langellier, who afterward, on August 10, 1876, reduced it to a six-column paper. During his management the Washington press upon which the paper had been printed was re- placed by an Acme power press, the largest country size, and at the same time changed the name of the paper to " The Iroquois County Times." On July 1, 1878, Col. Peters again purchased the office, and is now sole editor and proprietor. He enlarged it to a seven-column quarto on January 1, 1878, the largest sized country paper published in the state. The office is large and complete and permanently established, and the paper ably conducted. In politics the " Times" was originally in- dependent republican, supporting Greeley for president in 1872. It has 40 HISTOKY OF IEOQUOIS COUNTY. since been independent in politics, and pursued that course which seemed to its editor best calculated to advance the interests of the people. Latterly it has advocated financial reform and supported the greenback party. Charles Drumm, who entered the office when it was first established, is still foreman, and is one of the best printers in the state. MUKDEKS AND EXECUTIONS. It has not been judicially determined that a murder has ever been committed at the county-seat, but it is charged that one, Daniel Peitz, poisoned his wife at Middleport, and Martin Meara was taken from the jail at Watseka and hanged by a mob. Peitz's wife died August 11, 1864, at two o'clock in the morning, a few days after she had given birth to a child. A short time before Peitz had purchased a quantity of arsenic at H. A. Tillinghast's drug store, in Middleport, stating at the time that he wanted it to poison rats. While his wife was sick he purchased her some port wine. He gave her some of this in a tea-cup on the morning of August 10, 1864. She was immediately taken violently ill, and Drs. McNeill and Sommers were sent for. Upon ex- amination they pronounced it a case of poisoning, and search being made for the cup from which she had taken the wine, it was found con- cealed on an upper shelf of the pantry, and in the bottom of it was found nearly an ounce of arsenic, which had been saturated with the wine. Peitz was soon after arrested, and when his wife died a coroner's jury found that she came to her death from poison being administered to her by her husband, Daniel Peitz, and he was committed to jail. There then being no jail in the county, he was sent to Kankakee city for safe keeping. Soon after he made his escape from the jail, and has not since been heard of. THE MEARA TEAGEDY. Martin Meara, an Irishman and a farmer, who resided between Onarga and Gilman, in this county, was charged with having, about June 15, 1871, whipped his son, a lad of about eleven years of age, to death. The body of the boy was found and Meara arrested, about the first of July, and upon an examination he was committed to jail to await the action of the grand jury upon the matter. For a more particular account of these occurrences the reader is referred to the history of the town of Onarga. On Sunday morning, July 2, 1871, Meara was brought to jail, and at his request Roff & Doyle visited him as counsel. On the next day his wife came to see him. On Tuesday, the 4th, there was a celebration at Milford, which many of the citizens of Watseka attended. In the evening the writer, who had attended with others, returned, and was informed by the sheriff MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 41 that Luther T. Clark, of Onarga, had arrived and had intimated that a mob might be expected that night to hang Meara. The writer advised him to summon a guard, which he did, of a few determined persons. The mob came, as it was afterward learned, but being notified by Clark that they would meet with resistance, they left. For greater safety, however, the prisoner was taken to the woods by the sheriff, in the latter part of the night, and returned to jail in the morning. It was presumed that this would be the end of the matter, and early ill the morning the writer went to Chicago on important business, and did not return until the next day. Circuit court was then in session, Judge Charles H. "Wood presiding, but had adjourned from the Satur- day before until the afternoon of the 5th. During that day rumors, were rife in Watseka that another mob was gathering about Onarga and would be over in the afternoon. At half past two Judge Wood arrived from Onarga on the train, and with him many persons from the west side of the county, supposed to be implicated in the mob. When Judge Wood came through Gilman Dr. Elias Wenger presented him a petition, signed by twenty-three of the best citizens of that place, requesting him to call a grand jury to act upon the Meara case and put him upon trial. This Judge Wood refused to do, which had the tendency to further excite the mob spirit. Soon after court opened.' Sheriff South, with W. S. Kay, Esq., consulted the judge as to the propriety of removing Meara for safety, and he advised them that the jail was the proper place for him, but gave no further specific advice or directions in the matter. The mob gathered about two o'clock in the timber at the mouth of Sugar creek, just west of the " Old Town." They came on horseback and in wagons, with arms and bludgeons, sledges and crowbars. They organized by electing E. J. Barber, of Onarga, leader, who declined, and nominated Athiel Simms who was then elected. He remained quiet and said nothing. Dr. B. J. Daniels, a disreputable practitioner of Gilman, itching for notoriety, thereupon announced that he would act as leader, and got upon his horse and went to Watseka. Here he distributed a large number of printed accounts of the murder, for the purpose of exciting the sympa- thies of the citizens in favor of the mob. In the evening, after bor- rowing an old hat and clothes in which to do his murderous work, he returned, but in the meantime the mob had been formed and was marching for Watseka, and was met half-way by Daniels, who harangued them. They then made a dash upon the court-house, about six o'clock, and just after court had adjourned, and were met at the gate by Sheriff South, who commanded them to " halt ! " The mob disre- garded his command and wrested the arms from the hands of the guard. 42 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. They then battered down the outside door which had been barred, demanded the keys of the jail of the sheriff, who refused to give them up, and then with sledges battered down the door of the jail and also the cell containing Meara. Meara was both handcuffed and shackled and utterly defenseless, and in this condition he was dragged out of the jail and court-house, and thus to a wagon, over one hundred yards distant, into which he was thrown. Daniels then mounted the wagon and again harangued the mob, in which he said that : " We are aware that he (Meara) could only be indicted for manslaughter, which would simply send him to the penitentiary for a few years." Meara was then driven to the timber west of Sugar creek, and under a leaning mulberry tree. It was then announced to him that he could have but a short time in which to prepare for death. He then called for a Catholic priest, and the response was that there was none present. He then asked if there were any Catholics present, and the answer being " Yes," he asked them to pray for him. Rev. C. H. Palmer, of the Presbyterian church, then made a lengthy prayer, after which Meara spent a few moments in giving directions as to his property and accounts. He then said that when he joined the Masons he had made many enemies, and he then made the grand hailing sign of distress in Masonry, and this eliciting no response, he renounced Masonry and said he wanted to die a Catholic. In the meantime a rope had been prepared with a hangman's knot upon it. Meara had been a very short time in an attitude of prayer when he was told to stand up, which he did, and the rope was passed down to Daniels, who placed the noose around Meara's neck and tied a handkerchief over his face, and the wagon was then driven out and Meara launched into eternity. After he had been hanging but a short time Daniels shot two balls through his body, out of a revolver. The crowd then dispersed and the body was left hanging over night. Most everything has its ludicrous side, and this case was not an exception. A short time after the crowd had dispersed, which was after dark, a family of emigrants with a wagon came along and camped near the place. They had heard nothing of the affair, and the first they knew of it was in the morning when they discovered Meara hanging upon a tree ! They then supposed that the whole thing had occurred after their arrival and during the night. Fearing that they might be charged with the crime, or perhaps be the next victims, they inconti- nently fled without preparing breakfast. In the morning the body was taken down by citizens of Watseka, and the coroner being absent an inquest was held by Justice L. Arm- MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 43 strong. After an examination of several witnesses the jury brought in the following verdict : " STATE OF ILLINOIS, Iroqnois county, ss : " In the matter of the inquisition on the body of Martin Meara, deceased, held at Watseka, on the 6th day of July, A.D. 1871, we, the undersigned jurors, sworn to inquire of the death of Martin Meara, on oath do find that he came to his death by being hanged by the neck, and shot with a pistol, by the hands of B. J. Daniels, Alvin L. Bates, Samuel Higginson, Samuel Hannah, John Lowe, Otto Myers, H. C. Mosher, and others whose names are at present unknown to the jurors ; that the body of Martin Meara was shown to this jury, hang- ing to a tree, and with two wounds in his body, in Middleport town- ship, Iroquois county, and state of Illinois, about one mile west of Watseka, near the bridge crossing of Sugar creek ; that the said Martin Meara was killed on the 5th day of July, 1871." A warrant was issued on this verdict and some of the parties arrested, and some fled the country. Mosher, Myers and Lowe were taken before Judge Wood, after arrest, on a writ of habeas corpus, and by him discharged. Daniels was taken before Judge S. D. Puterbaugh, of Peoria, and by him held to bail in the sum of $5,000, which was given. The grand jury at the following November term of the court* failed to find indictments against the parties. For an account of the execution of John McDonnell and Francis Marion Harper alias Johnson, see General History of the county. SECRET SOCIETIES AT THE COUNTY-SEAT. The first Masonic lodge organized in the county was at Middle- port, in 1850, and William E. Russell, of Danville, was the first master ; Dr. Nathaniel Wilson, senior warden ; and Isaac Courtright, junior warden. This lodge was chartered as " Iroquois Lodge, No. 83, A.F. and A.M." We find a record of the election of its officers, December 23, 1853, as follows: William E. Russell, W.M. ; M. Hogle, S.W. ; Isaac Courtright, J.W. ; A. O. Whiteman, T. ; John Harwood, Sec.; J. A. Graham, S.D. ; George P. Wolf, J.D. ; Daniel Parker, tiler; and William Pearce and Hamilton Jefferson, stewards. This lodge existed until September 15, 1857, at which time the following were its officers: C. F. McNeill, W.M. ; James Fletcher, S.W. ; H. O. Henry, J.W. ; C. R. Brown, T. ; John Harwood, Sec. ; M. V. B. Harwood, S.D. ; John Fagan, J.D. ; and R. Talliaferro, tiler; and the follow- ing Masons were within its jurisdiction : S. A. Washington, Michael Hogle, John Paul, John L. Donovan, John A. Strickler, Chester Nobles, A. O. Whiteman, William Roberts, William S. Torbet, M. 44 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Stanley, John Hedge, J. A, Whiteman, James Lawrence, Samuel Hueston, Hamilton Jefferson, Kay W. Andrews, Thomas A. Norvell, William C. Moore, William Pearce and Daniel Parker; and who, with said officers, were the only Masons then in the county, so far as known. The charter of this lodge was surrendered for the purpose of forming a new organization, and a dispensation was granted, October 7, 1857, to C. F. McNeill, James Fletcher, H. O. Henry, Cyrus R. Brown, John Harwood, M. V. B. Harwood, John Fagan and Richard Talliaferro, to form a new lodge, and the following members were named as officers : C. F. McNeil], master; James Fletcher, senior warden; and H. O. Henry, junior warden. This lodge was afterward chartered as " Iro- quois Lodge, No. 289." The last mentioned lodge existed until about 1863 or 1864, when its charter was surrendered. Both lodges were at Middleport, and meetings were first held in an upper room in the old court-house, until the fall of 1854, after which they were held in the upper story of the three-story building formerly known as the " King and Hogle Building." A dispensation for a new lodge at Watseka was granted January 13, 1865, and J. W. Flowers was named as W.M. ; L. N. Pittwood, S.W. ; and L. M. Peck, J.W. ; and D. Parker was appointed treas- urer; A. B. Roff, secretary; William M. Coney, S.D. ; J. L. Horton, J.D. ; and William Munson, tiler. This lodge was chartered in Octo- ber following, as Watseka Lodge, No. 446, and the following offi- cers elected and installed : L. N. Pittwood, W.M. ; L. M. Peck, S.W. ; F. Blades, J.W. ; Daniel Parker, treasurer; A. B. Roff, secretary ; W. M. Coney, S.D. ; William Munson, J.D. ; and E. Kice, tiler. This lodge is still existing, and has a large membership, and meets the first and third Wednesdays of each month. Watseka Chapter, No. 114; dispensation issued April 22, 1867, and charter granted October 4, 1867, with the following members: L. N. Pittwood, D. L. Jewett, C. F. McNeill, G. A. Woodford, John L. Donovan, W. M. Coney, J. H. Bishop, James Wasson, James Cauvins, Daniel Weston, H. O. Henry, W. H. Sommers, J. L. Horton, S. B. Norton, D. Reinhard, E. Dalton, A. B. Roff, Robert Doyle, L. D. Brown, A. M. Gillfillan, George Good, Joseph Good and H. A. Til- linghast. On December 11, 1867, the following officers were installed: G. A. Woodford, M.E.H.P. ; L. N. Pittwood, E.K. ; C. F. McNeill, E.S. ; D. L. Jewett, C.H. ; A. B. Roff, P.S. ; W. M. Coney, R.A.C. ; Daniel Weston, G.M. 2d V. ; J. L. Donovan, G.M. 3d V. ; JamesWasson, G.M.lstV.; E. Dalton, secretary; W. M. Coney, treasurer ; and J. H. Bishop, sentinel. This chapter has sixty-eight members, and meets on the second and fourth Wednesday evenings of each month in Masonic Hall. MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 45 Iroquois Lodge, No. 74, I.O.O.F., was instituted in Middleport, on Monday, July 15, 1850, under a dispensation granted by the grand master, G. W. Woodward, countersigned by S. A. Corneau, grand secretary, dated June 15, 1850. The following were the petitioners : Jarnes D. Wilson, John Fagan, Asa B. Roff, John F. Wagner and Winthrop Patterson. The lodge was instituted by district deputy grand master J. F. McDougal, assisted by William E. Little, acting grand warden ; F. L. Cagwin, acting grand marshal ; C. C. Smith, acting grand guardian ; and Franklin Mitchell, acting grand secretary. Henry W. Hogle, Joseph Myers, Ezekiel Bowman, R. Y. Chesley, E. W. Arehart and William Gray were the first initiates. The first offi- cers were: A. B. Roff, N.G. ; John Fagan, Y.G.; John F.Wagner, secretary ; and James D. Wilson, treasurer. The lodge continued to meet in Middleport until September, 1866, when it was removed to Watseka, and in October, 1868, the name was changed from Middle- port to Iroquois Lodge. This lodge has in its time done much good, and exerted a healthful influence among the people, by whom the order appears to be much esteemed in Watseka. During its thirty years of existence, Iroquois Lodge, No. 74, has embraced in its ranks many of the most respectable and enterprising citizens of the vicinity. At present it holds, in the name of its trustees, its own lodge-room, which is the pride of its members. The exterior of the building, being in modern style, presents a very attractive appearance, the three sym- bolic links, in gilt, adorning a shield in front, being a conspicuous object for all eyes. The lodge is in a prosperous condition, and one of the stanchest benevolent institutions in Watseka. The officers the present year are: M. H. Peters, N.G.; John M. Burton, V.G. ; H. A. Butzow, secretary ; John H. Bishop, treasurer ; and C. Secrest, deputy and representative to the Grand Lodge. Iroquois Encampment, No. 81, I.O.O.F. This advanced branch of the order was instituted in Watseka November 25, 1867, with the following charter members: Thomas Yennum, N. P. Petts, Conrad Secrest, A. W. Hogle, Ransom Munson, John H. Bishop, John G. Wagner, Polite Laroche, J. Baldwin, A. B. Roft', George C. Harring- ton and M. H. Peters. The ceremonies of institution were conducted by N. C. Nason, of Peoria, deputy grand patriarch, assisted by R. J. Bliss, of Fairbur}', high priest; S. S. Buckner, Fairbury, senior war- den ; J. L. Starley, Peoria, junior warden ; John Highlands, Eureka, scribe ; and patriarchs J. A. Sellman, M. B. Gately and Frank- houser, of Fairbury, and patriarch J. L. West, of Eureka. The first officers were : Thomas Yennum, chief patriarch ; N. B. Petts, H.P. ; C. Secrest, S.W. ; A. W. Hogle, J.W. ; G. C. Harrington, scribe ; and 46 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. J. H. Bishop, treasurer. The present officers are: G. C. Harrington,. C.P. ; Charles E. Barber, H.P. ; M. H. Peters, scribe; and J. H. Bishop, treasurer. The Order of Knights of Honor, although of very recent origin, has taken a very strong foothold in Watseka. Watseka Lodge, No. 1086, Knights of Honor, was organized May 24, 1878, by Deputy Gr. Diet. L. G. Roberts, of Mattoon, with the following charter members: Alex. L. Whitehall, L. W. Watson, F. E. Foster, M. H. Peters, Richard Car- roll, H. M. Towne, D. W. Arnold, L. W. Roberts, Henry Upsall, B. W. Nelson, Carl Drumrn and L. C. Marsh. M. H. Peters was its first representative to the Grand Lodge of the state, and for 1880 the repre- sentative of the Grand Lodge to the Supreme Lodge of the United States. The following is a list of its present officers: Dictator, Fred E. Foster; vice-dictator, D.W.Arnold; assistant dictator, Richard Carroll ; reporter, C. C. Arehart ; financial reporter, M. H. Peters ; treasurer, George C. Harrington ; chaplain, Josiah Williams; past dic- tators, M. H. Peters, A. L. Whitehall, L. F. Watson and Henry Upsall. The order embraces in its ranks many of the leading men of Watseka. The temperance movement in the county, and which finally thor- oughly revolutionized the county, originated in Middleport, away back in the " forties," by public lectures and speeches, and Don Alonzo Falkenbury, a local Methodist preacher, who came there in 1842 and remained about ten years, was the prime mover in the reform. Division 88, Sons of Temperance, was organized at least as early as 1850. The first election of its officers which the writer has been able to obtain was April 2, 1851, at which time the following officers were elected : L. Phillips, W.P. ; A. P. Davis, W.A. ; James M. Smith, R.S. ; J. A. Graham, A.R.S. ; C. Turner, F.S. ; S. A. Washington, T. ; J. J. Scofield, C. ; J. B. Dille, A.C. ; M. Scofield, I.S. ; and J. E. Harris, O.S. Union No. 19, Daughters of Temperance, Avas organized about the same time, and April 9, 1851, elected for the quarter : Julia Bennett, P.S. ; Elizabeth Scofield, A.S. ; Sarah Hanvood, R.S. ; Ellen Brown, A.R.S. ; Mariah Frazier, F.S. ; Elizabeth Haviland, T. ; Ann E. Hav- iland, C. ; Mary Haviland, A.C. ; Lavina Little, I.G. ; and Ann Roif, O.G. The Cadets of Temperance were organized June 24, 1852, by Dr. M. V. B. Hanvood. We have no record of their officers, but the mem- bership consisted of most of the young of Middleport. These organi- zations existed until about 1856, with a large membership, when Banner Lodge, No. 62, Independent Order of Good Templars, was organized. We are not able to give the first officers of this lodge, but can state that it existed at Middleport for several years, and exerted a MIDDLEPOKT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 47 powerful influence, not only in the village but throughout the country, in conjunction with the press of the place, which, to its honor be it said, was always on the side of temperance. As early as 1850 there was also a Washingtonian Society organized at Middleport, of which James Fletcher was president, and M. Y. B. Harwood, secretary. And we find that on February 15, 1854, a tem- perance meeting was held in favor of the " Maine law," at which J. L. Samington was president ; A. O. Whiteman, secretary ; and addressed by Dr. Jesse Bennett, S. A. Washington and S. G. Bovie. A vigi- lance committee was appointed at this meeting, consisting of W. F. Patterson, S. G. Bovie, Daniel Fry, A. O. Whiteman, Benjamin Scott, Dr. Bennett and William F. Keady. At Watseka there have been an organization of the Sons of Temper- ance and two Lodges of the Independent Order of Good Templars, and for two or three years past a Temperance Reform Club, which has held weekly meetings, and in which much interest has been taken. All these efforts have culminated in making Watseka a thorough temper- ance city, in which a saloon does not exist. " Know Nothings." As early as 1854 " Sam " might have been found in Middleport without much inquiry, although when you ask the old citizens as to this, they " know nothing " about it. But the American party nominated James C. Steely for sheriff in 1856, and he received 71 votes in Middleport and 172 in the county. A Union League was organized in Middleport in 1861, and had a large mem- bership. At the same time there existed an organization of either the " Knights of the Golden Circle," or " Sons of Liberty," which it is well known occasionally met in the brush. We have an advertisement, dated June 11, 1851, for a meeting of the Independent Order of Turgeorareans, at their grand council room, in Middleport, on the first Saturday after the second Monday after the next Gibbous Moon. What this all meant we will leave the reader to guess. CEMETERIES. The first cemetery at Middleport was donated by Henry Troup, in E. of N.W. of Sec. 32, and adjoining the plat of the village. This is 100 feet square, and was fenced by James Egbert in 1845. The first person buried here was the wife of David Cantner, who was a carpen- ter engaged on the court-house. She died in 1846, and her grave was dug by Henry Kelner and James Egbert. Many of the old citizens are here buried, and among them Henry Troup. Another cemetery of one acre was conveyed by Samuel M. Ayres, in N.E.-^S.W. of Sec. 32, in August, 1855, as heretofore stated. To this an addition was after- 48 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. ward made by Chamberlain and Lawrence, both of whom are buried here, with many other citizens. In this cemetery are many fine mon- uments. The Oak Hill Cemetery was laid off in October, 1873, and com- prises 27 T V acres in S.E. N.E. I of Sec. 34, T. 27 K, R. 12 W., about two miles east of the city ; Capt. George E. King, proprietor. It is on a high knoll, covered with oak timber, and a beautiful place. This is now used by the city and surrounding country for burial purposes. Much taste has been manifested in beautifying this cemetery, and it also contains several monuments. AKTESIAN WELLS. There are about 140 artesian wells within the corporate limits of Watseka, and about 120 of these are flowing wells. The first well was sunk by Hon. M. Stanley, in 1857, at his residence, on elevated ground, but this did not flow. He sank another on lower ground, at his hotel, in 1860, and this also failed to flow. It was then supposed that flow- ing artesian water could not be procured in the city, and nothing further in that direction was done until 1865, when Drs. Fowler and Secrest tried the experiment at the southeast corner of the depot grounds, which also failed. The city council and several enterprising citizens, in order to have the thing more thoroughly tested, in the spring of 1870 pledged to George Platt and Adrian Egbert $500 if they would procure a flowing well within the city, and a point near the northwest corner of block 28 was selected. After boring down 120 feet a very small flow was procured. They then sank a well for the Chicago, Danville & Yincennes Railroad Company, near their road, and just west of block 30, and at 140 feet in depth they procured a very large flow. The former well was then sunk by them eighteen feet deeper, and from which depth a very good flow was procured. This is known as the Town well, and is still flowing. From that time forward the number has steadily increased to the present time, and these wells are pretty evenly distributed, so that nearly every family can procure the water, which is but slightly mineral, cool, pure and healthful, and good for all culinary and domestic purposes, and also for running steam machinery. Having this large number pf artesian wells makes Watseka the best watered country place in the state and remarkably healthful, and will also, in time, make it a manufacturing city, which, with the fact that it is the county-seat of one of the largest counties in the state, a good distributing point, free from near competition, and where cheap fuel can be had, will eventually make it a large and pros- perous city. MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 49 BIOGRAPHICAL. Under this head we propose to give extended biographies or personal sketches of a large number of the leading citizens of Watseka and vicinity, not only of early settlers, but also of the more modern. Many of them have already been mentioned in the preceding pages, but we think it will add vastly to the value of the work as a book of reference, and as a basis for the future historian, to give this depart- ment the most minute detail. As far as practicable they have been arranged in chronological order, or rather in the order of corning to the township or county. George Courtright, merchant, Watseka, is one of the first settlers of Iroqnois county, who was born October 11, 1811, in New Jersey, near the Delaware river, and is the son of Jacob Courtright, who was engaged in farming and milling. Mr. Courtright remained in New Jersey until he was about four years of age, when with his parents he moved to Ohio, and located on a farm in Coshocton county, they being among the early settlers of that locality. Here Mr. Court- right's father died when he was about nine years of age, leaving a wife and four children in poor circumstances. Mr. Courtright was then placed in the hands of his brother, and there remained in Coshocton county until about 1827 or 1828, when he removed to Fountain county, Indiana, and there remained until 1830, when he started, in company with two brothers and John H. Miller, who are all dead, to Illinois, and on April 2, 1830, located at Bunkum, Iroquois county. Here Mr. Courtright began to break the prairie with five yoke of oxen. In 1830 he made a trip to Chicago for Gurdon S. Hubbard. He took one wagon with three yoke of oxen, and one cart with two yoke of oxen, loaded with furs, in company with a Frenchman and five or six Indians for an escort. The trip was long and tedious, they being with- out anything to eat for two days. At the Calumet river they had to put the furs on their heads and thus carry them across, as the river was too high. In making the trip it took them about eight days. This w r as, perhaps, the first trip ever made by a white man to Chicago from Iroquois county. Mr. Courtright in being with the Indians so much was able to speak their language. He was recognized in his boyhood days as the stoutest lad in the neighborhood. When coming from Indiana to Illinois the wagon often mired ; Mr. Courtright would take a barrel of flour out of the wagon, and carry it to terra-firma. He was known to be a fine ox-driver. Mr. Courtright has been mar- ried three times : first, October, 1833, to Agnes JSTewcomb, of Ohio, who came to the county in 1830. They were married near Bunkum, 4 50 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Iroquois county, and this was the first marriage in Iroquois county. He had to go to Danville to get a license, which took three days. She died about 1846, and is buried near Bunkum. Mr. Courtright's second wife was Huldy McGee, and his present wife is Katherine McCruhen, who was born in Ireland. By these three marriages he is the father of four children, three by his first wife and one by the third. He had one son in the late civil war, Joseph, who enlisted in Co. I, 113th 111. Yol. Inf. Jesse Moore, farmer, Woodland, was Jborn in Adams county, Ohio, August 21, 1804, and is the son of John S. and Nancy (Edwards) Moore. His father was a farmer, having moved to Adams county, Ohio, about 1800, where he married and raised a family of eleven children. Mr. Moore, the subject of this sketch, was married in Adams county, in 1827, to Miss Latishia Downing. In 1831 Mr. Moore, with his wife, two children, father and two sons started from Adams county in a wagon drawn by four yoke of oxen. They came as far as the Wabash, and there remained but a short time, and in April, 1831, arrived in Iroquois county. They located on 200 acres of land in Belmont township, and here Mr. Moore has been a resident ever since. At that time the country was very wild, and plenty of Indians and wild game abounded. Here, about 1842, the Methodists erected the first church on Mr. Moore's place, he being a strong Methodist. Mr. Moore donated the land for the church, and for this act the people permitted Mr. Moore to name the church, which he called Bellemont. He had been reading a book and found this word, and he so named the church. The church was built of hewn logs, and was in size 26x36 -feet, lap shingles, chimney in the middle, and two windows on each side. The entrance was on the south side. Mr. Moore has been a member of the M. E. church for the last fifty-two years. He had one son in the late war, Esera R., who enlisted in Co. A, 76th 111. Vol. Inf. He was a brave soldier, and participated in the marches and battles of his regiment. William S. Moore, retired, Watseka, was born in Adams county, Ohio, December 20, 1809. He remained in Adams county until 1831, when with his parents he came to Illinois, and located in Belmont township, Iroquois county, where he has been a resident ever since. Mr. Moore was married in Indiana, in 1834, to Miss Eliza J. Flemming, of Ohio. She died in 1845, and he was then married to Miss Asenath Lambert, of Ohio. Mr. Moore followed farming until ]868, when he moved to Watseka, where he has been engaged in the stock and grain business. He had one son, two sons-in-law and seven nephews in the late civil war. His son, Jasper N., enlisted in Co. C, 51st 111. Vol. Inf., when he MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 51 was not quite eighteen years of age. He was a brave soldier and did good duty, participating in a number of prominent battles. He was taken prisoner at Chickamauga, and was sent to Libby prison, thence to the Danville prison near Richmond, Virginia. He remained a prisoner seven months and twelve days, and was almost starved to death. He was exchanged, and soon after died, May 8, 1864. James H. Axtell, lumber merchant, Woodland, is one of the old settlers and highly respected business men. He was born in Washing- ton county, Pennsylvania, June 27, 1823, and is the son of John and Polly (Vennum) Axtell, who, in 1833, with a family of live children, emigrated west to Illinois, and located two and a half miles north of Milford, Iroquois county. Here the subject of this sketch grew into manhood, farming in the summer time, and in the winter attending the district school. He was also engaged in herding cattle, and driving them from this county to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He states that he has herded cattle on the grounds on which the Chicago Exposition now stands. Mr. Axtell's first purchase in land was 80 acres, for which he paid one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. From that he managed well, and to-day he is one of the successful farmers of the vicinity. Mr. Axtell was married, in Milford township, to Miss Eliza Gilbert, and by this union they have one child, a daugh- ter. In November, 1877, Mr. Axtell commenced the lumber business in Woodland, and to-day he owns and conducts a first-class lumber yard. Both his father and mother died in Iroquois county. Alexander Wilson, farmer, Watseka, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1806, and is the son of Francis and Priscilla Wilson, natives of Ireland and Scotland respectively. Mr. Wilson remained in his native county until hp ' ''%&< LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS MIDDLEPOET AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 85 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, he was reluctantly obliged to resign on ac- count of dysenter}' contracted in the army, the effects of which still linger with him, and from which he will probably never recover. On his return from the army he engaged in the hardware business at Watseka, in the firm of Woodford & Co. He was soon after appointed collector of internal revenue for Iroquois, Ford and Champaign counties, in which capacity he discharged his duties conscientiously, so that at the close of his official term not one cent of the large amounts of money handled by him was missing, and he turned over the books to his suc- cessors with a clean record. In 1869 Maj. Harrington was elected mayor of Watseka, and reflected the following year, declining the office after having served two terms, though urgently pressed to accept a third term. This evinces the high esteem in which he is held by the people of Watseka. In the year 1870, in connection with several other enterprising citizens, Maj. Harrington organized the First National Bank of Watseka, of which corporation he was promptly chosen as cashier, which office he still holds. This institution is one of the stanchest and most flourishing in the county, having, from its organization, won the confidence of the people. Maj. Harrington was married to Miss Mary L. Hutchinson, at Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1864, and has two children living. Yery domestic in his habits, his home is a model of comfort and good taste. He has taken considerable inter- est in politics, though not an active politician in the usual sense of that term. He is recognized throughout the state as a prominent democrat, prominent more for his ability than his activity. At present he is a member of the democratic state central committee. Though never an office-seeker, he was, in 1876, without his consent, mentioned by sev- eral papers and prominently spoken of by eminent democrats as a can- date for secretary of state ; but he induced his friends to withdraw his name from the state convention. He presided over the democratic congressional convention held at Fairbury in 1878, and on invitation of that body addressed them, making a masterly speech, which was published and scattered broadcast as a campaign document. The same convention would have nominated him as their candidate for congress, but he emphatically declined the proffered honor. His name is at this time conspicuous in several democratic journals as an available candi- date for lieutenant-governor of Illinois. Maj. Harrington is an active member of the Independent Order of Odd-Fellows, and much esteemed by his brethren of the fraternity. Hon. George C. Harrington is a self-made man, having risen by his own unaided efforts to his present enviable position in life. His parents were poor, but by his indefat- igable energy he acquired an education in spite of all the obstacles 6 86 HISTORY OF IKOQUOIS COUNTY. that darkened the path of his early years. His future promises most auspiciously, and should his life be spared the ordinary years allotted to man, we predict that his name will yet become distinguished in the annals of our state as it is in that of Iroquois county. A gentleman of culture, a fine scholar, and still a student from habit ; a man towering high among his fellows, all recognizing his superior ability and worth of character, and ever ready to pay deference to his excellent quali- ties, he is yet as modest and retiring as a child ; vanity is not one of his characteristics. A democrat in principle and practice, he believes, with a faith born of conviction, in the equality and brotherhood of man. He is public-spirited, liberal and charitable, ever ready to assist, with his purse or his pen, in any cause that promises good to his fellow ma'n or the public. A man of broad and comprehensive views, he looks upon the world as he finds it, and is therefore conservative rather than radical. The people of Watseka look upon him as an exemplary man, and are proud to call him their own. Among the first and most successful business men of "Watseka, may be mentioned the late Henry A. Tillinghast, who was borfl near Nor- wich, Connecticut, in 1836. But very little could be learned of Mr. Tillinghast's early life. At ten years of age he entered the drug busi- ness as a clerk in a leading store in Norwich, Connecticut. From there he came west to Illinois, and accepted a similar position in Chicago, where he remained in the business until about 1859, when he came to Iroquois county and took a position as clerk. From here he engaged as a partner in the drug firm of Secrest, Tillinghast & Co., at Middle- port. This firm at that time was one of the leading business houses of Iroquois county. They moved their stock of goods from Middleport to Watseka, and occupied the stand now owned by the Arnold Broth- ers. Here he remained in business until his death, which occurred in March, 1869. Thus passed away one of the most highly respected and honored business men of Watseka. Mr. Tillinghast, in 1860, married Miss Mary E. Arnold, who was born in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1842. By this marriage they have one child living. Mrs. Tillinghast married the second time to George E. King, a prominent attorney. By this union they have two children living. Lovett & James, livery men, Watseka, are the proprietors of one of the leading livery stables of Watseka. Mr. H. C. Lovett was born in Rhode Island, and came west and located in Iroquois county in 1860. Here he has been engaged in farming and dealing in stock. In Feb- ruary, 1879, he entered partnership with Mr. G-eo. W. James, in the livery business. These gentlemen occupy the building that was once used as a school and court-house in Middleport. The building is MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 87 40x40 feet, with an addition 30x40 feet. They keep on hand four- teen head of good horses, and some nice carriages. Lyman M. Johnson, maker of abstracts of titles, Watseka, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 2, 1848, and is the son of Isaac D. and Eliza A. (Sawtelle) Johnson. His father was born in Ludlow, Vermont, having moved to Ohio, and located in Cincinnati, about 1830 or 1832, being among the early settlers of that place. He engaged in the livery, in connection with the undertaking, business with J. P. Epply & Co., the largest undertakers of Cincinnati. They owned the first hearse with glass sides in the west. After Henry Clay's death, his remains were brought through Cincinnati, on their way to Kentucky, and Mr. Johnson was detailed by the committee to transfer the body through the city. He went to the extra expense of fixing and trim- ming up his hearse, and of selecting a number of white horses. After- ward the committee asked Mr. Johnson what his bill was, and he told them nothing. He said he would never make any charge for serving such a true man to his country as Henry Clay. For this act of kind- ness, the family of Henry Clay presented Mr. Johnson with a seal- ring with a lock of Henry Clay's hair in it, which to-day is in the pos- session of the Johnson family. At the breaking out of the war Mr. Johnson was appointed, by the government, inspector of horses, mules, harness and wagons, in Cincinnati. He also filled a similar position during the Mexican war. He served the government through the war, and in 1866 died with cholera. Mr. Johnson, the subject of this sketch, remained in Cincinnati until 1861, when he moved with his parents to Iroquois county, and located on a farm near Loda, where he engaged in farming for a short time, and returned to Cincinnati and completed his college preparatory course. In 1866 he entered the Beloit College, of Beloit, Wisconsin, and graduated from this college in 1870. He returned to Iroquois county, and in 1872 came to Wat- seka, and entered the abstract office of Judge C. F. McNeil], where he remained about one and a half years. In 1875 he purchased the abstract business from Kay & Langlier, in which business he has been engaged ever since. Mr. Johnson has in his possession a sword-blade which was the dress-sword of President Harrison. George A. Woodford, son of William E. and Margaret Woodford, was born in Orleans county, New York, September 28, 1834, educated in the common schools and academy of that county, and spent his youth there. He came west in the winter of 1853-4, located at Ottawa, Illinois, taught a school there that winter, and in the spring came to Middleport; engaged in farming in the county that summer, and in the fall returned to New York, remained there one year, and then came 88 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. back to Middleport in September, 1855. He taught school in Middle- port and neighborhood until September, 1858, when he took the posi- tion of deputy clerk, under Daniel Fry, who was then county clerk. On November 4, 1861, he was elected county clerk for Iroquois county, for the term of four years. Before his term of office expired he engaged in the hardware and grocery business, his store being located at Wat- seka. Soon after his term of office expired he sold his stock in trade, and became a partner with John L. Donovan and Thomas Vennum in the Watseka bank, and remained in that institution until it was sold by the firm to Matzenbaugh & Skeels. -He removed to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1875, where he now resides. He was married, May 24, 1865, to Miss Anna Hutchinson, daughter of Jonathan Hutchinson, Mont- gomery county, Indiana. They have no children. In politics he has been a war democrat, is a bright Mason and Odd-Fellow, and a genial, social good fellow. Hon. Cornelius F. McNeill, attorn ey-at-1 aw and abstractor, of the c;ty of Watseka, son of John and Hannah (Mayne) McNeil], was born in Middletown valley. Frederick county, Maryland, March 20, 1822. His father was of Scotch descent, and his mother of German descent, the former born in Tuscarora valley, Pennsylvania, and the latter in Frederick county, Maryland. His father was a prominent and highly respected citizen of Frederick county, Maryland, and while residing in that county held several offices of honor and profit. Born upon a farm where his help was needed, the subject of this sketch had only such opportunities for an early education as were offered in the country schools, taught principally during the winter season, and the use of a well selected general library, owned by his father, through which means he acquired a fair education, and formed a taste for general reading and special investigation, which has followed him through life, and enabled him to become well posted in almost every branch of science and literature, and ranks him among the prominent self-made men of the county. In the fall of 1836 he, with his father's family, emigrated to the then Far West, and located at Perrysville, on the Wabash river, in Vermilion county, Indiana, where his father died in 1843, and his mother died in 1856, and where his only living brothers, John R. and George H. McNeil!, now reside. At Perrys- ville he commenced the study of the law, and part of the time being also engaged in teaching school ; but before having completed the study of that profession, his health failing presented to him a strong induce- ment to pursue the study of medicine, for his own benefit as to his health ; and after having completed the usual course of study in this profession, in the spring of 1845, he located at Concord, Tippecarioe M1DDLEPOKT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 89 county, Indiana, and pursued the practice of his profession at that place until the fall of 1854, having a very extensive practice. In 1852 he was nominated, by the whig convention of that county, as a candi- date for the legislature of Indiana, but the whig ticket being defeated that year in that county, he was not elected. In May, 1846, he was married, at Perrysville, Indiana, to Miss Belinda Lacey, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Lacey, of that place. She died in August, 1847, after bearing him a son, which died a few days after its mother. On July 16, 1852, he was again married to Mrs. Mary Tatman, widow of Joseph Tatman, who had been an attorn ey-at-1 aw, of Lafayette, Indiana, and for some time the editor and proprietor of the " Lafayette Journal." The result of this last marriage is two children, a son and a daughter : Mary E. McNeill and John L. McNeill. His health failing, and for that reason desiring to abandon the practice of medicine, in November, 1854, he removed to Middleport, Iroquois county, Illinois, resided there the following winter, and the next spring located on a tract of 300 acres of land, which he had purchased, near the mouth of Spring creek, and which he improved. In the spring of 1857 he sold his farm and returned to Middleport, having been elected a justice of the peace of the town of Middleport. In 1858 he was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of Illinois. At the republican convention this year he came within one vote of being nominated as a candidate for the general assembly. In November, 1859, he became the editor and proprietor of the " Iroquois Republican," and conducted that paper in the inter- ests of the republican party and the union cause, through the exciting campaign of 1860 and the dark days of 1861. In the spring of this year he was elected police magistrate of Middleport, and in the same year was nominated by the union convention of the county a candidate for the constitutional convention. The district was composed of Iro- quois, Kankakee, Will and DuPage counties, and entitled to only three delegates; each had nominated a candidate, and in order to promote harmony in the union elements of the district, he magnanimously with- drew in favor of John ~W. Paddock, a war democrat, who had been nominated by Kankakee county. In 1862 he was appointed master- in-chancery of Iroquois county, and served in that office for three years. In 1864, 1865 and 1866 he was elected supervisor of the town of Middleport, and also appointed to fill vacancies in that office in 1872 and 1877. 'In 1866 he was chairman of the building committee appointed by the board to build the present court-house of the county. In 1862 he was appointed by Gov. Yates, surgeon of the 109th reg. 111. Vol., but his health being such as not to warrant his acceptance of active service in the field, he declined the appointment, but afterward 90 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. accepted an appointment in the service of the state, in looking after the wounded soldiers, and did considerable service in that capacity dur- ing the war. In 1865 he was elected judge of the county court, for Iroquois county, Hon. Samuel Williams being his opponent, and was reflected in 1869, by a largely increased majority, over the same opponent, and served for eight years in that office, gaining the reputa- tion of being one of the best judges in the state. In 1863 he bought the abstract books of Wm. H. Taylor, then owned by H. O. Henry, but not complete, and afterward completed a general abstract of the land titles of the county, and which is still the only complete abstract in the county. He is engaged in the abstract business and in chancery prac- tice pertaining to land titles. In politics he was a whig up to the dis- solution of that party, and since a leading radical republican, and has exerted a controlling influence in that party in his county. He is not a member of any church, but has a firm belief in the moral responsi- bility of man, and that exact justice will be dealt out to all by the Creator, both in this life and the great future, and from which there can be no escape. He is a prominent Mason ; joined that order in Perry Lodge, No. 37, La Fayette, Indiana, in 1847; was several years master of Lauramie Lodge, No. 32, in that state ; was the first master of Mid- dleport Lodge, No. 289, Illinois ; is now a member of Watseka Lodge, No. 446, and a member of Watseka Chapter, No. 114, and has held the second office in that chapter. He is strongly impressed with the beauties of the symbols of the order. Being of Scotch-German descent, indicates the fact that he is a man of marked character. He has one of the best general libraries in the county, and is a great reader, and well posted in most of the affairs of life. He is quick in forming his opin- ions and frank in expressing them, yet,, from his legal training, he is apt to be just in his conclusions. He is intolerant of what he believes error and wrong-doing, and his outspoken manner sometimes gives offense to those who do not thoroughly understand his character, and therefore cannot appreciate him. Having acquired considerable valua- ble property and lands, he is comfortably circumstanced, and resides in a fine brick residence of his own, immediately west of the court-house on Second street, in the city of Watseka. N. Jourdan, farmer, Watseka, is a native of York state, born June 27, 1820. In 1852 he came west, and located in Illinois, living in different counties. He finally located in Iroquois county, where he is engaged in farming. He formerly worked at the blacksmith trade, which he learned in his native state. Mr. Jourdan's father was in the war of 1812, participating in the battle of Sackett's Harbor. In 1849 Mr. N. Jourdan married Miss L. Koucher, a native of New York, and MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 91 by this union they have six living children : Sylvester, Charles B. ; Anne, wife of Thomas Soloman ; Deforest A., Eva, Mary ; and three deceased : Elizabeth, Fremont and Delzora. J. E. Leatherman, farmer, Watseka, was born in Putnam county, Indiana, January 7, 1833. In 1835 Mr. Leatherman's parents came to Cook county, Illinois. Mr. Leatherman remained at home working on the farm, that being his occupation. In 1856 he married Miss L. R. Hatch, daughter of E. Hatch and Phoebe (Rodgers) Hatch. In 1857 Mr. Leatherman came to his present farm. On August 12, 1862, he enlisted in Co. F, 113th 111. Vol. Inf., and was soon transported to the field of action, and took part in several engagements the siege of Yicksburg, Arkansas Post, then returning to Springfield, Illi- nois, with prisoners, but soon after rejoining his regiment. June 11, 1864, he was taken prisoner and taken to Andersonville, where he was held a prisoner-of-war about five months. While there his life was constantly in danger from exposure, starvation, and occasionally getting too close to the " dead line," which, if crossed, was sure death. After remaining there for some time, he was taken to South Carolina, and soon after paroled. Since his return home he has been engaged in farming ; he is the owner of a fine farm of 222 acres, which he and his wife have made by hard work. Thomas Soran, son of Patrick and Ann (Carney) Soran, was born May 16, 1830, in Louth county, Ireland ; was educated in the common schools of that country, and spent his youth there in farming. He left Ireland November 25, 1849, and landed in New York city December 26, 1849. He soon engaged in work on the New Jersey Central railroad, and remained on that road about two years ; then engaged on the Del- aware & Belvidere railroad, New Jersey, for about one year; left and entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Central railroad, residing at Altoona, and was so employed about fifteen months. He then came to Springfield, Illinois, and laid the track on the Great Western railroad from that city to Decatur, and remained on that road about fifteen months ; then went to Keokuk, Iowa, and worked on the Keokuk & Fort Dodge railroad, graded the first eight miles, and cleared the road to Farmington, thirty miles. On September 27, 1857, he engaged his services on the P. & O. railroad as assistant roadmaster; and on January 1, 1860, became roadmaster, and so remained until January 1, 1876. He was married, May 20, 1858, to Nancy Lyons ; has no children. He was raised a Catholic ; in politics is independent. He owns about 800 acres of land, and several houses and lots in Watseka, including a good brick store-building and stock of groceries ; also owns about 100 head of cattle and other property, 92 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. and worth not less than $30,000. He is an enterprising, intelligent and valuable citizen. Brooks & Oren, druggists, are among the leading merchants of Watseka. The firm is composed of John B. Brooks and Asa Oren. Mr. Brooks was born in' Jackson, Michigan, in 1850, and there was engaged in the mercantile business. He came to Watseka and was in the well known house of Secrest, Arnold & Co., where he remained some three years. In 1873 he embarked in the drug business with -Mr. Bowsher, the firm being Bowsher & Brooks. In 1875 the present firm of Brooks & Oren was formed. Mr. Oren was born in Ohio, January 16, 1840, and is the son of John and Martha (Bailey) Oren, both members of the Quaker church. Mr. Oren came to Iroquois county in 1861, where he remained until 1862, when he returned to Ohio. In 1870 he came back to Iroquois county, and was made deputy sheriff, under Mr. A. South, for some five years. In 1875 he associated himself with Mr. Brooks and entered the drug business. Abraham Andrew, Watseka, was born in Butler county, Ohio, December 20, 1835, and is the son of Jacob and Mary (Neighheart) An- drew, who were natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Capt. Andrew, the subject of our sketch, was born on the farm. When very young, with his parents, he moved to Jacksonburg, Ohio, where his father was en- gaged in the hotel business. From there they moved to Summerville, and thence to Indianapolis, Indiana, and subsequently to Dayton, Tippe- canoe county ; in these places his father followed the hotel business. He next went on a farm, and afterward moved to Warren county. Capt. Andrew learned the harness-maker's trade at Dayton, and at this trade he worked at Williamsport. At the breaking out of the late civil war, he was the second man who enlisted in Co. B, 10th reg. Ind. Vol. Inf. for three months. This regiment did duty in Virginia, and participated in the battle of Rich Mountain, Virginia; after serving full time he was honorably mustered out. He then came to Watseka and entered his brother's harness shop. He then Entered a dry goods store, and was clerking for Daniel Fry when he and Maj. Harrington raised Co. A, of the 76th 111. Vol. Inf. He was made first lieutenant, and Maj. Harrington was made captain. Capt. Andrew participated in every battle the 76th was in ; he was made captain of Co. A, on January 4, 1863, and was known as Capt. Mice, being called this on account of being a small man in stature. He took the camp diarrhoea and was given up to die at Vicksburg, Mississippi ; and was given a leave of absence for twenty days, his old army friends never expecting to see him again. He was put on board of a Mis- sissippi river steamer, and started for home ; here he met John Har- LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 93 rington, the pilot of the boat, who gave him blackberry brandy and cured him before he arrived at Cairo. He came home, but returned to the regiment inside of twenty days. At the close of the war he returned to Watseka, where he entered the grocery business, and remained in this business about two years. After this he entered the harness business ; then for a short time farmed ; for some six years he clerked in a dry goods store, and was in the livery stable business some five years. Capt. Andrew was married, January 24, 1867, to Caroline Troup, who was born in Middleport January 2, 1849. They have had two children, one of whom is deceased. Michael R. Emmons, blacksmith, Watseka, is one of the oldest blacksmiths in this vicinity. He was born in Burlington county, New Jersey, in 1834. His father managed a blacksmith shop, and was a farmer ; here Mr. Emmons was born. When he was a small lad he began to work at the trade of a blacksmith in Pointsville, New Jersey, where he remained until he was twenty-one years of age. At that time he set out in life and worked at his trade in Pennsyl- vania and Michigan, and about 1856 came to Illinois and was engaged at his trade in DeKalb and Kane counties. He finally came to Iroquois county, where they were building the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroad. Mr. Emmons first located in Crescent ; he was for a short time in Indiana ; at last he located in Middleport township, where he has been engaged at his trade ever since. He worked at Pittwood from 1862 to 1879, when he came to Watseka, where he is now engaged in working at his trade. Mr. Emmons was married to Miss Margaret Stewart, of Cleveland, Ohio, and . they have six children. John W. Riggs, circuit clerk, Watseka, was born in Chester county, in the old "Keystone State," August 24, 1834, and is the son of Will- iam and Hannah (Gutherie) Riggs, both natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Riggs was born on his father's farm, and at two years of age, with his parents, moved to Philadelphia. While a resident there, he was engaged as bookkeeper in the missionary department of the American Sunday School Union, a large publishing house of Philadelphia, where he remained some seven years. In 1862 Mr. Riggs came west to Illi- nois, and located at Buckly, Iroquois county, where he was engaged in the mercantile business, and remained there some two years, when he moved to Glenwood, and was engaged in the same business some four years, after which time he returned to Buckly. In 1872 he was nom- inated and elected to the office of circuit clerk, by the republican party, receiving a majority of 1,200 votes. In 1876 he was reflected to the same office by a handsome majority. Mr. Riggs was for several years 94 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. justice of the peace and town clerk of his township. In each of these offices he has acquitted himself in a very creditable manner. He ranks among the leading men of the republican party. Mr. Riggs was married, in 1857, to Miss Richards, of Philadelphia, and by this union they have five children. Mr. Riggs moved to Watseka in 1872. Clinton Wade, merchant, Watseka, is one of the foremost merchants of Watseka. He was born January 22, 1829, in Wayne county, New York, and is the son of Uriah Wade, who was born in Connecticut in 1796. Uriah Wade moved west, and located in Michigan, in 1833, when that state was a territory. Here he remained engaged in farming until 1871, when he was killed by a passing freight train on the Michi- gan Central railroad. The subject of this sketch, with his parents, moved to Michigan, where he remained until 1852, engaged in farm- ing. He then went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and entered the Grundy Commercial College, of Cincinnati. Here he received a full course of bookkeeping. He accepted a position as assistant bookkeeper of the Miami Powder Company, at Xenia, Ohio$ and there remained with this company, directly and indirectly, until 1857, when he went to New York city, and was engaged as a general salesman with the well known firms of Lyman, Cook & Co., and North, Sherman & Co. He re- mained there until after the war broke out, at which time he came west and located at Watseka, Iroquois county. He purchased a build- ing from John Fagan, and commenced in the general-store business, being one of the first merchants of Watseka. In 1869 he went to Chicago, and commenced the jobbing trade, where he remained until 1871, when he was burnt out by the great tire. He lost sixty per cent, of his investment. He returned to Watseka, and to-day is conducting one of the best business stores of the place. Mr. Wade is at present holding office as a councilman of Watseka. This office he has held for a number of years. Henry C. Stearns, attorn ey-at-1 aw, Watseka, was born in Walpole, New Hampshire, May 11, 1851, and is the son of J. W. Stearns. In 1863 Mr. Steams, with his parents, came west, and located in Martin- ton, Iroquois county, Illinois, where Mr. Stearns, in 1873, was made postmaster. He was the first postmaster at that place, and held the office until 1875. He received his education at the Watseka High School, and the Grand Prairie School at Onarga. In 1876 he gradu- ated from the Union College of Law at Chicago, and came to Watseka and began practicing. In 1878 he formed a partnership with Mr. E. M. Amos, which continued until 1879, when, in September, 1879, he began with Mr. Free P. Morris. Wm. H. Weaver, photograph artist, Watseka, was born in Union MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 95 county, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1834, and is the son of M. JEL Weaver, who was a leading attorney at New Berlin, the county seat of Union county. He was also editor of the " Union Star," a leading newspaper, and was a prominent politician, having held the offices of circuit clerk of the county and county surveyor. When Mr. Weaver, the subject of this sketch, was a young lad, he helped his father to sur- vey different parts of Union count}', and at the age of twenty-one came west to Indiana, where he carried on the machine shops of the Wabash Valley railroad, near Lafayette. In 1858 he came to Illinois, and located at Paxton, where, in 1858, he began to learn the trade of a pho- tographer. In 1863 he carne to Iroquois county, and located at Wat- seka, when he began the photograph business, being the first artist to locate at Watseka. Here he has remained since, and to-day he is one of the most successful, as well as finest, artists in eastern Illinois. In 1879 Mr. Weaver was elected to the office of justice of the peace. In 1873 he was made treasurer of the Iroquois County Bible Society. He he has been president for a number of years of the Iroquois County Sabbath School Association, and has been a member of the M. E. church for the last eleven years. Mr. Weaver was married, in 1858, to Miss Mary Kerr, of Indiana. They have three children. John L. Hamilton, county treasurer, Watseka, was born in the county of Armagh, Ireland. His parents were Thomas L. and Mary Ann (McCamley) Hamilton, and were of Scotch and English descent. In 1851 Mr. Hamilton emigrated to America New Orleans being the port of disembarkation, where he remained but a short time; then came to Illinois and located in Jersey county, when he began work on a farm by the month. He managed well, and by his industry and economy saved money enough to pay for 160 acres of land in Mason county, for which he paid $225, and afterward realized for it $47.50 per acre. He remained in. Jersey and Macoupin counties until 1864, when he came to Iroquois county and located on section 11, in Lovejoy town- ship, where he began farming, and being a good manager and hard worker, he became one of the best farmers in that neighborhood. While a resident of Lovejoy township he held the office of school director for several years, and also the office of supervisor for a number of terms; in both of these offices he gave entire satisfaction. In 1875 he was nominated and elected to the office of county treasurer of Iro- quois county, by the republican party, his majority being 300 votes. In 1877 he was reflected to the same office by a majority of 500 votes, he being the only republican on the ticket that was elected. While he received a majority of 500 votes, the opposition party elected their officers by a majority as follows: superintendent of county schools, 96 HISTORY OF IEOQUOIS COUNTY. 506; county clerk, 749; county judge, 906. In 1879, by the urgent request of the republican party, he again became their candidate for the same office, to which he was elected by a majority of 617 votes. During these terms of office Mr. Hamilton has made a host of friends, and is, perhaps, the strongest man in the republican ranks of Iroquois county. This is probably due to the honorable, upright course that he has pursued, and the plain, unaffected way in which he has received the honors that they have been willing to bestow upon him. Though he began, as before stated, poor, and worked for small wages on a farm, he is now, by his industry and careful management, one of the wealthy class of Iroquois county, and may truly be termed one of her self-made men. His portrait has been placed in this work as an honorable repre- sentative of the people. Mr. Hamilton was married, in Jersey county, Illinois, February 24, 1857, to Miss Annie Eliza Leeman, who is of Scotch-Irish descent. By this union they have had nine children, two of whom are deceased. J. C. Anderson, miller, Woodland, was born in Mason county, Ken- tucky, January 19, 1818, and is the son of William C., a shoemaker by trade, and Katherine (Cook) Smalley. When he was about twelve years old he, with his parents, moved from Kentucky to Indiana, and located in Fountain county, near Attica. At sixteen years of age he commenced to learn the trade of a cabinet-maker, and served an apprenticeship of five years, after which he started a shop of his own in Attica, which he managed till 1849. For a short time he was a resi- dent of Warren county. In 1854 he moved to Vermilion county, Illi- nois, near Hoopeston, on a farm, where he remained until 1864, when he came to Iroquois county, and located one and a half miles east of Woodland, in Belmont township. Here he commenced farming. He was also, in 1868, engaged in sawmilling. His first experience in this line was in Warren county, in 1851. Mr. Anderson -syas for two years in the same business in Howard county, Indiana. In 1874 he moved his saw-mill to Woodland, and in 1878 built the present flour-mill, which commenced running February, 1879. The flour-mill is a frame building, two stories high, 24x40 feet, witlj a large shed for the engine and boiler. Mr. Anderson was married in Attica, January 9, 1842, to Miss Charlotte Steel, of Ohio, and they have had eight children, six living. Mr. Anderson commenced life a poor boy, but by working at his trade, saving what he earned and investing it in land, he now owns 383 acres of land, and his saw and flour-mill property. E. Rosenburg, grain and hardware merchant, Woodland, was born in Saxe- Weimar, Germany, November 28, 1840. When a yonng lad he entered his father's brick-yard, where he was engaged in manufac- MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 97 turing brick until 1864, when he sailed for America, came west to Illi- nois, and located in Iroquois county, where he has been a resident since. In 1866 Mr. Rosenburg built a brewery in Watseka. The first build- ing cost him $1,400. To this he added until he had a neat brewery, with a capacity for manufacturing eight barrels of beer. He remained in the business until 1873, when he went to Papineau and entered the hardware business, where he remained until he came to Woodland, in 1876. Here he is engaged now in the grain firm of S. Williams & Co., and with the hardware firm of Rosenburg & Zemple. Mr. Rosenburg is a member of the I.O.O.F. He holds the office of school director. The firm of S. Williams commenced in September, 1876. They have shipped from Woodland as high as 110,000 pounds of grain in one day. Lorenzo D. Browne, farmer, Watseka, was born in Mason county, Virginia, March 3, 1822, and is the son of Martin Browne, who was born in Frederick county, Virginia. Martin Browne was a soldier of the war of 1812, under Gen. Harrison. In 1828 the subject of this sketch, with his parents, moved to Madison county, Indiana, where Martin Browne died, in 1856. Lorenzo visited Indianapolis, then a small town, in 1829. He went therewith his father to enter land, and the entering office was a small log hut. Mr. Browne was married, in 1843, to Miss Nancy Harlan, of Indiana. They remained in Madison county until 1865. Mr. Browne came to Iroquois county, Illinois, in 1864, and purchased the present homestead, and in 1865 moved his family, consisting of a wife and ten children. Here Mr. Browne remained until 1872, when he moved to Watseka for the purpose of schooling his children. He remained a resident of that place some three years, and while there was engaged in the hardware business in the store of L. C. Marsh. He subsequently moved his family back to the farm, where he has been a resident since. Mr. Browne was engaged in the mercantile business in Anderson, Indiana, about one year. Since his residence in Belmont township he has held the office of justice of the peace some eight years. Mr. Browne is a republican in politics. He is a member of the Christian church. He purchased the present farm from Aaron Moore. .He now owns 255 acres of well improved land. Mr. Browne's grandfather, Martin Browne, came to America after the close of the revolutionary war. He brought with him some books, a few copies of which are now in the possession of Mr. Browne ; one, a dictionary of English and Italian, printed in London, England, in 1727. I. C. Wade, hardware and lumber merchant, Watseka, was born in Berry county, Michigan, January 24, 1848, and is the son of Thadeus Wade. Mr. Wade was born on the farm, but moved to Allegan, 98 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Michigan, -when very young. Here he remained until 1863. During the late war he tried four or five times to enlist, but, on account of his being too young, was rejected. At last he went to Rochester, New York, where he enlisted as private in Co. M, 22d reg. N. Y. Yol. Cav. This regiment was with Gen. Ouster. Mr. Wade participated in thirty- three battles, some of which were the most severe of the war. His first battle was at the battle of the Wilderness, one of the hardest of the war; he was also in the battles of Cold Harbor, Wilson's Raid, (a continuous battle there were 8,000 men sent out on this raid, and only 3,000 returned and considered by Gen. Grant the most bloody battle in which he was ever engaged), Fisher's Hill, Winchester, and Cedar Creek. Mr. Wade had charge of thirty men, who stood picket duty on the Potomac for sixty days in the heat of danger. During Mr. Wade's soldiering he was taken prisoner twice, but managed to make an escape each time. He was mustered out in August, 1865, when he returned to Michigan. In 1865, with his parents, he moved to Watseka. In 1870 he entered the lumber business. In 1871 and 1872 he was in the lumber business in Milford. In 1875 he com- menced the hardware business in connection with his lumber business, and owns now one of the leading business establishments in Watseka. Mr. Wade was married, in 1873, to Miss Theresa Hastings, who died with the consumption in 1878. By this union they have two children living. Mr. Wade is a republican in politics. He was a delegate to the Greeley convention, held in Cincinnati in 1872. Edward Dalton, lumber merchant, Watseka, the subject of this sketch, and whose portrait appears in this work, is a native of county Roscommon, Ireland. He is the son of James and Margaret (Mc- Guire) Dalton, and was born December 15, 1814. His father b}' his own exertions accumulated considerable property, so that young Edward was given the advantages of the common schools until the age of eleven years, and was then sent to the Latin school of Strokestown, where he remained until he was about seventeen years old. Here he made very rapid progress, and would shortly have graduated, had not his father concluded to emigrate to America, which he did, leaving our subject in charge of two farms, which were to be by him sub-rented and managed. In January, 1832, his father sailed for America, and in May, 1834, Edward, with his mother and four brothers, followed him, arriving at St. Joseph, Michigan, in the following July ; their trip being made from Buffalo, New York, on the steamer Sanduskj', which was the first lake-steamer that ever made the run into the St. Joseph river at that point. Instead of being obliged to send for him, as his father had thought, Edward arrived with 734 golden guineas, which MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 99 he handed his father, they being the proceeds of his two years' man- agement of affairs in Ireland. His father in the meantime had pur- chased a small farm near St. Joseph, on which Edward began work, continuing until the following March, 1835. He then started on foot for Chicago, resolving to begin life on his own account. On his arrival at Chicago he found employment in the capacity of clerk for Henry & Gurdon S. Hubbard, they at that time having the only brick store-house in the city. It was their intention to send him to Rock river, where Rockford, Illinois, now stands, and let him have charge of a store in trading with the Indians and settlers. This prospect, which was very gratifying to him, was spoiled by the Hubbards quit- ting the mercantile and entering the real estate business. Now young Dalton had again to look for employment, or embark in business for himself; but, having no capital, the latter seemed quite out of the question. But this obstacle was overcome by Mr. Henry Hubbard, who supplied him with a stock of goods, and offered to furnish a con- veyance also. But this Mr. Dalton refused, and, taking his pack, he started out to peddle ; though he soon quit the business, squared accounts with the Hubbards, and returned to St. Joseph, Michigan, where he and his father erected a building in North St. Joseph, and opened a hotel. There he continued business until 1838, when he went to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and in the spring of 1839 he and his father went a short distance west of Grand Rapids, to a place called Sand Creek, where, in 1845, he built a saw-mill. This mill Edward ran for about one year. He then went to Chicago and opened a lumber-yard, at the corner of Clinton and Randolph streets, which he managed successfully for about one year. His father then took charge of the yard, and he went back to the mills at Sand Creek. From 1847 until 1853, his father, brothers, and himself were doing business together. In 1853 he began operating on his own account, in the manufacture of lumber at Sand Creek. In 1861 he quit milling, and, until 1865, was engaged in no active business. In 1861, when troops were being raised for the war of the rebellion, he w r as offered a cap- tain's commission in Col. St. Glair's regiment, the 14th reg. Mich. Yol. Inf. This he did not accept until too late, the commission being given to another. In 1865 he became -a resident of Watseka, where his brothers were engaged in the lumber trade. In 1868 he bought them out, and has since conducted the business alone. In the fall of 1872 he met with an accident which crippled him for life. He had been at Rankin, where he proposed opening a branch yard, and in returning to Watseka, jumped from a freight train which was in inotion, at Sheldon, and broke his left hip, injuring it so badly as to have never 100 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. recovered complete use of it. This accident caused him to abandon the business at Rankin. He is now doing a small business in the lum- ber trade at Watseka, the principal part of his property being farm lands located in different parts of Michigan, of which he has about 1,500 acres, most of which is very valuable land. Mr. Dalton is a man possessed of a high sense of honor, and, while he is naturally unassum- ing, he is still a vigorous and active man, of much culture and well read. He has never been an office-seeker, though solicited many times during life by his friends to become a candidate, his attention having been given mostly to business affairs. He being naturally a shrewd business man and good financier, the result of his efforts has been success. He bears a good name and reputation, and has the respect and esteem of the community in which he resides. Mr. Dalton has never married, which, perhaps, is the only failure he has ever made in life. Hon. Matthew Henry Peters (contributed by Maj. George C. Har- rington). America is peculiarly the province of self-made men, for in no other land can the efforts and energies of an ambitious man meet with so full a reward by the appreciation of his fellow-man. To every boy, no matter how humble or discouraging may be his position in early life, the future promises a reward for his struggles and privations, providing he makes use of all the faculties he possesses, and has suffi- cient will-power to determine upon success. This fact is illustrated by the history of so many noble men and women who have patiently and diligently worked through the long night of doubt and discouragement, and yet lived to see the bright day of success with its attendant honors and prosperity. And he who rises to prominence from the lowest level, and conquers obstacles apparently the most insurmountable, is deserving a higher meed of praise in proportion as his struggles have been severer than those of his fellow man. An illustration of the matter in point is well shown in the history of the subject of this sketch, Matthew H. Peters, the stirring events of whose life, given in detail, would equal in interest the most dramatic tale of our best novelists. Born in Rhenish Bavaria in 1843, he was brought to New Orleans, by his parents, when a babe. His mother died a year or two after reaching America, soon followed to the grave by his two sisters, leaving his father with two small boys, a stranger in a strange land, very poor in worldly means, and unable to speak the language of the people whom he was among. In a brief time the father was carried off by the yellow fever, thus leaving the two little boys without home or friends. Samuel, the younger brother, was placed in the orphan asylum, while Matthew, the subject of this sketch, was taken by an e : 0^ ii ^ LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 108 acquaintance, who made him the subject of a series of abuses that can scarcely be realized forcing the illy-clad and homeless orphan to steal for him, and beating him in a terrible manner if he was not successful. This man had a small tailoring shop, and kept the boy at work from early morn until 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and even Sundays, allowing him as his food but one slice of bread three times a day. In the year 1855, nearly broken down by lack of food, and by the beatings and bruises from this cruel master, he determined to escape. The night before his attempt he was given fifty cents to do the morning market- ing. He arose early, took his half dollar he had not even clothes enough to make a bundle to carry along and started to try for him- self the world. He took up his quarters in another part of the city, lived a precarious life upon the streets, slept under the wharves, old culverts and store boxes, among the bales of cotton, or bags of rice and coffee, anywhere that offered a place to stay as night approached. The days were spent in picking up old horse-shoe nails, scattered grains of coffee or loose bits of cotton, anything that would be bought by the junk dealer ; fishing out of the slop barrels at the St. Louis or St. Charles hotels a crust of bread, or picking up from the gutter half decayed fruit in order to escape starvation. In the March following he got employment with the cook of a Mississippi steamboat, and dur- ing this period a great change took place in his fortunes. A traveling gentleman, Henry S. Roberts, attracted by the bright appearance of the poor boy, soon learned his sad history, and took him with him to Ohio. A short period after giving him a home in his family, this kind friend also died, leaving the boy with his widowed mother, Mrs. Rob- erts, whose kindness and motherly love has found a full recompense, as the boy, when grown to manhood, has given this woman a home with him in her old age, where she is loved and revered as if she were indeed his own mother. For the next five or six years after reaching Ohio, Peters spent his time in farm work and odd jobs for his neigh- bors, working for a long time in the manufacture of brick. He was always something of a student, and while other boys spent their time at play he was devoted to his books, studying night after night by the uncertain light from the burning kiln. In 1860 he commenced teach- ing, in which he was eminently successful, and in which he continued until the cry of war was heard over the land, and the call for volun- teers came. He promptly responded to the call, and enlisted as a private, April 23, 1861, in the Jefferson Guards of Springfield, Co. E, 16th Ohio; served in West Virginia ; was at the battles of Fhillippi, Laurel Hills and Carrick's Ford, at which latter place the first Confed- erate general (Garnett) was killed ; served out the term and reenlisted 7 104 HISTOEY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. as a private, in December, 1861, at Xenia, Ohio, in the 74th reg. under Col. Granville Moody the fighting parson. Walter Crook, brother of Gen. George Crook, of Indian notoriety, was captain. By him he was made orderly-sergeant of the company, and was soon afterward chosen by the company as lieutenant, and commissioned by Gov. Tod on January 7, 1862. Lieut. Peters was severely wounded at the battle of Stone River, Tennessee, December 31, 1862, and was thought to have been killed, and so reported at first, his comrades being obliged to desert him on the field. He survived, however, to fight another day, and suffered all the hardships incident to incessant campaigning. When Sherman started on his march to Atlanta, it began with a skirmish at Tunnel Hill, and was a continual battle for one hundred days before Atlanta fell. Peters was at this time adjutant of his regi- ment, having been appointed to that position by the colonel, on the reorganization of the 74th reg. as veterans. Adjt. Peters was wounded early in the campaign, being struck with a fragment of schrapnel-shot while charging a rebel battery on Buzzard Roost mountain, May 9, 1864. On July 13, 1864, on recommendation of his colonel, he was promoted captain for " gallant and meritorious services." While his comrades were gallantly bearing aloft the old flag, he lay, during the remainder of the summer, flat upon his back unable to move, suffering all but death ; but a vigorous constitution and a stout heart triumphed, and at last enabled him to hobble upon crutches, and soon to walk with a cane only. Restless of such inactivity, he rejoined his command at Savannah, Georgia, though scarcely able to walk. He served through the Carolinas, and had many hair-breadth escapes. He was at the last battles fought by Sherman's army at Bentonville and Averysboro, and at Greenville, North Carolina, at the surrender of Gen. Joseph John- ston. His proudest day of military life was enjoyed at the grand review of the armies at Washington, May 24 and 25, 1865. Gen. George P. Buell, commanding the brigade, detailed Capt. Peters on his staff as assistant inspector-general, in which capacity he served until notified that his regiment was to be mustered out; then asking to be relieved, rejoined his comrades on their happy march home. But before being finally mustered out of service, he was commissioned major of his regi- ment, July 12, 1865, major of the same regiment in which he enlisted as a private, promoted, not through the assistance of influential friends or political favoritism, but on his own merit. In April, 1866, Maj. Peters came to Watseka and engaged in the hardware trade, but that business was unsuited to his tastes, so he sold out to his partner, Alex. Archibald, within a year. In the spring of 1867, he opened the first book and stationery store in Watseka, and in this business he continued MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 105 until November, 1879, when he turned over his stock to his worthy clerk, Henry H. Alter, who had served him faithfully for over ten years. Politically Maj. Peters was in his early days, and up to 1872, a republican ; he continued to follow in the footsteps of Horace Greeley, whom he had been taught, from his first arrival in the north, not only to honor, but to love. He was, in the same year, nominated as a can- didate for circuit clerk by the Greeley republicans, his nomination being indorsed by the democrats ; but he was defeated, though by a largely reduced republican majority. In April, 1875, he was elected mayor of Watseka, and served two years to the entire satisfaction of the people, who again reflected him in October, 1877, to fill the unexpired term of Hon. Franklin Blades, who resigned to accept the circuit judgeship. In December, 1872, Maj. Peters took control of the "Iroquois Times," and for eighteen months ably managed its columns, but in July, 1874, he sold the "Times," having made it a very desirable property. He, however, repurchased the paper in July, 1878, and is its present editor and proprietor. Maj. Peters always took great pride and a very active interest in military matters, and was mainly instrumental in organizing the first militia company in Iroquois county, which was in May, 1874; of this company lie was elected captain. When the military code of Illinois became the law, the various companies of the state were organ- ized into regiments and battalions, the "Watseka Rifles being designated as Co. A, 9th batt. I.N.G., and Capt. Peters was elected to com- mand the battalion, by the line officers, who met at Champaign, Illinois, October 10, 1877, for that purpose. Hence his later title of colonel. Col. Peters was married to an accomplished young lady, Miss Clara M. Lyon, at Sycamore, Illinois, June 19, 1867, in the Congregational church, by Rev. J. T. Cook. Mrs. Peters is a fit companion for our worthy subject ; of a charming disposition ; she is very active, ener- getic, kind, generous and public-spirited ; a lady of intellect and cul- ture. In August, 1878, Col. Peters was nominated by a convention of the nationals as their candidate for member of the legislature, and in the following November was elected by a most flattering vote. He took a prominent part in the session of the thirty-first general assembly, and acquitted himself with great credit, having won the confidence and esteem of his fellow members, and Iroquois county was proud of her representative. Col. Peters is a very active and honored member of the order of Odd-Fellows, and has represented his lodge and encamp- ment in the grand bodies of that order. Also a prominent member of the Knights of Honor ; he represented his lodge in the grand lodge of this state, and in 1880 represented Illinois in the supreme lodge of the United States. Col. Peters is a gentleman of unbounded energy 106 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. and generosity, and there is no man living more public-spirited and benevolent than he is. As a business man he is very successful, and is held in great esteem by all the citizens of Iroquois county who are acquainted with him, and there is probably no man in the county bet- ter or more favorably known. Mrs. Jemima Walters, Watseka, is the widow of the late Ephraim Walters, who was born in Perry county, Ohio, January 6, 1827. From Ohio he moved to Indiana, and was married to Miss Jemima Good in 1849. She was born in Perry county, Ohio. They moved to Ohio and remained there until 1865, when, with nine children, they moved to Illinois, and located in Iroquois county, on the present homestead. Here they commenced farming. While a resident here, Mr. Walters held several offices of public trust : township clerk and school director, giving entire satisfaction. He was a man who was loved and respected. He died November 28, 1872, leaving a wife and twelve children to mourn his loss. Pie followed farming through life, and by hard labor and good management he had accumulated over 350 acres of land. The sons are now engaged in farming the land. Alexander L. Whitehall, attorney-at-law, Watseka, is perhaps one of the best known and most highly honored attorneys of Iroquois county. He was born in Newton, Fountain county, Indiana, August 29, 1845, and is the son of Nicholas and Amelia (Stephens) Whitehall. Mr. Whitehall received a common-school education in the district schools in the winter months only, as his time was taken up in the summer in working on the farm. From the farm he entered the service. From the moment Surnter was fired on, young Whitehall, though under six- teen, was eager to enlist, but, as he was the main-stay of a family of six motherless children, his father refused permission, even when his patriotic boy could have had a good non-commissioned position. In September, 1864, chafing under the restraints of his father, he had determined to enlist at all hazards, and wishing to turn his knowledge of tactics to account, he had recruited thirteen men, and was trying to secure a lieutenancy, when his father was drafted, and did not refuse to allow his patriotic son to step into his shoes as a substitute. A neighbor offered young Whitehall $1,200, a few moments before he was mustered in at the provost-marshal's office in La Fayette, if he would let his father shift for himself, and go as his substitute, which offer was indignant!} 7 refused. He had only been three days from home when a call for fifty recruits was made by the officer in charge of Camp Carrington to go to the 9th reg. Ind.Vet. Inf., and young White- hall was the first to respond to the call, and urge his new found comrades to join a regiment that " had a history." He was informed MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 107 that he could stay at Camp Carrington as a drill-sergeant, but he replied that he had enlisted to go to the front, and proposed to see the "elephant." Five days after tearing himself from the five little brothers and sisters, who were nearly crazy with grief, he was in the heart of the Confederacy, as it existed in 1862, Nashville. At Chat- tanooga, attracting the attention of Col. Doane, who was organizing a brigade of convalescents and substitutes, he was, despite his boyish appearance and small size, placed in command, as acting orderly-ser- geant, of a company of forty-two men, and, while Hood was menacing Chattanooga, he and his company occupied a part of the defensive line of works around the city, and a few days later he marched through to Resaca, Georgia, still commanding his company. On arrival at Resaca, his battalion was broken up, and, at the head of fourteen recruits going to the 9th regiment, he went to Kingston, Georgia, and, not being allowed to go any further south with his squad, augmented to twenty-nine men, from other regiments, lie went into camp for two days there. Learn- ing the 4:th corps was marching back to Chattanooga, he started back on a freight train, that was attacked by bushwhackers near Calhoun, and, under direction of Gen. Elliott, Whitehall took his men into a cornfield, and drove out a squad of rebels,*killing one. At Chattanooga, two days later, he reported to his brigade commander, and three days after overhauled his regiment at Bridgeport, Alabama, it having just got in from an extended scout through the mountains of north Georgia. He and seven of his fourteen men were assigned to Co. F by Col. Suman, of the 9th, and his journal shows that, as a private soldier, he was from that forward on hand wherever his company went, through " thick and thin," marching from Athens, Alabama, to Pu- laski, Tennessee ; and then, as rear-guard of the retreating army of Thomas, to Spring Hill, taking part in the movements at Columbia and Duck River, and doing his whole duty as a soldier at Franklin, Tennessee, in one of the bloodiest engagements of the war, escaping- unhurt, though getting his hat-rim shaved by a stray ball from the 77th Pennsylvania regiment in the rear, soon after the battle opened. In consequence of being barefooted at Pulaski, in the latter part of November, and " foraging" a pair of No. 10 brogans "gunboats" while loading stores the day of evacuation, which he tried to wear on a No. 4 foot while making a forty-mile inarch in fourteen hours back to Columbia, his ankles were terribly lacerated, and a month after pieces of yarn were taken out of the wounds on his ankles. At Franklin he was used up with sore feet, chronic diarrho3a, and had, with the rest of his comrades, been forty-eight hours without a wink of sleep, but for all that he and his brave comrades rendered a good 108 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. account of themselves, as the history of our late war will attest. While besieged at Nashville, the 9th regiment lay behind a stone parapet to the right and near Fort Negley. A few days before the battle a terrible storm of sleet and snow fell, and, as fuel was scarcely to be had, the men lying in their shelter-tents nearly froze to death, and Whitehall, in addition to the dysentery, which had reduced his "fighting weight" to ninety-six pounds, contracted a severe cold, which terminated in lung-fever, of which disease he had nearly died while at home the winter before. On December 15 he was so sick that he coughed nearly every step as he ran upon the charges, and yet he held his place in the front rank, and captured a prisoner in the final charge on the stone redoubt on the Granny White pike. In this charge he was thrown down while clambering through an embrasure of the fort, and that night his messmates reported to Capt. Stephens, his uncle, who came over from his division (the 3d) to learn the fate of his nephew, that " poor Aleck fell just as he got into the fort ;" and they were surprised to find the " dead boy," who had wandered a part of the night alone over the battle-field, in his place at the foot of the com- pany the morning of the second day's fight. In the battle on the 16th Corp. Beeson and Sergt. Porter were wounded on each side of White- hall, the former touching him when struck by a piece of shell, and in the afternoon another comrade was struck, and, falling back, knocked Whitehall down. But he passed through unscathed, except the fever had so deep a hold of him that all night he was delirious, and kept the poor, brave boys of his mess awake nearly all night. Filled with excitement, he kept on with his regiment in the pursuit of Hood, to a point near Spring Hill, where, as his journal shows, he fell in a cramp and was carried to a negro cabin, and the next day rallied enough to scrawl a letter home, and send by a passing straggler to the mail office, saying: "I am dying with lung-fever in a negro cabin near Spring Hill. We whipped old Hood at Nashville badly, and the backbone of the Confederacy is broken. Good-by." He was finally taken into the post-hospital at Franklin, and from there sent to Nash- ville, and, though worn to a shadow, he still had the grit of a cub tiger, and Dr. Tuttle said of him at one time: "I believe, if that little boy there had been in his last gasp, and I had asked him how he felt, he would have said ' first rate.' ' All the winter of 1865 he was confined most of the time to his bed, but was cheerful, and would sit on his cot and cut paper hangings, and then get the nurses to make paste, and hang them on the framework of the hospital tent until the surgeon and wardmaster, with a good deal of pride, several times brought ladies to examine the tent, and to see the little boy that had MIDDLEPOBT A.ND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 109 planned to give it so homelike an appearance. Fred. Kimmer, the brawny German nurse, would pick up the poor, wasted boy in his arms and carry him as tenderly as a babe. In the spring, as he grew better, Chaplain Hoover had him deliver, in the chapel of the stone college in the grounds of Hospital No. 2, Nashville, a temperance lec- ture, and a temperance club was organized with Whitehall as secretary. He rejoined his regiment at Camp Harker in May, 1865, and, as head clerk of the brigade detachment, sent in the latter part of June, 1865, to Exchone barracks, Nashville, for muster out, he had the pleasure of filling out his own discharge, and July 3 he was mustered out and paid off at the Soldiers' Home, in Indianapolis. He returned to his home and remained there until 1865, when he came to Iroquois county, and taught school the first winter. The next summer he com- menced farming on 30 acres of land, on which he raised 1,500 bushels of corn, and sold it for 20 cents per bushel. In 186% he entered the Michigan University, at Ann Arbor, Michigan, from which school he graduated in 1869. He returned to Watseka in April, 1869, and formed a law partnership with J. C. Steely, and commenced the prac- tice of law. This partnership lasted until 1871. Since then Mr. Whitehall has been alone in the practice of law. In 1872 Mr. White- hall was elected state's attorney, in which office he gave entire satisfac- tion. In 1873 he formed a partnership with Mr. E. Bremhall, in the publication of the "Iroquois County Republican," which con- tinued until 1876. Mr. Whitehall was married, in 1869, to Miss Alice Roberts. They have had two children, a son and a daughter. James Wasson, brickmaker, Watseka, was born in Butler county, Ohio, January 18, 1827, where he remained until 1839, when he moved to Delaware county, Indiana. In 1844 he first commenced working in a brick-yard in Wayne county, Indiana, at $8 per month. He worked in Wayne county about three years, and then went to Newcastle, Henry county, where he stayed six years. He subsequently removed to Monde, Indiana, where he remained until 1865, when he moved to Iroquois county and located in Middleport. He commenced the man- ufacture of brick in 1866, in the yard south of his present brick-yard. At that yard he made brick for the present court-house, the brick school east of Chamberlain's, and other buildings. He moved to his present yard in 1869, where he had at one time a capacity for making 15,000 bricks per day. He now employs some six men, and finds sale for his brick in the surrounding country. Mr. Wasson was engaged about one year as a contractor in building the Chicago & Eastern Illi- nois railroad. Like most of the contractors engaged in the building of this railroad, he lost heavily, being out of pocket some 12,000 ; but 110 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. with good management he worked through, and to-day is a successful business man. Henry Sanders, Watseka, was born in England in 1815. He learned the shoemaker's trade at the age of fifteen, and served as an apprentice until twenty-one. In 1865 he came to America, and then came west to Illinois, and was a resident of Chicago a short time ; he then came to Iroquois county and engaged in farming; he went to Sheldon, and was working at his trade some four years. From there he moved to his present place, and he now occupies the house that was erected by the Courtrights ; it is, perhaps, one of the first built in this neighborhood. Mr. Sanders was married, in London, England, to Miss Elizabeth Gellard ; they have six children. S. C. Munhall, postmaster, Watseka, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, January 26, 1843, and is the son of Rev. William and Dorathy (Familton) Munhall. His mother was from England, and his father from Pennsylvania. At Urbana, Champaign county, Illinois, he learned the trade of a printer. He afterward went to Chicago, where he remained for a while, and then returned to Urbana and commenced the publication of a newspaper. He enlisted in Co. B, 76th 111. Inf., and participated in the late civil war for three years, doing good service. In 1864 he was promoted to sergeant-major; in 1865 he was mustered out. He returned to Illinois in 1866, and came to Watseka, where he was deputy county clerk for eight years. In 1874 he was appointed postmaster of Watseka by Gen. Grant ; in 1878, by President Hayes ; this office he now holds. He was married, in October, 1867, to Miss Nancy Reese, of Pennsylvania; they have one child. H. Dodge, retired, Watseka, was born in Montgomery county, New York, October 15, 1804, and is the son of Noah and Elizabeth (Yenning) Dodge. His mother was a native of London, England, and his father of Massachusetts. Noah Dodge was a soldier of the revolutionary war. Mr. Dodge remained in New York state until 1832, engaged during the last seven years in clerking and carrying on mercantile business. In 1832 he went to Michigan, and located in Clinton. Here lie entered the mercantile business, and was also engaged in the manufacture of fanning-mills, the first made in that state. While a resident of Michigan, he was elected to the first legislature, and took an active part in organizing that state. He was very successful in his business, and at one time owned a large lot of land ; but the panic of 1837 so crippled him, that in 1843 he was completely broken up. He then moved to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and remained there until 1866, when he moved to Iroquois MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. Ill county and located in Watseka, where he has been an honored mem- ber of its society. He was married, in Clinton, Michigan, December 19, 1833, to Miss Lydia O. Hooper, of Seneca county, New York. They have one child, a daughter, wife of Win. S. Lingle, of La Fayette, Indiana. Joseph B. Lingle is now engaged in the study of law in Indianapolis under Gen. Ben Harrison, and will be admitted to the bar in 1880. D. L. Jewett, physician, Watseka, was born in East Haddam, Con- necticut, December 22, 1841, and is the son of Nathan and Lucretia (Stark) Jewett, natives of Connecticut. His father was a farmer. Dr. Jewett remained on the farm until he was about fourteen years of age. He received his principal education in his native state. In 1862 he graduated from the New York Medical College of Physicians and Sur- geons. The same year he enlisted as surgeon of the 20th Conn. Yol. Inf., and served with that regiment during three years of the late civil war. This regiment was in some of the most severe battles with the army of the Potomac. In 1863 it came west with Gen. Joe Hooker, and participated in the battle of Lookout Mountain, known as the " battle above the clouds." The 20th Connecticut afterward was in a number of prominent battles in the western campaign. Dr. Jewett re- mained with his regiment until 1865, when he returned home east. In 1866 he came west, to Watseka, where he began the practice of medi- cine. Here he has remained ever since, and ranks among the leading physicians of Iroquois county. In 1870 he was appointed United States' inspecting surgeon, which place he fills at present. Dr. Jewett was married to Miss L. Brown, of Yermont. They have one child, a son. Samuel R. Hawks, Watseka, was born in Franklin county, Massa- chusetts, May 2, 1811, and is the son of W. Hawks, of Massachusetts, who was engaged in farming. At the age of twenty-four he com- menced to learn the trade of a stone and brick- mason. In 1835 he went to Genesee county, New York, where he remained until 1854. While a resident of that county he was married, in 1841, to Miss Betsey Dow. In 1854 they moved to Hillsdale, Michigan, where Mr. Hawks was engaged in business as a contractor and builder. He there erected the Hillsdale College, and one of the finest churghes of that city. In 1866 he moved to Iroquois county, Illinois, and located at the pres- ent homestead, where he has been an honored resident ever since. He has represented in council the second district of Watseka, since 1872, with the exception of one year. Mr. Hawks was a strong republican in politics, but he is now a greenbacker, and is recognized as one of its leaders in Iroquois county. Mr. Hawks' daughter, Dr. Yiola E. Archibald, is engaged in the practice of medicine, and is meeting with 112 HISTORY OF IKOQUOIS COUNTY. very flattering success, receiving calls from all parts of Iroquois county. She was born in Livingston county, New York, and received her prin- cipal education at the Hillsdale College, of Hillsdale, Michigan. She attended a full course of lectures at the Eclectic Medical College, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1877. She began the practice of medicine the same year, and to-day is perhaps the only lady practicing medicine in Iroquois county. Dr. Archibald is vice-president of the eighth con- gressional district branch of the Illinois Society of Social Science. She was nominated, by the independent ticket, for county school superin- tendent, but was defeated. Henry H. Alter, city clerk, Watseka, was born in Beaver, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, December 20, 1840, and is the son of Henry R. and Elizabeth (Weirich) Alter, who were born in Washington county, Pennsylvania. His father was engaged in farming, and his mother died when he was a young lad. He was then placed in the hands of his grandmother Weirich, who lived in Washington, Pennsylvania. Here Mr. Alter received his principal education. He began the study of medicine, in which profession he was engaged at the breaking out of the late civil war. In 1861 he enlisted at the first call for one hundred days, in Co. E, 12th reg. Penn. Yol. Inf., as private. He served full time, and was honorably mustered out in 1862. In 1863 and 1864 he was studying medicine, and was a student in the Medical School of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1864 he was appointed assistant-sur- geon of the 52d reg. Yol. Inf., and served with this regiment for one year. This regiment participated in a number of skirmishes, and was at the battle of Nashville, Tennessee. In 1865 Mr. Alter returned to Pennsylvania, and the same year he came west. He was visiting in Iowa, and in 1866 he came to Watseka, where he has been a resident ever since. In 1870 he entered the book business. Mr. Alter has held several offices of public trust since he has been a resident of Wat- seka, township clerk of Middleport, and city clerk of Watseka, and has in each given entire satisfaction. Mr. Alter was married to Miss M. Roff, daughter of A. B. Roff, who was among the early settlers of Watseka. By this union they have one child, a daughter. John M. Burton, county surveyor, Watseka, was born in Monroe county, March 16, 1838, and is the son of Henry W. and Martha (McDaniel) Burton ; mother of North Carolina and father of Ken- tucky. When Mr. Burton was about eleven years of age, with his parents, he moved to Illinois, and located in Crete, Will county, where Mr. B. remained about seven years, and then moved to Kankakee city. In 1867 he moved to Iroquois county, on a farm in Papineau township, where he has been engaged in fanning ever since. In 1871 MIDDLEPOET AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 113 Mr. Burton received the nomination and was elected to the office of county surveyor by the republican party. In 1875, becoming so pop- ular and giving such satisfaction to all, he received the nomination from both parties, and was reflected to the office without any opposi- tion. Mr. Burton participated in the late civil war. He enlisted, in 1865, in Co. A, 156th reg. 111. Yol. Inf., which regiment did duty in Tennessee. He was discharged at the close of the war. Mr. Burton is a republican in politics. Elmore Brimhall, Watseka, was born in McHenry county, Illinois, September 25, 1846, and is the son of the Rev. Samuel Brimhall, a Baptist preacher who was born in New York, and, when he became of age, learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for a number of years. He was married, in Indiana, to Miss Caroline A. Mills, of Ohio. They moved to Henderson county, Illinois, where he was licensed to preach. They then went to New Boston, where he was regularly ordained as a preacher, and followed this for a number of years, preaching in different parts of Illinois. Mr. Brimhall remained with his father until the death of his mother, which occurred when he was almost thirteen years old. Afterwards he lived with his uncle, where he could school himself. This he did for a number of years. In 1865 he was engaged at work in a nursery, and in the same year went to Knoxville, Knox county, and entered a printing office, and began to learn the trade. At the end of the year he was the leading printer in the office of the "Knox Republican." From here he went to Peoria, where he worked at his trade in the " Peoria Democrat " office. He subsequently went west, and remained a short time. He returned to the office of the " Peoria Democrat," where he worked some six months more, when he received a letter offering him work in the office of the " Iroquois County Republican." So in 1867 he came to Watseka, and worked in that office for two years, when he went to St. Paul, and was engaged on state work some six months. From there he removed to Buffalo, and afterward entered the employ of the Lakeside Printing Company, of Chicago, where he remained some two years. He then commenced the job printing business, the firm being Brimhall & Smith, and doing business at No. 45 South Canal Street, where he remained about one year. In 1873, in com- pany with Alex. L. Whitehall, he purchased the " Iroquois County Republican," and began the publication of that paper. In August, 1876, he purchased Mr. Whitehall's interest, and in August, 1877, he sold out his business in the newspaper, and at present is engaged in buying and selling real estate. Mr. Brimhall was married, in 1876, to Miss Dora Fenton. 114 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Judge John Chamberlain, of "Watseka, deceased, was born in Charleston, New Hampshire, October 24, 1803, and was the son of John C. Chamberlain, a leading practitioner at the New Hampshire bar. The subject of this memoir graduated from Dartmouth College in the class of 1823. On July 16, 1830, he was admitted to the bar in New York, and commenced practice at Albion, Orleans county. He rapidly rose to distinction, and from that time held high rank among the legal talent of the state'. In the anti-Mason excitement of that period he went with his party friends the democrats spared their feelings, and was at a time their chief adviser, and gave efficient and distinguished aid in opposing the anti-Masons as a political party. Following this he served several terms in the New York general assembly. Through the failure of friends to whom he had loaned his credit for a large sum, he was induced to come west. In 1844 or 1845 he located at Bunkum, in this county, where he engaged largely in the stock and real estate business. In 1847 he was an unsuccessful candi- date, against Judge Jesse O. Norton, of Joliet, for delegate to the con- stitutional convention from the counties of Iroquois and Will. In 1849 he was elected the first county judge of Iroquois county, for four years, which office he filled three consecutive terms. In 1853 he moved to the town of Middleport, then the county seat of Iroquois county. He was married, in 1856, to Mrs. O. L. Hood, who was born in Byron, Genesee county, New York, June 2, 1822. Three children, two daughters and a son, were the issue of this union, but only one, Orra N., the oldest child, survives him ; the other two died in infancy. Judge Chamberlain died in Watseka, December 16, 1866, universally regretted. Dr. W. S. Browne, physician, Woodland, was born in Madison county, Indiana, March 2, 1844, and is the son of L. D. and Nancy (Harland) Browne. His father, a farmer, was a native of Virginia, and moved to Indiana at an early day. Here, on the farm, our subject worked during the summer, and in the winter months attended the district schools, receiving a good common-school education, and fitting himself for the Michigan University at Ann Arbor, Michigan. Here he attended a ' medical course, and also at Cincinnati and at the Rush Medical College, of .Chicago. Dr. Browne received two diplomas. In 1868 he went to Watseka and began the practice of medicine, where he remained but a short time; when he went to Anderson, Indiana, and there was engaged in the drug business in connection with his practice. In 1872 he came to Woodland, where he has been meeting with good success in his chosen profession. Robert Zemple, grain and hardware merchant, is the junior member MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 115 in the firm of Messrs. Rosenburg & Zemple, prominent business men of Woodland, who do a general hardware and grain business. They are both also connected with the grain firm of S. Williams & Co., of Woodland, who are extensive grain dealers. Mr. Zemple was born in Prussia, Germany, and moving to America, in 1868, first located in Iroquois county, where he remained about one year ; he then went to Chicago, where he remained some seven years, and again returned to Iroquois county and located in Papineau, where he was engaged in clerking and in the commission business. In 1876 he came to Woodland and has since remained here. Ben R. South, restaurateur and confectioner, Watseka, was born in New Albany, Indiana, October 8, 1843, where he remained until 1856, when he came with his parents and located in Iroquois county on a farm. Here he was engaged in farming until 1862, when he enlisted in the late civil war, in Co. K, 76th 111. Yol. Inf., as private for three years or during the war. He remained with the 76th until 1863, when he was taken sick and sent to the hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, and thence to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was taken sick with the small-pox ; in 1863 he was transferred to the Yeteran Reserve corps, and then sent to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he served as orderly until July, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. He returned to the old homestead in Iroquois county, where he remained until 1868, engaged in farming. He then came to Watseka, and was made deputy sheriff under his brother, A. H. South. In 1869 Mr. South went to Missouri, where he was engaged in farming until 1872, when he returned to Watseka, which has been his home ever since. In April, 1878, he began the restaurant and confectionery business, in which business he is at present engaged. At his establish- ment everything is in neat order; he is located south of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw depot. Mr. South was assistant marshal of Watseka for several years. He is a republican in politics. John T. Pierson, sheriff of Iroquois county, Watseka, was born in Marion county, Ohio, September 25, 1850, and is the son of Thomas and Margaret Ann (Fickle) Pierson, both natives of the Buckeye state. His father, Thomas Pierson, was a farmer and stock raiser in Ohio. In 1868, with family, he came to Iroquois county, and located on a farm in Artesia township. Here he followed farming. In 1874 he was elected sheriff of Iroquois county, and he appointed as deputy his son, Joftn T., the subject of this sketch. Mr. Pierson served two years as sheriff of Iroquois county. He is now engaged in the stock business at the Union Stock Yards, Chicago. In 1876 Jacob Shear was elected sheriff of the county, with Mr. John T. Pierson as deputy 116 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. sheriff. In filling the office of deputy sheriff for four years Mr. Pier- son gave entire satisfaction, having proven himself a man of acknowl- edged ability. He won a host of friends, and in 1878 was nominated and elected to the office of sheriff of Iroquois county by the green- back party. This office he now fills. Mr. Pierson's first vote was cast for U. S. Grant for president. Since then he has been liberal in his politics. In 1877 Mr. Pierson was constable of Watseka. Charles G. Culver, merchant, Watseka', is one of the best known and most highly respected business men of Watseka. He was born in Washington county, New York, October 8, 1840. His parents are Nathan and Eliza (Gilmore) Culver, both natives of New York. His father was a farmer. On the farm Mr. Culver remained until he was about sixteen years of age. In 1857 he took Horace Greeley's advice and came west. He located first in Sandwich, DeKalb county, Illinois, and there entered one of the leading dry-goods houses as clerk. At the breaking out of the late civil war, when Fort Sumter was fired upon, he enlisted in Co. H, 7th 111. Yol. Inf. This company was the first company that reported for duty at Chicago, in Illinois. The 7th was commanded by Col. Dick Oglesby. This regiment was ordered to Cairo, Illinois, where it did duty for three months. Being a three- months regiment, it was then mustered out. Mr. Culver then reen- listed for three years in Co. H, 105th 111. Yol. Inf., as orderly-sergeant. He participated in some of the most severe battles of the war: Resaca, Atlanta (known as the one-hnndred-day fight), Peach Tree Creek, with Sherman's march to the sea, through the swamps of the Carolinas, on to Washington, where he participated in the grand parade at Washington, D. C. Mr. Culver entered Co. H as orderly-sergeant ; from that he was appointed to second lieutenant, then first lieutenant, and when he was transferred from Co. H to Co. C, he was made cap- tain, which office he filled some eighteen months. He was a brave soldier. He never lost a day from duty, served full time, and was honorably mustered out at Washington in 1865 at the close of the war. He returned to Sandwich, Illinois, and entered the general merchan- dising business. In 1869 he came to Watseka and commenced his present business. In. 1878 Mr. Culver was elected supervisor of Mid- dleport township, which office he filled with marked ability. He is a republican in politics, being a member of the republican state cen- tral committee. Mr. Culver was married in Sandwich, DeKalb county, Illinois, to Miss Maria Barnes, of New York. They have one child, a son. L. W. Roberts, dentist, Watseka, was born in Kentucky, near Lexington, January 14, 1843, and is the son of the Rev. Richard B. MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 117 Eoberts. Mr. Koberts moved with his parents to Indiana when he was very young ; and moved with his father and family on the circuit through Indiana, his father being a preacher. In 1862, during the late civil war, he enlisted from Kokomo, Indiana, in Co. I, 21st Ind. Yol. Inf., which was transferred to Co. L, 1st Ind. Artil- lery; he enlisted for three years. This artillery did service at New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana ; he was honorably discharged on account of sickness. Dr. Roberts commenced the study of dentistry in 1858 ; he practiced at Valparaiso, Indiana, and Fairmount, Illinois. In 1869 he came to Watseka and began the practice of his profession. He is meeting with very good success ; his office is located over C. G. Culver's store. J. J. Carlock, merchant, "Watseka, was born in McLean county, Illinois, November 24, 1829, and is the son of Reuben and Amy (Jones) Carlock, who immigrated to Illinois, and located in Dry Grove, McLean county, in 1827. His father, who was born in 1795, died in 1856; he was a .soldier of two wars, the war of 1812, and the Black Hawk war of 1832. His wife, Amy (Jones) Carlock, is still living, in Woodford county, at the good old age of eighty-two years ; she is a pensioner of the war of 1812. Mr. Carlock remained on the farm in McLean and Woodford counties, engaged in farming and stock dealing, until 1869, when he moved to Iroquois county and located in Belmont township ; here he remained until 1876, when he moved to Watseka. He has been engaged in the lumber business. He was married, in Woodford county, to Miss Susan Allen, of Bloom- ing Grove, daughter of Isaac Allen, who was an early settler of Mc- Lean county ; they have four children. Judge Manliff B. Wright, county judge, Watseka, whose portrait appears in this work, is one of the leading and prominent men of Iroquois county ; and, while speaking of some of the old settlers and prominent men of Iroquois county, a short sketch of his life is most appropriate as one of the latter. He is a native of the province of Ontario, Canada Kemptville, Greenville county, being his native town, where he was born April 6, 1839 ; and is the son of Frederick and Sarah (Parkinson) Wright, both natives of Canada. Th'e early part of the judge's life was spent at his native place. In 1856 he came west and located in the town of Henry, Marshall county, Illinois. At Sparland in that county, from 1862 to 1866, he was engaged in the mercantile trade. Turning his attention, however, to the study of law he, in 1868, was admitted to practice at the Illinois bar; and in 1869 he removed to Iroquois county and located at Watseka, where he has since resided. At the Iroquois county bar his natural talent 118 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. and ability soon won for him respect and distinction. In 1873 he was nominated and elected by the independents to the office of county judge, receiving a majority of 1,250 votes; in 1877 he was reflected to the same office by the greenback party, with a majority of 906 votes; in 1879 he was the nominee of the democrat and greenback party for the circuit judgeship, but was defeated by the republican nominee, Franklin Blades. In the discharge of his duties as a public officer Judge Wright has been and is both honorable and con- scientious, allowing neither political nor personal prejudice to warp his judgment or sway his decision when the liberty or property of another is at stake : but being governed by a high sense of honor, his decisions have been just ; by this course he has only increased his already enviable reputation. In 1874 he was was married, in Chats- worth, Livingston county, Illinois, to Miss Helen E. Hoyt, formerly of Henry, Illinois. They have three children, two daughters and one son. Burlew & Smith, wagon and carriage makers, Watseka, compose one of the leading firms engaged in the manufacture of wagons and carriages. Mr. J. E. Burlew was born in Pennsylvania, where he learned the trade of a blacksmith. He came west and was engaged at his trade at Plainfield, Will county. Some ten years ago he came to Mid- dleport and engaged in the blacksmith business with Mr. C. W. Smith. He then came to Watseka and was engaged in business in the shop in the rear of Wade's hardware store. In 1876 he came to his present shop. Mr. L. N. Smith is a native of New Jersey. He learned the trade of a wagon-maker in Rockaway, New Jersey. In 1872 he came west, and was for a short time working in Danville and Indianapolis, and finally came to Watseka. These gentlemen occupy a building, size 20 X 30 feet, two stories high. They are doing a good business and employ three hands. Henry Upsall, jeweler, Watseka, is the oldest watchmaker and jew- eler of Watseka. He first came here in 1870. Ever since that date he has held a leading though unostentatious position as a business man of the city, and done a gradually increasing business, until to-day there is hardly a man, woman or child within many miles but knows Henry Upsall. He is a practical and thoroughly educated watchmaker and jeweler, and no doubt this has contributed largely to the success he has attained. He has had practical experience in his business for over thirty years, learning his trade in England, and makes a specialty of repairing fine time pieces, large numbers of which the public have con- fidence in entrusting in his hands. Henry Upsall was born in Lincoln- shire, England, December 25. 1830, and is the son of Henry Upsall, who was a fisherman. At fifteen years of age lie commenced to learn X LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 121 his trade with his uncle in Boston, England. He served as an appren- tice for five and a half years. In 1857 he sailed for America and landed in New York city. He came directly west to Indiana and located in Koscinsko county and worked at his trade. He saved sufficient money to purchase a farm, on which he remained until 1863, when he enlisted in the late civil war in the 23d Ind. Art. for three years, but, on account of disability, he was honorably discharged. He returned to Indiana, where he worked at his trade in Leesburgh and Warsaw until 1870, when he came to Watseka and commenced to work for "W. P. Stephens at $18 per week. In 1872 he commenced business for himself, and since then he has been meeting with good success. To- day he owns a large, well stocked jewelry store that would be a credit to a large city. Mr. Upsall is a fine scholar in astrology, and is known as such throughout America. He is the owner of some old works on astrology, one published in 1652 and restored by William Ramsey. Mr. Upsall's father and mother, Henry and Maria (Wallhead) Upsall, are both living in England. His father's age is eighty-eight years ; his mother's seventy-six. He has one brother and one sister in Aus- tralia; one brother and two sisters in England. Plis brother John, who came with him to America, died a soldier, in 1863, at Cairo, Illi- nois, during the late civil war. Alexander Gillfillan, merchant, is one of the leading business men of Watseka. He was born in Ross county, Ohio, February 12, 1850. In 1854, with his parents, he moved on a farm in Madison county, Indi- ana. Here he remained until 1870, working on the farm. From Madison county he came to Watseka, and entered the store of Daniel Fry as clerk. He then occupied the position of clerk with C. G. Culver. In 1878 he entered the mercantile business for himself, and to-day is doing a good business, occupying a large room 20x80 feet, located next to Arnold's drug store. Z. Hockett, tile and flower-pot manufacturer, Watseka, was born in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1820. His first experience in the manufac- ture of tile began in his native county, where he made the first ever manufactured in Clinton county. When he first began business his tile factory was the only one in the county, but after remaining in busi- ness for seven years there were fourteen there. In 1871 Mr. Hockett came to Iroquois county and located in Ash Grove, where he com- menced the drug business, which he followed until 1875, when he came to Middleport. In 1875 he commenced his present business. He has one tile machine of the latest pattern, patented by his brother, A. Hockett. The factory has one kiln, size 13x16. The drying-shed is 132x22. The dirt is near the factory in abundance, and of a 122 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. superior quality. He receives orders from the immediate vicinity, and ships quite an amount. He makes all the standard sizes, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Mr. Hockett is also engaged very extensively in manufacturing flower- pots. This firm is Z. Hockett & Son, and their flower-pots are pro- nounced the best quality in the market. They get their clay from the Iroquois river and cart it to their factory, where it is well mixed, and then molded into pots of from one and a half to seventeen inches inside. These goods are of a bright cream color, and are easily disposed of in the leading markets, Bloomington, La Fayette, Indianapolis and Terre Haute, their orders amounting to as high as 10,000 flower-pots at a time. Mr. Z. Hockett was alderman from his district one term. He married Lucinda Bandy, of Ohio, and they have nine children. Mr. Hockett has three sons working in the factory. He had one son. in the late war, Lewis, who enlisted in the 79th Ohio, and did good service for three years and was honorably mustered out. Held Bros., butchers, Watseka, own one of the neatest, best arranged and most attractive meat-markets in Iroquois county. They are prac- tical butchers of life-long experience, and have the reputation of exposing for sale the finest quality of all kinds of meats, through which, and their fairness of prices and strict probity in business trans- actions, they have secured there a paying trade. They have for their use a large ice-box, which cost them $300, for the storing of their meats. John Held was born in Germany, April 11, 1844. Lewis Held was born in Germany, March 30, 1850. They emigrated to America and landed in New York city in 1865, and came direct to Illinois and located in Chicago ; here they were engaged in the butcher business and remained until 1871, when they came to Watseka, where they have been engaged ever since in the butcher business, and to-day are the oldest butchers doing business in Watseka. Their parents are Chris, and Mary Margaret Held, both natives of Germany. John Fagan, Watseka, is the pioneer harness-maker of Iroquois county. He was born March 29, 1822, in Greene county, Ohio. He commenced to learn the trade of a harness-maker when fourteen years of age, in Xenia, Ohio, where he served an apprenticeship of six years. He w r orked at his trade in Xenia until 1847, when he went to La Fayette, Indiana, where he worked at his trade, and remained there until 1848, when he returned to Xenia. He then went to Williamsport, then to Attica, and subsequently to Danville, Illinois, where he worked at his trade until 1849. He then came to Middleport, Iroquois county, and commenced the harness business, being the first harness-maker to establish in business in Iroquois county. At Middleport and Watseka he has been engaged in business ever since, MIDDLEPORT AND BELMONT TOWNSHIPS. 123 with the exceptions of 1868, 1869 and 1870, when he was in business in Champaign county, Illinois. In 1877 he moved to his present stand, which is located on the corner next to the First National Bank build- ing. When Mr. Fagan first commenced business in Middleport his customers came from far and wide. He did work for people as far away as Joliet, Will county, and also in neighboring counties. Mr. Fagan was married in Middleport, in 1852, to Miss Caroline Hogle, of Vermont, and they have two children. W. A. Mott, confectioner and restaurant-keeper, Watseka, was born in Kankakee county, Illinois, June 4, 1851, and is the son of Gardner Mott, who was born in Canada, and at an early day moved to Illinois, where he was engaged at the carpenter's trade. He came to Kankakee city and helped to build the first frame house in that place. In Kan- kakee city the subject of this sketch remained a short time, and then, with his parents, moved to Momence, where his mother died when he was about three years of age. From Momence he went to Champaign county, where he remained until he was about ten years of age, when he went to Berrien county, Michigan. He returned to Momence, and in 1871 he came to Watseka, where he entered Doyle's wagon-shop and learned the painter's trade. This he followed until 1875, when he embarked in the mercantile business. Mr. Mott was married, in 1878, to Miss Mary Weston, of England, who came to America when very young. T. B. Harris, state's attorney, Watseka, was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, February 28, 1844, and is the son of Sidney W. and Mary (Bronson) Harris. His mother was born in Ohio, and his father in Yermont. Sidney Harris was a lawyer, who graduated from the Cin- cinnati Law School. He practiced law at Cincinnati, and in 1855, with his family, moved to Illinois and located in Morris, Grundy county. He became one of the leading attorneys of that vicinity. He was elected judge of the then eleventh judicial circuit, which office he held about five years. He died in Morris, September, 1876, at sixty-one years of age. Mr. Harris, the subject of this sketch, in 1855, came west with his parents, to Morris, Illinois. In August, 1862, during the late civil war, Mr. Harris enlisted in Co. D, 91st 111. Vol. Inf. He was immediately appointed sergeant-major, which position he filled until December 5, 1864, when he was made adjutant of the 91st, in which he served until July, 1865. Mr. Harris participated in several severe engagements : at the siege and capture of Mobile ; in the capture of the Blakeley batteries this was the last battle fought during the war. Lee surrendered his army April 9, at ten o'clock. The battle at the capture of the Blakeley batteries was fought the same day, which was, 124 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. perhaps, the most severe fought battle of the war. It lasted ten min- utes, and during that time the Union forces lost 600 men. They cap- tured 3,000 prisoners, the Blakeley batteries and the city of Mobile. Mr. Harris was captured by the notorious guerilla, John Morgan, and remained a paroled prisoner about five months. He was finally exchanged at the close of the war. Mr. Harris returned to Morris, where he began the study of law with his father. He was a student in the Wayland University, of Michigan. In 1867 he was admitted to the bar, and began the practice of law at Morris, where he remained until 1872, at which date he came to Watseka, where he has been engaged in the practice of law ever since, and to-day he ranks among the leading attorneys of the Iroquois county bar. In 1876 he was elected by the democrats and green backers to the office of state's attor- ney of Iroquois county. He was elected by 75 majority, being tjie only one elected on that ticket. In this office Mr. Harris is giving entire satisfaction. He is a democrat in politics. He was married, in 1868, to Miss Hettie L. Roseman, of Ohio, and they have two children. Free P. Morris, attorney-at-law, Watseka, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 19, 1853, and is the son oY Charles arid Sarah (Thomas) Morris, both natives of the Keystone State. Mr. Morris' father was engaged in the coal business in Pennsylvania, and in 1863 came west with his family and located in Cook county, Illinois. From there he moved to Chicago, thence to Iroquois, Iroquois county. Mr. Free P. Morris came west with his parents to Cook county, Illinois, and at the Northwestern University at Evanston he received his prin- cipal education. He graduated from that school [n 1872, having attended a course of law lectures while a student there. He then went to Chicago and began the reading of law in the office of T. S. McClel- land, Esq., a prominent attorney of the Cook county bar. In 1874 Mr. Morris was admitted to practice law at the Illinois state bar. He then came to Watseka and began the practice of law, where he has remained ever since. Mr. Morris is a democrat in politics. Dr. D. E. Sabin, druggist, Woodland, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, near Zanesville, in 1834. He came west to Illinois in 1856, and began the drug business in Piper city, where he remained for a number of years, doing a leading business in the drug line. In Feb- ruary, 1877, Dr. Sabin came to Woodland and purchased the drug store of Brown & Endicott, which business he is now carrying on, owning one ot the neatest and best stocks of drugs in the vicinity. Dr. Sabin commenced the practice of medicine in 1867, and attended lecture courses at the Eclectic College of Cincinnati, Ohio. J. S. Near, physician, Watseka, was born near Chambersburg, MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 125 Pennsylvania, March 16, 1848, and is the son of Robert E. Near, a cabinet-maker by trade, but now engaged in farming in Lee county, Illinois. When three years of age, Dr. Near came to Ohio and received his principal education at Akron Seminary. In 1865 he came to Illinois, and located in Joliet, and began the study of medicine in 1871 under Dr. C. W. Williams, a leading physician of Joliet. In 1876 he graduated from the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, one of the leading medical colleges of the Northwest. Dr. Near began practice at Joliet, and from there he went to Frankfort Station, where he remained until 1878, and then came to Watseka, where he is meet- ing with good success in the practice of medicine. Hockett Brothers, furniture dealers, Watseka, have been in business in Watseka, since November, 1878, during which time they have exhibited an amount of caution and care in their business transactions, that to-day they rank among the solid men of Watseka. Their store is located on the main business street, and has a front of twenty-five feet and a depth of about fifty-five feet. Their salesrooms are nicely arranged, and in them are goods to suit all tastes and purses. These gentlemen buy their furniture mostly in the white; they buy from the best manufacturers in the country, and goods can be bought from them as cheap as in large cities. The firm of Hockett Brothers is composed of L. C. Hockett, who was born in Clinton county, Ohio, August 13, 1846. He has had a number of years' experience in the furniture business in Ohio. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. F, 88th Ohio Yol. Inf., as corporal, and served until the close of the late war. He participated in the battles of Dutch Gap and the siege of Richmond, Yirginia. He was a brave soldier and did good duty, and was honorably mustered out in 1865. J. B. Hockett was also born in Clinton county, Ohio. MILFORD TOWNSHIP. Milford, meaning Ford-at-the-mill, is one of the oldest settled town- ships in Iroquois county. For this reason its settlement is historically interesting. At the time of its settlement it formed a part of Ver- milion county, and was the only settlement, except Bunkum (now Iroquois), between North Fork and Chicago. Milford is situated in the southeastern part of Iroquois county, and is bounded on the north by Belrnont, on the east by Stockland, on the south by Lovejoy, and on the west by Ash Grove. It is described in the original survey as town 25 north, range 12 west of the 2d prin- cipal meridian. The north tier of sections in this township is each 126 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. about two and a half miles long. Owing to the bungling manner in which the first survey was made, many irregularities occur in the sec- tion lines of this and adjoining townships. On the south side a dis- crepancy of about fifty-seven steps exists between the section lines of townships 24 and 25. These irregularities in Iroquois county are found principally south of the north line of the tier of townships numbered 25. So irremediable were these blunders, and to prevent their continuation, an arbitrary line was established, constituting the north line of this tier of townships, and forming a new base line from whence the surveys to the north were measured. The strip of land south of this line was included in the north tier of sections, hence their unusual length, the northeast and northwest quarters being respectively divided into eight lots of about eighty acres each, and numbered accordingly. The earliest settlement in Milford, of which any account can be obtained, was made in the timber on the banks of Sugar creek, in the spring of 1830. Some traces of an earlier settlement were found, but by whom made, or at what time, it is impossible to ascertain. Indeed, some of the information given by the few old settlers still living is somewhat obscure and uncertain, but it is believed that the statements here given can be relied upon as generally correct. Early in the year 1830, Samuel Rush, Eobert Hill and Elisha Miles emigrated from Indiana and settled upon land in the northern part of the township. Mr. Rush, indeed, claimed that he was the first white settler, and it is said that he was here in the fall of 1829. How- ever this may be, it is nearly certain that these families came into the town at nearly the same time. Mr. Rush settled on the west side of the creek, in section 4 ; Hill established himself on the east side, in section 3, and Miles located in the same belt of timber, not far from Hill. During this year other settlers moved into the township. Daniel Barbee settled on what was afterward called Barbee's Run, near where Henry Fanning now lives. Two others are mentioned : Thomas J. Mountz and Joseph Cox. These settlers, however, together with Miles and Hill, did not remain many years, but sold their claims to others who came into the county, of whom mention will presently be made. James Singleton, an Indian trader and trapper, an unmarried man of a taciturn disposition, is mentioned as living with the Indians in this township when the first permanent settlers came; but he, together with Abram Miller and Joseph Reading, departed in a year or two, and no trace of them remains. In the fall of 1830 a large accession was made to the population by the coming of the Stanleys from Clinton county, Ohio. Anthony MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 127 Stanley, the father, entered a claim and built a cabin on the north- west quarter of the northeast quarter of section 15, on the east side of a spring branch. William Stanley, who was married, made a claim on the southwest part of section 10, near the bank of Sugar creek, and erected a log house, but deeming the location to be an unhealthy one, sold out his claim to William Cox, who arrived the next spring. He then took up a claim covering a portion of the ground where the village now stands, and built a cabin just south of the present school- house. John Stanley, another married son, located some distance west of his father's place and also commenced opening a farm. It must be remembered that the land in this township was not yet subject to entry. The unmarried children of Anthony Stanley were Micajah, Isaac, Elizabeth and Rebecca. Micajah was married some time later, and built a cabin on a hillock west of his father's house, on the place now occupied by John Hollander. Rebecca married John Gray, a son of William Gray, who in 1833 built a cabin on section 14, just east of Milford village ; John Gray opened a farm on the northeast quarter of section 24. Elizabeth married a Mr. Chamberlain, who located on section 23. Isaac did not live many years after coming into the town- ship. With the Stanleys came William Pickerel, who located on the noj'th side of the creek, near where the mill now stands ; he was a blacksmith, and his shop stood near the spot now occupied by Wing- field Cooper's stable. Reuben Gardner at the same time settled on the south side of the creek. All these settlers were Quakers. Single- ton and Reading, before mentioned, had built a cabin on the north side of the creek, southwest of Stanley's house. Miller also built a cabin on the south side. The parents of Singleton, an aged and infirm couple, lived in his cabin in 1831 ; no one seemed to know anything about them. In the spring of 1831 other settlers began to arrive. Many of these were from Ohio and Indiana. Prominent among them were Asa Thomas and family, William Thomas, and William and Lemuel Johns. Mr. Thomas was a native of Maryland. Ho had at an early age removed to Kentucky, where he learned the trade of brick and stone mason. He afterward came to Ohio. Here he married and remained several years. Mr. Thomas and his brother William both served in the war of 1812, and were at Hull's surrender. In the spring of 1830 they moved to Indiana and raised a crop of corn. In the winter following the two brothers, Asa and William, together with the Johns brothers, came to Milford and built two log cabins on section 14. Returning to their families, they all made preparations to move, which was accom- plished with ox-teams in the spring of 1831. Asa Thomas had a 128 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. numerous family of children. He remained on this claim for nearly two years, and when the land came into market he was ''entered out" by an " enterprising settler." He then removed south of Sugar creek, and located on the Mud, a tributary of Sugar creek. It may seem strange that none of the early settlers located on the prairie, but at that time it was believed that the prairie was unfit for cultivation. This opinion was, however, soon exploded, .and large tracts of prairie land were entered. Lemuel and William Johns settled further up the creek, near the east side of section 14. Here Mrs. Johns discovered an excel- lent spring. This is now known as the " Cleaver Place." They came from Adams county, Ohio. William Johns broke and fenced 80 acres, and then sold to ISTathan Cleaver. He next entered a tract of 120 acres of timber in section 4, which was afterward sold to Col. Thomas "Vennum. Both the brothers afterward moved into Belmont, where Lemuel died. Mention is also made of John and Hiram Miles as well as of several others, who came during this year ; but no reliable infor- mation can be obtained regarding them, and it is presumed that they remained but a short time and then, anticipating Horace Greeley's advice, " went west." Another actor in this work of pioneering was Charicey Webster. Mr. Webster located in the edge of the timber, north of Johns,*on land now owned by Elijah Bunnell. He afterward settled on lot 5 in the N.E. ^ of Sec. 4. Here he constructed a dam in the bend of the creek, and erected a small saw and grist mill which was soon after burnt. His daughter married Richard Scott. Mr. Webster was a zeal- ous Methodist, and occasionally preached. He was among the earliest to interest himself in the religious work of the community. Other settlers are also deserving of notice. Among them were Samuel McFall and a Mrs. Parker. McFall sold 200 acres of land in 1842 to Richard Scott, who still occupies the same. Mrs. Parker came from Indiana with her children, her husband being dead, and settled on land to the west of McFall and nearer the creek. She seems to have been a woman of great energy and business capacity, for to farming she added the business of dealing in live-stock. She it was who, on hearing the report of hostile Indians, sent her son to warn the settlers living above her along Sugar creek. The period between the years 1831 and 1833 was indeed one of peculiar trial and hardship to the settlers. The country swarmed with Indians, who, although quite friendly and generally peaceable, were often too socially inclined, and constantly begging or wanting to barter for sugar, meat, flour or meal, supplies with which the settlers at the best were scantily provided. Besides, their uncouth manners and for- MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 129 bidding appearance were calculated to keep up a constant state of appre- hension. No wonder, then, that when, in 1832, during the Indian war, an alarm was raised that the Sauk Indians were actually advanc- ing southward from the Fox river, murdering all within their reach, the settlers were ready to take counsel of their fears and fly before an imaginary foe. One or two families on Fox river had actually been murdered, and two girls carried, into captivity. The accounts given of the cause of this famous " scare " are somewhat conflicting, yet the fact remains that to the settlers, in their unprotected condition, it was a " fearful reality." The time is not clearly indicated, but it was evi- dently about " planting time" in the year 1832, and in the latter part of the day, when the report spread with wonderful rapidity along Sugar creek : " The Indians ! The Indians ! Fly for your lives ! " At the Thomas settlement it was added : " They have killed everybody north of us." The Stanleys were planting corn in a field where now is the village. The Thomases were also at work distant from their house. Mrs. Stanley was at home, and on hearing the report from Mrs. Parker's son, immediately started for the field to notify the others. William Stanley had just driven his team to his house (south of the present school-house). Hastily throwing some blankets and provisions into tine wagon, Mr. Stanley, with the women and children, immediately started for Walnut Grove, driving the entire night and reaching the grove by morning. Micajah and Isaac returned from the field to their home, and, turning loose the stock, Micajah mounted a horse and pushed after the fugitives, Isaac going up to Pickerel's house. The Stanleys had better means for flight than most of the others. The Thomases, with others, started for Parrish Grove, which they also reached by morning. In this company there was but one horse, and this Mrs. Thomas, who was a corpulent woman, was obliged to ride; the others were obliged to walk. There were no roads, and these weary fugitives could only guess at their route. All through the night the shouts and cries of the frightened people from the different settlements could be heard, as they made their way across the trackless prairie amid the gloom and darkness. It was indeed a dreadful night ; women and children, young and old, most of them on foot, with insufficient cloth- ing, hurrying from what they believed to be a dreadful fate. Those who were young then are old now, yet the memory of that fearful night can never be effaced from their minds. Of course the alarm was a false one, and many a laugh is indulged as the scenes of the flight are vividly recalled. The settlers soon returned, but to many the con- sequences were serious, and doubtless some never entirely recovered from the fright. There were two families who did not leave Miles 130 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. and Moore. These men had been engaged in many Indian fights in the war of 1812, and they could not be induced to go, although their families begged hard for them to do so. Micajah Stanley nearly lost his life. After leaving the house, as he came out on the prairie, he met a peddler, who had reached William Stanley's house after the fam- ily had left. Hearing the report, he had mounted his horse and was pushing after the fugitives when he saw Micajah, and in the gloom supposed him to be an Indian ; he was on the point of shooting him when he discovered who he was. The route taken by William Stanley led to a ford two or three miles above Milford. As he was driving up the opposite bank, he thought he saw two Indians, who seemed to slip back into the brush as his wagon came into view. He had already con- sidered the probability of the Indians waylaying the fugitives at this point, and, seeing these, he imagined that his surmise was correct. Much alarmed, his father and brother immediately jumped from the wagon and commenced a search. The supposed Indians turned out to be Pickerel and Isaac Stanley, who, having fled by a different way, had met them at this point. In the Thomas party a mother and child nearly perished before they could be rescued from a sink-hole filled with water into which they had fallen. When this party reached Parrish Grove, about daylight, they saw some soldiers who were encamped there, and this caused another alarm, for many supposed them to be Indians. The Thomas boys and some others here first heard the sound of a fife and drum. It is said that all this alarm and flight was caused by a man who saw a party of friendly Indians riding rapidly out of a grove near Bunkum, and imagining them to be hostiles, had rushed away and spread the alarm. Another story was that a mail-carrier had been chased by some Indians. Soon after this stampede, in consequence of the many rumors of Indian depredations, and to provide against further trouble on that account, Gen. Brown came down into the Wabash coun- try and raised a company of mounted men. They came to Milford on their way northward, and encamped on the bottom between Anthony Stanley's house and the creek. The troops remained until next day, Gen. Brown staying at Stanley's house, when they left for Fort Dearborn. Many incidents connected with the Indians living on Sugar creek are related by the settlers. These Indians were principally Pottawat- omies. Several hundred Kickapoos were also encamped at Crab Apple Grove, now in Stockland. The Indians never gave the settlers any serious trouble, nor were they given to stealing; yet they were very fond of whisky, and whenever a supply could be obtained, would " go on a spree." The "Blue Ribbon " movement had not been heard of ; MILFOBD TOWNSHIP. 131 still, it was not an easy matter for them to get whisk}', as those who kept it were very careful in this matter. There was, however, a small grocery in the neighborhood, and to this the Indians usually resorted when they wanted a supply. On occasions of this kind, i.e. "going on a drunk," the squaws invariably took away all knives and other weapons, and carefully hid them, so that no serious mischief could arise from that source a practice that might be profitably imitated at the present time. As illustrative of the "manners and customs" of the "olden time" this incident is related : A party of Indians, somewhat the worse for liquor, were collected together at a cabin with a few whites. A general frolic ensued. The Indians had been dancing and insisted that the white men should dance also, at the same time leading them " unto the floor." While there, the Indians sent to the grocery for more whisky. As soon as it was received they repaired to an unoccupied cabin that was partially inclosed, and seating themselves on the ground within, one of the number who had been detailed to " keep sober" proceeded to "pass around the drinks," and soon everything w r as going " Merry as a marriage bell." As the fun was getting "fast and furious," the sober Indian said to the whites, * " Schomokoman better go home wigwam. Inge get high- cok-koo-sie no good ; maybe kill Schomokoman." The whites, who had also drank some whisky, did not heed this warning until it had been repeated several times. As they went out one of them observed a bed of live coals glowing in the darkness. Finding a clap-board, he gathered up a large quantity, and going to the rear of the cabin, which was partially open, threw the coals over the crowd within. A fearful howl was the response, and the whites scattered. The next morning a negro who lived with the Indians, and was named " John," came to William Johns' house and said that the Indians were very angry at the trick played upon them, and had threatened to kill the white men- The settlers in the neighborhood were much alarmed at this threat, but Johns told the negro to say to the Indians, " Schomokoman was high-cok-koo-sie no good," and invited them to attend a shooting- match at his house the next day. The Indians were thus led to believe that the whole affair was done in a drunken frolic, and were easily pacified. The following day several Indians repaired to Johns' house, and with William and Lemuel Johns, spent the entire day in shooting, the target being a large stump. Mrs. Johns provided an excellent dinner for them. At the close of the day, they agreed to "shoot for * The writer confesses his ignorance of Indian orthography. 132 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. the lead," i.e. who should have the lead that had been fired into the stump. The Indians were permitted to win, whereat they were greatly pleased and went away in excellent humor. Mr. Johns tells of the amusement afforded him in witnessing the grotesque attempts of the Indians to use forks; holding the meat in the hand, they first cut it in pieces, then carefully taking a piece in the fingers, solemnly impaled it on a fork and then carried it to the mouth. As an illustration of the rough sports of the period, a story is told of a foot-race between Elijah Sapp and a fleet-footed Pottawatomie. Sapp was considered exceedingly swift, and the Indian had distanced all the runners of several tribes. As Sapp had beaten all the Indians in his neighborhood, they sent for this runner to come and try his speed with him. They could not agree on the distance to be run, as Sapp, conscious that the Indian could beat him in a long race, pur- posely opposed every suggestion. They finally agreed on a game of " base." The Pottawatomie was chosen captain of the Indians, Sapp of the whites. Sapp gave the signal and started up the road, on " trace," and the Indian after him. Seeing that the Indian was likely to catch him, Sapp took to the brush, and as the Indian was nearly naked, this dodge gave him a decided advantage. They had run sev- eral hundred yards, and the Indian was rapidly closing the gap between them, when Thomas' dog getting loose joined in the race, and catch- ing the Indian by the leg threw him down. At this mishap everybody laughed, which so enraged the Indian that he went into a wigwam, and donning his war paint came out and challenged any one, Indian or white, to fight him to the death. As no one seemed disposed to fight on such terms, the Indian retired in disgust. As showing the Indian mode of burying the dead, Mrs. Gray relates that she, as well as others, saw an Indian grave near her father's house. The bones were found in a log which had been split, and each portion hollowed out sufficiently to contain the body; the parts had then been replaced, and secured by heaping small logs upon it. With the remains were also found portions of a blanket and some tin utensils, among them a small pail. A noted character in his way was Jimmie Cain. He came into the county at an early day and settled east of Milford. He was an exceed- ingly rough and eccentric character ; a " champion fighter," and engaged in numerous quarrels, yet a man of many good qualities. He was exceedingly fond of practical jokes, and lost no opportunity to play them off, especially upon the Indians. Cain had some sheep, and also a dog that was somewhat too fond of mutton. This dog he determined to kill, and meeting a couple of Indians, proposed that one of them should MILFOED TOWNSHIP. 133 cut off the dog's tail with his tomahawk, while he (Cain) should hold the dog across a convenient log, offering at the same time to give a pipe of tobacco for doing the job. Arrangements were at once made for the "execution," and as the Indian was in the act of bringing his hatchet down on the devoted tail, Cain adroitly moved the dog so that the blow fell upon the body, severing the back-bone ; of course the dog was instantly killed. The Indian was frightened, and exclaimed, " Oh ! oh ! me miss him ! " Cain pretended to be terribly angry, and told the Indian that as he had killed his dog he would kill him. Both Indians then ran away. Cain is credited with saying, in view of the petty law- suits that sprang up after the country began to indulge in justice's courts, and something like regular preaching had become established, that " We used to live like brothers, but now that the law and gospel have come, we are more like devils." Among the Indians was an old chief called Washcuck, who had fought under Harrison in the war of 1812. At the battle of Tippeca- noe he was wounded and placed upon a horse. He always retained this horse, and still owned him when the Stanleys came. The horse was evidently very old. Mrs. Gray, a daughter of Anthony Stanley, says that she knew this chief very well. She used to visit his camp at the mouth of Barbee's Run, when the Indians were making sugar, and he always gave her at such visits a large cake of maple sugar. . Indians were last seen in this region in 1834. Robert ISTilson remem- bers seeing a large band of several hundred, on Coon creek, as they were taking their departure that spring. These Indians were Kicka- poos. The Pottawatomies had gone in 1833. These Kickapoos were an exceedingly well disposed, and even a religious tribe. They were very orderly, and every Sunday conducted a religious service in Crab Apple Grove, to which the whites were usually invited. These services always ended with a " big dinner," managed as follows: A number of large kettles, having been first suspended in a long row, were filled with the flesh of all kinds of game, and such vegetables as could be had, and corn, not much attention was given to dressing the meat, and the fires kindled. While the cooking progressed, the Indian preacher occupied the time in talking to the assembled company, an interpreter usually translating his discourse to the whites as he proceeded. At the conclusion of the sermon the Indians arranged themselves on each side of the row of kettles, and having first furnished each white person present with a wooden bowl or ladle, accompanied with a cordial invi- tation to partake, proceeded to ladle up the "savory mess" in a most primitive fashion. The whites invariably contented themselves with simply observing the gastronomic performances of their copper-colored 134 HISTOKY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. entertainers. After the dinner was concluded, all who wished joined in the games which followed ; the squaws amusing themselves with petting the white children. The Indians carried on a species of rude husbandry on a very limited scale, cultivating small patches of corn and peas. All manual labor was performed by the squaws, the men being entirely occupied in hunting and fishing. Some traces of the Indians still remain. One of their "plantations" may still be seen just east of the artesian well on B. F. Thomas' farm. The Indians had a large encampment or village in a bend of Sugar creek, in the north part of the township, on the east part of what is now Robert Webster's farm. The low, flat mounds upon which they erected their wigwams can still be distinctly seen. This village covered an area of several acres, and was admirably selected with a view to shelter from cold storms, and facilities for water and grazing. At one time nearly 4,000 Indians were encamped on what is now Aaron Thomas' farm. They remained here several weeks, waiting to receive the payment for their lands which had been trans- ferred to the United States government under treaty stipulations. While here the Indians got on a " big spree," and it is said that two of them were killed. Some accounts place the killing at Lone Tree, four miles south. They were soon after removed to their far western homes. Not pages only, but books could be filled with accounts of the privations endured by the hardy pioneers in their efforts to subdue the wilderness.. The people of the present generation little realize what scenes of hardship and heroic endurance have transpired on the very ground they now tread upon ; that where now are found the peaceful, smiling fields, the quiet homes, the grazing herds, the busy marts of trade, the rushing trains or the varied appliances of the mechanic arts, was heard, but a few years ago, the wild whoop of the Indians, the scream of the panther, and the howl of the wolf. Tet all this wonder- ful transformation is but the outgrowth of the work wrought by these brave men and women, who so resolutely held their way amid dangers, and sickness, and death. But few of those, who may well be called the advance guard of civilization, now remain ; some of them lie in forgotten graves. Yet of those who still live, what emotions must fill their souls as they think of the past and behold the present ! They have indeed well earned the peace and prosperity that so abundantly crown their later years. In order to have a better understanding of this subject, let us examine more minutely the history of the "early time." Samuel Rush, Sr., was born in Pennsylvania, May 19, 1793. He MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 135 lived there until early manhood, when he removed to Indiana, and in 1829 or 1830 came to Milford. Arriving at his destination he camped beside a large log, the only house for the family being a tent con- structed of the wagon cover. He proceeded to build a cabin with floor and roof made of bark. One end of this cabin was left open, the roof projecting so as to protect the fire of logs which was kept burning in this open space. In this manner the family passed their first winter. As has been already mentioned, several families came in during the year 1830. The settlers of that date now living, well remember the terrible winter of 1830-31. Snow fell early, and before spring opened had accumulated to a great depth. The driving winds heaped the drifting snow, and along the edges of the groves drifts were formed eight or ten feet high. Large numbers of deer, caught in these drifts by the pursuing wolves, were destroyed. Cattle also suffered severely. Little provision had been made for man or beast, and in the long and fearful journeys which were necessarily undertaken to the Wabash country for food, terrible sufferings were endured. One of these expe- ditions, undertaken by Mr. Rush and two others, is thus described : They had three teams. At the moment of starting Mr. Rush was delayed from some cause. The others pushed on, having a large kettle and some firewood with them. This kettle was used for carrying fire, and answered the purpose of a stove. It was expected that Rush would soon overtake them. Soon after it began to snow, and by the time that Rush was on the way the snow was falling very fast. He drove on all day but did not see his companions, and as night drew near he found himself lost in the snow. Still he pushed on, hoping at least to find some shelter. In order to keep from freezing he had to keep moving, and during all that night and the next day he wandered over the trackless prairie. The storm still continued, and late in the evening he thought he saw a light, and started his team toward it, when sud- denly the cattle dropped into a deep drift and could go no farther. Leaving the team he pushed on for the light, and found that it pro- ceeded from a cabin occupied by James Crow. After warming him- self and getting something to eat, he asked Crow to go with him and take some food to the cattle, which he knew were suffering for want of it, but no persuasion could induce him to peril his life in what he believed would be a vain attempt. In the morning they started out to find the team, but all trace of them had disappeared. At length a column of steam was seen rising from the snow, and on searching, the oxen were found lying comfortably underneath, but nearly famished. After feeding them he proceeded to his destination, where he found his companions. While he was wandering about during the first night 136 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. he found a man who was nearly frozen ; he had great difficulty in per- suading him to make any effort, and was obliged to compel him to exert himself in order to keep him from perishing. On another occa- sion, while returning from a trip after provisions, he attempted to cross Sugar creek. The water was at a very high stage, and while making the ford his wagon-bed floated away, and the cattle were also carried down stream some distance. He finally recovered the bed, but lost a considerable part of his provisions. Asa Thomas arid his brother also encountered a somewhat similar experience, being obliged to return to La Fayette for food while engaged in building a cabin for his family when they should arrive next spring. On one occasion they worked half a day to get one mile. The Stanleys and some others made trips after provisions. They had endeavored to get their supplies before winter should set in, but the severfe weather came on before a sufficiency was obtained, and corn became very scarce by the first of January. They were, on one trip, blinded by a furious snow-storm, and were compelled to camp in Hickory Grove. They were obliged to feed the fire in their kettle with corn all night to keep from freezing. Many similar instances occurred ; two others who were exposed to the intense cold were so frozen as to remain cripples for life.- The snow did not begin to melt until the first of March, and then, in one night, the water in Sugar creek rose over twelve feet. In many shaded places along the creek the snow did not melt until May. An old Indian, named Pesque, said that no such snow had been seen for sixty years. Previous to that time the country had abounded in buffalo and elk, but after that winter, Pesque says, they entirely disappeared. Mr. Johns and others say that, in a hickory grove about four miles above Milford, they have seen the remains of buffalo, and elk horns, that then covered the ground. But the trouble did not end with the departure of jack frost. During the following summer severe sickness prevailed. So prevalent was this sickness, chills and fever, that the most necessary work in house and field was left undone. The settlers were without medical aid, and frequently without bread. The country was very wet, and the exhalations were the fruitful cause of sickness. The country at the present time presents a widely different appearance. What was then swamp is now the best arable land. What were once denominated " swamp and overflowed lands," are now dry and readily cultivated. Teams became mired where now is firm ground. It is certainly curious to observe that as the country becomes settled and improvements are made, the wet portions become dry and tillable. The only road in the country was what was known as the " Hub- MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 137 bard trace," between Danville and the lake shore, by way of Bnnknm. Mr. Hubbard lived in Danville, and had a trading-post at Bnnknm; as there was no regularly laid out road, the route he followed was named for him. This trace crossed Sugar creek at the ford, a short distance below the place now spanned by the iron bridge, and continued in a northerly direction, near Anthony Stanley's house, to Bunkum. The first post-office in Mil ford was established at the house of Levi Thompson, about the year 1833, and was named Driftwood. Thompson was postmaster. His house stood near the trace, north of Stanley's house, and near the center of the S.E. \ of Sec. 10. The mails were usually carried on horseback ; the carrier stopping at Thompson's house over night. Previous to this time, letters Avere brought from La Fay- ette or Danville by any person who might chance to come to Miltbrd. The post-office was kept at Thompson's house till about 1835, when it was moved to Charles Axtell's house, who had bought Thompson's and Stanley's land, and built his house near the northeast corner of sec- tion 15. Asa Thomas built the first house in the township south of Sugar creek. It is nearly certain that Samuel Rush built the first one north of the creek, and the first in the township, if we except a log house which stood on the land claimed by -William Pickerel, and into which he moved. It is not known who built this house. As time passed and settlers began to gather around themselves some of the comforts of life, they began to make trips to Chicago. The first of these was made in the fall of 1830, by Micajah Stanley. He went at the urgent request of Hubbard to bring a quantity of goods to Danville that were to arrive at Chicago by vessel. Miles went with him. "William Johns also went in 1831, and took a load of such "truck " as could be gathered up; he mentions a lot of dried pumpkin which sold for $1 per bushel. The difficulties on the road were great. Teams were obliged to cross extensive swamps, ford streams, and often sank in the mud. There was not a house between Bunkum and Chicago, and but one store in Chicago. As the country became settled and more abundant crops raised, the business of hauling goods to and from Chicago and Danville increased, and at the time railroads were talked of had assumed vast proportions. The first mill for grinding was constructed by "William Pickerel. It was certainly a unique affair, consisting of two " hard-heads" dressed in a circular form, like a grindstone, and placed in a frame in an up- right position, with cranks attached. The inner surfaces were so adjusted as to nearly touch each other, and the whole was inclosed in a sort of box with a hopper placed above to receive the grain. The 9 138 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. machine could be worked by two or four men. Pickerel made it for his own use, but others had the benefit of it as well ; while he sharp- ened their plows, they ground their corn. It was a decided improve- ment over the wooden mortar, and when one could not go thirty-five or forty miles to mill certainly a great convenience. Pickerel next built a horse-mill, sending to Cincinnati for the stones. These stones were large " nigger-heads," dressed in single pieces. This mill stood in a bend of the bank a short distance above the present one. The horse- mill was followed by a w r ater-mill, built about 1835. The building was of logs and stood just east of the present site. The burrs in the horse-mill were transferred to the water-mill. The dam was built somewhat above the present one, and its location is indicated by three or four stakes still standing in the water. To this was added a frame saw-mill. In 1837, Pickerel sold out his entire property to Maj. John B. Strickler. The first dam failing, Mr.'Strickler built another farther up the stream and cut a race to the mill. The property next passed into the hands of Jacob Wagner, who at once proceeded to build a new saw and grist-mill a few rods below the old one. One of the timbers* of this mill can still be seen under water on the north side of the creek. Mr. Wagner continued in this business until his death. In consequence of legal difficulties arising, the mill remained idle for several years. In 1852 the property passed into possession of William Clement and Aaron Thomas, who rebuilt the saw-mill and constructed the present dam. These owners remained in possession until 1859, when they sold to Barnabas Brown, who afterward built the mill now standing. The present owner is John Van Meter. In 1833 William Gray located on section 14, and built a hewed log house just east of the present limits of Milford village. The house is still standing, but has since undergone considerable alterations. The property is now owned by James Blanchfill. With the year 1834, came a numerous and valuable accession to the population of the town- ship. In the spring of this year John Nilson and family came from Fountain county, Indiana, and bought out Robert Hill. Mr. Nilson had means with which he was able to push forward improvements vigorously. The frame house that he built is still standing on lot 5 in the N.E. of Sec. 3, and is now occupied by his grandson, John Nilson. Robert, son of John. Nilson, Sr., has been for many years largely identified with the growth of the county. He was for many years county surveyor, and says that he has tramped over every forty- acre tract in this region. This year also witnessed the advent of Thomas Vennum and a large company from Washington county, Pennsylvania. They, too, were possessed of considerable means, and MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 139 emigrated with teams, driving some very fine Durham cattle with them. With Col. Yennum came his wife and three sons: George, Urias and Hiram ; also Charles and John Axtell and families. This company numbered in all thirty-two persons. Hiram was the only son unmarried. Columbus Yennum, another son, came in the spring of 1835. The Yennums entered land in sections 1, 2 and 3. Charles Axtell bought out the Stanleys and Levi Thompson. The present site of the new village of Milford is on land that Charles Axtell bought. John Axtell located on or near the center of section 2. C. C. Yennum located on section 4. For two years after coming to this township, severe sickness prevented anything being done in making improve- ments. At present the largest two land owners in this town probably are Robert Nilson and Hiram Yennum. Among others who came during this year should be mentioned John Strain and family, who located on sections 19 and 20. Robert Williams came in 1835 and settled on section 21. Isaac Body came with his family in 1835 and settled on section 10. Mr. Body is still living at the advanced age of ninety- five years. He certainly can, in truth, be called the "oldest settler." In 1837, George Rothgeb settled in the southern part of the town on section 34. The family came from Yirginia. The cabin that he occu- pied is still standing. Mrs. Rothgeb is still living. She distinctly remembers " Long John " Wentworth's visit at their house, although she cannot recall the " clap-board " story. The old loom made by her husband and upon which the family cloth was made is still in use. Mrs. R. wove about 300 yards of rag carpet last year. She also says that she has seen 100 wagons pass their house in one day. In 1837 Maj. John B. Strickler moved into the township with his family. He was originally from Yirginia, where he had been exten- sively engaged in milling. When he came the village of Milford con- tained one cabin. His purchase from Pickerel included the unsold village lots. At this time but little progress had been made in opening; up the country. Many of the earlier settlers had gone, others had moved in. Milling facilities were limited, and flour must still be obtained from long distances. The march of improvement was very slow. Mr. Strickler built the first brick house in Milford. Mud was used as mortar. This house was the first tavern that had a sign ; it was also the post-office, and Mr. Strickler was postmaster. The first marriage ceremony performed was that of Elijah Sapp and Miss Ally Thomas, daughter of A.sa Thomas. Sapp was obliged to go to Danville, a distance of thirty-five miles, for his license. There is some uncertainty about the first birth, but probably the 140 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. first child born was Susannah, daughter of William and Judith Stan- ley. Mrs. Johns, however, claims this honor for her own child. The first adult person who died was old Mrs. Singleton, who was fatally burned while alone in the house. Her body was found l}'ing in the fire-place. Her grave was prepared by first laying poles on the bottom and sides, then putting in the body it was covered in the same manner. This constituted her coffin. Her husband died shortlj- after, and was buried in a coffin made of puncheons. ' These persons were buried on the south side of Sugar creek ; scarcely a vestige now marks the place. An old burial ground, situated a short distance west of the village, is known as the "Quaker Graveyard." The earliest burial here, so far as known, was Agnes, wife of John Stanley, who died the " 20th day of the 5th mo., 1834." Less than a dozen head-stones are found in this place. The Nilson graveyard, on lot 5, N.E. Sec. 3, contains the earliest recorded death in the township, that of Sarah, wife of Robert Hill, who died October 19, 1831. Robert Nilson's parents are also buried in this ground. The Yennutn graveyard, on lot 8, N.W. Sec. 2, contain the graves of Col. Thomas Yennum and wife, Elizabeth. Mrs. Yennum died at the advanced age of ninety-three years. The first burial here was a son of George Yennum, aged eleven years. An old and disused burial-ground is situated near the forks of Lit- tle Mud creek. Another is known as the Rothgeb graveyard, in the KW. i of the KW. i of Sec. 34. The first recorded burial in Milford cemetery is that of Charlotte Wagner, who died September 1, 1838. The first burial, however, is that of a stranger, name unknown. The first regularly laid out road was the Chicago and Yincennes, connecting these and intermediate points. The first store in the town- ship was kept in the village by Jacob Wagner. The building was located near where James Yates' house now stands. Jesse Hobbs was the first blacksmith. His shop stood just north of where Dr. Brown's tile works now are. It is true that William Pickerel did some work in that line, but only in a small way. The first regular physicians were Dr. Wilson and Dr. Farmer. The first newspaper printed is of recent date, and will be mentioned in another place. The first religious society was the Quakers or Friends. Meetings were held during the first year of settlement, and doubtless continued until most of the mem- bers were gone. The leading religious body has been the Methodists. The first Sabbath school was established in the Thomas school-house by John Hudson, who kept a saloon near where Wingfield Cooper's house now stands. Hudson was not a religious man, but he took an interest in this matter, and bore a good name among his neighbors. The first school taught was in a log building that stood near the MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 141 Quaker graveyard, and was called the Quaker meeting-house. This school was taught by Mrs. Judith Stanley, wife of William Stanley, in the year 1831. During this year a school-house was built in the Thomas settlement. William Thomas taught the first school in this building. A graphic description of this house and of the books first used is furnished by B. F. Thomas. " The building was of logs, 14x28 feet. The floor was of puncheons, i.e. logs split in halves, and the split surfaces smoothed with an ax. The door was made of rived boards, and secured with wooden hinges. The ' shingles ' were made in the same manner. The hearth was made of clay, and extended entirely across one end of the house. A wall of clay about eight feet high formed the back of the fireplace ; it had no sides or jams. The chimney was formed of sticks daubed with clay. The desks were puncheons resting on wooden pins inserted into the sides of the house. The seats were slabs supported on sticks. The windows were formed by cutting out a log on each side, the entire length of the house, and the opening thus formed closed with greased paper ' puttied ' with mud." Mr. Thomas says that the first book he used was made by marking letters on a smooth "paddle." The ink was an infusion of maple bark ; the pens of goose quills. The teacher was paid by sub- scription. Such was the "make-up" of the "shooting galleries" of those primitive days. Hiram Vennum says that his father put in the first glass window seen in the town. The first justice of the peace in Milford was Robert Hill. The election was held in 1831 in Bunkum, and it was more than a year afterward before he received his commission. The township was at that time in Vermilion county. The first county court held in Iro- quois county was at the house of John Nilson. Hugh Newell was the first clerk. The first brick were made by John Skillman in 1834. His yard was located a few yards from where John Hollander's house stands. Traces of it are still to be seen. The first shoemaker was John Reeder. In addition to the mill already described, several other mills have been built along the banks of Sugar creek, only one of which now remains. Webster's mill has been mentioned. A steam mill was erected in 1867 near the creek, on the northeast corner of -lot 5 in sec- tion 4. This mill is now removed. The mill now standing near the north line of the township, and known as the McConnell, or artesian mill, was first built by West and McMann. Samuel Rush had at one time an interest in this mill. It disappeared, and the property passed into the hands of Barnabas Brown, who built the present mill. Three large flowing artesian wells were bored in order to increase the supply of water. 142 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. In 1856 township organization was adopted. All official records previous to this date were in the county clerk's office at the county- seat, and were destroyed when the court-house was burnt. The first township election was held April 1, 1856. At this election fifty-one votes were cast. M. A. Thompson was moderator, and John Gray clerk. The first town officers elected were: for supervisor, Elihu K. Farmer; town clerk, C. Secrest; assessor, William Gray; collector, George Gray; overseer of poor, John Gray; commissioners of high- ways, C. C. Vennum, C. W. Dawson, Amos White. INCIDENTS. The early history of any section cannot well be written without at the same time recounting the incidents that serve to illustrate, and that in fact, constitute, such history. Such incidents as have a distinc- tive character may well be brought under this head. The following account of his terrible experience during the "freezing time "was furnished by Mr. Hildreth himself to Hobert Williams, and by him related to the writer. In February, 1836, occurred the sudden change. Snow had fallen the preceding day and night. The next day a driz- zling rain fell so that the snow became a mass of slush. Some time in the afternoon some accounts say in the morning a change almost instantly occurred. One says, "the clouds boiled like a pot." The wind veered from south to northwest, the rain froze as it fell and in a few minutes the entire surface of the country was covered with ice. The streams, which in the morning were bank-full of rushing water, were quickly filled with floating ice, and the small runs and pools of water frozen solid enough to bear a man's weight. It was terribly cold. On the morning of this day, two men left Danville on horse- back, intending to go to Ash Grove before night. One of these men was Thomas Frame, a young man living on Spring creek. The other was James Hildreth. who was going to Joliet; they were simply traveling acquaintances. They took dinner at Bicknell's Point and fed their horses. They then pushed on across the prairie, being com- pelled to swim their horses across the creeks, and their clothing damp with rain. When the cold blast struck them they were approaching Burson's (now Fountain) creek. Burson's house stood on the oppo- site or west side of the creek. On the}*- went, but were soon obliged to dismount and could not proceed. They were obliged to spend the night on the prairie. They continued to move about until Frame became so benumbed that he could not keep up. Hildreth was much more warmly clad than his companion. They then resolved to kill their horses and get inside the bodies. They had but orie knife. MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 143 Frame's horse was killed first, but in attempting to open the body the knife was lost and in the darkness could not be found. They suc- ceeded, however, in opening the body so that they were able to insert their feet and legs. They remained in this position as long as possible, and were then obliged to exercise their bodies. Thus the night was passed, until about two hours before day, when Frame died. As soon as he could see, Hildreth managed to mount his horse and pushed on for Burson's Grove, a distance of nearly ten miles. On reaching the creek he succeeded in attracting Burson's attention, but he could not cross as the channel was not entirely closed. Burson was afraid to attempt getting him over, and advised him to go six miles further to another house. Hildreth did so, but found the house empty ; this Burson knew, but had in this heartless manner sent him oft'. It was nearly night again before Hildreth got back to Burson's, and sliding off his horse resolved to cross or perish in the attempt. ' He succeeded, and crawling up to the house, he at length obtained what he so much needed, food and warmth. At Hildreth's urgent request, Burson aroused some people, and a general search for Frame's body was begun. Burson would not permit the body to be brought to his house, neither would he keep Hildreth. The body of Frame was taken to Mr. Williams' house, whence it was removed to his father's house for burial. Two days afterward Hildreth was removed to Williams' house, where he remained for six weeks in a perfectly helpless condi- tion. The horse was also found and cared for. Hildreth lost all his fingers except one, and both his feet up to the instep. In 1854 the cholera appeared in Milford, supposed to have been brought in some infected clothing. A family living in a house about one-half mile east of Aaron Thomas' place became victims of the scourge. Three persons who died there were buried. An attempt was made to remove a sick woman to Parrish Grove, but she died on the way. Two other persons died in this house, but no one could be induced to go there and bury the decaying bodies. The physician declared that the house, with the bodies, must be burned, or the whole county would be infected. This was accordingly done. About six- teen persons died of cholera. On June 20, 1866, a tornado swept over this township in a south- easterly direction. Mr. C. W. Dawson was the principal sufferer. His farm is in sections 27 and 34. The house stands on the east side of the road, the barn on the west side, some sixty yards away. He says : " I first saw a funnel-shaped cloud coming from the west. It came near the ground in the timber on Mud creek, cutting off the tops of the trees; then rising, it struck the ground about one-fourth of a 144 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. mile west of the barn. It made a clean sweep of my farm. The barn was utterly demolished, some of the timbers being driven through the side of the house. A long building standing near was carried in frag- ments about 200 yards. Not a panel of fence remained on the place. The shutters were torn from the house, and my son, a married man, was carried from the yard about eighty yards, and deposited in a spring. One mule was killed outright, and iive hogs, each weighing over 200 pounds, were never heard of afterward. It was a lively time for about a minute." In June, 1848, a quarrel arose between Robert Gay and his son William about some grass. An ill feeling had existed between them for some time. The father had forbidden the son cutting any grass on some land near his house. One morning the son, regardless of this injunction, was mowing grass for his horses when the old man came out, and in the quarrel that ensued William cut a terrible gash with his scythe across his father's shoulders, near the base of the neck. The son left his father lying where he fell. The matter soon became known to a neighbor, who cared for the old man, and summoned a doctor. The wound proved to be not necessarily fatal and was in a fair way to heal, when about two weeks after he suddenly died, as was supposed, by his own hand. The son was tried and acquitted. B. P. Williamson's house, on the S.W. ^ of Sec. 24, was destroyed by fire, with nearly all of its contents, early on the morning of January 2, 1875. A furious snow-storm was raging at the time. The family barely escaped, saving such articles of clothing as they were able to snatch up as they left the burning building. The wind was from the northwest and intensely cold. The origin of the fire was never known. A remarkable apple tree is still growing on the spot where it was planted forty-nine years ago. This tree was planted by William Stan- ley's wife on the land that Stanley sold to William Cox. It stands on section 10, about forty yards north of the southwest corner of the sec- tion. It is a seedling, and last year (1879) produced about thirty bush- els of fine apples. Two feet from the ground the trunk is eight feet in circumference. The top is very symmetrical and of immense size, having a diameter or spread of about fifty-six feet. It is exceedingly thrifty, with not a dry twig among its branches. It is undoubtedly the largest apple tree in the county. The only fire of any magnitude that lias occurred in the village of Milford, was on August 10, 1876. Charles Jones' elevator, standing on the same ground now occupied by Fairman's elevator, was burned, together with several cars containing produce. Loss about $7,000. October 31, 1876, Charles D. Morehouse, a brakeman on the Chi- MILFOKD TOWNSHIP. 145 cago & Eastern Illinois railroad, was run over by a freight train at Milford station and killed. DESCRIPTION. Milford township extends seven and a half miles north and south, and six miles east and west. The political township is identical with the congressional. It contains an area of about 28,302 acres. The township is traversed by two considerable streams Sugar creek and Mud creek. Sugar creek enters the township from the east, near the southeast corner of section 13 ; thence flowing in a west-by-north course until it reaches the N.W. of Sec. 15. At this point the waters of Sugar and Mud creeks unite ; the latter entering the township at the center of the west side of section 30, and pursuing a very irregular course northeast to this point of intersection. From this point the united waters flow in a north-by-east course to within a mile of the north boundary line of the town, when it bends to the northwest, leav- ing the township near the quarter-line of section 5. Several smaller streams flow into these. The Little Mud, in the south part of the town, is one of them. Fountain creek, coming from the southwest, joins the Mud near the center of section 30. A small creek flows across the northwest corner of the township. The general surface is level or gently rolling. The valley or bot- tom lands along the courses of Mud and Sugar creeks are alluvial and of great fertility, and are at a few feet lower level than the adjoining lands. A few gullies or ravines break the uniform line of banks, but these are of extremely limited extent. Broad belts of timber, consist- ing of white, burr and black oak, walnut, hickory, elm, ash, sassafras, and hard and soft maple, originally existed along all the streams ; some- times spreading into wide reaches, extending into the prairie for con- siderable distances. The timber covered more than one-fourth of the area of the township, but at least one-half of the original quantity has been removed. This diversified arrangement of prairie and woodland presents a most pleasing landscape, and no more beautiful region exists than is found in this township. The soil in the timber portions is clay mixed with some gravel ; on the prairie a black loam over gravel, clay or sand. It is exceedingly fertile, producing large crops of corn, oats and flax; and it is now abundantly shown that winter wheat can be grown with great profit.* The coming year will doubtless mark a new era in wheat-growing. In its adaptedness to stock-raising, this town- ship is not excelled. Immense numbers of cattle and hogs are raised, * The average yield per acre in this county, as shown by statistics, being twenty- six bushels. 146 HISTORY OF IKOQUOIS COUNTY. and much attention is given to improving the breeds of stock. Not only is the country well watered by streams, but the artesian wells, which are made at small expense, furnish in nearly every locality a never-failing source of pure, cold water. These wells are invaluable to those engaged in stock-raising, besides which they facilitate the making of butter and cheese. VILLAGE OF MILFORD. This village, which is situated one mile east of the center of the township, was originally located on and covered the N.E. ^ of the S.E. \ of Sec. 15, T. 25 N., E. 12 W. 2d principal meridian. This land was entered by William Pickerel, October 4, 1832. The village was platted by Pickerel, September 24, 1836 ; Jonas Smith, county surveyor, making the survey. The plat was certified October 6, and recorded October 10, 1836, and described as " situated at Wm. Pickerel's mills on Sugar creek, one of the main branches of the Iroquois river." Pickerel sold the whole tract to John B. Strickler, May 31, 1837. Railroad addition to the village of Milford was laid out and platted by John L. Donovan, August 7, 1871, and recorded the same date. The survey was made by George Dalton, a deputy of B. F. Masters, county surveyor. It is located on land formerly owned by Charles Axtell. The tract thus platted lies on both sides of the line separating sections 14 and 15, and is described by metes and bounds. The depot grounds of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad are located in this addition. Donovan's addition adjoins railroad addition on the east, and is laid out on land bought of Samuel Grant. On the west of railroad addition is Dawson's addition of out-lots, surveyed by B. F. Masters. This addition extends west to the new cemetery, and lies on both sides of the road running west from the depot. Few villages in any sections of the country, can boast of more improvements, backed up with abundant promise of greater substantial prosperity, than Milford. On the east, west and south sides are beautiful groves, while immediately to the north, and also beyond these groves, extend in all directions vast rolling prairies, well drained and yielding enormous crops of all kinds of grain, and sustaining thousands of cattle. Of this region Milford is the most available market, and the enterprise of its citizens is fast binding this extensive trade, and con- stantly extending every facility and offering every encouragement that superior business sagacity and a liberal outlay of money can present, to maintain and extend their commercial relations. The village of Milford was incorporated March 3, 1874. The first officers were: H. Y. Brown, president board of trustees; George S. MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 147 Blanchfill, secretary ; "W. T. Sheridan, treasurer ; James "Woodworth, police justice ; Samuel Caughron, street commissioner. At the election held to vote upon the question of incorporation sixty-one votes were cast; sixty were in favor of the measure and only one negative vote. The first elevator put up in the village was burnt as already stated. The elevator now standing on the same ground was erected by John Fairman in 1877. Mr. Fairman is a man of great business enterprise and sagacity, and foreseeing the advantages of such an investment, determined to build an elevator of sufficient capacity to accommodate the grain trade of this section. He pushed forward his undertaking amid many prophesies of failure, but the result has justified his expec- tations. The capacity of the building is 25,000 bushels. It is run by an engine of thirty-five horse power, with which is connected a mill for grinding corn. The elevator can receive and deliver 4,000 bushels per day. Mr. Fairman was the first grain buyer in Watseka. The general character of the inhabitants of a city or village is often indicated by the quality and style of their buildings. This certainly is true of Milford. No village in eastern Illinois can boast of a better class of buildings, either for business or residence. Nearly all of the business houses are substantial brick buildings, well finished, and filled with large and complete stocks of goods. During the past season many substantial and expensive buildings have been constructed. Postmaster James Woodworth and A. J. Mil- ler have erected a two-story brick block, which will be occupied as a post-office and for dry-goods. Goldstein & Son have also put up a building of equal size with their present one, thus doubling their facil- ities for doing business. Fairman and McConnell have also built an extensive brick addition to their very large store. These facts are more convincing than words in estimating business prospects. As a further evidence of a sure progress, it may be stated that the amount ol sales exceed $200,000 annually. Strickler Bros, have an extensive wagon manufactory. Their establishment also embraces a planing-mill containing three planers, a blacksmith and repair shop, a large saw-mill and a machine for cut- ting felloes, besides mortise and boring machines. The machinery is driven by a powerful engine. They manufactured last year over 400 wagons, and are constantly turning, out an immense amount of work. John Bentson is largely engaged in manufacturing wagons and cabinet work. The clay deposits in this region are of considerable extent and great value. The varieties usually found are blue and brick clay, and also what is called joint clay, which seems to be composed of magnesia and 148 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. lime, since the articles made from it " burn white." The clay is more readily found near the timber, and wherever the surface is broken into banks or plateaus. These sources of wealth are made available through the extensive works of Dr. Ira Brown and George Hix. The manu- facture of drain-tile was commenced on Mr. Hix's land in the year 1873 by Elson Lee, but the enterprise was not successful, and the works passed into Mr. Hix's hands. Perseverance and energy, with a practical knowledge of working and burning clay have, however, tri- umphed over all obstacles. The demand for tile had become so great, that in 1878 Dr. Brown established his present extensive works, and still the want is not supplied. The doctor is constantly adding new and improved machinery ; he has also substituted steam instead of horse power. An excellent quality of brick is also made at these works in large quantities. The amount of tile made the past season by both manufactories is about 22,552 rods, equal to a distance of over seventy miles.- Several different sizes of tile are made, ranging from two and a half to eight inches. Mr. Jasper Pretzman is also largely engaged in the making of brick. The aggregate amount of brick made during the season amounts to about 700,000. With a continua- tion of the present general prosperity this amount will be largely exceeded in the future. SOCIETIES. Milford Lodge, No. 168, A.F. & A.M., was organized October 2, 1855 ; James Anderson, G.M. The charter members were : Darius Hartwell, Dr. Hartwell, Joshua Seth, Allen Latham and others. Pres- ent membership about forty-two. Farmers Lodge, I.O.O.F., No. 253, instituted March 31, 1858, by John Hogle, deputy district G.M. The charter members and officers were: William Yennum, N.G. ; Conrad Secrest, V.G. ; E. K. Farmer, P.S. ; J. V. Fullinwider, R.S. ; James Hazlett, treasurer. This lodge continued in operation until June 13, 1863, when meetings were dis- continued until June 22, 1867, when it was reorganized. Phoanix Lodge, No. 212, of Good Templars, was organized Decem- ber 7, 1877, with the following officers : William Sommers, W.C.T. ; Maggie J. Woodworth, W.Y.f. ; S. S. Gruber, W. Chap.; Otena Gru- ber, W.A.S. ; J. J. Stevens, W.F.S. ; James A. Laird, W.T. ; Johnson Hix, W.M. ; Howard Hix, W.I.G. ; Anna McConnell, W.R.H.S., Tiny Hastings, W.L.H.S. ; N. H. Gasaway, P. W.C.T. CHURCHES. The first Methodist Episcopal class was organized in 1834, in John Nilson's house, by Rev. Elihu K. Springer. His circuit comprised MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 149 Kankakee, Spring Creek, Ash Grove and Milford. Preaching services had indeed been held at irregular intervals previous to this time, but no regular service. Mr. Springer preached once in four weeks. After the first school-house was erected in the village of Milford, these ser- vices were held there so long as this building was used for school purposes; afterward the class met frequently in Isaac Bennett's tavern, and after a new school-house was built the meetings were held there until the erection of the present church building, in 1861. The pres- ent membership is 170 ; of the Sabbath school, 95. Of the United Brethren no very definite information can be obtained. It lias been organized for several years. They worship in the M. E. house at regular intervals. Among the early preachers were the Ken- overs father and son. The Milford society belongs to the Milford circuit. Present number of members in circuit about seventy. The Christian chapel was organized April, 1879, by Rev. C. B. Austin. This church has recently completed a new and tasteful house, 30x50 feet in size, and having a beautiful spire. It is centrally located, and together with the lot cost about $1,600. The first service in the new house was held September 13, 1879. The members number about fifty. SCHOOLS. The first public institution established in Milford was a school- house. In 1836 or 1837 a log school-house was built in the village of Milford, and a number of the present inhabitants received their first induction into the mysteries of science in that building. It served the purposes of school-house, church, and public hall until about 1854, when it was sold to Mr. Samuel Bowers, who converted it into a black- smith's shop. About the last meeting held in it was a political one during the Fremont campaign. A new and larger building was then erected some distance east of the log house. It may be of interest to know that Mr. Bovvers continued to use this building as his shop until September 23, 1879, when it was torn away to make room for a new building. The new brick school-house is a very fine and commodious structure. It was erected in 1875 at a cost of $4,000. The building is of brick, 45x55 feet, and 32 feet high. It contains four large rooms, well lighted and furnished with first-class appliances, as seats, charts, globes, etc., at an additional cost of $1,000. The school population of this district, including all under twenty-one, is 328; the average attendance is about 200. The board, under whose supervision this building was erected, were: A. J. Endsley, William Sommers and M. A. Thompson. The township is divided into nine school districts, eight of which 150 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. contain good school-houses. District ~No. 3 is not organized. The amount of township school-fund is $6,027 ; the number of persons in the town under twenty-one and over six years of age is 483; amount of school-fund apportioned the last year and paid to township treasurer was $448.43. Milford was made a money-order office July 1, 1874. The present postmaster, James Woodworth, was commissioned October 18, 1872. The number of money-orders issued since that date up to August 20, 1879, was 3,775, of an aggregate amount of $75,000. In the year 1872 the post-office business amounted to $150. In 1879 it had increased to $25,000. It was made a third-class office January 1, 1878. This remarkable result is due to the untiring efforts of Mr. Wood- worth. The estimation in which his work is held by the Post-office department, is indicated by the remark of a special agent, publicly made : " It is the best conducted office on the road." And when the new office is completed there will be nothing left to be desired. The cemetery in Milford is situated southeast of the village and just east of the Methodist church. This cemetery is located in a grove, and burials continue to be made there, as also in the Vennum grave- yard. Mr. John Fairman has recently purchased ten acres just west of the village to t be used as a cemetery. The location is a beautiful one : of a gently rolling surface and covered with a growth of young forest trees. The site of Anthony Stanley's log house, erected in 1830, is at the western extremity of this tract. The Milford "Herald " was first issued July 21, 1876, by J. R. Fox, editor and proprietor. Mr. Fox continued its publication nearly two years, when the entire outfit was purchased by Edward L'Hote, of Marshall, Illinois. Mr. L'Hote is a practical printer, and under his management the circulation is rapidly increasing. The " Herald " ably represents the interests of the township and advocates the principles of the greenback party. It has over 400 subscribers. The Milford " Genius " is a lively paper recently established, and is edited and published by J. W. Sargent. It has a good patronage both in subscription and advertisements, and bids fair to become one of the leading journals of the county. The township is traversed by the Chicago & Eastern Illinois (formerly the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes) railroad. This road, which divides the town into nearly equal parts, was completed to Mil- ford village July 4, 1871. Its construction has given a wonderful impetus to every department of business. It has been justly remarked that the eras or periods of development in this state are marked by MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 151 the building of the railroads across the country. This is emphatically true as regards this section. The Milford Live Stock Importing Company was organized May 17, 1875, by twelve substantial farmers of this township, largely through the influence of B. F. Masters. The first officers were : John Webster, president ; P. Crink, secretary ; and Geo. Martin, treasurer. The object of the association is to improve the breed of draft horses in this township by importing blooded animals from abroad. Mr. Martin was sent to France to make purchases, and two Norman stallions and one Percheron were received July 31, 1875. The company has since obtained a fine Clydesdale horse. These were the first importations into the eastern part of the county. Milford was not behind her sister towns in responding to the call " to arms'" at the beginning of the civil war. Many of her sons made a brilliant record during these years of strife and bloodshed. Many of her homes were made desolate by the loss of loved ones who took up arms to maintain the integrity of our country. Some who returned will carry to their graves the marks of that memorable conflict. A minute history of the war will be found on another page. At present Milford can boast of but one literary society, " The Blue Ribbon Society," which is well sustained ; and it may be here remarked that not a saloon or place where liquor is sold can be found within the limits of Milford village. The present population of Milford township is about 2,000. The population of the village is estimated at 800. BIOGRAPHICAL. The biography of Mr. Aaron Thomas cannot be written without writing the early history of Milford township. A large part of this early history, as presented in the " History of Iroquois County," was obtained from Mr. Thomas himself. His father, Mr. Asa Thomas, was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, settler in this township. Aaron Thomas was born in Adams county, Ohio, May 21, 1822. In 1831 he came into this township with his father's family, and has since lived on or near the place he now occupies in section 22. Aaron was married in May, 1855, to Barbara J. Pankake, whose parents were also early settlers in this township. Mr. Thomas is a republican ; he is also a Master Mason, and a member of the Sons of Temperance. For a more ex- tended notice of Mr Thomas' life, reference is made to the early history of Milford township. Asa Thomas, farmer, Milford, was the fourth son and seventh child of Asa Thomas, the pioneer settler in this township. He was born in 152 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Adams county, Ohio, August 14, 1824. With his brothers, his boyhood days were passed amid the privations and alarms incident to frontier life. While his brothers became heads of families, Asa seemed to be designated as the one to remain at home and care for the aged father. Consequently he married much later in life than his brothers. He was married July 14, 1867, to Mary Jane Bragg, and continues to reside quietly among scenes made memorable by the incidents of former years. Mr. Thomas is a republican, and has always manifested a strong interest in local affairs. Benjamin F. Thomas, farmer, Milford, son of Asa and Eleanor Thomas,was born in "Wehaw Plains, Indiana, May 20,1830. TheThomas' settlement in Milford township is fully described in the history of that town. He was one of the children carried away in the flight that occurred on the supposed advance of hostile Indians. Mr. Thomas has lived in this town since very early childhood, and from him are derived many of the early reminiscences, particularly the description of the "ancient" log school-house, given in the same history. He located on section 4, where he now resides. Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Amanda A. Hoover, March 11, 1858, who died December 5, 1874. His brother Fantleyroy was killed at the Raymond, near Vicksburg, after having served three years in the 20th 111. Vol., without a scratch. Mr. Thomas is a republican, and also a Master Mason, having served as Master of Milford Lodge. He has always been a pronounced temperance man. Samuel Thomas, farmer, Milford, son of Asa Thomas, the original settler in this township, was born October 30, 1826, in Adams county, Ohio. He came to Illinois with his father's family in 1831, where he has since resided. Mr. Thomas has been twice married. His first wife was Catherine Pankake, to whom he was married December 23, 1850. In November, 1858, he married Maria L. Lewis, with whom he is still living. Man} r of the incidents contained in the early history of Mil- ford township are furnished by Mr. Thomas. He was an eye-witness of all that he relates, and the early history of Milford is a record of the Thomas family since 1831. Mr. Thomas is a republican. Bcthuel P. Williamson, farmer, Milford, son of Samuel and Sarah Williamson, was born in Adams county, Ohio, April 7, 1816. Mr. Williamson's grandfather manufactured gunpowder for the American army during the American revolution. For this powder he received his pay in Continental money, and in the financial collapse at the close of the war he lost the avails of his seven years' work. Mr. Williamson's father served in the war of 1812, under McArthur, and was present when Flynn and Coy were murdered by Indians. He was one of the MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 153 scouts sent after the Indians. The family removed to Fountain county, Indiana, in 1825, where they remained seven years. They then came to Iroquois county and settled in Crab Apple, where they remained seventeen years. The father died in Belmont. Mr. Williamson con- tinued with his father until his marriage, in 1840, to Miss Margaret Williams. His second wife was Ellen Kelley. He was married to his third wife, Miss Ellen Huston, November 22, 1860. Miss Huston is the daughter of Mrs. Susannah Tullis, who was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, December 21, 1808. Mr. Williamson's house was en- tirely consumed by fire early on the morning of January 2, 1875, dur- ing a furious snow-storm. The family barely escaped, saving but few articles. The origin of the fire was never discovered. Mr. Williamson is one of the very early settlers of Iroquois county, and has experienced the hardships and vicissitudes of frontier life. He saw many Indians. He also witnessed the first hanging in this county, at Bunkum. Mr. Williamson, together with his father and brother, assisted in building Pickerel's horse-mill, at Mil ford. Two of his sons served through the civil war in the 76th Ind. Vol. These sons were engaged in the battles around Yicksburg, and at Fort Blakeley, and were nearly lost in the steamer Peabody during the passage from New Orleans to Mobile. Many of the incidents related in the history of Mil ford are furnished by Mr. Williamson. In politics he is a republican. Hiram Venn urn, Milford, farmer, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, July 31, 1814. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Vennum. His father held the rank of colonel in the war of 1812, and was detailed to serve on a court-martial summoned to try a company of soldiers who were enlisted in his county, and left the field and re- turned home without being discharged. The family came to Milford in the fall of 1834, and first settled on Sugar creek, where they re- mained three years. Mr. Thomas Vennum then entered a large tract of land on the prairie in the north part of the township, and their future home was established on " The Mound," lot 8 in the N. W. of Sec. 2, where Hiram Vennum now resides. Mr. Vennum was married March, 1844, to Miss Nancy Wagner. Many of the details of the early history of Milford are furnished by Mr. Vennum. He has been intimately connected with the events that have transpired during his long resi- dence here. Mr. Vennum's parents and many relatives now lie buried in the graveyard west of Mr. Vennum's house. Mr. Vennum is still in the enjoyment of good health. He says that he never used liquor or tobacco in any form, nor ever played a game of chance in his life. Robert Nilson, Milford, farmer, son of John and Susanna Nilson, was born in Brown county, Ohio, September 20, 1817. His father served 10 154 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. under Gen. Harrison in the war of 1812. In 1827, they moved from Ohio to Fountain county, Indiana, where they remained five years. In the spring of 1834 they removed to Milford township, where their parents died. Mr. Nilson was married, March 12, 1839, to Miss Susan L. Wagner, and has since continued to reside in the township. Mr. Nilson was for many years county surveyor, and there is scarcely a forty- acre tract that he has not traversed. At the time of his coming here the county-seat had not been located, and the county court was, for one or two years, held at Mr. Nilson's house. At that time not a house stood on the prairie. Mr. N". has been largely identified with the growth and progress of Iroquois county, and is held in high estimation by his townsmen. He has held many important local offices, and both he and Mrs. Nilson are still in the enjoyment of health and vigor. Mr. Nilson has a vivid remembrance of the " olden time," and many of his experiences are recorded in the history of Milford township. Mrs. Susannah Beck, Milford, was born in Mrfflin county, Penn- sylvania, June 2, 1821. Her father, Isaac Body, is still living and in his ninety-sixth year. The family removed to Indiana, near Coving- ton, where they remained several years, and in 1835 came to Milford and settled near Sugar creek on section 10. Miss Body was first married to George Gray, October 21, 1841, who was born June 26, 1819, in Warren county, Ohio, and died August 8, 1861. She afterward mar- ried Jacob Beck, in August, 1863, with whom she is still living. Mrs. Beck well remembers and describes the peculiar incidents of pioneer life. She is a member of the United Brethren church. Her father has been a man of remarkable physical powers, as is shown by the great age he has already attained. Robert L. Williams, Milford, farmer, was born in Indiana, February 19, 1828. His parents came from Ohio to Indiana, where they lived several years. They then removed to Illinois, and settled where Joliet now stands. At the commencement of the Black Hawk war, the parents returned to Indiana, settling in Warren county. About the year 1835 they again left Indiana, and located on Sugar creek in Milford township, and died there. The son, Robert, came with them, and has remained ever since in this township with the exception of seven years, from 1840 to 1847, when he lived in Vermilion county. In 1850 he married Diana Rothgeb ; she died March 28, 1855. He was subse- quently married to Mrs. Priscilla Sturdevant, February 13, 1865. Mr. Williams has a fine location, and is a prosperous farmer. He was a democrat until two years since, when he united with the greenback party. Michael Harness, Milford, farmer, was born in Ross county, Ohio, MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 155 September 12, 1813. His parents were John and Prudy Harness. The family emigrated to Indiana in the fall of 1829, when soon after the father died. The mother died in 1820. Mr. Harness' father and an uncle, George Clifford, served in the war of 1812, and were among the forces surrendered by Hull at Detroit. His uncle died while in the United States service. Mr. Harness came to Illinois, and afterward returned to Warren county, Indiana, where he remained several years. Returning to Illinois, in 1836, he settled in Iroquois county, town of Milford, where he was married July 22, 1836, to Miss Sally Thomas. She died in the fall of 1857. As will be seen, Mr. Harness is one of those who participated in all the privations incident to frontier life, and whose record is a part of the early history of this county. Mr. Har- ness did not marry again, but himself reared the eight young children left by his wife, giving them his undivided and devoted attention. Mr. Harness is still in vigorous health, and lives with his children. He is one of the men who make history. In politics he is a stanch republican. Asa B. Thomas, Milford, farmer and constable, was born in Milford township, September 27, 1838. His parents were William and Mary Jane Thomas. The family moved from Wehaw Plains, Indiana, to Illinois. He received the rudiments of a common-school education in a log house southwest one mile. His parents were among those who were occasionally alarmed by reports of hostile Indians, mentioned in township history of Milford. Mr. Thomas was employed on the farm until twenty-one years of age. No events of special interest had occurred in his life up to this time. On December 9, 1863, Mr. Thomas enlisted at Danville in Co. K, 76th 111. Yol. Inf., and served in this regiment until August, 1865, when he was transferred to Co. K, 37th 111. Vet. Yol. Inf., at Galveston, Texas. While in the 76th Mr. Thomas saw severe service, participating in the battles of Jackson and Canton, Mississippi, and of Fort Blakeley, Alabama. In July, 1864, while on the skirmish line, he was sun-struck and fell into the enemy's hands. He remained a prisoner about sixty days; was also- sick three months with measles; has been twice wounded. From Fort Blakeley he was sent to Selma, thence to Mobile, thence to Galveston, where he was actively employed until honorably discharged May 15, 1866. After working as carpenter for eighteen months at Hempstead, Texas, Mr. Thomas went to Limestone county and followed the busi- ness of potter. Here he was married to Miss Mary E. Knox in November, 1866, whose parents had previously moved to Texas from Illinois. Mr. Thomas continued to work as a potter until 1871. At this time he became involved in a serious difficulty with Shirley Hen- 156 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. derson, who had attacked him. The result of this was the death of Henderson. Thomas gave' himself up, but fearing mob violence subsequently made his escape to Illinois. While working here he was arrested by the sheriff of Limestone county, taken to Texas, tried, convicted and sentenced to be hung. He succeeded in obtain- ing a new trial ; a change of venue was had, and Thomas was hon- orably acqui'tted. To show the direction of public opinion in the matter, it is only necessary to state that bail to the amount of $50,000 was promptly offered, but refused by the court through fear. He has since resided in Milford, and served as constable in this township. Mrs. Sarah Strain, Milford, was born in "Washington county, Indi- ana, September 22, 1823. Her parents were Robert and Sarah Harvey. Two of her brothers served through the Mexican war, and four brothers: William, Elliott, James and Wallace served through the war of secession. William fell at Shiloh, while acting colonel of the 8th reg. 111. Yol. Elliott was a captain in an Iowa*regiment ; James and Wallace in Indiana regiments. Sarah Harvey was married to David Strain, April 2, 1840, having come to Illinois in 1839. He died January 12, 1866. He was a farmer. Of two sons, one is living; the other, James H., enlisted in the 113th 111. Inf., and died at Memphis of measles, December 24, 1862. John Strain, father of David, one of the earliest settlers of Iroquois county, served in the war of 1812, moved to Illinois in 1834, and died March 29. 1866. Mrs. Strain has six daughters living, and through life has been a devoted member of the Methodist church. Zimri Hobson, farmer and local preacher, Milford, son of Andrew and Ruthea Hobson, was born in Highland county, f Ohio, January 27, 1820. The family left Ohio in 1827, and settled in Warren county, Indiana, and afterward moved to Iowa, where the parents died. Mr. Hobson was married in Indiana, March 21, 1841, to Miss Mary A. Way- mire, and settled in Iroquois county, Stockland township, until the fall of 1876, when -he came to Milford. Having sold his farm [he invested a large share of his means in merchandise, but lost his investment. He is domiciled in a pleasant home. Mr. H. has been a prominent and con- sistent Methodist for thirty-nine years. He is a Master Mason, and has filled several township offices acceptably. Mr. H. has shown in his life how a strong determination can triumph over early defects in education. He is entirely self-taught, and yet is proficient in the ordinary branches of an English education. He has led a laborious and Christian life, and is highly esteemed. The Strickler family was among the first located in the present town of Milford. The father, John B. Strickler, was born in Page county, Yir- MILFOKD TOWNSHIP. 157 ginia, in 1803, and in 1824 was married to Miss Barbara Brubaker, who survives him. While living in Virginia Mr. Strickler was extensively engaged in milling on the Shenandoah. In 1837 the family came to Milford, where he again engaged in milling. He also kept a store and erected the first brick [house in town. In this house he lived many years keeping tavern, and was also postmaster. Mr. Strickler's father served through the American revolution with the rank of colonel. He himself served in the Mexican war with the rank of major. The incidents connected with the early settlement of this family in Milford will be found in the township history. The father died in March, 186T. Of the children, three sons and two daughters survive. Of the sons, Isaac N. was born in Newton, Indiana, August 10, 1846. He attended school for two years in Chicago. At the 4 age of eighteen years he enlisted in Co. D, 150th reg. 111. ^Yol. Inf. This regiment was sent to Tennessee, and served in the closing campaigns of the war. He was- honorably discharged, February, 1866, at Atlanta, Georgia. He received a saber-wound on the hand which nearly disabled him. With the exception of three months, he was always ready for duty. He was married, April 22, 1874, to Miss Minnie Misch, of Milford. John M. Strickler was born at Milford, May 27, 1842, and in October 1874, was married to Miss Hannah Collins. John M. has always lived in Milford ; he was brought up on the farm. He has filled several important local offices. The brothers, John M. and Isaac N., constitute the firm of Strickler Bros., and since the close of the war have been engaged in manufacturing wagons. They are now conducting an extensive and prosperous business. Isaac is a Master Mason ; John is a member of the United Brethren church. Both the brothers are democrats. Harvey Rush, farmer, Woodland, son "of Samuel Rush, Jr., and Anna Rush, is a native of Milford township, and was born August 12, 1851. He attended the school in his district until he was sufficiently advanced in his studies, when he was sent to Onarga Seminary, where he remained two years. From the school he returned to the farm, and has since devoted his energies to the successful conduct of his farm. He was married, November 7, 1876, to Miss Hattie Garner. He is now living on lot 8 of the N.E. ^ of Sec. 6, which he inherited from his father. It is known as the " Grandfather Rush " farm. That Mr. Rush has established a character for business enterprise and capacity is well shown by the fact that he was named in his grandfather's will as the executor of his estate. In politics he is a republican. Royal Smith, physician, Milford, son of Oliver and Littlefield Smith, was born in Jefferson county, New York, July 10, 1820. His mother 158 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. was a lineal descendant of a " Pilgrim " family. His father was an eminent millwright ; and was noted for the accuracy of his work. He also served as a lieutenant in the war of 1812, and as such was pen- sioned. The family removed in 1839 to La Grange county, Indiana, where the parents died. Dr. Smith was litted for college at Whites- boro Academy, and graduated from Hamilton College. His medical studies \vere commenced at Whitesboro and finished at New York University, of which institution he is a graduate. In 1851 Dr. Smith established himself in practice at Milford, where he has since resided. In March, 1851, he was married to Miss Lucinda Woodworth. The doctor is one of the veteran practitioners of this county. At one time he was compelled to take a long vacation, on account of impaired health. He is at the present time conducting a successful drug busi- ness in connection with an extensive practice. Many interesting in- cidents of " early times " are related by the doctor. Archibald 0. Parkes, farmer, Milford, son of William and Sarah Parkes, was born in Preble county, Ohio, March 19, 1830. His grand- father, and also an uncle, Isaac Creason, served in the war of 1812. His brother James served through the Mexican and civil wars. The family left Ohio in 1840 and settled in Grant county, Indiana, where his father died. In 1852 Mr. Parkes and mother came to Milford township, and occupied C. Yennum's farm one year. In 1853 he en- tered several hundred acres of government land in section 1, and after- ward bought the place where he now resides. On May 3, 1857, he was married to Miss Margaret B. Deeds, of Miami county, Indiana. Miss Deeds, daughter of William and Matilda Deeds, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio. Her parents removed to Indiana. Mr. Parkes' grand- father built the first mill in Preble county. Mr. Parks now has a fine farm of about 600 acres; 300 in pasture and 300 under cultivation. Besides this property he owns several houses and lots in Milford. Every year he feeds and ships off a large number of cattle and hogs. Yet Mr. Parkes commenced here with little more than his hands and an unbounded supply of energy. Some of the township history is furnished by Mr. Parkes. Charles W. Davis, farmer and trader, Milford, T. 25 N., R. 12 W. 2d principal meridian, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, May 20, 1837. His parents were Jonathan and Elizabeth Davis. The family moved to Milford in 1853, where the parents died. Mr. Davis received a good common-school education. His life was passed in active busi- ness pursuits up to the year 1863, when he enlisted in Co. H, llth Ind. Cav., at La Fayette. This regiment made an honorable record, finally culminating in the battle of Nashville. Soon after enlisting, MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 159 Mr. Davis contracted a violent rheumatic complaint, which has since permanently disabled him. He was furloughed in 1864, then returned to his regiment at Edgefield, Tennessee ; afterward had a relapse, arid was honorably discharged in May, 1865. He was married, December 6, 1868, to Miss Anna Curalie, and has continued to reside in Milford. He is a member of the United Brethren church ; was a war democrat, and now of the greenback party. Jasper Burt, farmer, Milford, is a native of Milford. He was born July 9, 1853. His parents, Solomon and Elizabeth Burt, lived on the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 24. They died in the fall of 1858. Mr. Burt was married, June 9, 1875, to Miss Lucinda A. Johnson, in Stockland township, where he resided two seasons. His education was obtained at the old Gothic school-house. Mr. Burt is an enterprising and industrious young man, and bids fair to make a successful career. James T. Yates, laborer, Milford, was born in Licking county, Ohio, August 21, 1830. His parents were William and Anna Yates. They died when James was an infant, leaving him to the care of an uncle. In 1853 he came to Milford, where he engaged in milling until 1861, when he enlisted in the 42d 111. Vol. He remained in the service until 1862, when he was discharged, having lost an eye. He reenlisted in 1864 in the 134th 111. Yol. and mustered out the fol- lowing November. He was married, December 6, 1868, to Mrs. Anna Yaining, whose husband had died in Andersonville. Mr. Yates is a member of the M. E. church; also an Odd-Fellow. In politics he is a republican. Mrs. Lucretia Laird, Milford, was born in Tippecanoe county, Indi- ana, March 4, 1827. Her parents were John and Barbara Pruitt. She was married, April 4, 1847, to Elias Laird. In 1854 Mr. and Mrs. Laird left Indiana, and coming to Milford township settled on section 32, put up a shanty, fenced thirty acres of land and put in a crop of wheat. Mr. Laird turned his attention principally to raising cattle. Mr. Laird was born in Ohio, February 20, 1824, and died October 1, 1874. Mrs. Laird retains the farm, but at present is living in the vil- lage of Milford. She is a member of the United Brethren church. Charles W. Dawson, farmer, Milford, was born in Ross county, Ohio, May 15, 1814. His parents, Leonard and Mary Jane Dawson, died in Ohio. Mr. Dawson left Ohio in 1834, and came to Warren county, Indiana, where he was married, December 18, 1834, to Miss Mary J. Hooker. He remained in Warren county about fifteen years, and then removed to Benton county". Here he remained about five years. He again removed, settling in Milford township in 1854, on 160 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. section 27, where he still lives. Two sons, Lewis and Smiley, enlisted in the late war. Smiley enlisted in 1861 in Co. B, 51st Ind. Vol. ; discharged November 15, 1862. He again enlisted in the fall of 1863, and died in a rebel prison from the effects of a wound received at Gun- town. Lewis enlisted in Co. D, 150th 111. Yols., and was discharged January 16, 1866. Mr. Dawson's farm lay in the track of the tornado which passed over this county in 1866. He is a republican. Mr. Dawson is one of the best known men in this county. Andrew J. Endsley, stock-dealer and farmer, Milford, son of Peter and Mary Endsley, was born in Wayne county, Indiana, June 22, 1824, and raised in Shelby county. His father served in the Black Hawk war ; was a farmer. A. J. Endsley was married December 27, 1846, to Miss Matilda Scott. In 1854 he removed to Iroquois county, and settled four miles south of Milford, where he remained twelve years, engaged in farming and stock-raising ; thence to Milford, where he now re- sides. Mr. Endsley is essentially a self-made 'man, having never at- tended school except six months in a log house. His brother Henry served in the Mexican war under Gen. Scott, marching to the city of Mexico, and participated in all the battles of that campaign. Mr. Endsley has filled several minor offices ; is a Royal Arch Mason, being one of two charter members of the lodge in Milford now living. He has been successful in business pursuits. Samuel Bower, blacksmith, Milford, was born - in Pennsylvania, December 24, 1829 ; moved to Milford in 1855. Since that time he has worked steadily at his trade, not being from home more than seven months in that time. He was married, in 1859, to Mrs. Elizabeth Moffit. He is entirely self-taught. His early life was spent as canal boy, and he has passed through the usual rough and exciting scenes of canal life. Mr. Bower occupies as a smithy the first school-house built in Milford. In politics he is a republican. Henry L. Fanning, farmer, Milford, was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, September 6, 1828. The family record will be found in the biography of John Fanning, Sr., whose brother he is. Mr. Fanning went from Ohio to California in 1852, whence he returned in 1856, and came to Milford the same year. He located on section 11, where he has since resided, wholly engaged in farming. Mr. Fanning has a very fine farm, and has been successful in business. On January 1, 1852, he was married to Miss Marcissa Johnson, whose grandfather served through the war of independence. Mr. Fanning enjoyed such educa- tional advantages as were afforded by the schools of the early period, and has witnessed the sweeping changes that have occurred in this county. He is a Master Mason, and has held no important office. He belongs to the greenback party. MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 161 Jonas M. Rush, farmer, "Woodland, son of Samuel Rush, Jr., and Anna Rush, and brother of Harvey, was born in Milford, February 11, 1856. Jonas and George Rush are twin brothers. He received a good common-school education, and was married, March 14, 1878, to Miss Josie Johnson. He is residing upon and cultivating his farm of 110 acres, whic,h he also inherited from his father, the same being lot 8 in the N.W. % of Sec. 5. Mr. Rush is giving especial attention to raising stock. |He is a member of t the United Brethren church ; and, like all of his family, republican in politics. James A. Laird, policej justice and assistant postmaster, Milford, was born in Ohio May 30, 1830. His parents were Samuel J. and Delila Laird. The father was engaged in farming, milling and dealing in live-stock. The family moved to Indiana in 1840, where he engaged in a variety of occupations. In 1856 he removed to Illinois, having previously secured a large tract of land near Milford. He gave each of his sons, six in number, 160 acres of land, and afterward each of his three daughters 80 acres or an equivalent, reserving 240 acres for himself. He died in August, 1871; the mother in February, 1877. Three sons, Elias, John and George, died within one week, and Charles shortly after, all of the same disease. Another brother, Robert, enlisted in the 76th 111. Vol. in 1861, and soon after died of same disease typhoid fever. James A. removed to Milford October, 1877, where he still resides. He was married, March 4, 1852. to Miss Permelia Long. His life has been an uneventful one. Milton L. Biggs, keeper of livery and feed stable, Milton, son of Matthew and Mary Biggs, was born November 22, 1841, in Dearborn county, Indiana. His father was a farmer, and is supposed to have per- ished in the explosion of a steamboat on which he was. Mr. Biggs came to Milford in 1857 and remained until 1868, engaged in farming. He then returned to Indiana, and was married, October 23, 1868, to Adeline Mote. He again came to Milford in January, 1879, and bought the livery stock where he now is. Mr. Biggs is a notable example of what energy will accomplish under very adverse circumstances. "When seventeen years of age he was severely injured and made a cripple for life, having his breast crushed under the hoof of a horse from which he had fallen. He is a democrat. Edward Reed, school teacher, Milford, son of Thomas and Elmyra Reed, was born in Newark, Ohio, August 18, 1848 ; obtained his educa- tion in the common schools of his native state ; came to Milford, Illinois, alone, in August, 1857, and engaged in mercantile pursuits for about three years. He was married, November 10, 1870, to Miss Sarah E. Lemley. Mr. Reed was in active business until 1870, when he com- 162 HISTORY OF IKOQUOIS COUNTY. menced teaching in this and Stockland townships, and has continued to teach, with a short interruption, to the present time. He has held the offices of assessor and assistant postmaster, and is now village clerk. Mr. Reed offered himself as a soldier, but the military authori- ties refused him, in consequence of his having lost three fingers from his left hand when a child. Mr. Reed is a member of the Methodist church and an Odd-Fellow, and belongs to the greenback party. Samuel Euans, farmer, Milford, was born in Logan county, Ohio, April 15, 1807. His father, Joseph Euans, served in the war of 1812, and was under Harrison at Fort Meigs at the time of Hull's surrender. He held a captain's commission and raised a company for the war. Mr. Euans says, that during his father's absence his mother frequently went out and chopped wood in the deep snow to keep her children warm ; and that for six months at a time the family did not see a mor- sel of bread ; they lived on meat and corn pounded in a hollow block. Mr. Euans' grandfather served seven years under the immediate com- mand of Gen. Washington. When a boy he has often visited the Indians and witnessed their sports. His parents lived and died in Ohio. In 1830 he was married to Miss Jemima Buckley. His son William served in an Illinois volunteer regiment fifteen months. The family came to Iroquois county in 1858, and to Milford in 1877, where Mr. Euans and wife have since resided. Thomas Loveless, stock-dealer, Milford, was born in Ross county, Ohio, May 4, 1839. His parents were William and Mary Loveless. The family removed from Ohio in 1841, and came to Tippecanoe county, Indiana. His father was a farmer, and continued to reside in Indiana until his death. His mother also died there. Mr. Loveless continued to reside with his parents until the year 1858. He was mar- ried, July 27, 1858, to Miss Harriet Funk, and in 1859 removed to Milford, and settled, where he now resides, on section 21. Mr. Love- less' grandfather served in the war of 1812. William Misch, grocer, Milford, was born in Germany, September 20, 1852. His parents are August and Rachel Misch. His father was a soldier in the Prussian army. The family came to the United States in 1861, and located in Milford. Mr. Misch obtained his education in the Milford public school. He afterward worked on a farm four years ; then spent eleven years as a clerk. In April, 1879, he purchased the stock of groceries of Mr. John Holmes, and is now successfully con- ducting the business on an extensive scale. Mr. Misch is a member of the Odd-Fellow and Good Templar lodges of Milford. Mrs. Phoebe Laird, farmer, Milford, daughter of John and Catherine Burget, and widow of John Laird, was born in Tippecanoe county, MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 163 Indiana, November 28, 1833. She was married to John Laird, March 27, 1851. In the spring of 1858 they removed to Iroquois county, and settled in the town of Milford, section 29. One hundred and sixty acres of this tract was given to Mr. Laird by his father, who had en- tered the land. Mr. Laird was one of three brothers, Elias, John and George, all of whom died within the same week of typhoid fever; John dying September 30, 1874. Mrs. Laird continues to reside at the homestead where her husband died. George W. Haines, farmer, Milford, son of Havey H. and Jane Haines, was born in Stockland, Illinois, January 27, 1861. His mother was Jane Freeman. The father died in 1867, the mother in 1870. Mr. Haines is unmarried, and is living with his brother-in-law, James ~W. Haxton. Mr. Haxton was born in Connecticut, February 15, 1836, which state he left in 1855. In 1861 Mr. Haxton came to Milford township, and October 21, 1869, was married to Miss Mary Haines. He enlisted, July 28, 1862, in Co. E, 76th 111. Yol. Inf., and was dis- charged as sergeant August 6, 1865. He was wounded at Jackson, Mississippi, in 1864 ; served in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged up to the time of being wounded. Mr. Haxton's paternal grandfather served through the American revolution. He was edu- cated in Connecticut, and is a Master Mason ; in politics a republican. John Fanning, Jr., farmer and stock-dealer, Woodland, is the son of John Fanning, Sr., and Mary Fanning. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, September 18, 1850. He came to the town of Milford with his parents, but has been acting on his own account since he was sixteen years of age. At this early age he commenced dealing in cattle for himself, and has shown great aptitude for business, and has been generally successful in his operations. His education was obtained at the Milford public school, than which there is none better in this sec- tion of the state. He was married, December 28, 1876, to Miss Mar- garet A. Montgomery, and has a beautiful home on lot 6 in the north- east corner of section 4. Like his father, Mr. Fanning is a young man of great energy of character, and a successful business man. He is. an Odd-Fellow and a republican. John D. Webs,ter, farmer, Milford, son of Robert and Mary Jane Webster, was born November 24, 1841, in Armagh county, Ireland. The family emigrated to the United States in 1842, landing at Quebec, and settling in Fairfield county, Ohio, where they remained about six years. They then removed to Montgomery county, Indiana, and in 1861 came to Milford, and settled upon the land now occupied by Robert Webster. Mr. Webster was married, April 5, 1876, to Miss Sarah E. Williamson. Mr. Webster had decided to prepare himself for 164 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. a professional career, and to this end was studying and teaching ; but while diligently working to accomplish this cherished purpose, his brother, who was living with the parents, was drowned in Sugar creek. This sad event changed the entire current of his life. He was now the only son, and he yielded to the desire of his parents, and devoted himself to the farm. Mr. Webster, together with his father, has taken a prominent part in the movement for improving the breed of horses in this county, and is at present president of the Milford Live Stock Importing Co. Mrs. Mary Hoover, Milford, daughter of William and Elizabeth Lovelace, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, September 25, 1816. Mrs. Hoover comes of a patriotic family. Her father served in the war of 1812, and was surrendered at Detroit. Her grandparents were among the pioneers in Kentucky, and endured for a time a terrible captivity among the Indians. In 1836 she married Josiah B. Hoover, whose father was also surrendered at Detroit. J. B. Hoover was born in Ross county, Ohio, February 25, 1815. The family removed to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in 1854, where they remained until 1861, when the parents with several of the children came to Milford to care for the family of a son, who had already enlisted. Mrs. Hoover is the mother of ten sons and six daughters. The husband, six sons and one son-in-law enlisted and served through the civil war ; the father, J. B. Hoover, in the 116th Ind. Yol. Of the sons, William H., Harvey, Ethan, and Michael served in the 51st 111. Yol. Harvey and Michael were afterward transferred to the marine service. George enlisted in Co. B, 17th Ind. Yol. Inf. John E. served in the 26th Ind. Yol. Michael was engaged in nearly all the severe battles in which his regiment participated. At Corinth, with ten others, he was captured and sent to Libby prison, where he remained four months, and was then exchanged. Ethan was severely wounded in the leg at Chickamauga, where he was made a prisoner. He was in Richmond prison seven months and ten days. He still suffers from the effects of that wound. It would be impossible to write the entire war record of this remarkable family. Few families have made a better record, or have contributed more to secure the results of the war. The father has filled the office of justice of the peace for seven years. Mrs. Hoover is still in vigorous health, though prematurely gray in consequence of the great trials of her life. She bravely sent her husband and sons to the war, and during their absence provided and cared for a numerous family of children and grandchildren. Not one of the family has ever received a dollar of pension money. The sons are now working at their various trades. * John Fanning, Sr., stock-dealer, Milford, was born in Fauquier MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 165 county, Virginia, April 13, 1823. His parents were Joseph and Lucy Fanning. His father served in the war of 1812, was in active service, and died in Fairfield county, Ohio. Mr. Fanning came to Iowa in 1854, and after several changes of residence settled in Milford in 1861. He was married to Miss Mary Spitler in 1844, and after her death to Miss Charlotte Clark, November 28, 1876. He has led an active life, and been successful in, business. He is a republican ; a member of the Blue Lodge, and especially prides himself on the fact that he has been pathmaster. Everybody knows " Uncle John." "Wingfield Cooper, retired farmer, Milford, was born in county Wicklow, Ireland, April 5, 1812. His parents belonged to that highly respectable class known as " gentlemen farmers." Mr. Cooper was edu- cated at the school in his native place and at a boarding-school of con- siderable reputation at that time. After leaving school, his father's health being very infirm, young Cooper was entrusted with the entire con- trol of his father's extensive estate. His father died in 1833. In the division of this estate the homestead, with considerable property, fell to him. In 1835 he married Miss Susanna Coates, and continued his farm business, until her failing health necessitated a permanent change. Under medical advice, in July, 1851, the family came to the United States ; destination, La Fayette, Indiana. Here they remained some time, farming rented land. Finally they removed to Milford in 1862, bought a farm of 80 acres, and lived here until his wife's death in 1869, when Mr. C. retired, leaving his children on the farm, and finally married Mrs. Eliza Thomas, with whom he is quietly living in Milford. Gerrit Hix, farmer, Milford, son of William and Martha Hix, was born in Kentucky, May 1, 1821. The family removed to Parke county, Indiana, in 1839, where they lived about fifteen years, engaged in farming. The parents then came to Iroquois county, Illi- nois, where they died. Mr. Hix was married, June 2, 1841, to Miss Elizabeth Sellers. During his residence in Indiana Mr. Hix conducted a cabinet shop. In 1862 he removed to Milford township, where he was engaged in farming, and at one time bought and run a saw-mill. This mill was on land now owned by George Hix. Mr. Hix is proud of the fact that during all his wedded life he never had a family quarrel, nor ever struck a child, although they have raised a family of ten children. Mr. Hix has experienced all the hardships and changes incident to pioneer life, and has closely followed his own convictions in matters of politics and religion. His wife is a member of the M. E. church. James A. McConnell, dealer in general merchandise, Milford, was born in Highland county, Ohio, March 9, 1824. His father, John 166 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. McConnell, served through the war of 1812, with the rank of colonel (as his son thinks), under Gen. Harrison. He saw active service, and was in the defense of Fort Meigs. Col. McConnell also served in the Black Hawk war. He also drilled and prepared the first company that went from his county to the late war. Col. McConnell's brother also served in the war of 1812, and was made a prisoner At Hull's surrender of Detroit. This brother was present when notice of the surrender was given to Gens. Cass and McArthur, and he relates that these officers broke their swords rather than give them up. Mr. James McConnell has in his possession a remarkable sword which his father wore, and which his father gave to him. It is of English manufacture, bears the royal coat of arms and the monogram of Richard III. Mr. McConnell's family left Ohio, in 1828, for Covington, Kentucky, where they resided several years ; from whence, after several changes, they came to Ben- ton county, Indiana, where the father died in 1875. The mother's name was Elizabeth. In March, 1848, Mr. James McConnell was mar- ried to Miss Sarah Mcllvain, who died in 1861. He afterward mar- ried Miss Anna Brown in 1863. He came to Milford in February, 1862, and established a general store. The business has steadily increased, until the firm of Fairman & McConnell occupy one of the finest blocks in Iroquois county. Mr. McConnell built a grist-mill on section 5, which is still in operation. It is called the artesian mill, from the fact that three artesian wells supply a large portion of the motive power. Mr. McConnell has been always a democrat. He is a Master Mason, an Odd-Fellow and a member of the Christian church. An incident at Col. McConnell's death is worthy of mention. Ten chil- dren, the youngest of whom was forty years old, surrounded his death- bed. Mr. James McConnell is one of the prominent men of Iroquois county. George Hix, drain-tile manufacturer, Milford, was born in Ken- tucky, November 25, 1825. His parents were William and Martha Hix. His grandfather's family, with one exception, were killed by Indians in the early days of Kentucky's history. Mr. Hix went to Pike county, Indiana, in 1843, where he learned the potter's trade. Becoming of age he bought and run a saw-mill until his removal to Iroquois county in 1863. Here he built a saw-mill, which he run for eight years. He then engaged in farming. The first tile-works were erected on Mr. Hix's land. These works are now actively operated by Mr. Hix's sons. November 1, 1849, he was married to Miss Eliza- beth Cix. Mr. Hix has led an active life, and has always taken a lively interest in local affairs, filling various township offices usefully. For thirty-five years he has been identified with the temperance cause. MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 167 In politics he was formerly a democrat, but during later years his con- victions have caused him to act with the greenback party. Mr. Hix is still in vigorous health. His business enterprises have been gener- ally successful. James Mayfield, farmer, Milford, was born October 10, 1828, near Nashville, Tennessee. His parents, James arid Maria, lived and died in Tennessee. Mr. Mayfield's first experience in life was as a cabin- boy, and afterward first cook on steamboats running on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. He continued his river life for three years, when he came to Cincinnati, where he remained about six months. He then went to Union county, Indiana, to work on a farm. He remained in this county for many years, working by the month as a farm hand. He was married, September 1, 1858, to Miss Elizabeth Connell, who was born March 29, 1838. In October, 1863, he came to Milford and bought the east half of lot 5, in the northeast quarter of section 2. He soon after sold out, and bought a farm in Belmont. He again sold out and purchased lot 7, northeast quarter section 4, in Milford township. Again he sold, and removed to Milford village, where he resided several years, and served five years as police and township constable. March 20, 1879, he exchanged his village property for the farm on which he now resides. His children are William T., Sidney A., John A., George T., Daniel J., Sarah E. and James L. Mr. Mayfield is a very energetic man, a Master Mason, and in politics a republican. Jasper Prutsman, brickrnaker, Milford, son of David and Maxy M. Prutsrnan, was born in Fountain county, Indiana, February 12, 1836. His father was from Virginia, his mother from Kentucky. His father served through the war of 1812, and was engaged in building block- houses at Detroit. He died in 1837; was by trade a wagon-maker. In 1852 Jasper, with his mother and sister, came to Prairie Green township, where he entered 80 acres of land. Here he engaged' in farming; besides, in company with his brother, he purchased a break- ing team, and for three years broke land for others. September 7, 1856, Mr. Prutsman was married to Lucinda Crow, daughter of David and Mary Crow, who was born August 1, 1833. In 1864 he removed to Milford township and became a timber-dealer. For the past five years he has been engaged in making brick, three quarters of a mile west of Milford. They have had eight .children : Alfred, born Feb- ruary 12, 1858 ; Mary M., born April 29, 1860 ; Smilinda E., born February 9, 1862; Orea, born March 8, 1864; Martha E., born April 26, 1865 ; Frank, born July 6, 1867 ; Arata, born April 11, 1870, and an infant. Smilinda died October 3, 1875. In politics Mr. Pruts- man is a greenbacker. He is one of the substantial men of this town- ship. The business is prosperous. 168 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Dr. Ira Brown, physician, Milford, was born near Brockville, Canada West, May '6, 1832. His parents, James and Lydia Brown, removed from Hartford county, Connecticut, to Canada in 1794. The British authorities endeavored to compel his father to serve against the United States in the war of 1812, but he escaped into Massachusetts, where he remained during the war. He then returned to Canada, and died there. He never took the oath of allegiance to the British gov- ernment. Dr. Brown's grandfather served seven years in the war of the revolution, and afterward assisted in making the government sur- vey of Ohio. Ira Brown came to .Jefferson county, ]S"ew York, in 1850. He had already acquired the miller's art, and for eighteen months attended school, working in a mill nights and mornings, in this manner obtaining means to pay his expenses. He afterward was engaged as clerk in a dry-goods house for some time. In the spring of 1854 he came to Brantford, Canada, where he commenced the study of medicine. In 1856 he went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and there prosecuted his studies, graduating March, 1858. He then came west, and after traveling through Missouri, finally located in Boone county, Illinois, and began the practice of medicine. He con- tinued in practice here until January 1, 1862, when he entered the 65th reg. 111. Vol. as assistant surgeon ; he was appointed surgeon October, 1864. This regiment was captured at Harper's Ferry at Mile's surrender. Dr. Brown was left at Martinsburg, Virginia, in charge of sick soldiers twenty-one days, and afterward allowed to de- part without parole. He next found himself assigned to duty at Fort McHenry, and in 'April, 1863, appointed post-surgeon at Camp Doug- lass. In December, 183, he was ordered to join his regiment near Knoxville, Tennessee, and remained with it through the Atlanta cam- paign ; was in the battles of Columbia, Franklin and Nashville, and finally mustered out with the regiment May, 1865. Dr. Brown then came to Milford, and soon found himself established in an extensive practice. He was married to Mrs. Nellie Best, October 30, 1873. Dr. Brown has always been actively identified in developing and promot- ing the business interests of this section. In 1878, he established his extensive tile and brick yard, of which a more extended notice occurs in the history of Milford. Elam H. Patterson, school teacher, Milford, son of Amos and Esther Patterson, was born in Grant county, Indiana, October 28, 1857. His father combined the business of merchant and farmer. He enlisted in Co. H, 118th Ind. Vol. Inf., August 12, 1863. This regiment did good service at Blue Springs, Clinch River, and at Taswell. At one time their daily rations per man for nine days were one half MILFOED TOWNSHIP. 169 ear of corn and a cubic inch of meat. He was discharged March 3, 1864. One of his brothers was in thirty-five battles, and came out without a serious wound. Elam H. Patterson was educated at the Sheldon High School and at Onarga Institute. He has been engaged in teaching since sixteen years of age. He was for one year principal of Sheldon High School. James Woodworth, postmaster, Milford, son of John and Phoabe Woodworth, was born in Ohio, September 12, 1844. The mother died in 1861. In 1844 the family removed to La Grange county, Indiana, afterward going to Noble county, where the father still resides. James attended school, and two years of the time were passed at Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 1861 he enlisted in the 4th Mich. Cav., but being under age was rejected. In October, 1861, he was enrolled in the 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics, where he remained three years. While in this regiment he participated in the battle of Lavergne, Ten- nessee. This regiment consisted of 391 officers and men, commanded by Col. Inness. This regiment was posted at Lavergne, midway be- tween Nashville and Murfreesboro, to protect communications. It was here their position was attacked by Wheeler's rebel cavalry, consisting of 3,000 men and two pieces of artillery. After successfully resisting seven distinct charges of the enemy, the rebels finally withdrew. The regiment received the highest praise from Gen. Rosencrans for gallant conduct on this occasion. After his discharge Mr. Woodworth en- gaged as engineer to Platt J. Wise, of Fort Wayne, where he~continued two years, at the same time continuing his studies. The next two years were spent as clerk in two grocery houses in the same city. He then came to Ash Grove, Illinois, where he was engaged in teaching school during the winters of 1869 and 1870. On May 17, 1870, Mr. Woodworth commenced business in old Milford, selling goods on his own account. While here the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes (now known as the Chicago & Eastern Illinois) railroad was in course of con- struction, and was completed to Milford, June 24, 1871. On May 10, 1872, Mr. Woodworth opened the first stock of goods in the new town, and continued here until 1877. Mr. Woodworth has held for several years the office of police magistrate and notary public, and is at present post- master, which office he has held since October, 1872. At that time the business of the office amounted to but $150 per year. It now amounts to about $25,000 per year. Mr. Woodworth was married, December 11, 1871, to Miss Martha J. Lane. He is a Master Mason and a Good Templar. Although still a young man, Mr. Woodworth's life is an example of what can be accomplished by energy and determination. William T. Sheridan, general merchandise, Milford, was born in 11 170 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. New London, Connecticut, June 25, 1842. He was educated in the public schools of his native state. In 1861 Mr. Sheridan enlisted in the 1st reg. Conn. Heavy Artillery. He was soon detailed as orderly on Gen. R. O. Tyler's staff, where he remained for three years, arid during this time was frequently sent with important orders, requiring skill and courage to execute, as well as incurring great danger. Mr. Sheridan participated in the battles of Second Bull Run, and on the Chickahominy and James rivers. He was also at Antietam and Get- tysburg, and through the "Wilderness. He also served as general super- intendent of land transportation. He was mustered out in 1864, and for two years after was government inspector and auctioneer. During this time a vast amount of government property passed through his hands, and he has many testimonials of his ability and fidelity in the discharge of duty. During the battle of Gettysburg, he succeeded in securing Gen. Tyler's saddle and accouterments, after his horse had fallen, carrying them a long distance under the enemy's heavy fire ; for his daring he was highly complimented by Gen. Tyler. In 1866 Mr. Sheridan came to Rockford, Illinois, where he engaged in the auction and commission business, afterward removing to Milford in 1871, where he continues to reside. In October, 1867, Mr. Sheridan was married to Miss Minnie Mosley, who died in March, 1873. In Novem- ber, 1874, he married Miss Carrie Mason. He is a Master Mason; in politics a republican. Philip Holloway, farmer, Milford, was born in Union county, Ohio, January 14, 1825. His parents were Elijah and Elizabeth Holloway. The father was a wheelwright, and worked at his trade during his life. The family moved to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in 1839. The son worked with the father. April 5, 1849, he was married to Miss Sally Dawson, and in 1854, with her, removed to Iroquois county, and set- tled in the town of Stockland, where, with nothing but his brain and muscle, he commenced to open a farm. In this calling he continued to prosper, and cultivated his farm until the year 1862, when he enlisted in Co. E, 76th 111. Yol. for three years. At the battle of Jackson, Mississippi, July 7, 1864, he was severely wounded, being shot through the leg. He remained in hospital for fifty-two days, when he was sent home on a furlough. Here he remained until his regiment returned to Chicago, when he was discharged. Mr. Halloway has wit- nessed the great changes which have occurred within the last twenty- five years. He continued on his farm until 1873, when he came to Milford. His wife died July 5, 1874. He is now in receipt of a pen- sion. His father died in 1862; his mother in 1827. August 20, 1876, he was married to Miss Levina Hix. He is a republican. MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 171 George H. Barber, farmer, Milford, son of David C. and Louisa S. Barber, was born in Charlemont, Massachusetts, February 21, 1851. His father was born in Massachusetts, September, 1820. His mother was from Vermont, born August 28, 1820. Jn 1856 the family re- moved to La Fayette, Indiana, and carried on a farm for four years. In 1860 they came to Iroquois county and settled in Beaver township. In 1875 they again removed, going to Missouri, where the parents still reside. Here, February 22, 1872, George H. was married to Miss Margaret Logan. He then returned to Iroquois county in 1874, and is now conducting the Strain farm on section 19, Milford township. Mr. Barber has received a good common-school education, and for five years was clerk in a general store in Missouri. Two of his brothers served three years during the civil war. Charles was in the 63d Ind. Yol., and D. C. was in the 76th 111. Yol. Mr. Barber is an energetic and thriving farmer. He has kept out of debt, and therefore never has had occasion to complain of hard times. James P. Button, dealer in general merchandise, Milford, the son of James P. and Sarah E. Button, was born in Fountain county, In- diana, December 9, 1849. The family moved to Ford county, Illinois, 1853. The father was a farmer, and has filled many offices. He "was treasurer of Ford county two years. A township in that county bears his name. He died March 14, 1863. The younger James P. came to Milford in 1875, and entered the mercantile business. He was married to Miss Sarah E. Lane, May 18, 1875. His brother, W. J. Button, became a partner in the business March 1, 1879. Their business is rapidly increasing. Andrew J. Shorey, grocer, Milford, was born in Penobscot county, Maine, September 15, 1829, and received a common-school education. His parents were Nathaniel and Elizabeth Shorey. Mr. Shorey was engaged in business at an early age, being in the lumber trade until 1853, when he went to California, where he remained five years ; ha afterward extensively engaged in manufacturing lumber in Wisconsin,, which he sent down the Mississippi. He removed to Milford in 1875,. and started again in the lumber trade ; sold out, and established his. present successful business. Mr. Shorey was married October, 1862, to Miss Susan Woodworth. He is a republican in politics, and was pres- ident of the town council one year. John F. Fairman, merchant and grain-dealer, Milford, the son of Henry and Mary Fairman, was born in Tioga county, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1829. When he was three years of age his parents removed to La Fayette, Indiana, and in 1845 came to Illinois, and settled in Will (now Kankakee) county, where Kankakee city now stands. The conn- 172 HISTOKY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. try was wild and covered with timber. The family sought shelter in an old log cabin, which was repaired and made to answer the purpose of a home. Young Fairman's health was frail, yet he assisted some- what in this labor. Mr. Fairman describes, in a graphic manner, his exultation on killing his first deer. His health becoming established, he struck out for himself, and proceeding to the "Wabash, procured a job of making rails at 50 cents per hundred. He afterward worked on a farm at $8 per month. Returning to his parents, he still continued at farming. "When about eighteen years of age he spent the winter in chopping, and occasionally hunting and trapping, and succeeded in procuring a large quantity of venison and peltries, which he hauled to Chicago and sold at good profit. Having accumulated considerable money, in 1859 Mr. Fairman came to "Watseka and erected the first ele- vator and business house ever built in that town. He continued in busi- ness there for five years, buying and shipping grain and selling goods and agricultural implements. His business was very successful. In 1865 he went to Logansport, and, with a partner, bought 400 acres of tim- ber. They erected a saw-mill and commenced selling lumber. These operations were suddenly checked by the loss of the mill and 100,000 feet of walnut lumber by fire. The energy of the man is displayed in the fact that in ten days the mill was entirely restored and in full opera- tion. Mr. Fairman retired from this business with a handsome addition to his capital. He has always been a very active man, finding his highest pleasure in the activities of business. He has also traveled extensively, and has been keenly observant of men and things. In 1876 Mr. Fairman entered into partnership with James A. McConnell, in a general mer- chandise business and dealing in grain, at Milford. They are doing an extensive business. Mr. Fairman was married, in 1852, to Miss Mary E. Parks. He is a republican, and a strong temperance man. Andrew J. Miller, dealer in general merchandise, Milford, was born in Germany, October 23, 1845. He came with his parents to Cham- paign county, Ohio, in 1854, and worked on the farm until July 4, 1862, when he enlisted in the 45th Ohio Vol. Inf. At this time he was but sixteen years of age. He served three years and participated in all the battles the regiment was engaged in. Some of them are as follows : the Morgan raid through Ohio and Indiana ; siege of Knox- ville ; battles of Resaca and Kenesaw Mountain ; and through the Atlanta campaign, and battle of Frankford, 1864. At the close of the war Mr. Miller came to Ford county, Illinois, where he was ex- tensively engaged in farming, and cultivated a section of land near Paxton, Illinois. January 28, 1868, Mr. Miller was married to Mary J. Bently ; they have four children now living : two boys, Louis and Charlie, MILFORD TOWNSHIP. 173 and two girls, Minnie and Nora. The eldest child is ten, and the youngest three years old. During the eleven years Mr. Miller was engaged in farming, he accumulated a large amount of property. He raised large numbers of cattle and hogs. His farming operations were very successful. In . 1876 he sold his farm and stock, and engaged in mercantile pursuits at Miller's Station, on the Lafayette, Bloomington & Muncie railroad. This station was named after his brother. His store, with all its contents, was destroyed by fire August 1, 1876. At the time of the fire his family were living over the store. A hired boy was burned to death, and one of his children was so badly burned that it died next day. The remainder of the family barely escaped. Mr. Miller then removed to Donovan, Illinois, where, in the fall of 1876, he again embarked in merchandising and opened with a large stock of goods. But the fire-fiend seemed to follow him. March 7, 1877, five buildings with their contents were burned Mr. Miller's among them. Not discouraged by these severe losses, he, in September, 1878, removed to Milford, Illinois, and bought Jacob "Wittenmeyer's stock of goods, together with the brick building, and again commenced business. Mr. Miller is an active, enterprising business man. In August, 1879, in connection with James Woodworth, he erected the large double brick block, known as " Woodworth and Millers New Block." Mr. Miller is carrying on a large business at the present time. John Bentson, wagon and cabinet-maker, Milford, was born in Sweden, September 26, 1838, where his parents still reside. On his arrival in this country he first came to St. Louis, Missouri, and finally established himself in Chicago, where he lived seven years. He was married, February 20, 1875, to Miss Matilda Johnson. Mr. Bentson has experienced many changes in life. The parents met a great grief in the loss of a son, Johnnie T., who died June 27, 1877. They have one son living. Mr. Bentson removed to Milford in the fall of 1878, and is now established in a prosperous business. Edward L'Hote, editor of "Milford Herald," Milford, was born on the island of Gaudaloupe, March 3, 1819, of French parentage. Pre- vious to leaving France his father served through several of Napoleon's campaigns, terminating his military career at the battle of Waterloo as a soldier of the " Old Guard " under Marshal Ney. In recognition of honor- able service he was decorated with the cross of the Legion of Honor. Parents and son left Gaudaloupe in 1824, came to the United States in 1826, and settled in New Orleans in 1827. There his parents died. The son attended school until 1839, when he entered a printing office, and followed this business as apprentice and journeyman till 1851, having in the mean time removed to Marshall, Clark county, Illinois, 174 HISTORY OF IEOQUOIS COUNTY. in 1849. He here engaged in mercantile pursuits for a short time. He afterward published the "Hornet," a campaign paper, and on Mr. Lincoln's accession to the presidency was appointed postmaster. Mr. L'Hote also held the position of deputy circuit clerk for three years, and is a notary public. In June, 1878, Mr. L'Hote removed to Mil- ford, and purchased the " Herald " of J. R. Fox, Esq., which paper he has since continued to publish, advocating the principles of the green- back party. The only break in his life as a printer occurred in 1846, when he enlisted in the six-months Louisiana troops, called out by Gen. Taylor, served out his time, and was honorably discharged. He was married November 29, 1849, to Miss Charlotte Whaley. He is a Mark Master Mason and Good Templar. Alba M. and Edgar A. Jones, dealers in hardware, stoves, lumber and coal, Milford, are twin sons of John and Anna Jones. They were born in Stockland, Iroquois county, Illinois, in 1857. The brothers have never separated ' from each other, always attending the same schools, and joining in the same pastimes. They were educated in the schools of their native town and at Valparaiso, Indiana. Together they commenced business March 1, 1879. They have quite recently established a lumber and coal-yard, and already have a profitable trade. Under the firm name of Jones Brothers they are already widely and favorably known. They are rapidly taking the lead in their special lines of business. Charlie E. Smith, saddles and harness, Milford, was born in Warren county, Ohio, May 6, 1855. His parents are Thomas and Hope Smith. His grandfather served through the war of 1812. In 1859 the family moved to Thornton, Indiana, and thence to Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1877, where the parents still reside. Mr. Smith came to Milford in July, 1879, where he has succeeded in establishing himself in a thriv- ing business. He was married, February 2, 1879, to Miss Rosa Haas. He is a republican, an Odd-Fellow, and a member of the Methodist church. Daniel G. Lee, dealer in general merchandise, Milford, the son of Benjamin G. and Polly M. Lee, was born in Griffin's Corners, New York, October 2, 1854. The father dealt in grain and merchandise. In 1857 the family came to Minnesota and conducted a farm. In 1862 Benjamin G. Lee was appointed a provost-marshal, and materially assisted in suppressing the Indian outbreak in that state. The town of Hutchinson, where the family lived, was once attacked by 200 Indians. Many settlers were killed before reaching the stockade, but Mr. Lee's family escaped. Their house, barns, crops, etc., were entirely destroyed. The family came to Kankakee in 1866, where they still SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 175 reside. Daniel G. Lee came to Milford in May, 1879, and at once engaged in mercantile business. He was married to Miss Alice Merrick at Kankakee, January 1, 1874. SHELDON TOWNSHIP. This township was named after Sheldon, a village within -its limits. It comprises town 26 north, range 11 west ; and fractional town 26 north, range 10 west of the second principal meridian. The fraction is six miles long, north and south, and has an average breadth of about half a mile. It is occasioned by the divergence of the meridian from the state line. Sheldon township therefore has an area of thirty-nine square miles, or about 25,000 acres. It is located in the eastern tier of townships, nearly equidistant from the county limits north and south, and is bounded on the -north, south and west by Concord, Stockland and Belmont townships, and on the east by the state of Indiana. The surface, except about 300 acres of timber, though formerly 900, located in the extreme northwest portion of the township, and known as Lister's Point, is prairie. The southeastern portion is high and rolling land, known as the Blue Ridge, from which the country descends and becomes nearer level toward the north. The western side of the township is also high and very rolling, the ascent in some places being so abrnpt as to form knolls. In the central portion and extending north the land is depressed and nearly level. The higher elevations of the township unfold to the sight a beautiful and far ex- tending landscape, the scattering residences with their dense groves relieving the monotony of a purely prairie view and adding grandeur to the scene. Owing to the lay of the land, effectual drainage, that essential feature necessary for the more successful cultivation of the prairie, is easily secured, and it is probable that within the near future not one acre in all the township will suffer for want of efficient drainage. There are no continuous water-courses, the nearest approach being Lister's branch, which was named after an early settler on its banks, and is caused by the drain from the center and eastern portion of the township. It forms a junction near the northwestern portion, and leaves the township about one-quarter mile east of the northwest corner. From the junction on down the stream the wooded banks gradually increase, until they become high and precipitous, forming a permanent pathway for the onward march of the waters in their 176 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. headlong race to the Iroquois. The southern portion of the town- ship is also drained to the Iroquois by those streams bearing the unromantic titles of Coon creek and Possum Trot run, the latter a tributary of the former. Both are slough or drain streams, existing only during the wet seasons, and disappear during the dry. The soil for the greater part is a heavy, black sandy loam. In certain localities, principally confined to the high lands of the western portions, it becomes a light sand. In general it is well adapted for growing the cereals common to this climate, and well sustains the accredited productiveness of the prairie, of which this locality is a part. Corn is the prevailing crop, and in favorable seasons the yield is enormous ; wheat, oats and flax do well and are extensively raised, and grazing is carried on to a considerable extent. EARLY HISTORY. Formerly Sheldon township was embraced within that of Concord, and therefore the early history of the one could include that of the other. But in the present instance we shall endeavor to give a reci- tation of the events occuring within the present limits of the town- ship of Sheldon, and form a separate account of same. In the early days, when ox-teams were the rule and distant markets a necessity, the now much lauded prairie was literally a desert waste without habitation, and remained so until quite a recent period, the friendly shelter of forests, skirting the neighboring streams, luring the pioneers. away ; and so we find in all the early settlement of our country, the timbered water-courses peered out to the hardy pioneer, like the north star to the mariner, directing him across the mighty sea. So it was with Sheldon in the extreme northwest corner, a little point of timber skirting the Iroquois extends into the township. It was in this timber that the first settlement was made, the date of which is " Away far back in the bygone times, Lost mid the rubbish of forgotten things." It is highly probable, however, that Jesse Eastburn and family made the first settlement within the present limits of the township. He was a native of Maryland, and was born in the year 1770. The exact date of his settlement is not known, but he settled in the timber on section 5, near the center of its western side, where he built a mansion, 18x20, of unhewn logs. The cracks were plastered with mud. A stick chimney reared up at the end, a little old quaint door and window, and an oak clap-board roof completed the house, near which stood the sweep stake with "the old oaken bucket that hung SIIKLDOX TOWNSHIP. 177 in the well," which was curbed up with the gums of an old sycamore. A certificate of entry, in the possession of one of his descendants, bears date October 10, 1833, and is probably near the date of his settlement. Next, and probably early in 1834, came William Lister and family ; he was a native of Tennessee, and settled on section 6, in the point of timber on the branch (both of which bear his name), and in addition to the farm he conducted a blacksmith shop, it being the first in this portion of the country. Next came Samuel Jones, a native of Kentucky, who is living near his early settlement at this writing. He came here from Indiana in December, 1834. An in- strument of writing, dated September 25, 1835, between Jesse and his son, J. B. Eastburn, shows that the latter sold his place in Concord township, and came to and got possession of his father's farm, and conducted the same, and looked after him in his old age. Other early settlers were : P. Shearls, R. Lister, Frank Clark, and William Young, none of whom are here now, locating in the timber which was the scene of all settlement until about 1848 ; when Zedic Parks a native of Coshocton county, Ohio, who had been living near Iroquois for a number of years Cortez-like marched far out into the sea of prairie, and pitched his tent in its midst on the road leading from La Fayette to Chicago, via Iroquois, at a point about one-third of a mile northeast of the present railroad crossing at Sheldon ; he engaged in keeping hotel, which was probably con- ducted on the " corn bread and common doings plan," and also did a little at farming ; but he seemed to be a migratory character, for soon he moved back to the timber, and later he " Folded his tent like the Arab, And as silently stole away." In 1850 O. P. Bookless settled in the timber on section 6, and in 1851 he moved to his present place on the prairie adjoining same. The year 1852 brought Robert and Isaac N". Caldwell, who settled on the prairie about two miles southwest of the present village of Sheldon ; J. Davis, also, is said to have settled here the same year. The next year brought J. Daisy, and in 1854, ]ST. II. Waity, Stephen Amos and John Darrough were added to the residents ; and in 1855, E. B. Bishopp, from England, and J. W. Murray made settlements. The latter had been living near Iroquois since 1836. Thus the prairie, so long unnoticed, and that seemed a place unfit for the habitation of man, gradually became settled and was soon trans- formed to a land of beauty, "flowing with milk and honey," where the vine and plant thrive, and where beautiful and pleasant homes have become too numerous to mention. The panting deer and 178 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. howling wolf have given way to the domestic animals that may be seen on every hand in countless numbers browsing on the grasses and adding life to the beauty and grandeur of the great prairie, which, brightened by the sun's rays, seems to smile at the early pioneer who formerly chose the dark and lonesome forest for his abode. Midst all their trials and privations, the early settlers also had their joys and woes. As early as August 11, 1836, death invaded the then young settlement, and called Rebecca, daughter of William Lister, from earthly care. To this family is also accredited the first birth, that of Riley Thomas Lister, April 15, 183V. Another early birth was that of Parker T. Eastburn, November 20, 1838. The latter is a present resident of the township. The first marriage occurred August 19, 1860 ; the contracting parties were David Mathews and Catharine Robbins ; the hymeneal knot was tied by Robert Caldwell, who was also the first justice of the peace. RELIGIOUS MATTERS. The little strip of timber in the northwest portion of the township was the scene of the early religious gatherings. In those times no cloud-piercing spire marked the spot, nor silver-toned church-bell the hour, when " Amidst the cool and silence they knelt down, And offered to the Mightiest solemn thanks and supplication." As early as 1834 a minister by the name of Springer, of the Methodist persuasion, preached in the residence of Jesse Eastburn on section 5. Owing, however, to the death of his horse he soon turned his charge over to brother Essex, who completed the year. The following year brother Walker presided. He was succeeded by brother Olivar, who seemed to begin in earnest. He went among the people and asked them if they wanted religion. Receiving answers in the affirmative, he set about organizing a society which soon numbered twenty-four ; but owing to a disagreement regarding the Methodist discipline he would not make them full members. When his year was up he left,'; Brother Kenoyer, a United Brethren missionary, came and preached, giving the discipline of the United Brethren church, which was accepted and all joined. Frederick Kenoyer preached the first two years. J. F. Miller is the present minister, and preaches at the West Union school, district No. 3, every third Sunday. The society numbers sixty-four members. Connected with the same is a Sabbath school of forty members. It was organized about 1862. The next and success- ful advent of the Methodists in this township, was in the spring of SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 179 1858, when meetings were held in the Hesperian (West) school-house, district No. 2 the Revs. D. Ackerman, A. Irving and O. Smithson, members of the Iroquois circuit, rotating every four weeks. In 1861 a six-room frame parsonage was built at Sheldon. On July 27 of the same year, at a meeting of the Iroquois circuit, it was unanimously decided to change the circuit from Iroquois to that of Sheldon. The first quarterly conference was held at the Hesperian school-house in April, 1862. Preaching continued to be held at this school, and at a house in Sheldon, until 1867, when the present church used by this denomination was built. It is a frame building, size 34x48, and cost, when ready for occupancy, about $3,000. It was dedicated, July 14, 1867, by Rev. Dr. Munsel, of Bloomington, and now has 236 members. Connected with this organization is a Sabbath school, organized the first Sabbath in January, 1868, with forty members, which has flourished to this day, the attendance now numbering 140. The second society of United Brethren in this township was organized in the Enslen school-house, near Iroquois, about the year 1850, by Jacob, son of Frederick Kenoyer. This school-building served as rneeting-house until the winter of 1875. On December 19 of this year, the present church at Sheldon, used by this denomination, was dedicated by the Rev. J. W. Hott. It is a frame building, 20 foot story, size 30x50. and cost about $2,500. They have preaching every Sunday by Rev. J. Cowgill. Connected with this church is a Sabbath school, organized in 1876, and has a fair attendance. SCHOOLS. Education, that bright and glittering gem, the peer of prince or fortune, early received that consideration from the inhabitants t of this township which its importance demands. From the beginning they manifested an interest in, and lent their support to, the establish- ment of schools in their midst. Thus as early as 1850 when scarce half a dozen families lived in the township, we find Olivar P. Bookless busied in the cares of a subscription school, an old log house on the farm of Jesse Eastburn serving as school-building, in which he taught several terms. December, 1856, he began a term in the first district school in the township, an old log building, 12x14, located on section 8, being the scene of this event. The logs of this ancient tem- ple of learning now form a shed in Mr. Bookless' yard, not far from where they stood in their former grandeur. Another early instructor was Charles B. Harrington, who taught as early as 1857 ; and though schools may have been in their infancy, the fact did not enhance the salaries paid, at least not so in all cases, as about this time Mrs. Eliza- 180 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. beth Waity furnished the building and taught a three-months term for $40. The first school-house built in the township was in district No. 9, during 1859, Sarah Darrough being the first teacher in the same. At present there are nine districts and ten schools in the town- ship. District No. 1 has two schools ; one, a graded school, is located in Sheldon. It is a large two-story frame building, which was put up at a cost of nearly $7,000 including furniture. It is presided over by a competent faculty, and a board of directors ever watchful of its best interests, who make it "A temple of learning and monument of enterprise, 11 of which the citizens of this thriving village and surrounding county may well be proud. The remaining schools of this township are in good order, well located, and presided over by competent instructors. The first school treasurer was John McDermet. ORGANIZATION. Sheldon township was organized April 7, 1868, by the election of the following officers : Supervisor, Dr. L. B. Brown ; town clerk, D. W. Ayers ; assessor, Parker T. Eastburn ; collector, Owen King ; mag- istrates, Robert Caldwell and D. W. Ayers; highway commissioners, A. B. Caldwell, W. Ewen and Jacob Wingard ; constables, Seth Bur- dick and John Danough. The present officers are: Supervisor, B. Bishopp ; town clerk, D. J. Eastburn ; assessor, E. J. Allhands ; col- lector, A. C. Man tor; commissioners of highways, A. D. Russell, George W. Eastburn and John Fleming, Jr. ; magistrates, Dr. D. Greenlee and J. R. Russell ; constables, James R. Burk and James T. Dunn. The number of votes polled at organization was 99 ; at present the number reaches 500. The first assessed valuation of property was about $120,000. The last assessment reached $343,472. The popula- tion is estimated at 2,000. Though very close and uncertain, it is con- sidered to be republican in politics. The first road within the township was one skirting the timber in the northwest portion of the township ; it led to Chicago via Iroquois. Another early road was one from La Fayette to Chicago via Iroquois. It passed through the eastern side of the township. Owing to the late settlement of the township there were few permanent roads until quite a recent date. At present the township has roads laid out on all the section-lines, and excepting a few miles extend their entire length. Liberal appropriations have been made for the improvement of the roads, nearly all of which have been graded, and their condition com- pares favorably with those of the other townships of the county. SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 181 The township has splendid railroad facilities. The Toledo, Peoria & "Warsaw passes through the northern tier of sections from east to west, and the Cincinnati, La Fayette & Chicago crosses the northeastern portion, furnishing an outlet north and south. The Toledo, Peoria & "Warsaw was finished in 1860, and proved the beginning of the era of settlement, which was pushed to a wonderful extent after the comple- tion of the Cincinnati, La Fayette & Chicago in 1871. Owing to the very sparse settlement in 1860, but little was done in aid of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroad, the few residents along the line of road subscribing limited amounts of stock. The Cincinnati, La Fayette & Chicago was put through in 1871. Previous to this the township voted $25,000 bonds to the Chicago, Danville & Vincenues railroad, the pro- gramme of which was carried out by the Cincinnati, La Fayette & Chi- cago, to which company the bonds were delivered. But owing to some misunderstanding or disagreement, the payment of the bonds was re- fused, and the matter has been awaiting the decision of the courts. VILLAGE OF SHELDON. The years 1859 and 1860 will ever be memorable in the history of the broad prairies south of the Iroquois. The latter days of the former year dawned on the completion of the Toledo, Peoria & "Warsaw rail- road, which proved to be, comparatively, the beginning of the era of settlement of the vast prairies through which it passed. As early as January, 1860, a switch was placed on Sec. 2, T. 26 IN"., R. 11 "W., and named Sheldon ; thus, during that cold winter month, the seed of a future city was planted. Soon after the completion of the switch, Messrs. Sherman & Smith put up a small shed and pair of scales, and began grain-buying. This firm was the first to ship goods outward from the switch. Probably the first goods shipped to the switch were five cars of lumber to Mr. Jacob Wingard, who was improving on his farm about one mile south of the switch. The business of the station was transacted from Gilman until March 1, 1860, when William B. Fleager came from there and took charge of the switch a charge that would have sent less energetic men away in despair. The first day he failed to find a place to board, and so returned to Gilman that night. But the next day found him there again, and he was more successful, finding a boarding place with Mr. William Bussert, who lived about three-quarters of a mile from the switch. He, however, remained there but a short time, as the walking was so very bad, and so he concluded to " batch " it. Accordingly he procured a car, placed it on the switch, and had it serve as residence, depot, freight-house and all combined. He dwelt there until some time in May, when he erected the first resi- 182 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. dence at the switch, the style of which was two buildings, size 14x20 and 12x16, one placed two feet behind the other. Upon their com- pletion they were occupied by himself and family. In September fol- lowing, Mr. H. Messer, the county surveyor, surveyed the village of Sheldon, the plat consisting of one ten-acre piece along the railroad, and about 200 lots around the same. The place was laid out on land be- longing to the Hon. Judge Chamberlain and James Lawrence, who became the proprietors of the town. The lots were priced from $25 to $75, and the sale began at once. The first purchase was two lots for $100, made by William B. Fleager, who in October following built the first store at the place, and occupied the same with a stock of gro- ceries in November. Later he received the appointment of postmaster. Other early settlers in the village were William Smith, Dr. Barry (who was the first physician to take up a residence in the township), Hugh McCutcheon and William Wood. Dock Brandon opened the first blacksmith shop in the village about 1862. October 8, 1865, Messrs. E. G. Collins and John Steele began business in their steam flour-mill. In 1870 a steam elevator was erected by William B. Fleager. Thus the village steadily increased, and on December 26, 1871, it was incorporated; the vote stood, for incorporation, 24; against, 1. Janu- ary 2, 1872, the following trustees were elected : William B. Fleager, S. A. Barry, Thomas Thornil, W. B. Fowler and J. E. Tyler. At a meeting held January 8, they elected S. A. Barry, president, and David Greenl'ee, clerk. On May 5, 1874, under Art. II of the act for the organization of villages, Sheldon was reorganized ; the vote standing, for reorganization, 44; against, 13. The trustees were B. Bishopp, J. E. Tyler, R. Eoss, William Sloan, O. King and E. Carroll ; A. B. Caldwell, police magistrate, and David Greenlee, clerk. The first meeting of the new board was held June 17, 1874. B. Bishopp was elected president, and J. E. Tyler, treasurer ; all were sworn in by D. Greenlee, justice of the peace. The village pursued the even tenor of its way, each year adding to the number of its residents and business houses until 1875, when a movement initiated by W. B. Fleager, and joined by other leading citizens, produced a scene of activity seldom ever witnessed outside of the larger cities, it being no less than the building in one continuous block of fifteen two-story brick store-build- ings, known as " Central Block," thus securing to Sheldon not only the best business block in the county, but the best for many miles around. But such has been the magnitude of the improvements of this thriv- ing, growing city, that they are not confined alone to the " Central," south of which stands the old pioneer, " Fleager's Bank Block," which is a two-story brick, containing the bank and a large double-front store- SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 183 room, between which a broad hallway leads to Fleager's hall and the " Enterprise " office. East of the north end of the " Central " is " Com- mercial Block," which consists of three adjoining one-story brick store- rooms. These blocks, with the single one-story brick store-room oppo- site the " Central," complete the list of brick business stands in the city, the remaining places of business being frame. The city is located at the crossing of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw and Cincinnati, Lafayette & Chicago railroads, and is noted for its activity in all branches of trade, more particularly the grain trade, in which it has a great and growing interest, stimulated by an active com- petition. March 10, 1871, Messrs J. B. Spotswood and E. A. Burns began the publication, from a press in Kentland, Indiana, of a six-column folio, weekly independent newspaper, called the " Sheldon Courier." It was supported by a liberal number of cash advertisements and subscrip- tions, but expired in a few months. The " Sheldon Enterprise " is a five-column quarto, weekly inde- pendent newspaper, first published December 31, 1874, by H. R. Fields and H. L. Henry. The first copy was sold for $2.50 at auction, to Joe Bell. Since February 1, 1877, it has been under the manage- ment of D. J. Eastburn, the present editor and proprietor. FIKES. Though comparatively a new township, many of its citizens have been sufferers by fire, as will be seen by the following tabular state- ment : NAME. PROPERTY. MONTH. DAY. YEAR. LOCATION. E B Bishopp Residence October . . 9 1859 it 9 1860 John Brandon Blacksmith Shop Village J. Russell Hotel April .... 28 1871 K George Hayby Residence February . 1873 Township T.,P. & W. R.R.Co Hotel 1874 E. Julien Tenement House October. 30 1874 (i J. F. Goods General Store September 12 1876 Village C. W Loy Barn and Implements. . July . 24 1877 J. T. Dunn Livery Stable May . . . 11 1879 Village Job Voak Steam Flour Mill 29 1879 P. O'Brien Barn August 2 1879 SOCIETIES. ETC. Sheldon Lodge, No. 609, A.F. and A.M., was chartered October 5, 1869. The charter members were: James Cauvins, "William Wood, John Hill, L. B. Brown, C. B. Willard, Scott A. King, Enos T. Soper, A. C. Man tor, A. J. Willard, H. J. Miller, William Warrick and Jacob 184 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Wingard. The first officers were : James Oauvins, W.M. ; William Wood, S.W. ; John Hill, J.W. : L. B. Brown. Treas.; C. B. Willard, Sec. The present officers are: A. C. Mantor, W.M. ; S. H. Atwood, S.W. ; William Wood, J.W. ; J. R. Tyler, Treas. ; J. A. Day, Sec. The lodge has a fine hall, and is in a flourishing condition. It num- bers thirty-eight members. Sheldon Lodge, No. 349, I.O.O.F., was chartered October 9, 1867. The charter members were: W. B. Fleager, D. D. Tullis, James Greese, M. H. Soper, J. W. Darrough, D. M. Brenner and 0. L. Hogle. The present officers are : B. M. Michaels, N.G. ; G. W. Enslen, Y.G. ; Charles E. Tullis, R. Sec. and P. Sec., and J. S. B. Jewett, Treas. The lodge has a fine hall, and is in a flourishing condition. It num- bers thirty members. Sheldon Lodge, No. 209, I.O.G.T., was reorganized by John Q. Detweyler, December 2, 1877. The present officers are : J. A. Holmes, W.C.T. ; Mrs. John Steele, W.Y.T. ; Miss Lydia Patterson, W.S. ; John Steele, W.T.S. ; Mrs. E. Patterson, W.T. ; John Brubaker, P.W.C.T. Sheldon Lodge, No. 1098, Knights of Honor, is a mutual benefit society, and was organized by L. D. Roberts, D.G.D., May 30, 1878. It meets in Odd-Fellows' hall every two weeks. It has a membership of thirteen. The village of Haxby was surveyed, May 19, 1868, by E. W. Dod- son, for George Haxby, on land belonging to the latter. The survey was recorded July 17, 1868. The plat contains about 12 acres, located on the north side of the railroad, at the state line, in Sheldon township. The population is about 75 to 100. Albert Salsbury bought the first two lots for $50. Oscar Bishop built the first house in the winter of 1862, and sold liquor in the same. In the winter of 1862 the railroad company built two frame engine-houses and a hotel. A few other saloons, and a general store for a short period, constituted the business of the place. Its close proximity to Sheldon excludes a post-office. In the spring of 1879 a school-house was erected on a lot donated by Mr. Haxby. The chief and perhaps only object of the village is to afford convenient accommodations to the railroad hands who constitute the population. Though a few pioneers made settlements within the present limit of this township as far back as the thirties, they were confined to the timber in the northwest corner. The vast prairie, embracing almost the entire township, was not settled until a much later date, and surely the pioneer period extended until 1860^ if not later. Since that time the broad expanse of wild prairie has been transformed into a scene of SHELDOIST TOWNSHIP. 185 industrial activity, scarcely equaled by any township in the county. Since that time two railroads have passed within the bounds of the township, affording an outlet to all the cardinal points of the compass for the surplus products; nearly 2,000 people have become residents; a city of 1,000 people has sprung up, as if by magic ; the rude log cabins and shanties have all disappeared, and have been replaced by beautiful specimens of modern architecture, until on every hand we seem to be reminded that this is wonderland. BIOGRAPHICAL. The Eastburns. Prominent among the names of the early settlers of Iroquois county is that of Eastburn. The name appears as early as 1830, since which time five generations have appeared in this county. The early history of the Eastburns traces through a long line of ances- try back to England. Those who came to this county were descendants of Jesse Eastburn, who was born in Maryland in the year 1770. He was twice married, first to Miss Abigail Phillips, of Pennsylvania, and next to Mrs. Barbara Pitinger, of Ohio. By the second marriage there was one child, which died in Ohio, where Mrs. Eastburn had returned after the death of her husband. By the first marriage there were nine children, four of whom have lived in this county : Hezekiah, Joseph B., Jesse Jr., and William, all of whom were born in Adams county, Ohio. Jesse Eastburn, Sr., came to this county about the year 1833, and settled on section 5 of the present township of Sheldon, where he lived until his death. He had been preceded by his son Hezekiah, who settled about three miles southwest of the present village of Iro- quois in the spring of the year 1830, and died October 29, 1832. June 6, 1822, he was married to Miss Ann Black, by whom he became the father of five children, three of whom are living : Margaret, Jesse R., and Mary J. May 4, 1836, Mrs. Eastburn married James Crozzar, who settled in this county in the fall of 1830, and died in 1869. Mrs. Crozzar is now living with her daughter, near the place of her early settlement. Joseph B. Eastburn settled in Iroquois county about the year 1833. He married Miss Sarah A. Truitt, a native of Adams county, Ohio. They settled in what is now Concord township, and in 1835 moved to his father's farm in the present township of Sheldon, where he lived until his death, April 14, 1850; she died August 28, 1870. Of their nine children four are living : William L., Parker T., A. M., and David C. Jesse Eastburn, Jr., married Miss Jane Smedley in Ohio, April 7, 1831. She was born in Pennsylvania, January 18, 1809. They settled near Iroquois, in this county, in 1835. In 1870 they moved to Sheldon, where, September 3, 1873, he died. They 12 186 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. had nine children, four of whom are living : Isaac H., James JL, Annie A. and David J. Mrs. Eastburn married Mr. Harrison Hedge Novem. ber 21, 1875. He was born in Massachusetts, February 2, 1813, and moved to New York when quite young, thence to Indiana, where, September 8, 1836, he married Miss Elizabeth Ewan, of New York. She died in Iroquois county, Illinois, in 1868. They had six children : Mercy H*, Arthur S., Mary, Samuel, Amanda E. and Cordelia. In 1871 Mr. Hedge moved to Sheldon, and has lived there since. While in Indiana he learned the carpenter's trade, and followed it and farm- ing, but of late years he has lived retired. William Eastburn married Miss Julia A. Moore, a native of Kentucky. They were married in Tippecanoe county, Indiana. He first came to this county in 1833, then returned to Indiana and came with his family in 1835, and lived here until their deaths, March 11, 1870, and February 22, 1871, respect- ively. Of their ten children four are living : Henry H., George W., Montgomery and Sidney T. Jesse R. Eastburn, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Adams county, Ohio, November 4, 1824, and came to this county with his parents in the spring of 1830, and in the latter part of the same year they settled on his present place. In 1832 his father died, and in 1833 he went among his relatives in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and lived there until 1845, when he returned here and bought out the heirs, and lived on the old homestead since. November 6, 1848, he was married to Miss Tabitha Critchfield, of Ohio. She died November 9, 1854. They had two children : Ann and Ellen. May 1, 1856, he was married to Miss Margaret Howry. She was born in Warren county, Indiana. They had four children, three living : Sarah J., Mattie and Jesse. He owns 290 acres in this county, located three and and a half miles northwest of Sheldon. He has held the offices of school director, road commissioner and supervisor. William L. Eastburn, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, is probably the first child born in Concord township, Iroquois county, Illinois. He was born February 22, 1834. May 12, 1854, he was married to Miss Massa Hougland. She was born in Coshocton county, Ohio. Of their eleven children nine are living: Charles, Joseph B., James, Minnie F., Ella J., Maggie, George, Cynthia and William P. Mr. Eastburn lived with his parents until one year after his marriage, when he moved to his present place. He owns 500 acres in this county, which he has earned mostly by his own labor. Two of his children are married : Charles and Joseph B. The latter was married, October 18, 1877, to Miss Sarah E. Gooding. Charles was married to Berthenia McKimson, February 14, 1877. His two children, George B. and Jesse, represent the fifth generation of the family in this county. SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 187 Parker T. Eastbnrn, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, is a native of Sheldon township, Iroquois county, Illinois. He was born November 20, 1838, and is probably the second child born within the present limits of the township. He began farming for himself in 1858. August 9, 1871, he was married to Miss Julia A. Moore, who was born in Scioto county, Ohio, July 25, 1843. Of their four children three are living: Luther F., Clara, and an infant. He has held the offices of school director, trustee and township assessor, and has served as super- visor for three years. He owns 326 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor. The farm is located three miles east of the village of Sheldon, and is well adapted to stock-raising, in which he is extensively engaged. A. M. Eastburn, farmer, Sheldon, was born on his present place August 29, 1842, and has always made this his home. In 1861 he began working on his own account, farming part of the present place, and improved an eighty-acre farm about four miles southeast of here. In the fall of the same year he enlisted in Co. C, 51st reg. 111. Yol. Inf., and remained in service four years and one month. From 1863 he was sergeant. He was in the battles of Island No. 10, Stone River, Chickamauga, Resaca, and Atlanta campaign. At Chickamauga he was wounded, and was in the hospital four months. With others he was captured at Stone River, but was recaptured in a few hours. From the army he returned home and bought out one of the heirs to the old homestead, and has lived on the place since. April 5, 1868, he married Miss Sarah E. Pinneo, who was born in Clark county, Ohio. They had five children, three living : Grace, Nellie and Allen P. He owns 286 acres in this county, which he has earned mostly by his own labor. David C. Eastburn, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, is a native of Sheldon township, this county. He was born August 12, 1845, and lived at home until 1862, when he enlisted in the 76th 111. Vol., and remained in the service until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Sabine Cross Roads, siege of Vicksburg, Mobile, and the other engagements of the regiment. After the war he returned home and engaged in farming. April 21, 1866, he was married to Miss Annie E. "Webster, of England. They have h' ve children, Francis H., Edith C., Barton T., John C. and William P. In 1868 he moved to his present place and has lived here since. He owns 200 acres of land, which he has earned mostly by his own labor and management. Isaac H. Eastburn, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Lawrence county, Ohio, December 5, 1833, and with his parents settled in Iroquois county, Illinois, in 1835. He lived with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age. February 1, 1857, he was married to 188 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. ' Miss Susannah Foy, of Coshocton county, Ohio. After their marriage they moved to their present place and lived there since. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the 76th 111. Yol., and was in the service three years, serving first as corporal and then as sergeant. He was in the siege of Yicksburg, and the battles of Jackson, Mobile, and the other engagements of the regiment. After the war he returned home and resumed business on the farm which contains 253 acres, located two miles northeast of Sheldon. James H. Eastburn, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Concord township, this county, January 2, 1838, and lived at home until August, 1862, when he enlisted in the 67th 111. Vol. He was made second sergeant and was later promoted to first lieutenant. He was in the service three years and took part in the siege and cap- ture of Yicksburg, and of Mobile, also the other engagements of the regiment. He returned home after the war, and October 26, 1865, was married to Miss Mattie "Watkins, of Montgomery county, Indiana. After his marriage he began farming on his own account. In 1866 he moved to his present place and has lived here since. He owns 300 acres of land in this county, located three miles northeast of the village of Sheldon. Annie A. Eastburn was married to B. H. Thornton, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, February 21, 1834. He came to Iroquois county 'in 1854. The marriage took place November 29, 1857. After the marriage he bought and improved a piece of wild land, on which he lived until 1865, when they sold out and moved to Bates county, Missouri, where they lived until 1873, at which time they returned to Iroquois county, and in 1874 settled on the present place, which was the old homestead farm of Jesse Eastburn, Jr., settled in 1835. Mr. Thornton has held the office of assessor, and also the school offices. Of their eleven children ten are living : Ella, Benjamin, Minnie, Annie, Edward, Charles, Ross, Frank, Nettie and Albert. D. J. Eastburn, editor and proprietor of the " Sheldon Enterprise," is a native of Iroquois county, Illinois. He was born in Concord township, May 10, 1845. His early life was spent on the farm and attending the district school until at the age of fifteen, when he attended school at Battle Ground, in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, remaining there during the winters and working on the farm during summers until he was nineteen years of age. He then attended the Asbury University at Greencastle, Indiana, at which place he re- mained for five years, graduating in 1869. He then returned home and engaged as teacher in the High School at Kentland, Indiana. In 1870 he formed a partnership with Dr. Brown, the firm being Brown SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 189 & Eastburn. They conducted the drug business in Sheldon for four years, when he sold his interest and visited Kansas, returning in the fall of 1874, and soon after engaging as book-keeper with Daniel Fry, of Watseka. March 8, 1875, he bought an interest in the " Sheldon Enterprise," and June 1 of the same year became sole editor and pro- prietor, and with the exception of a few months has continued as the same since. February 12, 1873, he was married to Miss Caroline H Lyon, who was born in Clearh'eld county, Pennsylvania. They have one child, Ethel C. Henry II. Eastburn, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, January 31, 1839, and came to Iroquois county in 1843 with his parents, and with the exception of two years in Tippecanoe county, has lived here since. He lived twenty-one years with his parents. In 1862 he enlisted in the 76th 111. Vol., and served over three years. He was at the siege of Yicksburg, Fort Blakeley, and the other battles of the regiment. After the war he returned home and went to farming on his father's farm. December 25, 1868, he was married to Miss Susie Hougland. She was born in this county. They have two children : Samuel and William A. In 1871 he came to his present place and has lived on the same since. His residence was burned January 23, 1879, and he at once built his present residence. Geo. W. Eastburn, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, is a native of Iroquois county, Illinois. He was born, August 11, 1841, and lived- with his parents until 1862, when he enlisted in the 76th 111. Vol., and was corporal of Co. A. He remained in the service three years. He was in the battles of Vicksburg, Fort Blakeley, Alabama, and the other engagements of the regiment. After the war he returned home and attended school and worked on the farm. March 22, 1870, he was married to Miss Mary E. Bussert, of Ohio. They have two children : Arthur "W. B. and Zelda A. After his marriage Mr. Eastburn began farming in Sheldon township, and in the spring of 1872 he came to his present place, and has lived here since. He has held no office except connected with the school and road. Sidney T. Eastburn, farmer, Sheldon, was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in the year 1852, and came to Iroquois county. Illinois, in 1854. He lived with his parents for sixteen years, and then worked by the month until 1879. February 14 of that year he married Miss Ada Ray, who was born in Wisconsin, and came to this county with her mother when very young. After his marriage Mr. Eastburn settled on his present place and has lived here since. He owns 170 acres in this county, which he has principally earned by his own labor and management. 190 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. S. D. Fry, fanner and stock-raiser, Watseka, is a native of Coshoc- ton county, Ohio. He was born January 16, 1832. In 1834 he came to Illinois with his parents, who settled near Bunkum, where he lived until he was twenty-one. April 21, 1853, he was married to Miss Harriet Smith. She was born in Ohio, and died January 30, 1856. Soon after his marriage he moved to Belmont township and farmed until 1867. He then came to his present place and has lived here since. March 22, 1857, he was married to Miss Emily Moore, who was born in Belmont township, this county, November 24, 1837. They had five children, four living : Marion, Annie, Minor and Dicie. He owns 160 acres in this county. He has made many trips by team to Chicago. His first trip was about 1842 or 1843, and he has since made as many as nine trips in one fall. His parents, John and Sarah (Doran) Fry, were born in Virginia. They were married September 27, 1827, in Ohio, where they moved when young. They settled near Bunkum, in Iroquois county, Illinois, in the year 1834. In 1836 he served as a juryman on the trial of Thomason. He has delivered hogs in Chicago as early as 1834. Of his eight children seven are living. He has always lived in this county. February 12, 1879, his wife died in Watseka, since which time he has been living with his son. James W. Murray, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Greene county, Ohio, August 14, 1832, and lived there four years, when with his parents he came to Illinois and settled near Iroquois. He lived there until he was twenty years of age. He then moved two and a half 'miles to his brother-in-law's, and made his home with him for three years. July 23, 1855, he married Miss M. Johnson, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, and died November 25, 1871. They had eight children, four of whom are living : Mary A., Sarah E., Elva and Samuel. In the following December after his marriage he settled on his present place, which he entered in 1853, and has lived here since. He has not been an office seeker, his only office being con- nected with the school. He owns 129 acres in this county. James Hougland, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, March 31, 1818. He was born on the farm and his education was limited to less than three months' schooling. At the age of twenty he began renting land of his father. December 25, 1837, he married Miss Hannah Fox, who was born in Muskingum county, Ohio. After his marriage he moved to a house on his father's farm and lived there three years, then went to his father-in-law's farm, where he lived until 1845. He subsequently came to Illinois and rented of Squire Courtright three years, and in 1848 came to his present place. He owns 1,161 acres in this county, which he has SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 191 earned by his own labor. Of their ten children seven are living : Eli, Levina, Sarah, Ira, James, Nancy and Charles. His parents, Isaac and Polly (Carpenter) Hougland, were natives of Virginia. Her brother, Thomas Carpenter, is supposed to be the first white child born in Ohio. Eli and Levina (Andrews) Fox were natives of Connecticut, and moved to Ohio at an early day. Christian Zumwalt, farmer and stock- raiser, Sheldon, was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, September 8, 1824. At the age of four years his parents moved to Fountain county, Indiana, and there con- ducted a saw and grist mill. In 1835 while there his father died. In 1842 with his mother he moved to Illinois and settled in Yermilion county, where he followed farming. In 1847 he moved to Belmont township in Iroquois county. In 1849 his mother died in Fountain county, Indiana, while on a visit. He then moved to Yermilion county, thence to Iowa, thence to Tazewell county, Illinois, living short periods at each place. He then came to his present place and has lived here since. He owns 180 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor and management. He has not been an office seeker, his only offices being connected with the school and roads. In February, 1847, he was married to Miss Salinda A. Oder, who was born in Kentucky, and moved to Vermilion county, Illinois, while young. They had eight children, seven living : Mary J., Martha, Sarah J., Adelia, Charles, George and Franklin. O. P. Bookless, farmer, Sheldon, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, January 15, 1820. He was born on the farm and lived there about twenty years. He then took a trip, visiting Philadelphia, Balti- more, etc., and in 1842 traveled south, going by water to Helena, Ar- kansas, thence to White river, thence on foot two hundred miles up the river, and returned by canoe, thence to St. Louis via Helena, thence to Peoria, Illinois, thence on foot to Middleport, the county-seat of Iroquois county, and worked through harvest. He then went east on horseback to his home in Ohio. In 1846 he went to Parke county, Indiana, and in the spring of 1848 came to Illinois and settled near Middleport. He engaged in farming and lived there until the fall of 1850, when he came to Concord (now Sheldon) township, and one year later settled on his present place. January 1, 1850, he was mar- ried to Miss Emily Lister, who was born in Fountain county, Indiana, April 18, 1830. They had seven children, five living: Rebecca A., William, Emily J., Leonard and James. All but William, who is in Kansas, live in this county. Robert Caldwell, farmer, insurance agent and notary public, Sheldon, is a native of Pickaway county, Ohio. He was born February 22, 1831. 192 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. At the age of twenty-one he moved to Rensselaer, Indiana, and in July of the same year came to Illinois and settled on a farm located two miles southwest of the present village of Sheldon. He and his brother Isaac M. were in partnership. Both came and lived together until the war, when Isaac M. enlisted in the 76th 111. Vol., and took sick and died at Memphis. Mr. Robert has always lived in this town- ship since his settlement here in 1852. In October, 1878, he moved from his farm and occupied his present brick residence in Sheldon. In 1858 and 1859 he was assessor of Concord township. In 1860 he was elected justice of the peace and held the office until 1876. In 1878 he was appointed notary, and engaged in the insurance business, representing the Springfield Fire and Marine, and the !New York Life. On August 12, 1856, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Cynthia Pinneo, who is a native of Springfield, Ohio. They have had four children, three living : Orlando B., Leroy and Olive A. J. R. Tyler, hardware dealer, Sheldon, was born in Waldo county, Maine, March 28, 1832, and lived there until he was eighteen years of age, \vhen with his parents he moved to Shelby county, Ohio, and lived there two years. While there he finished his trade of a carpenter. In the fall of 1852 he came to Illinois, and settled in Texas, Iroquois county, and worked at his trade and carried on his farm for the follow- ing fifteen years. He then came to Sheldon and worked at his trade two years, and then went to Gilman. The following year he returned to Sheldon, and worked one year at his trade. After this he engaged in the hardware business, and continued in the same two years. For awhile he worked at his trade again, until 1879, when he engaged in his present business. September 22, 1861, he was married to Miss C. V. Amos, who was born in Indiana, and died October 8, 1871. They had three children : Ora W., Sarah F. and Clara. July 22, 1873, he married Miss Kate Tullis, who was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana. David D. Tullis, proprietor of livery and feed stables, Sheldon, was born in Wayne county, Indiana, December 4, 1822, and lived there six years, when with his parents he moved to Randolph county, Indi- ana, where he lived two years during, which time his father died. In company with his mother and family he then moved to Shelby county, where they lived until January, 1839. He afterward went to Tippe- canoe county, where, July 27, 1849, he was married to Miss Jane Murdock. She was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana. In 1850 his mother died at the residence of her daughter in Wayne county, Indi- ana. In January, 1853, he came to Illinois and settled in Belmont township, this county, and engaged in farming. In March, 1855, he SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 193 moved to Middleport township, and in the winter of 1862 he came to what is now Sheldon township. March 1, 1859, he came to Sheldon and engaged in his present business. He has held the office of con- stable in Middleport township, and for twelve years in Sheldon town- ship. He has also served as deputy sheriff. He has four children living : Charles E., George W., Francis F. and Eleanor J. In 1843 Mr. Tullis drove a family from near La Fayette, Indiana, to Yellowhead Point, in Kankakee county. He passed through here, but there were no settlements between Parrish Grove and Iroquois (old Bunkum). His parents, John and Eleanor (Conwell) Tullis, were natives of Vir- ginia, where they were married. They moved from Virginia to Middletown, Ohio, and thence, in 1816, to Wayne county, Indiana. They raised ten children, live boys and five girls, all of whom married and raised families. Mr. David D. is the youngest and only surviving one of the family. Dr. Lucian B. Brown, physician and druggist, Sheldon, is a native of Jamaica, Vermont. He was born June 7, 1834, and lived there seventeen years. He then moved to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and the following year returned to Vermont. In 1853 he moved to Iro- quois (old Bunkum), Illinois, and began reading medicine under Dr. S. A. Barry, and continued the same four years. During the winter of 1855-6 he attended Ann Arbor, Michigan ; and in 185T he graduated from the Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois. He began to practice regularly in 1856, in Bunkum, and resided there until 1862, when he was commissioned first assistant surgeon 113th 111. Vol., 3d Board of Trade, and was in service until June 20, 1865. He was promoted to the rank of major-surgeon of the regulars in April, 1864, and March 8, 1865, he was detached and assigned as surgeon-in-chief of the post of Memphis and defenses, by an order of Maj.-Gen. C. C. Washburue. He was relieved June 19, 1865, by Brig.-Gen. A. L. Ch'etlain, and came to Sheldon, Illinois, where he again resumed his practice, adding the drug business in 1870. He has been identified with that business since, with the exception of two years. Mr. Brown was elected the first supervisor of Sheldon town- ship, and has served as village trustee and president of the board of same. November 14, 1866, he was married to Miss Ella Soper, who was born in Maine. They had five children, three living: Nellie, Grace and Blanche. A. C. Mantor, carpenter and builder, Sheldon, was born in Franklin county, Massachusetts, August 4, 1809, and lived there four years, when with his parents he moved to New York, where he lived until 1831, during which time his parents died. He then went to Cincinnati and 194 HISTORY OF IEOQUOIS COUNTY. engaged at his trade of carpenter and builder. He lived there until 1853, when he came to Illinois and settled in Iroquois county, living one year at Iroquois or old Bunkum. He then went on a farm he bought, and followed farming until 1875, when he sold out and built his present residence in Sheldon, occupying it in the spring of 1876. April 23, 1835, he was married to Miss Rebecca Wardall, who was born in England. They had eight children, five living: Lyman, Cor- nelia, Childs, Annie and Emma. Dr. S. A. Barry (deceased), was born in Vermont, December 27, 1817. He became a physician, and removed to Anderson, Indiana, where, April 30, 1854, he was married to Miss Moriah Tharp. She was born in Madison county, Indiana. From Anderson they moved to Wabash county, Indiana, thence to Danville, Illinois, thence to Momence, and in about 1854 he came to Iroquois county, and settled in Iroquois. In 1860 he came to Sheldon. He was the first physician in Sheldon township. He continued his residence and practice here until his death, April 12, 1878. Mrs. Barry is living in the old home- stead here in Sheldon. Of the three children, two are living : Winnie B. and Birdie B. Andrew M. Darrough, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Bracken county, Kentucky, October 23, 1847, and lived there four years, when with his parents he moved to Montgomery county, Indiana, and lived there until 1854, when they came to Illinois, and settled in Sheldon township, where he lived until he was twenty-two years of age. He then moved to Benton county, Indiana, and taught school in the winters, and improved a farm he had bought during summers, living there six years, except one year spent teaching in Parke county, Indiana. He subsequently came to his present place. October 23, 1873, he was married to Miss Matilda Camper, who was born in Parke county, Indiana. They have three children : Ethan, Bicey and Truman. He owns 240 acres of land, located five and a half miles southwest of Sheldon. His parents, Samuel V. and Ricey (Quaintarice) Darrough, were natives of Kentucky. They were married in Maysville, and came here as stated. J. W. Johnson, undertaker and dealer in furniture, Sheldon, was born in Sweden, November 13. 1847, and came to the United States with his parents in the spring of 1854. In the fall of the same year they settled in Beaver township, Iroquois county, Illinois. In the fall of 1855 his father died, and with his mother he went to Chicago, where they lived two years ; when, upon the marriage of his mother, they moved back to the farm, and lived there until the fall of 1863, at which time he enlisted in Co. C, 51st reg. 111. Inf., and served SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 195 until October 21, 1865. He was in the battles of Rocky Face, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta campaign and Franklin, where he was twice wounded and carried from the field, and confined in the hospital until February, 1865. He soon after joined his regiment and remained with it until his discharge from the army. He returned home and bought out the other heirs to the farm, and conducted it until 1869. He then rented his farm, and visited his native country and the prin- cipal countries of Europe. He returned home and spent the summer of 1870 in a grocery store in Kentland, Indiana, and taught school in the following fall. In 1872 he engaged in buying grain at Donovan. He also acted as station-agent and built the first house of the place. He lived there until 1878, when he came to Sheldon and engaged in the hardware business, and in January, 1879, sold out and engaged in the real-estate business, the firm being Fields & Johnson. In July of the same year he added the furniture and undertaking business. March 16, 1873, he was married to Miss Emma C. Johnson, who was born in Sweden. They had three children, two living: Lillie G. and Helma May. In addition to his business interests Mr. Johnson retains his farm of 190 acres in Beaver township, which he has rented. IS". H. Waity, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Nor- way, August 24, 1825, and lived there twelve years. With his parents he then came to the United States and settled at Beaver Creek, Illinois, where his parents died. He lived there but a few months, when he went to Moriticello, Illinois, and lived there about one year. He returned to Beaver Creek and hired to a Mr..Enslen, living on the Iroquois, and soon after was bound out for four years to a Mr. Seritchfield, with whom he lived six years. He then farmed for himself, and in 1854 settled on his present place. He owns 413 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor. September 13, 1849, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Enslen, who was born in Indiana, and died August 3, 1868. Of their three children one is living, Henry E. February 13, 1870, he was married to Miss Rosanna Coughenour, who was born in Iroquois county, Illinois. Of their five children four are living: Delia E., Ella S., Charles N. and Frank. B. Bishopp, dealer in lumber, coal and agricultural implements, Sheldon, was born in Kent county, England, in November, 1838, and lived there nearly sixteen years, when with his parents he came to the United States, and settled in what is now Sheldon township, in 1855, and lived there for fifteen years, during which time he learned the carpenter's trade. September 4, 1867, he was married to Miss Martha A. Moore, who was born in this county. After the marriage he moved to Stockland township, and lived there four years. He 196 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. then came to Sheldon and engaged in the lumber business, and took contracts for building. They have five children : Eddie B., "W. Frank, Virginia M., Harry B. and John D. In 1878 he was elected super- visor of this township, and has held the office since. He has also held school offices, and the office of village trustee. He owns about 500 acres of land in this county, of which he manages 250, and has 250 rented. Stephen Buckley, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Preble county, Ohio, January 2, 1823, and lived there three years, when with his parents he moved to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and lived there until 1856. He then came to Illinois and settled on his present place, which he bought from the government in 1854. June 3, 1848, he was married to Miss Eliza Jane Harper, who was born in Montgomery county, Indiana. They had six children, five living: Samuel, Delila, Sarah, Alonzo and Moriah E. He owns 645 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor. His parents, James and Sarah (Lincoln) Buckley, were natives of North Carolina and Ohio. She died in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in 1844. He later married Mrs. Jacobs, and in 1854 settled in this county, where he lived about eighteen months. He then moved to Carroll county, Indiana, where he now lives. R. "W. Foster, grocer, Sheldon, is a native of Northampton county, North Carolina. He was born April 3, 1829, and when quite young in years, with his parents moved to Ohio and settled in Logan county, where they engaged in farming. He lived in Ohio until 1856, when he came to Illinois and settled in Iroquois county, in Crab Apple (now Stockland) township, and lived there until 1875, when he came to Sheldon and worked in a lumber yard about one year. Then, in partnership with Mr. Carroll, he bought out the lumber business and conducted it one year. They sold out and Mr. Foster engaged in his present business. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the 76th 111. Vol. Inf., and remained in service two years. He was in the battles of Yicksburg, Jackson, Benton and the other battles in which his regi- ment was engaged. In March, 1851, he was married to Miss Huldah Inskeep, who was born in Logan county, Ohio. They had three children, one living, Annettie. A. B. Caldwell, real-estate and insurance agent, Sheldon, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, December 17, 1833, and lived there twenty- three years. He then traveled in the west for one year, and in the fall of 1857 settled in what is now Sheldon township. He was engaged in farming in the summers and taught school in the winters for the first ten years, and then confined himself to farming until 1874, SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 197 when he moved to the village of Sheldon. He engaged in the hard- ware business, the firm being Holmes & Caldwell, which continued until June, 1875, when they sold out. In 1876 Mr. Caldwell bought back the business and continued the same until September 1, 1878, when he again sold out, and has since confined himself to the duties of his office as justice of the peace, and to his real-estate and insurance business. March 13, 1859, he was married to Miss Margaret Pinneo, who was born in Clark county, Ohio, and died June 17, 1863. They had one child, Eva. February 13, 1866, he was married to Miss Elizabeth L. Holmes, who was born in Highland county, Ohio. They have four children : Maimie, Nellie, Alburtos H. and Fred B. A. V. Gard, proprietor of a general store, Sheldon, was born in Butler county, Ohio, March 28, 1820. He lived on the farm, working by the month, until he was twenty-two years of age ; then married Miss Mary Ann Robertson, who was born in Germantown, Ohio, and died November 5, 1854. After his marriage he began farming on his own account, and about two years later he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness in Trenton, Ohio. In 1848 he moved to near Yernon, Indiana, where he engaged in farming; thence to Indianapolis, where he con- ducted the Holmes House. In 1853 he move to Newton county, Indi- ana, and settled near the state line, farming for about two years; thence to Tippecanoe county, Indiana; and about 1857 he came to Iroquois county, Illinois, and settled in Beaver township, where he served as supervisor and justice of the peace, and established the Bea- ver Grove post-office during the administration of Mr. Lincoln. In 1863 he engaged in the general merchandise business in Kentland, Indiana, and in 1865 returned to his farm, where he remained until 1872, except one year in Pontiac, Illinois, where he was engaged in the general store business. In 1872 he again went to Kentland, and was engaged selling lumber and agricultural implements. He also conducted a grocery for two years. In February, 1879, he came to Sheldon, Illinois, and engaged in his present business. November 17, 1855, he was married to Miss Josephine A. Hanger, who was born in Tippecanoe county. Indiana. Of their six children four are living : Orris, Victory A., Fannie M. and Frederick H. There were three children by first marriage : Isaac N., Alexander J. and Ezra P. William B. Fleager, banker, Sheldon, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, September 30, 1830, and lived there twenty-one years, during which time he received a limited education. In 1851 he came west and settled in Peoria, where he engaged as clerk in an iron store, remaining in the same four years. He then took the agency of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw rail- 198 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. road, at Conger, Illinois, and in addition to the agency engaged in the grain and lumber business at that point. At the end of two years he was offered the agency of the P. & O. E. Ex. and Illinois Central railroads, at Gilrnan, Illinois, but was allowed only three days' time in which to decide. He concluded to go, and at once sold his business, receiving $3,000, and at the end of the three days was at his post in Gilman, and there remained until March 1, 1860, when he took charge of Sheldon Station, and subsequently became the leading spirit of the village. Short after his arrival he built the first house of the place, and later built the first store, in which he conducted the grocery business, and receiving the appointment of postmaster he used his store as the office. He also added the lumber business in 1861, and began buying grain and selling agricultural implements. Under his careful and energetic management all branches of his busi- ness were successful, and within a few years his grocery business, at first confined to a room 16x26 feet, became a general store with a stock valued at $10,000, and occupying a room 16x100 feet. The grain business that started in a small shed soon occupied a steam elevator. In short, his business was prosperous throughout in every branch, with the exception of two years when he served as railroad agent and post- master until 1873, when he sold out his business and built the present Fleager's Bank Building. He engaged in the banking business, and has since invested $25,000 in buildings championing a movement that has secured to Sheldon one of the finest brick business blocks in the county. He owns .about 500 acres of land in this township, on a part of which he has built his present elegant brick residence. In 1858 he married Miss Mariah Brubaker, of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania; she died in Sheldon, May 15, 1875. There were four children, two of whom are living : Charles G. and Arthur B. March 1, 1877, he mar- ried Miss Florence M. Milliman, who was born in New York. They have one child, Clarence Earl. On account of strictly temperate habits and indomitable energy, Mr. Fleager has been successful in business. He is a consistent member of the Methodist church, and has the proud satisfaction, while remembering that he has been the architect of his own fortune, to know that he has so lived as not only to win, but also to deserve, the confidence and esteem of all who know him. Jacob Wingard, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Frank- lin county, Pennsylvania, March 18, 1819, and lived there nineteen years. With his parents he then moved to Indiana and settled in Carroll county, where he lived until 1861, at which time he came to Illinois, and settled on his present place. January 5, 1841, he was married to Miss Susanna Zook, who was born in Pennsylvania. They SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 199 had seventeen children, twelve living: Abraham, John, Catharine, Susanna, Jacob, Alexander, James, Elizabeth, Rosanna, Benjamin, Mary E. and Emily. Formerly he owned over 800 acres of land, but has since divided all but 185 among his children. Two years before he came here he shipped five cars of lumber to his sons, at Sheldon, and they improved the farm. The shipment was the first of the kind to Sheldon, and later he sold Sherman & Smith the first wheat sold at Sheldon. In addition to his land in this county he owns 640 acres in Missouri, all earned by his own labor. George Haxby, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in York- shire, England, October 8, 1811, and lived there twenty-six years. He came to the United States and settled in Dearborn county, Indiana, and farmed there until February, 1862, when he came to Illinois and settled on his present place. In August, 1840, he married Miss Rachel Brown, who was born in England, and died here in 1870. Of their eight children five are living: Martha J., Ellen, Mary, William and Joseph. In November, 1874, he married Mrs. Ellsworth, formerly Miss Mary Ketchler, who was born in England. He owns 580 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor, and upon which he has laid out the village of Haxby, an account of which will be seen elsewhere. He is no office seeker, and has held no office except con- nected with the roads. R. G. Risser, of the firm of P. Risser & Son, dealers in general merchandise, Sheldon, is a native of Ashland county, Ohio. He was born in July, 1841, and lived in Ohio until 1862, wh,en with his parents he came to Illinois and settled in Onarga, Iroquois county, where his father engaged in mercantile business, in which Mr. Risser assisted for five years. He then became a partner in thte business, and the firm of P. Risser & Son was formed and has continued to the present time. In November, 1878, the firm opened a branch in Sheldon, Illinois, known as the New York store, of which Mr. R. G. Risser has the active control. He is also interested in the grain business, for which purpose he uses the large steam elevator lately erected. He is also connected with the firm of Risser & Dashiell, tailors and clothiers, Sheldon, Illinois. The active management of the latter firm is left with Mr. Dashiell. Mr. Risser has his time occupied in the man- agement of the business of P. Risser & Son, and in attending to his grain interests. October 2, 1878, he was married to Miss Eva Dun- lapp, of Champaign, Illinois. T. N. Marquis, farmer and apiarist, Woodland, Illinois, was born in Knox county, Ohio, February 1, 1834. When he was yet quite young his parents moved to Logan county, and he lived there with his 200 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. 1 parents until he was twenty-three years old. March 12, 1857, he was married to Miss Hulda A. Curl, who was born in Logan county, Ohio, and died in Illinois in 1869. After the marriage he farmed on his father's farm until 1863. He afterward came to Illinois, and farmed a year in Richland county. He then came to Iroquois county and set- tled in Stockland township, where he lived one year, and then went to Belmont township, and in the spring of 1867 settled on his present place. By his first marriage he had six children, five living : Eliza- beth A., Edith E, Alice E., Mary F., and Caloin. In the fall of 1874 he married Miss Sarah B. Canaday, who was born in Virginia. They have one child, Ellen. He owns 90 acres of land in this county. In 1869 he turned his attention to the culture of the bee, starting with a swarm he caught on the fence. From information he obtained from books on the subject, his business has been successful, and he now has sixty-five hives. His crop of honey for 1878 was 3,200 pounds. David White, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Ayr- shire, Scotland, January 21, 1841, and lived there about seventeen years, during which time he received a limited education. He then came to the United States, and settled in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, and lived there four years, working on a farm. He then went to Noble county, Indiana, where he worked in the woods ; thence to Warren county, Indiana, where he farmed. In 1866 he came to Illinois and settled on his present place, and has lived here since. At first he bought 40 acres, and has since increased his farm to 165. January 3, 1864, he was married to Miss Amanda Hemrnilright, who was born in Ohio. They have seven children : William T., John D., Nettie J., Agnes, Emma A., Artie and Ann. He is no office seeker, and has held no ofiice, except those connected with the school or road. Thomas Thornill, insurance agent, Sheldon, was born in Lincoln- shire, England, November 15, 1825, and lived there seventeen years. He then came to the United States and settled in Wheeling, Cook county, Illinois, where he lived seven years, and then went to Wil- mington, Illinois, where he lived until 1863. From there he went to La Fayette, Indiana, where he engaged in the insurance business, and lived there until 1867, when he went to Reynolds and engaged in the drug business. In 1868 he came to Sheldon and engaged in the drug business. He was appointed postmaster that year, and held the office seven years. In 1876 he closed out his drug business, and has since been insurance agent. June 17, 1851, he was married to Miss E. J. Waldron, who was born in Onondaga county, New York. They had four children, three living: Franklin P., Endora E. and Jessie B. Joseph Brubaker, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 203 Richland county, Ohio, July 7, 1826, and lived there twenty-five years, when with his parents he moved to Illinois, and settled in "Woodford county, near Eureka, where they engaged in farming. In 1853 he went to Ohio, and February 22 of that year he was married to Miss Anna M. Charles, who was born in Ashland county, Ohio. After his marriage he returned to Woodford county, Illinois, and engaged in farming on his own account, remaining there until 1868, when he came to his present place and has lived here since. He has served as road commissioner four years, and as school director 'ten years. He owns 490 acres in this county, which he has principally earned by his own labor. Of his four children three are living: Charles H., Wesley Y. and Frank A. Mr. Brubaker has been a member of the M. E. church for nineteen years, and steward of the same during that period. George F. Hull, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Warren count}^ Pennsylvania, November 1, 1840, and lived there seven years, when with his parents he moved to Aurora, Illinois, and lived there until 1859. He then engaged as salesman for Hewitt & Bro., general jobbers, Chicago, and traveled for them ten years, receiving the first month $30 ; the next six months he worked at the rate of $50, and then $125 per month and expenses. On his way from Louisville, Kentucky,' to Chicago, he passed this county, and liking its appearance, returned and bought half of section 36, which he has sold, with the exception of his present place of 140 acres. November 24, 1868, he was married to Miss Mary Filer, who was born in Pennsylvania, and died in 1875 here in Illinois. Of their three children two are living : Clara and Frank. April 24, 1877, he was married to Miss Margaret Roberts, a native of Indiana. They have one child, Bertha. Mr. Hull lived on his farm three years, and then, owing to sickness, moved to Sheldon and lived there five years, during which time he was engaged as traveling salesman for J. Bronson, of Detroit, Michigan, in the notion business ; J. O. Ely, wholesale jewelry, Chicago ; and B. F. Boston, of Pennsylvania, for whom he sold patent-rights in the middle and western states. Dr. David Greenlee, justice of peace, Sheldon, was born in Rock- bridge county, Virginia, September 7, 1807, and lived there fifteen years. He then moved to Ross county, Ohio, with his parents. He lived there until 1837, and studied medicine under Dr. S. Burnham, a class- mate, at Harvard, of Daniel Webster. He afterwards moved to High- land county, and began the practice of medicine, and then moved to Adarns, thence to Defiance, and thence to Henry county. In 1869 he came to Sheldon, Illinois, and began the practice of medicine. February 24, 1847, he graduated at the medical branch of the Ohio Hudson 13 204 HISTORY OF IEOQUOIS COUNTY. College, his diploma being signed by President Pierce. He is now living with his third wife. Her maiden name was Lydia A. Parker, and she was born in Ohio. They have four children living : Willie F., Irene A., Ida K. and Mary A. In 1873 Mr. Greenlee was elected justice of the peace, and was reflected in 1877. John Glass, farmer, Sheldon, was born in Allegheny county, Penn- sylvania, January 25, 1833, and lived there until 1855. He then went to California via New York and Panama, and remained there five years. He was engaged in mining, and after returning the money he borrowed with which to go, he came back with $3,200. He went to Pennsylvania and lived with his mother, engaging in the sand business in partnership with Thomas Murdock. They furnished sand for many of the leading buildings of Allegheny. They continued two years. Mr. Glass then went to the oil regions, and superintended the Guepner, Heln & Co. Oil Company, and took interest in other wells. In 1869 he came to Illinois and settled on his present place. March 23, 1871, he was married to Miss Alice J. Darrough, who was born in Kentucky, and died February 1, 1877. They had four children, three living: Mattie, Gracie and Alice. He owns 175 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor. Robert Ross, carriage and wagon-maker and blacksmith, Sheldon, was born in Canada East, December 8, 1843, and lived there fifteen years. He then moved to Lisbon, Illinois, and lived there ten years, during which time he learned the carriage and wagon-making trade. February 7, 1866, he married Miss Margaret Graham ; she was born in Canada East. After his marriage he returned to Lisbon, where he had opened a shop in 1863, and lived there until 1869, when he sold out and came to Sheldon, Illinois. He bought out the carriage and wagon-shop formerly owned by Scott King, and in 1871 moved the business to its present location. There are three children in4he family : Olive V., Scott G. and Mary E. In addition to his business interests Mr. Ross owns 350 acres of land in this county. In 1873 he was elected village trustee, and reflected in 1879. He has also served as treasurer during the same period. J. A. Holmes, postmaster, Sheldon, was born in Ken ton, Hardin county, Ohio, in December, 1842, and lived there until 1870, when he came to Iroquois county, Illinois, and settled in Sheldon. He taught school the first winter, and then superintended an elevator for Mr. Fleager for two years, when he engaged in the hardware business, the firm becoming Holmes & Wilkinson, which later changed to Holmes & Caldwell, and they continued the business until 1878, when he re- ceived the appointment of postmaster, and has held the position since. SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 205 May 11, 1869, he was married to Miss Mary Willmoth, who was born in Ohio. They have two children : Herman R. and Mary. W. A. Weeks, dealer in general merchandise, Sheldon, was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, April 17, 1836, and lived there twelve years, when, with his parents, he moved to Monticello, Indi- ana, and lived there until 1871. He then went to Goodland, Indiana, and took charge of an elevator. In March, 1872, he came to Sheldon and engaged in the grocery and provision business. He has kept increasing his stock and variety, until now he has a general store with a stock of $7,000 worth of goods, consisting of a full line of dry-goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hats and caps, notions, queensware and glass- ware. January 6, 1857, he was married to Miss Ann Eliza Moore, who was born in Morgan county, Ohio. They had three children, two living : Paschal B. and George A. H. R. Fields, real estate, loan and insurance agent, Sheldon, was born in Danville, Kentucky, June 10, 1837. At an early age he clerked in his father's store, and later in the Batterton House, of which his father became proprietor. In 1860 he engaged in the dry-goods business in St. Joseph county, Indiana, and continued the business until 1863, when he enlisted in Co. H, 12th Ind. Yol. He was pro- moted to second and then to first lieutenant. His first year's service was among the guerillas of northern Alabama. September 14, 1864 he was appointed ordnance officer on the staff of Maj.-Gen. Millroy. He was at Murfreesboro, second battle of Stone River and the other engage- ments of the regiment. After the war he Fre turned to St. Joseph county, Indiana, and farmed until 1868. He then went to Morocco, Indiana, and engaged in the dry-goods business. This he continued until 1872, when he engaged in the business at Iroquois, Illinois, and remained there until 1873, when he came to Sheldon, and in the latter part of 1874, in company with H. L. Henry, began the publication of the " Sheldon Enterprise." In June, 1875, he sold his interest in the paper, and has since been engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business. In the real estate department of his business he has associated with him Mr. J. W. Johnson, the firm being Fields & Johnson. They publish the "Real Estate Bulletin," and do a thriving business, in addition to which Mr. Fields represents several of the leading insurance companies, and is agent for the Anchor, Inman and State line ocean steamers. By unceasing toil and honest effort he has earned for himself the reputation of an active, energetic business man, and carries this trait into all branches of his business. Risser & Dashiell, tailors and gents' furnishers, Sheldon. Mr. Risser, of this firm, is spoken of under the firm of P. Risser & Sons. 206 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Chas. E. Dashiell, who is the active partner and business manager of the firm of Risser & Dashiell, was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, January 24, 1849. During his infancy his parents moved to Kanka- kee county, Illinois, where they lived about twelve years ; then moved to Iroquois county, Illinois, near St. Mary ; thence to Kankakee city ; thence to Chebanse, where his father died. The family then moved to Kankakee city. In 1871 he made a trip to Griffin's Corners, New York, where, September 6 of that year, he was married to Miss Cara E. Lee. They returned to Kankakee and lived there one year, he being engaged as clerk in the merchant tailoring business. He then bought grain at Waldron, Illinois, and subsequently sold merchandise there and at Morocco, Indiana. In 18T6 he came to Sheldon, Illinois, and bought the business of O. King and conducted the same until January, 1879, when the present firm of Risser & Dashiell was formed, occupy- ing No. 5, Central Block. The first floor, 25 X 60 feet, is used as a salesroom, in which is exhibited a large stock of piece goods of great variety. The second floor (same size) is used as a work room, and is thronged with a busy set of city workmen of the best ability, thus affording to the city of Sheldon and surrounding country facilities in the tailoring line rarely to be found outside of the larger cities. In addition to their splendid tailoring establishment, the firm carries a large stock of ready-made clothing and a full line of gents' furnish- ing goods. W. EL Harry, attorney-at-law, Sheldon, is a native of Woodford county, Illinois, and was born on his father's farm, near Eureka, November 28, 1853. In 1865, with his parents, he moved to Living ston county, Illinois, to their farm, two and a half miles from Chats- worth. He received a common-school education, and at the age of twenty taught a four-months term of school. April 1, 1874, he began reading law with the Hon. Samuel T. Fosdick, present state senator from the eighteenth district, comprising Livingston and Ford counties. He continued his residence at home, walking the two and a half miles morning and evening, and thus pursued his studies during the sum- mers and taught school during the fall and winter until June 1, 1876, when having completed his course of reading, he was admitted to the bar, passing an examination before the supreme court, then holding at Mt. Yernon, Illinois, and July 24, 1876, he came to Iroquois county, Illinois, and began the practice of law in Sheldon, and has remained here since. He was married to Miss Minnie Yale, of Livingston county, Illinois, April 4, 1877. They have one child, Edward S. His parents, Thomas S. and Arena J. (Compton) Harry, were natives of Kentucky. They were born August 31, 1823, and December 11, 1823, respectively. They were married October 2, 1844. SHELDON TOWNSHIP. 207 H. G. Dryer, grocer, Sheldon, is a native of Butler county, Ohio. He was born March 9, 1830, and lived there two years, when, with his parents, he moved to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and lived there until November, 1865. He then moved to Champaign county, Illinois, and engaged in farming. In February, 173, he went to Newton county, Indiana, and engaged in the general merchandise and stock business at the village of Brook, and continued there until September, 1877, when he came to Sheldon and engaged in his present business. February 28, 1858, he married Miss Catharine Lindley. They had four children, two living, Irven and Charlie. J. Watkins, dealer in lumber, grain, coal and agricultural imple- ments, Sheldon, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, December 24, 1820, and lived there eleven years, during which time his father died. "With his mother he then moved to Montgomery county, Indiana, and lived there until 1851. He was principally engaged in farming. He afterward came to Illinois and settled in Momence, and farmed three years, after which time he came to Iroquois county and settled near Bunkum, and lived there until 1863. He went to Onargaand engaged in the bakery business, continuing the same four years. He then went to Will county, Illinois, and farmed for ten years, and in 1877 came to Sheldon and engaged in his present business. September 3, 1840, he was married to Miss Mary Conner, who was born in Ohio. They had seven children, six living : Elizabeth J., Clara E., Martha I., James W., John D. and Charles G. Dr. A. C. Speck, physician and druggist, Sheldon, is a native of Preble county, Ohio. He was born August 3, 1830, and lived there ten years, when with his parents he moved to Miami county, Indiana, where at the age of twenty-four he began studying medicine with Dr. J. T. Speck. In 1855 he went to Minnesota, and settled in Dakota county, where he improved a farm and practiced medicine. He also continued reading, until January 1, 1863, when he enlisted in the 3rd Minn. Cav., and remained in the service about two years and nine months. After the war he went to Kentland, Indiana, and practiced medicine, attending lectures at the Ohio Medical College of Cincinnati, during the winters of 1865, 1866, 1867 and 1868, graduating in the latter term. In February, 1878, he came to Sheldon, Illinois, and engaged in his profession and the drug business. In 1854 he was married to Miss Naomi Taylor, who was born in Henry county, Indiana, and died March 18, 1863. Of their three children one is living, Frank E. His present wife was Miss Sarah M. Brokan, a native of Hamilton county, Ohio. They were married July 23, 1868. 208 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. CONCORD TOWNSHIP Formerly comprised towns 26 and 27 north, range 11 west, and frac- tional towns 26 and 27 'north, range 10 west of the 2d principal meridian. In 1868 a portion of this territory was detached, and formed into the township of Sheldon, and as a separate account of the latter is given, we will here confine ourselves to the events occur- ring within the present limits of Concord township, which comprises town 27 north, range 11 west, and fractional town 27 north, range 10 west of the 2d principal meridian. It extends along the state line, "between the township of Beaver on the north and Sheldon on the south, a distance of six miles, and~has an average width, east and west, of six and three-quarter miles, and therefore contains about 26,000 acres. The township is well watered by the Iroquois river, which flows through it, entering near the middle of the eastern side, and leaving near the southwest corner. Throughout the entire dis- tance there is a heavy growth of timber, which extends for a mile or more on either side of the river, and comprises fully two-fifths of the total area of the township, and affords an abundant supply of wood for fencing, fuel and building purposes. Beyond the timber, and extending beyond the limits of the township, the country is prairie. North of the river it is high and rolling, and of a generally light sandy soil, though in portions, mostly on the eastern side, where the surface becomes more level, areas of black loam are found. South of the river the country presents a level plain, gradually ascending to the south, forming an immense river basin of beautiful and fertile prairie of black, sandy loam, and of unsurpassed productiveness. Adjoining the timber, the soil is well adapted to wheat, which is extensively grown. Corn is the prevailing crop on the prairies, and good average yields are obtained. The township is well adapted to stock-raising, in which the people are largely interested. The early history of this locality has been so fully treated of in other portions of this work that but little remains for us to write. The nucleus of the settlement, as has already been stated, was the trading post that was removed by Gurdon S. Hubbard from the Big Bend, near Mid- dleport, to this place. When Mr. Hubbard had concluded to change his mode of transporting furs and other products from the flat-boat, down the Iroquois, to that of the pack-mule, by way of the Hubbard trace, he found that this point on the Iroquois was on a more direct and available line from Danville (his southern post) to Chicago. He, with his help, both white and red, were then the first settlers in CONCORD TOWNSHIP. 209 this portion of the county. In addition to their trading operations, they also opened farms in the vicinity of Bunkum. The residence of Hubbard and Yasseur, however, was but temporary, as the change in the policy of the government toward the Indians, with whom their trade was largely carried on, and the growing scarcity of fur-bearing animals, left them but a modicum of their former large business. Hubbard sold out to Yasseur and removed to Chicago, about the time of the removal of the Indians to their reservations beyond the Mis- sissippi, and Yasseur continued here for three or four years more, when he removed to Bourbonnais Grove, in Kankakee county, where he has recently died. William H. Dunning now occupies the place formerly opened by Hubbard, and B. F. Fry that of Yasseur. These two men were the first permanent settlers of what is now in the bounds of Concord township. Elijah Newcomb, II. Eastburn, R. Scritchfield, J. Hougland and J. Crozzar were here about the same time, or a few months later. Mitchell Dunn was a resident here as early as 1831 or 1832. He was one of the first justices of the peace, and two or three years after his arrival was elected sheriff, and was acting in that capacity when Thomason, who was hanged here for the murder of Charles Legree, a blacksmith of Chicago. Sheriff Dunn officiated on the occasion. In the winter of 1830-1, Mr. B. F. Fry husked the first corn raised in this county for exportation, and which was raised on Mr. Hubbard' s farm. In the spring the crop was loaded on a flat-boat, and accompanied by a half-breed (Joe Babee), Mr. Fry took the same to Chicago, by way of the Iroquois, Kankakee and DesPlaines rivers and the Chicago swamp. The corn was delivered at Fort Dearborn, which, with a few shanties, then embraced the city. Other early settlers were : Henry Enslen, Asa Gaffield, A. Pineo and George Courtright. Isaac Courtright was the first post- master. He was also first justice of the peace in what is now Concord township. He was elected in 1833, when Iroquois county was still a part of Yermilion. After the organization of Iroquois county, E. D. Boone was the first justice. Adam Karr was the first blacksmith in the township. His shop was located on the north branch of the river, near the present site of the wagon-bridge. He continued to ply the hammer from about 1836 till 1840. By the year 183T-8, families had located on both sides of the Iroquois, so that most of the land in the edges of the timber was occupied. The first settlements here, as indeed all over the prairie country, were made in or very near the timber tracts. It was not - dreamed that the broad expanse of country, destitute of trees, could 210 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. ever be fit for aught else than for a range for stock. But slight additions in the way of new settlers or permanent improvement were made from the date mentioned, for nearly twenty years. Natural causes account for this standstill and for the sudden second growth, which began about the year 1855, and has continued ever since. In 1837 came the great financial crash, which stopped not only the wheels of the emigrants' wagons, but the wheels of commerce, trade and every industry in the country. The timber tracts had been pretty generally settled, and what few emigrants there were, pushed on further west, until they could find a spot more resembling their old Kentucky or eastern homes, than the bleak prairies still un- occupied. The advent of the railroads in 1854, followed by others in quick succession, explains the late sudden development of the prairies. The railroads have made an outlet for the products of the prairies, and have neutralized the predicted dearth of fuel and build- ing materials, by the importation of coal and lumber from other parts. Then, too, Nature had stored up under nearly every farm in central Illinois enough fuel to supply each one for untold genera- tions. With these advantages, and with the discovery that the prairie soil was not only fertile, but that it was already cleared for the plow of the husbandman, it does not seem so wonderful that this locality, in the short space of two decades, should increase in population to its present number. The improvements have been wonderful, but being based on natural causes, which still exist and which will continue to grow, it is not too much to predict that the full development of Concord is yet far from being realized. IROQUOIS. E Pluribus Unum ! The little village of Iroquois embraces within its limits the remains of several former towns, which, though they will never appear among the incorporated villages of the county, will ever retain a place in the pages of its history; and to many, at this day, the mention of their names will cause memories of those good old times of long ago, and of the friends who together formed the characters in the exciting scenes and events of that period ; and no doubt among the many pleasant memories of the survivors of that old historic band will mingle those of sorrow, for those friends of old who are no more, and affection and regard will flit to distant lands, where others have gone to do their battle of life. Mont- gomery, the one, the ancient sentinel of the Iroquois, whose early struggles were witnessed by the noble red man of the forest, and secured for it the position of first among the pioneer towns of the CONCORD TOWNSHIP. 211 county, was surveyed May 9, 1835, by J. H. Reese, deputy surveyor, holding his certificate of appointment from Dan Beckwith, county surveyor of Vermilion county. It was located on the south side of the river, and was the first county-seat. The seat of justice was fixed there on April 15, 1837. The county records were kept at the house of Isaac Courtright, three-fourths of a mile south of Mont- gomery, until Monday, June 5, 1837, when the first county commis- sioners court was held in a frame building situated on lot No. 10 in the town of Montgomery, rented from William Armstrong, for county clerk's office, at $2 per month. It must not be understood that Isaac Courtright' s was the first place where the county commissioners court was held and the county business done after the organization of the county. The seventh term of commissioners court was held at Courtright's, on Monday, June 1, 1835, when it was removed from John Nilson's, near Milford, and the same continued to be held there until the time already stated, when the office was removed into Montgomery. This place took its name from the proprietor, Richard Montgomery. Dr. Timothy Locey was the first tavern-keeper in Montgomery, he having a stand there as early as 1831. Mrs. Locey was a tasty, punctilious landlady ; if her guests did not order their behavior and proceedings to her pleasure, even to cutting the butter straight at the table, she would promptly notify them of the misdemeanor. David Meigs was the next tavern-keeper of any note. Richard Montgomery soon succeeded him in the same stand. John White came next after Montgomery. The latter (Montgomery) obtained his first license to keep tavern on Monday, March 2, 1835, for which he paid $5, at the same time entering into bond of $300. In those days they kept bars. Bunkum has always been the popular name for both places together : Montgomery and Concord. In 1830 the following- named persons settled at Bunkum : Benjamin Fry, George Court- right, Richard Courtright, the widow McColloch and her two sons (William and Solomon), Hezekiah Eastburn, and Reuben Critchfield. Concord was surveyed on the north side of the river and opposite to Montgomery by James H. Reese, who was deputed for that par- ticular task by Jonas Smith, surveyor of Iroquois county. The place was laid out between May 20 and 28, 1836. The plat bears the latter date, at which time the proprietor, Henry Moore, made acknowledg- ment of the same before Judge (Gov.) Ford. Iroquois has never supplanted the name of Concord : Concord lies north of the river, Montgomery and Iroquois south of the river. At present there is nothing like a town south of the river. However, 212 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. the plats of Montgomery and Iroquois have never been vacated, and the ground is still taxed as lots. The actual location of the county- seat by the commissioners was at Iroquois, adjoining Montgomery, but as no buildings were in Iroquois, the county office was kept, and the courts held, in Montgomery. The election at Bunkum in 1833 was the first held in the county. Probably the first white child born in Concord township was William L. Eastburn; he was born February 22, 1834. Another early birth was that of Mr. Fry's daughter, Amanda; she was born in November, 1835, and died in infancy. The first marriage took place October 12, 1832, the contracting parties being George Courtright and Agnes Newcomb. The license was procured in Danville, Illinois, and the ceremony was performed in an old log house, located on the place, now known as the Wright farm. Following close in the wake of the pioneers .to this township, came that dreaded visitor, death, whose presence had been made manifest in such varied forms, as seems to have exhausted the agency of power. " Old age has been engaged, Tender infants low were laid, Even the hangman's fatal knot, Again the landslides rushing rock ; Now the river in its might, Then the bold assassin's knife ; Disease so often to the task, And the lightning's vivid flash, " Have all served, and form one phalanx in that irresistible army to which all must succumb. The first death to occur within the present limits of Concord township was that of Elijah Newcomb, in the spring of 1831. Another early death was that of Hezekiah Eastburn, October 29, 1832. CRIME. Gladly would we draw a veil over the succeeding paragraphs in the annals of this ancient town, so cherished in the memories of the past. Certainly it is an unpleasant duty to record murders and their consequences among the chapters of a locality so full of historic gems. But such is stern reality. Joseph Thomason, alias Joseph F. Morriss, alias Joseph F. Norriss,* was tried, on a change of venue from another county, for the crime of murdering Charles Legree, a * He claimed Morris when arrested. Before the justice he called himself Norriss, but was afterward recognized as Thomason. CONCOKD TOWNSHIP. 213 blacksmith of Chicago. The crime was committed about eighteen miles south of Chicago. He was tried on the third Monday of 1836, before Judge (Gov.) Ford, who at that time presided over the dis- trict of which Iroquois county was then a part. The jury was out six hours, when a verdict of "guilty " was announced. On June 10 he was hanged to a tree on the north bank of the Iroquois, about one rod east of the site of the wagon-bridge. In July, 1862, at a dance held in Iroquois for the 76th regiment, a man by the name of Landen, a resident of Middleport, had a huckster stand. He formerly lived in Rensselaer, Indiana, where he met John Anderson, a blacksmith, and at the time of the dance a resident of Iroquois, Illinois. They had some words, Anderson racing Landoii, and shortly the latter was found to be stabbed, from the effects of which he died. Keport says he named Joe Davis, .then John Anderson as the man who stabbed him. The latter was tried, and was discharged for want of prosecution, the witnesses being in the army. Again : May 5, 1877, Iroquois was the scene of a bloody affray. This time Charles Pinkerton killed Samuel Kelly. Pinkerton was working for Kelly in the latter' s livery stable. Pinkerton, with others, was on a spree in the stable, and Kelly went to quiet them. They had words, then blows, and Kelly was stabbed, the wound proving fatal. Pinkerton was tried and sentenced to three years in the penitentiary. INCIDENTS, ETC. Probably with all early settlements are associated amusing inci- dents and little stories, in which the names of the pioneers of their respective localities appear, and as one from Concord, illustrating the mettle of her pioneers, we relate the following, in which Mr. Benjamin Fry was the character. He settled here in 1830, when the "noble red man" roamed the forest at will, and, as was the case, they had a camp close by Mr. Fry's. They had many dogs, and these were very unfriendly to Mr. Fry's hogs, until, as a last resort, that gentleman took to shooting the offending canines, and some- times went into the Indian camp to exact his vengeance. This un- flinching bravery won for him the praise of the Indians, and the squaws gave the title of " Heap Brave " to the bold white man ; and as a mark of respect for him, or fear for their dogs, would always shoulder the latter in passing his residence, and carry them far out of sight. 214 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. RELIGIOUS MATTERS. Scarcely had the sound of the pioneer's ax died away in the forests of the Iroquois until religion appeared, and cast its benign influence upon the scene ; the scattered residents assembling in the rude log cabins of the day, there, in humble silence, to hear the divine teach- ings of Christianity expounded by those earnest, sincere and noble characters, the pioneer ministers, who throughout our land early followed the first footsteps of man to the western wilds, and brought religion, with its christianizing effect, in his midst. The particulars relating to these pioneer religionists, and the societies they formed, are somewhat shrouded in doubt, time having wrought such changes as in instances not one member of former religious societies remains. However, some of the old timers are yet here, as may be. judged from the following extract from a letter written by the Rev. Stephen R. Beggs, of Plainfield, Illinois, bearing date December 9, 1879 : "I have preached several times on both sides of the Iroquois river, only as a visitor the first time. In 1832 I passed through on my way to La Fayette, Indiana. I am well, thank the Lord, and able to preach twice on Sabbath. I shall be seventy-nine years old the 30th of March, 1880." Perhaps Mr. Beggs was the first to preach in Concord township, and probably the next was brother Essex, of the Methodist persuasion, who in 1833 was on a circuit extending from Spring Creek to Rensselaer, Indiana, and from the Wabash to the Kankakee. During the winter of that year he preached at the resi- dence of Benjamin Fry. He was succeeded, in 1834, by Elihu Springer, who organized the first religious society in the township. It was composed of eight members, and his quarterage was $24. 14, Leonard Walker, his successor, reported seventy members. The society has flourished to this day. In 1872 they built a church edi- fice, which is located on the Indiana side of the state line, east of the village of Iroquois. It is a frame building, 32x45, and 18-foot ceil- ing, and cost about $1,500. The present membership numbers about forty. In 1873 a Sabbath school was organized, and continues dur- ing the summers. The village of Iroquois was also the scene of early religious gatherings, though no regular services were held until the building of the present M. E. church, which is a frame building, 30x40, and has a 16-foot ceiling. It was erected in 1875, at a cost of $2,300, and was dedicated by Elder Robert Pearce, January 9, 1876. The present membership numbers about one hundred. In 1873 a Sabbath school was organized, and now has an attendance of about one hundred. CONCORD TOWNSHIP. 215 In 1846 John Dollarliide, a United Brethren, formed a society, which after a few years joined the Methodists. In 1850 Jacob Kenoyer, also a United Brethren, formed a society in the Erislen school, about one mile south of Iroquois, and it has nourished to this day. In 1875 they moved to their new church building in Sheldon. In 1854, a M. E. society was formed at the Iroquois school house, and nourished until the time of the war, when it disbanded. It is probably very seldom that the church building precedes the society, but in the instance of the Prairie Dell M. E. church, we find an exception. This church is a frame building, 36x50, and has an 18-foot ceiling. It was erected in 1870, at a cost of $2,400. It was dedicated by the Rev. Mr. Atchinson, of Kankakee. Mr. William Brown and Samuel Warrick were the projectors, and each donated about one-quarter the entire cost, the balance being subscribed in the vicinity. It is located on the southeast of the northwest of section 18. In the fall of 1869 a cemetery was laid out adjoining the church. It was deeded to Samuel Warrick, S. Cobb and William Brown, and by them sold out in lots, the pro- ceeds going to keep up the grounds. SCHOOLS. The characteristic feature of America is her public schools. In- deed it has been said by able ones, that the worth of a people is found in their schools. If this be so, surely the people of Concord rank high in the scale of merit, and should ever be held in grateful remembrance, many of whom owe their instruction to the efficient institutions of learning, whose origin date away back almost to the first footsteps of the pioneer. It is probable that the first school was taught in 1835 by Judge Hugh Newell, in an old log residence. Benjamin Scott also taught near that date. He was the first school treasurer, and the second sheriff of the county. From Mr. P. Y. Frounfelter, the present school treasurer, we get the following items in his report for the year ending June 30, 1879 : Number of school-houses, 8 ; number of children under 21, 632 ; number of children between 6 and 21, 370 ; number of children enrolled in the schools, 335 ; principal of township fund, $3,480.90 ; tax levy, 1878, for schools, $2,056.53 ; value school property, $6,850; value school library, $40 ; value school apparatus, $555 ; expendi- tures for the year ending June 30, 1879, $2,401.67. There is also one private school, having an attendance of 59 scholars. The first school money, $151, was loaned to John White, 216 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. November 16, 1836. The first school-house was built in 1840, and James Perry was the first teacher. The present two-story brick graded school in Iroquois was built in 1875. ORGANIZATION. Concord township was organized at a meeting held in a school- house in Concord in April, 1856, by tjie election of the following officers : Jesse Eastburn, supervisor ; A. O. Whiteman, town clerk ; Abraham Hogle, assessor ; P. Y. Frounfelter, collector ; Samuel Warrick, overseer of the poor ; A. C. Mantor, Isaac M. Caldwell, James H. Karr, highway commissioners. The present officers are: W. B. Simonds, supervisor ; Jerome Salkeld, town clerk ; H. Russell, assessor ; P. Y. Frounfelter, collector ; Abraham Hogle, Robert Karr, George Pineo, highway commissioners. SOCIETIES, ETC. With the progress and development of a community come those beautiful little gems in the panorama of life, those forms by which members are collected together for the noble purpose of lending a helping hand to those in adversity and need, of uniting in stronger bonds of friendship, and of promoting the general good. To their credit, be it said, most communities have adapted and fostered them, and Iroquois is not the exception. On October 3, 1866, was chartered O. H. Minor Lodge, No. 506, A. F. and A.M., Iroquois, Illinois. The following were charter members : John Anderson, S. B. Norton, Putman Gaffield, Edward Peachin, Dr. Ford, W. C. Shortridge, Aaron F. Kane, John Strick- ler, F. M. Karr, Corbin Treadway, A. C. Mantor, A. C. Taylor and Amos O. Whiteman. The first officers were: S. B. Norton, W.M. ; Edward Peachin, S.W.; Aaron F. Kane, J.W.; F. M. Karr, Treas.; W. T. Shortridge, Sec. The present officers are : W. H. McClain, W.M.; J. H. Karr, S.W.; A. T. Crozier, J.W.; P. B. Strickler, Treas.; B. F. Hartman, Sec. The lodge is in good condition, owns a beautiful hall, and has forty-three members. River Lodge, No. 586, I.O.O.F., Iroquois, Illinois, was instituted by E. B. Sherman, G.M., assisted by John Shaftner, G.W., August 31, 1875. The following are the charter members : Joseph Mc- Clain, J. P. Murray, W. H. McClain, Daniel Spitler, Theodore T. Fields, Joseph Laughlin, and H. L. Easter. The first officers were: Joseph McClain, N.G.; Daniel Spitler, Y.G. ; J. P. Murray, Sec.; H. L. Easter, P. Sec. ; Joseph Laughlin, Treas.; Joseph McClain, Rep. to G. Lodge. The present officers are : B. F. Hartman, N. G. ; Henry CONCORD TOWNSHIP. 217 Mee, Y.G.; W. B. Simonds, Sec.; W. H. McClain, P. Sec.; W. S. Torbet, Treas.; W. B. Simonds, Rep. to G. Lodge. The lodge is in good condition, holds meetings in the Masonic Hall, and has twenty- three members. The Blue Ribbon Society of the A.C.T.U. was organized^ by Mrs. Trego, of Coshocton county, Ohio, in the winter of 1878-9. The records have been destroyed by fire. They have about 200 members, and meet every Friday night. An Anti-Profane Society was formed by the Rev. L. W. Bicknell, Baptist minister, in the summer of 1879. They have over 200 mem- bers, meet every Wednesday night, and are working a great good. A Good Templars' lodge organized May 29, 1876, has since dis- banded. BIOGRAPHICAL. Benjamin Fry, deceased, the subject of this sketch, and whose por- trait appears in this work, was born in Virginia, July 24, 1803. Soon after his birth his parents moved to Pennsylvania, thence to Ohio, thence to Indiana, and in the fall of 1830 he came to Iroquois county, Illinois, and worked for Gurdon Hubbard at $8 per month for the first year, and $10 for the second. The third year he became a partner, and continued as such during the Black Hawk war. He was at Chi- cago at the signing of the treaty, and was one of the commissioners appointed by the governor to distribute goods to the Indians. He returned to Iroquois county, and later bought the old Yassar farm, now occupied by his sons, B. F. and M. V. B., and upon which he lived until his death, November 23, 1876. Mr. Yry was one of the first white men to brave the dangers of a life among the Indians, and men- tion of some of his adventures will be made elsewhere in the history of the township in which he was a resident. William H. Dunning, farmer and grain-buyer, Iroquois, was born in Cayuga county, New York, April 14, 1815, and lived there until 1834, when with his parents he came to Illinois, and settled on the old Hubbard farm adjoining Iroquois, which his father had previously bought. He lived there two years with his parents, and then went to Walworth county, Wisconsin, and fanned there for thirty-two years. In 1870 he came here to Iroquois and occupied the old home- stead. In 1874 he built his present elevator, which he rented until 1876. He then engaged in grain buying and occupied his elevator. In September, 1852, he married Miss Jessie M. Tonkin, who was born in England. They have one child, Eber T., who is now practicing law at Greeley, Colorado. He owns 444 acres in this county, adjoining the village of Iroquois. His parents, Eber and Margaret (Thompson) 218 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Dunning, were natives of Cayuga county, New York ; were married there, and there she died. His second wife was Achsah Rogers. They came here in 1834. He died in 1862. She then moved to Sheldon, where she died in 1875. Peter Strickler, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born in Page county, Virginia, April 6, 1827, and lived there until 1835, when with his parents he came to Illinois and settled in this township. He lived with his parents until he was twenty -nine years of age. November 11, 1856, he married Miss Mary Ann Cline, who was born in the same place, and died here in Illinois, November 24, 1870. Of their five children four are living : Laura, Lewis, Mary E. and Alice G. July 24, 1871, he married Miss Martha Tharp, who was born in Indiana. They have two children : Frank and Hattie L. In February, 1865, he enlisted in the 155th 111. "Vol., and was in service until September 20 following. He owns 80 acres in this county, located on both sides of the line between this and Beaver townships, near the state line. Robert Karr, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born in Brown county, Ohio, February 7, 1815, and lived there until 1833, when, with his parents, he moved to Vermilion county, Illinois. They settled near Georgetown, where they lived until the spring of 1836, when they came to Iroquois county, and he improved a farm adjoining the one on which his father settled. He lived with his parents until October 27, 1839, when he married Miss Caroline Strickler, who was born in Shen- andoah county, Virginia. After his marriage he moved on his farm and lived there until the fall of 1866, w r hen he came to his present place. Of their five children four are living: Catharine, Harvey, Marion and Oran. He owns 300 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor. Mr. Karr was an early visitor to Chicago, working there on the piers as early as 1834. He drove a team there in 1835, and many times since. Elijah Karr, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born in Brown county, Ohio, March 30, 1822, and lived there until 1833, when, with his parents, he moved to Vermilion county, Illinois, and settled near Georgetown. In 1836 they came to Iroquois county, and settled near Iroquois. He lived with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age, when he married Miss Hester Lambert, who was born in the same locality as he. Of their five children four are living: Brace, Ora, Flora and May ; Frank died. Mr. Karr owns 190 acres in this county which he has earned. He has made many trips to Chicago, his first being from Vermilion county while he lived there. His parents, Adam and Rebecca (Galbreath) Karr, were natives of Pennsylvania, where they were married. They moved to Ohio at an early day, and came LIBRAHY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CONCOKD TOWNSHIP. 221 here as stated. He was the first blacksmith in Iroquois. He died in 1852, and she in 1837. James H. Karr, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born in Brown county, Ohio, April 2, 1818, and lived there fifteen years. He received a limited common-school education, and remembers, among other class- mates, U. S. Grant. He also worked in the tannery of Jesse R. Grant on Saturdays. They moved to Yermilion county, Illinois, and settled near Georgetown. In the spring of 1836 they came to Iroquois county, and settled on a farm which now adjoins Iroquois. He lived with his parents until he was thirty-two years of age. May 9, 1850, he married Miss Mary E. Pierce, who was born in Wood county, Ohio. After his marriage he began farming on his own account, and except two years' residence in Watseka has lived in this township since. They had seven children, three living : Ella, Jennie and Burt. He has held the office of sheriff of the county two years, also road commissioner and school director. He owns 270 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor and management. Ezekiel Whiteman, retired farmer, Iroquois, was born in Greene county, Ohio, February 26, 1814, and lived there nearly twenty-three years. He then came to Illinois and settled on his present place, which is located on both sides of the state line, about due east of Iro- quois. At first he lived on the Illinois side, but at present he resides in Indiana. January 1, 1837, he was married to Miss Margaret Grims- ley, who was born in Page county, Virginia. He owns about 300 acres in this neighborhood which he has earned by his own labor. He came to Illinois by ox-team and built a 14x16 log cabin and lived in it sixteen years, clearing a farm out of the timber. Most of his land was bought in Danville, Illinois, and Logansport, Indiana, the latter being the office of the canal lands commissioner. B. F. Fry, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, is a native of Iroquois county, Illinois. He was born on his present place June 15, 1837, and has always lived on the same. November 18, 1851, he married Miss Carrie Pelton. After his marriage he began farming on his own account, renting part of his father's farm for two years. He then went into a partnership with his father, which continued until the death of his father, November 23, 1876. His mother died in 1847. His father was a native of Pennsylvania, and with his parents, moved to Coshoc- ton county, Ohio, when he was but three years of age. He moved to Indiana in the spring of 1830, and in the fall of the same year came to Iroquois county, Illinois. He worked for Gurdon S. Hubbard, and subsequently became the owner of the old Trading Post farm, and took a leading part in the early affairs of this neighborhood. 14 222 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Amos O. Whiteman, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born in Greene county, Ohio, August 9, 1819, and lived there twenty years. He visited Illinois, in this neighborhood, in 1838, but returned home the same winter. In 1839 he assisted his brother to move to Newton county, Indiana. He put in a crop there for his father and hired a man to attend it. His father came in the July following and harvested the crop, returning east on August 24 of the same year. On the 27th of the same month he died. In the spring of 1840 Mr. A. O. White- man came west to Iroquois county, Illinois, where he worked on a farm, and in April, 1841, he went back to Ohio, returning November, 1842. January 1, 1843, he settled on his present place, and has lived here since, except two years in old Middleport. He held the office of county surveyor from 1843 to 1847 ; justice of the peace from 1848 to 1852, and several terms since. He was then elected to fill the unexpired term of J. F. "Wagner, county clerk. In 1847 he was commissioned by Gov. Ford as captain of Co. B, 9th Odd battalion of Illinois Militia, it being the first in the county. December 24, 1840, he married Miss Lydia Thomas, who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, and died March 16,1856. They had seven children, four living: Electa M., Louis K., Amos Lee, and Ora A. August 21, 1856, he married Margaret C. McCoy, who was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and died June 16, 1862. They had four children, one living, Harmon M. His present wife was Miss Barbara A. Strickler, who was born in Sullivan county, Tennessee. They have four children : Grace, Horace M., Blanche, and Cyrus R. He owns 498 acres in this county and 53 in Indiana, which he has earned by his own labor and management. Martin Y. B. Fry, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, is a native of Iroquois county, Illinois. He was born on his present place August 13, 1841, and lived here until 1862, when he enlisted in Co. E, 76th 111. Vol., and w r as in the service until June, 1865, taking part in the battles of Vicksburg, Jackson, Mobile, and the other engagements of the regiment. After the war he returned home and pursued his busi- ness of farming, he and his brother being in partnership. April 3, 1879, he married Miss Laura A. Light, of Newton county, Indiana. He made his home in the old homestead residence until its destruction by fire, since which time he has been living with his brother. Leander Hogle, farmer, Sheldon, is a native of Concord township, Iroquois county, Illinois. He was born September 19, 1843, and has always made his home in this county. In 1861 he enlisted in the 51st 111. Vol., and remained in service four years and twelve days. He was in the battles of Chickamagua, Mission Ridge, Franklin, Stone River, Atlanta campaign and the other battles of the regiment. November CONCOED TOWNSHIP. 223 6, 1867, he m'arried Miss Melissa Bowen, who was born in this county. They have two children : Almedia and George. After his marriage he began farming his father's farm. His parents, Leonard and Susanna (Bookless) Hogle, are natives of New York and Ohio. They were married January 4, 1 829. Of their eleven children five are living : Wil- liam, Leander, Leonard, Jr., Margaret and Polly. All are married and live in this county, except Margaret, who lives at Earl Park, Indi- ana. He is living on the old homestead with his son. Mrs. Hogle died April 26, ,1868. John B. Growl, farmer, Sheldon, was born in Xenia, Ohio, Febru- ary 9, 1822, and lived there until 1839, when with his parents he moved west, and settled in Indiana, five miles east of Bunkum, Illinois, which was their post-office. At the age of twenty-one he moved over the line to Illinois, and engaged in farming, near Bunkum, on a farm that he bought of his father, and the following year he began improv- ing his present place. December 29, 1845, he married Miss Mary Moore, who was born in Ohio, and came to Illinois at an early date. She died August 28, 1869. They had eight children, four living: George, Martha A., Ella and Frank F. He owns 363 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor and management. His parents, Joseph and Aletha (Bishop) Growl, were natives of Maryland and Yirginia. They moved to Ohio when young and married there. They came west as stated, and died in February, 1852, and October, 1872, respectively. Abram Hogle, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born in Co- shocton county, Ohio, June 4, 1831, and lived there until 1845, when with his parents he came to Illinois and settled in Iroquois county, on his present place. He has served as school director since he became of age, and has been road commissioner for fifteen years. He also served as supervisor and justice of the peace. May 13, 1853, he mar- ried Miss Mary Strickler, who was born in Page county, Virginia. They had seven children, five living : Henry S., Herbert IS"., Carrie, Flora and Mina J. He owns 160 acres in this county which he has earned by his own labor. His parents, Michael and Rebecca (Noble) Hogle, were natives of New York and Yirginia. They were married in Ohio, and came here as stated. He died in the spring of 1846. She is living here on the old homestead with her son. Eli Hougland, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Co- shocton county, Ohio, November 8, 1838, and lived there about seven years, when with his parents he came west and settled in Iroquois county, Illinois. He lived with his parents nearly twenty-four years. January 16, 1862, he married Miss Adela Mantor, who was born in 224 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Hamilton county, Ohio, and died May 19, 1863. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the 76th 111. Vol., and remained in service until March, 1863. On his return from the army he farmed on his father's place, and also ran a threshing machine. In 1867 he went to Missouri and engaged in improving a farm that he had previously bought. In 1874 he came back to Illinois and settled on his father's farm, where he raised two crops. He then traded his Missouri farm for his present place, and moved on it. November 8, 1866, he married Miss Helen M. Barnes, who was born in Indiana. They have five children : Ira, Edgar, Charles, James O. and Silas. He owns nearly a quarter-section in this county, which he has earned by his own labor. Marion Karr, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born on his father's farm in Concord township, Iroquois county, Illinois, October 20, 1846, and lived there until August, 1862, when he enlisted in the 113th 111. Inf., and remained in the service until July 1, 1865. He served one year as corporal, and also as orderly the greater part of the time. He was in the battles of Arkansas Post, Yicksburg, and most of the other engagements of the regiment. After the war he returned home, and December 23, 1866, he was married to Miss Ann Hill, who was born in England, and came to the United States at the age of six. They have six children, five living: Sid- nejr, Ernest, William, Harry and Nellie. After his marriage he rented his father's farm one year. He then moved to his father-in-law's, and has managed his farm since. His wife's parents, John B. and Ann (Ellis) Hill were natives of England. She died November 8, 1861 ; present wife was Mrs. Jackson, formerly Miss Ann Gedling, a native of England. He settled here in 1860. Jacob H. Murray, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, is a native of Ooncord township, Iroquois county, Illinois. He was born November 6, 1848, on his father's farm, and has always lived at home. In 1871 he began working on his own account, farming the old homestead farm. March 31, 1878, he was married to Miss Sarah C. McCarty, who was born in Greene county, Ohio. They have one child, James S. His parents, Samuel and Elizabeth (Whiteman) Murray, were natives of Yirginia. He came to this county in 1836. She also came at an early date. He died December 2, 1870. She is living on the old homestead. They were among the early settlers, and participated in the trials and privations of the early times. J. W. Young, retired farmer, Iroquois, was born in Huntington county, New Jersey, June 6, 1817, and lived there seventeen years. He then moved to Coshocton county, Ohio, where he worked on a farm and clerked in a store until 1846. He then came to Iroquois and CONCOKD TOWNSHIP. 225 worked on a farm and drove stock to Milwaukee and Chicago. He lived here about nine months, and then moved to Ohio, and in 1848 moved to Indiana, and in 1849 he again came to Iroquois county and moved into the old trading-house of Hubbard & Yasseur, and lived there four years, working the old Hubbard farm. He then came to his present place. November 9, 1848, he married Miss Sarah C. McCay, who was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and died May 8, 1878. Of their five children two are living : Joseph McC. and Robert. Joseph married Miss Ella A. Karr, October 9, 1872. They have three chil- dren living : Edith, Blanche and Clyde. He and his brother, Robert, are farming the old homestead, their father making his home with them. He owns 302 acres in this county, which he has earned by his own labor. His capital, on coming here, was an old team and $1.50. He has held no office in the county, except connected with the school and road. Samuel Warrick, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born in "Warren county, Ohio, June 17, 1811, and lived there until 1839, when he moved to Fountain county, Indiana, following his trade of a carpen- ter, which he learned at the age of twenty-two. In 1853 he came to his present place, and has lived here since. He served as supervisor of this township in 1866, and has also served as road commissioner, school director and township trustee. He owns 840 acres in this county, which he has earned mostly by his own labor. In March, 1835, he married Miss Delila Jenkins, who was born in Warren county, Ohio, and died in 1846. Of their five children one is living, Absalom. In February, 1848, he married Miss Eleanor Clawson, who was born in Fountain county, Indiana, and died in November, 1869. They had seven children : Alice, John, Daniel, Winona, George, Samuel C. and Eleanor. In March, 1873, he married Mrs. Short (formerly Miss Lizzie Jenner), who was born in New York city. They have three children : Pearl, Nita and James M. L. H. Hickman, farmer and stock-raiser, Sheldon, was born in Kent county, Delaware, May 10, 1821, and lived there until the fall of 1833. He then came to Warren county, Indiana, with his brother-in-law, his parents having died. In 1837 he went to live with his brother, who bought out his brother-in-law. April 21, 1842, he married Miss Eliza- beth J. Chenowith, who was born in Warren county, Ohio. After his marriage he began working for himself, renting a farm several years, but subsequently buying a place. In 1854 he moved to Ash Grove, Iroquois county, Illinois, and has lived in this county since. He came to his present place in 1869. In 1872 he lost his wife. They had fourteen children, nine of whom are living : Charlotte Ann, Mary E. r 226 . HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. James F., E^iza E., Sarah J., Elmer C. 3 George A., Martha C., and Francis R. June 3, 1873, he married Miss Polly L. Hogle, who was born in this county. They have three children : Arthur, Melissa and Susan. He owns 82 acres in this county. He has not been an office seeker, and has held no office except connected with the school and road. J. H. McOlain, M. D., physician, Iroquois, was born in Wayne county, Indiana, April 5, 1825, and the following October his parents moved to Fountain county in the same state. He lived at home nine- teen years. January 11, 1844, he married Miss Catheron Henry, who was born in Scott county, West Virginia. After his marriage he engaged in farming. In 1846 he began studying medicine, and began the practice in Fountain county in 1856. In^l859 he came to Iroquois county, Illinois, and settled nearMiltbrd. In 1861 he came to Iroquois and practiced until 1864, when he moved to Kentland, Indiana. In 1868 he moved to Morocco, and in 1874 he came back to Iroquois, and has practiced here since. The doctor has been a member of the M. E. church since 1840. There are five children in his family : Hiram H., Sarah E., William H., Eebecca E., and Charles W. Arthur T. Crozier, physician, Iroquois, is a native of Washington county, Arkansas. He was born on his father's farm August 9, 1833. During his infancy his father died. His mother married Mr. John Shirley, and Arthur T. lived with them until he was twenty-four years of age, when he began studying medicine under Drs. Stewart and Rose, of Jackson, Mississippi, and remained with them two years. He then attended school at Ann Arbor, Michigan, for ten months, and in 1857 he graduated from the Berkshire Medical College of Massachusetts. He then practiced seven years in Arkansas, and in 1864 he came to Iroquois county, and has practiced here since. In 1858 he married Miss Elizabeth Wright, of Arkansas. They had three children, two living: Minnie W. and Arthur M. From 1862 to 1864 the doctor had charge of the hospital at Washita, Indian territory. Scott A. King, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, was born in Rens- selaer, Indiana, October 24, 1838, and lived there about one year. He then went to Parrish Grove, Indiana, and in 1840 came to Iroquois, and in 1841 went to New York, where he lived until 1863. He then came to Sheldon, Illinois, where, in 1864, he began wagon-making. He lived there until 1870, and then went to New York, and in 1874 he settled on his present place. In March, 1875, he was married to Miss Lorette M. Hill, who was born in New York. Mr. King owns 240 acres in this county, which he has earned mostly by his own labor. His parents, George and Harriet (Nichols) King, were natives of Gen- CONCORD TOWNSHIP. 227 esee county, New York, and were married there. They moved to Indiana in 1837. S. K. Clarke, fanner and stock-raiser, Sheldon, is a native of Co- shocton county, Ohio. He was born September 25, 1833, and lived with his parents until he was six years of age, when they died. He then lived with a relative about nine years. He worked on a farm until he was eighteen. October 13, 1851, he was married to Miss Susan Burrell, who was born in the same locality, arid died in March, 1852. He continued working by the month until February 1, 1856, when he was married to Miss Mary Darling, who was born in Co- shocton county, Ohio. He then rented a farm until 1867, when he came to Iroquois, Illinois, and rented a farm of Dr. Fowler for three years, during which time, July 5, 1870, he lost his wife. They had four children, three living: Celia, Susan and Franklin. October 15, 1872, he married Miss Louisa Baird, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio. In the spring of 1876 he moved to his present place, which consists of 200 acres, which he has earned by his own labor and management. By his present marriage he had four children, three liv- ing : May Belle, Ira and Leroy. Daniel Spitler, physician, Iroquois, was born in Page county, Vir- ginia, July 2, 1843, and came to Newton county, Indiana, with his parents in 1845, where he lived until he was twenty-one years of age. He then read medicine two years at Sheldon with Dr. Barry, and afterward one year at Rensselaer, Indiana, with Dr. Loughridge. While with Dr. Barry he also attended lectures at Rush Medical College, Chi- cago, graduating there while with Dr. Loughridge, with whom he formed a partnership for one year. He then went to Kentland, and owing to the ill health of his wife, discontinued practice. In 1871 he came to Iroquois, and has lived here since. March 21, 1877, he mar- ried Miss Irene Strickler, his present wife. She was born in this county. They have one child, Ellen E. W. B. Simonds, justice of the peace and insurance agent, was born in Hillsboro county, New Hampshire, December 3, 1841, and lived there until 1864, when he. moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, and worked in a wire factory. In the winter of 1865 he moved to Man- teno, Kankakee county, Illinois, and farmed. In 1871 he came to Iroquois county and farmed until 1873, when he moved to the village and has lived there since. He has held the office of town clerk a number of years, justice of the peace since 1873, and supervisor since 1878. December 29, 1870, he married Miss Ellen Young, who was born in Indiana. They had three children, one living, Clarence W. His parents, Asa and Emily (Knight) Simonds, were natives of New 228 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Hampshire. They were married there and always lived there. Mr. Simonds served as representative of his district to the state legislature in 1861 and 1862, and is now living on- the old homestead. His wife, Mrs. Simonds, died July 10, 1854. J. B. Strickler, farmer and stock-raiser, Iroquois, is a native of Con- cord township. He was born March 28, 1841, and lived with his parents until November 10, 1872, when he married Miss Josie Mc- Kinstry, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts. After his marriage he moved to his present residence, and a year later, on completion of the improvement, his parents came and have lived with him since. He has four children : Henry E., Joseph, Edna and Arthur. In June, 1859, he went to Missouri and returned in November, 1860. He enlisted in the 155th 111. Yol., and remained in service eight months. He was corporal in Company F, and was mustered out at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He owns 303 acres of land in this county. His father, Henry, was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, July 12, 1796. He married Miss Catharine Brubaker, May 13, 1819, in Hagerstown, Maryland. She was born in Virginia. They came to Iroquois county, Illinois, in 1835, and settled on the present farm and have lived here since. Of their fifteen children, nine are living. "W. H. McClain, druggist, Iroquois, is a native of Fountain county, Indiana. He was born April 6, 1850, and lived there until 1859, when with his parents he came to Iroquois county, Illinois, and settled near Milford. In 1861 they moved to Iroquois and in 1865 to Newton county, Indiana, where he lived until the spring of 1874, when he came to Iroquois and engaged in his present business, the firm being Warren & McClain ; and in 1875 Mr. Warren sold out to Mr. McClain, who has since conducted the business. January 20, 1876, he married Miss Victoria Hawle} r , who was born in Kankakee county, Illinois. They have one child, W. H., Jr. In 1871 and 1872, while in Newton county, Indiana, he served as deputy sheriff. M. "W. Jones, dealer in general merchandise, Iroquois, is a native of Marshall county, Illinois. He was born October 9, 1850, and lived there twenty-five years. Twenty-two years of this time he spent on his father's farm, and the remaining three years clerked in a general merchandise store in the village of Henry, in his native county. He then moved to Iroquois county, Illinois, and engaged in farming near Oilman, and lived there four years, when he moved to Loda ; and March 15, 1879, he came to Iroquois and engaged in his present business. December 1*3, 1875, he married Miss Hettie B. Culver, who was born in Henry, Illinois. They have one child, Alice M. The business of the new firm is by no means small, and the large stock of goods they DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 229 display is second to none in the county, invoicing as high as $10,000. They occupy two store-rooms equal to 35x50, and have a large and increasing trade. James H. Smith, dealer in general merchandise, Iroquois, was born in Cass county, Indiana, May 16, 1844. His father died when he was but two years of age, and he lived in the neighborhood until 1861, when he enlisted in the 46th reg. Ind. Inf. He was in service three years and three months. He was slightly wounded at the battle of Champion Hill. He also took part in the battles of Yicksburg, Port Gibson, Grand Gulf, and most of the engagements of the regiment. June 5, 1869, he married Miss Rebecca McClain, of Fountain county, Indiana. They had four children, three living: Samuel, Kitty and Leroy. In 1875 Mr. Smith came to Iroquois county, Illinois, and in 1877 he engaged in his present business, where he has constantly on hand all goods pertaining to a general store. DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. Douglas township received its name from the great senator, who was the originator of the plan, so far as official action was concerned, by which the grand prairie was made habitable. It has become popular to decry the system of land grants to railroads, and there is no doubt the system has been overdone, and has given rise to much official corruption ; but it was only through some such plan as the one Senator Douglas urged through congress that this vast prairie region could be profitably farmed. The township lies in the western part of the center of the county, and as originally constituted, and up to 1878, embraced twice the amount of territory that it does now. It now embraces a tier and a half of sections off the north end of townships 26 north, range 10 and 11 east of the 3d principal meridian, and 14 west of the 2d principal meridian, and two tiers of sections off the south end of town 27, same ranges, being nearly thirteen miles long east and west, by three and a half miles wide north and south. The division seems an inconvenient one, but is really one which accommodates the peo- ple very well. The Illinois Central railroad divides it exactly in the center, and the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroad runs almost through the center from east to west. The Springfield division of the Illinois Central starts here, and for twenty years 'all the trains which belong to the Central road (passing over the Peoria road) from its main line to its Chicago branch have been transferred here. 230 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Spring creek runs across the southeastern corner of the township, having on it a fine growth of timber. The surface of the land is generally level, with sufficient fall for good drainage. Early in its history the township suffered greatly rainy years in consequence of surface water, but the system of drainage which has been more recently perfected offers sufficient exit for the water in any ordinary year. There were very few early settlers in this town. Mrs. Harwood, now a resident of Gilmaii, a sketch of whose pioneer life on Sugar creek and on Spring creek will be found in the sketch of Iroquois township, was one of the very first in the county, but did not reside in this township. Jacob O' Feather came from Indiana, and settled on section 25, near Spring creek, in 1836. He was a man of fair education, and was, according to Mr. Flesher's remembrance, the first one who taught school in the lower Spring creek settlement. The Darby family, who joined in that neighborhood, had land, if Mr. Kirby's recollection is correct, in both townships. David Wright lived in the same neighborhood in 1836. Henry Alexander, who came from Yermilion county in 1851, took up about half a section in section 1 (26-14), and remained there until his death, which occurred soon after his return from service in the army during the rebellion. His step-son, Mr. A. C. Cast, who resides at Crescent City, has the place yet, and has devoted a great deal of attention to raising fruit, having one of the finest apple orchards in the county. Mr. Alex- ander had a "breaking team," according to the parlance of the time, which was in those days four or five yoke of oxen. It was supposed at that time that the prairie could not be broken with a horse-team, and men who were handy with ox-teams were in great demand in the decade between 1850 and 1860 for breaking prairie. Along the tim- ber, Daniel "Wright, Elijah Barton, "William Scott, Lewis Hunt, Mr. Graves, Thomas and S. R. Clinkinbeard settled ; George and Edward Clark and Mr. McCormick lived near by. Mrs. Eoff lived on the east side of the creek. Martin "Wright came in a few years later. Mr. Moyer lived south of the railroad, near Mr. Alexander's, and Mr. Noyes in the same vicinity. C. C. Wells and R. S. Johnson lived early on farms west of Gilman, and south of the railroad, and Lewis J. Bennett on a farm in the southwest corner of the township, and Mr. Baldwin near him. Mr. Parker lived north of the railroad, in the western part of the township, and Sherman Dayton lived near there, north of La Hogue. Andrew Bradner took up a farm in the same vicinity in the spring of 1857. Joseph Robinson lived just west of them, and Mr. Baldruft' and John Kuhn near by. In the DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 231 spring of 1858, W. E. Knibloe and E. Silver, brothers-in-law, came to the farm now owned by John Shule, three miles northwest of Gilman. Two brothers Hartley lived west of Knibloe' s that spring, and two brothers named Cook had farms farther east. Mr. Seary lived one mile northeast of Gilman. Peter, Joseph, Edwin and Abraham La Bounty lived farther east. There was fine hunting in those days, and in fact, as late as 1867 deer hunting was, though not common, an occasional sport. In the fall of that year three deer were driven out of the rush slough in Mr. Danforth's corn-field, and "the boys" followed them three days before they brought them down, and it is believed would have been after them yet rather than to have given up the job. Such a chance as that was not to be lightly esteemed. The Sturgis farm, which is just southwest of Gilman, was one of the first brought into cultivation in this part of the township. It embraces a section of land, and a great deal of money has been expended on it by the owner to make it one of the best farms in the county. The buildings have been erected with a view to carrying on dairying. The brick milk-house is supplied with artesian water, which keeps the milk at nearly a uniform temperature winter and summer. Mr. Knibloe has had charge of the farm for several years, and is running a butter dairy of about forty cows, finding market for the product in Chicago. When the reader recalls the fact that during the summer months butter has the widest range of quotation of any known article of manufacture, ranging from four to forty cents, he will readily see what such dairymen as Mr. Knibloe have known all the while, that for a good article there is always a good paying price. The Gilman nursery was put into operation by Capt. W. H. Mann about 1866. For some years the hedge-plant branch of the business largely occupied his attention, while the stock in other branches of trade was becoming ready for the trade. To Mr. Mann is largely due the popularizing of hedging in this portion of the state. As the demand in that direction became well supplied, he gave his attention more to the tree raising. Bringing to his aid a thorough knowledge of the business, and great energy and care in the manage- ment of it, the Gilman nursery, with its branches at Chenoa and Fair- bury, became one of the important interests of the county. It embraces 500 acres of land just east of Gilman. Though Douglas has from the beginning been alive to the polit- ical strifes and partisan combats of the day, and has, by caucus and election, aided to shake the political bush, few of her citizens have 232 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. gathered the fruits of victory. Mr. George Wilson, one of her citi- zens, served this district in the state legislature, and after his very acceptable service removed to Hyde Park, where he now resides. Mr. David Kerr has served one term as county superintendent of schools, and is now serving a second term. He is a gentleman of excellent attainments, and has by general consent faithfully and energetically strengthened the cause of common-school education in the county, though continually hampered by limited regulations, which have restrained him from doing all that a superintendent in so large a county should do. The time allowed him has varied from fifty to one hundred days each year. Hon. Almen S. Palmer, long a resident of the township, and for many years its efficient supervisor, was, after his removal to Onarga, elected in 1872 to rep- resent the sixteenth senatorial district, composed of Iroquois and Kankakee counties, in the state senate. He was a strong temper- ance man, never using either strong drink or tobacco in any form, and is still an honored resident of Onarga. CITY OF GILMAN. The town of Gilman, eighty-one miles from Chicago, was not laid out until the railroad, then known as the eastern extension of the Peoria and Oquaka road, was built to the crossing of the Illinois Central in 1857. Onarga had been the point of trade for this region of the country for some years, but the ra'ilroad junction here made it evident that this must be a point of considerable importance. E. E. Hundley, a resident of Virginia, owned the S.E. ^ of S.E. of Sec. 31, T. 27, 11 E. 3d principal meridian ; John Chamberlain, the S.W. \ of S.W. i of Sec. 31, T. 27, K. 14 W. 2d principal meridian, and three Methodist ministers (Walter C. Palmer, John Dempster and Joseph Hartwell) had, through the good will of Mr. Cassady, of Danville, then a large land speculator in this part of the state, become joint proprietors of the forty acres next east of Chamberlain's, the S.E. \ of the S.W. \ of this section. Judge Chamberlain took Joseph Thomas, of Onarga, as a partner, and all these proprietors gave Cruger, Secor & Co. (one of whose partners was Mr. Gilmau), a half interest in their various lands, in consideration of their running their road to this point and making their town here, they having the right also to name the town. Mr. Thomas came on with Mr. Doolittle, and with the assistance of Mr. Edward Rumley, a young man whom Gilman will always hold in remembrance, surveyed out the town and began the work of making a city. By this Mr. Rumley became one of the fathers of this place, and has continued, after all the DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 233 others have either passed away or have long since disposed of their interests here, to be one of the most active in promoting all that is of permanent interest to the place, or encourage a healthy public sentiment. The sudden death of Mr. Thomas, who was in charge of the interests of the different proprietors, was a severe blow to the vital interests of Oilman, and with the financial storm which struck the country at about the time the town was laid out, retarded for nearly ten years the active growth of the new town. Cruger, Secor & Co. gave a trust-deed to Octave Chanute, the engineer of the Peoria road, of all their interest, and he soon after sold the property on the trust, and Col. A. J. Cropsey, then of Fairbury, but more recently of Lincoln, Nebraska, became the purchaser, but soon after sold his interest to Chanute. Mr. Cassady had entered all of this eastern section 31 but that forty which Chamberlain owned. He was a man of large business enterprises, and many are the stories, which are well remembered by old residents of this and Yermilion counties, in regard to his smartness in land speculations, some of which probably were not strictly true ; but this is remembered of him, that he always remembered the clergy with kindness. It was this trait which induced him to give the three ministers above alluded to, who were poor as the ordinary run of their co-laborers in that ministry, a deed of that forty acres at little if anything be- yond what it cost him. To follow the history of the proprietary interests of Oilman further : Cyrus R. Brown took an assignment of the interest of Mr. Thomas just previous to his (Thomas') death, and continued to act in the capacity of proprietor until 1864, when Dr. Wenger purchased the entire interests of Chamberlain & Brown. In 1865 Dr. Wenger and E. S. Caughey purchased all of Chanute' s interest up to Fifth street, and the following year A. W. Beery pur- chased the remainder of Chanute' s interest. Mr. Hundley sold his interest to Mr. Feagin, taking a mortgage to secure the deferred payments, and returned to Virginia about the breaking out of armed rebellion, and, as Oen. Lane would say, "in common with the rest of the South, seseshed." He neglected to put his mortgage on record, a fact which seems to have been unknown to the mortgagor, so that there appeared to be no way to convey title of the lots in question except to permit them to be sold for taxes and then perfect the title under the revenue laws. After the cruel war was over, Mr. Hundley came back here and found for the first time that his mortgage was not on record, but hunted around and found it, and proceeded to foreclose with all that that word implies. There were sundry addi- tions of out-lots around the original town. About 1867 or 1868, 234 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. Messrs. Dent, Moslier and Baker laid out the N. of N.W. of Sec. 6 (26-14); Scott's addition is west of the original town; Mann's 1st, 2d and 3d additions are east and southeast of the town ; Comp- ton's southwest. The original town-plat embraced seventy-seven blocks, and all lay north of the Peoria railroad. "W. P. Gardner came here from Pennsylvania in the fall of 1857, and had to wait several days for the survey to be made before he could secure lots to build on. There was no house here then but the section house. There was a shanty half a mile west where the hands who were working on the railroad were boarded. Matthew Lyons was proprietor of the boarding house. C. C. Wells was living on the Sturgis farm, and was entertaining a lot of boarders. Thither Mr. Gardner went -to secure the necessaries for healthy digestion, and found that Mrs. Wells was sick, and that the two hired girls had been that day called home by sickness in their re- spective families. Mr. Wells submitted the question to the good judgment of Mr. Gardner, whether he could, under the existing cir- cumstances, contract to take any more boarders. Gardner, with the proverbial characteristic of a " Philadelphia lawyer, ' ' calculated that it could not be done. By the first of September the survey had been completed, and Mr. Gardner commenced to build the first residence in Gilman, the one now occupied by Dr. Wenger. He got it com- pleted, and on the first, of January went east to bring his family here, arriving with them on the twentieth. The same fall, James Wright built the house which Mr. Cross lives in. Daniel Dugan built the house north of Mr. Gardner's, and Matthew Lynch built the one just opposite the old hotel, which was burned last fall. The three brothers Esty (George, MOSQS and Warren E. ), built the - hotel that same fall. It was a magnificent building for the time, 35x44, three stories and basement, and must have cost at least $4,000. The upper story was, following the custom of the times, a ball-room, and thither, on the twenty-second of February, all the elite of the various grand prairie settlements, at least those who were not under good religious restraint, went to celebrate the birthday of the Father of his Country, and inaugurate the grand hotel by a grand ball. The Esty boys were at that time all unmarried, and they secured the services of Mr. and Mrs. Cross to manage their hotel. The ball was a great success, but "certain fellows of the baser sort" considered the affair rather "high toned," and being filled with something rather stronger than new wine, made night hideous outside, with a determination to flax out the ladies, who were engaged in frivolous amusement. There was no system of police in Gilman at that time, and the Estys were not DOUGLAS TOWJSTSHIP. 235 very forehanded in physical traits, but they had for a backer one Lawrence, who was the builder of the house, and as such undertook to defend it. He secured a u shillalah," which brought down one of the enemy every swing right and left. Victory rested with the de- fenders, and on went the dance. The hotel was a great success for a time. Trains from the west ran up on the Y just in front of it, and out-going trains made up at its door. Later the hotels at the crossing of the two roads were built, and this fell into disuse. Its windows are now boarded up, and its days as a hotel are numbered. The first train over the Peoria road, from Gilman, was made up here to run to the state fair in Peoria, the latter part of September, 1857. Mr. Thomas had interested the people along down the Illinois Central railroad in this route. They came here at an early homyand stood out on the prairie in the piercing west wind three hours wait- ing for the train, and many were the curses loud and deep from those who had been induced to take the Gilman route. John Mulvaney built his house early in 1858 ; and in May of the same year the Roman Catholic church was commenced. The frame was blown down in the terrible tornado which swept over this part of the country, May 13. This storm was the most severe ever known in this vicinity. It swept across the state from west to east, blowing down buildings, unrooting houses, uprooting trees and doing great havoc. The Peoria and Oquaka railroad was extended east during the next two years, and then became known as the Peoria & Logansport, and afterwards, when it was extended to the Mississippi, became known as the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw. In 1880 it was sold out, and again the name was changed. The Gilman, Clinton & Springfield road was built in 1870 and 1871, largely by the system of local aid voted by townships along the line. In 1868 it became a part of the Illinois Central, and is known as the Springfield division. During 1858 a good many houses and buildings were put up, and business was fairly active, but the depression in business, followed closely by the war, kept back the growth, and Gilman was almost at a stand for several years. CHURCHES. The first service of the Roman Catholics was held in the railroad house, in December, 1857. The work on the railroad had called to- gether a number of families of that faith, and Father Lambert came here to look after their welfare, and urge on them the importance of providing a house of worship. There were present at the first meet- 236 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. ing, John Mulvaney, Daniel Dugan, Patrick Dobbins, John Gleason, Michael Egan, Matthew Lynch, James Matthews, Thomas Querk, Patrick Dorsey and Thomas Soran, and members of the families of most of them. The first five are still residing here. At that meet- ing it was determined to raise a subscription for a church, and $150 was pledged that day, those giving pledging more when the building should be completed. Messrs. Thomas & Chamberlain donated a lot to build on, arid the railroad companies granted liberal assistance. Citizens of all denominations here and at Onarga gave liberally of their means, and May 1 work was commenced on the first house of worship in Gilman. The frame was up and was destroyed by the tornado, May 13. The work was again commenced, and the build- ing was completed in 1869. The building was 24x40, and cost about $2,000. The mission was in charge of the resident priest at Champaign at first, and afterward services were conducted by the resident priests at L'Erable : Fathers Buzard, Coute, Yanderpool and Perner. In 1870 Father Fanning, of Fairbury, had charge of this mission, and found it necessary to build a new church, owing to the crowded condition of the congregation. The old house was sold to Mr. D. Dailey, and a new frame house built, 40x80, at a cost of $6,000. This fine edifice was burned, October, 1878. It was sup- posed to have been fired by an incendiary. The present beautiful brick edifice was begun in three weeks after the other was burned, services being in the mean time conducted in Wenger's hall. The church is incomplete, and has cost $3,500. Father Bloome was the first resident priest, having charge also of the missions at Crescent and Loda, in addition to the work here.- Father Yan Schwadler followed him. The present priest is Father McGar. The priest's residence was purchased several years since. About 120 families worship here. The Presbyterian church was organized May 9, 1858, by a com- mittee of the Peoria presbytery. The original members were : C. C. Wells and wife, R. S. Johnson, Miss Mary Johnson, Sherman Dayton, Mrs. R. L. Beyea, Mrs. P. A. M. Dickerson, J. A. Cultra, E. W. Burrows and Mrs. Ada Cross. C. C. Wells was elected elder. In 1860 R. S. Johnson and Sherman Dayton were elected elders. Meetings were held occasionally in the school-house. Rev. Isaac B. Moore was pastor in 1860, J. A. E. Simpson in 1863, P. D. Young in 1868, S. Y. McKee in 1872 for four years. Rev. Mr. Magner supplied the church half a day each Sabbath in 1877, and Mr. Fahs, of the seminary, a portion of the year 1878. The present pastor, Rev. M. JSToer, commenced his labors December, 1878. In 1866 R. DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 237 S. Johnson, A. Dickerson and Dr. E. Wenger were chosen trustees, and under their administration the present church was built. It is 32 x 46, and cost about $1, 500. The present membership is forty-seven. The first Sabbath school was held a portion of the time in W. B. Flagg's blacksmith shop, and a portion of the time in the depot. C. C. Wells, R. S. Johnson and S. Dayton were interested in carrying on the work. David Kerr acted as superintendent for one year, about 1870, and Mr. Joseph Armstrong one year, Rev. Mr. McKee during the time of his pastorate, and Mr. A. Crooks since that time, for four years. These gentlemen, together with Mr. Harris, Thomas A. Crooks, Mrs. Armstrong, Mrs. Snyder, Mrs. West and Miss Jennie Kerr, have been active in Sabbath school work. The school averages about seventy-five. There were, as in all places, members of the Methodist persuasion here, and meetings were irregularly held for some years before the appointment of Mr. Havermale to this circuit in 1869. Rev. Mr. Stubbles is believed to have been the earliest preacher here, and was followed by Rev. Messrs. Hill and Gray. Rev. George R. Palmer also preached, but the society was in an unorganized condition until Mr. Havermale' s appointment. The first services were held in the school-house near Mr. Peck's, and later in Mann's hall. March 19, 1872, A. J. Alexander, James Tobias, F. P. Van Yalkenburg, J. H. Allen and A. J. Ross were elected trustees, and May 13, W. M. Scott, J. P. Bassett and H. A. M'Caughey were added to the board of trustees, and they proceeded to build the church. It is brick, 40 x 70, two stories, and yet unfinished in the upper story. In 1877 the roof was partially blown off during a severe gale, but. was re- placed with no damage to the walls. The building cost about $8,000. Each attempt made to dedicate the building has been interfered with by severe storms on the day appointed. Rev. M. F. Havermale was appointed to this charge in 1869, and served here three years ; Rev. J. I. Webb in 1872, one year; Rev. G. W. Burns in 1873, two years ; Rev. C. O. McCulloch in 1875, three years ; Rev. F. H. Gumming in 1878, one year. Rev. M. C. Eignus is the present preacher. The church numbers about eighty members. Mr. Parsons and wife and Miss Walker collected the children together in a Sabbath school in Mr. Feagin's house as early as 1858. For a time and down probably to about 1869, the school was conducted irregu- larly. Sometimes it was known as the Mission school, under the superintendency of H. C. Bushnell ; but about that date took the distinctive name of the Methodist school. James Tobias, H. Houghton and Dr. Van Yalkenburg served successively as superin- 15 238 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. tendent. D. L. Parker, J. H. Allen, William Scott, Miss Scott, Mrs. George Leaf and Mrs. J. R. Capron have aided actively in the work. Isaac Bailey is the present superintendent ; the membership is 130, with an average attendance of about 110. The Lutheran church was organized in 1867, by the election of Charles Layer, Fred. Laub and Charles Meyer, trustees. Rev. Mr. Johnson of Danforth, preached here two years, and Rev. Mr. Hunzinger and Mr. Hartman of Ash Grove, served the church for a while. The edifice was erected in 1873. It is 24x46, with spire, and cost $1,800. Rev. Robert Falke served the church for a year arid a half, and Rev. Carl Schuchard is the present pastor. In addition to those above named, Albert Olms, Mr. Rosenburg, Conrad Scharpf and John Klaefft have served as trustees. The church numbers about 40. A Sabbath school has been maintained for ten. years, the preacher usually acting as leader. Charles Meyer is superintendent. The average attendance is from 50 to 70. The Evangelical church was organized about 1865. The first preaching services were held in a school-house at John Shule's farm. Afterward services were held in Wenger's hall and at other places in town. This is known as Gilman circuit, and embraces appointments at Danforth, Wilson's Settlement and Ash Grove. It formerly embraced Chatsworth and Roberts. The church was built in 1875, is 24X.46, and cost about $3,000. Mr. John Shule was the largest contributor to the cause. The church here numbers 38. Rev. Mr. Musselmann, Mr. Knight, Mr. Wagner, Mr. Eigelout, John Cutts, John Webner, Mr. Wingert and Mr. Lintner have in turn ministered to this people. Louis Eppelsheimer is superintendent of the Sabbath school. The Baptist church was organized in 1871 with 15 members. Rev. J. M. Whitehead of Kankakee was present to aid by his advice and counsel. The church has not had regular pastors, and has no church edifice. Elder Palmer, Elder Knapp and Elder Jordan have preached here. Rev. Mr. Barker of Watseka preached here a portion of the time during the year 1868, and Elder Beebe of Chatsworth is supplying the pulpit in the same way this year. The church now numbers 18 members. G. N. Hawley is clerk, and W. P. Gardner has been chosen since its organization. Meetings are held regularly on the Sabbath in Mann's hall, and prayer and missionary meetings in the same place Friday evenings. Sabbath school has been maintained irregularly. H. C. Bushnell was one of the first promotors of the cause, and was early the superintendent. Mr. Hawley is the present superintendent. DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 239 SOCIETIES. Gilman Lodge, A.F. and A.M., was instituted October 6, 1868, with the following charter members : A. J. Alexander, W.M. ; Elias Wenger, S.W. ; F. P. Van Yalkenburg, J.W. ; James Hamilton, J. D. Leland, M. J. Henry, T. J. Laney, Albert Dickerson, B. F. Brown, Isaac Hills, I. B. Calder, L. G. Kemer, George C. Coxshall, John C. Knecht and "W. H. Otis, Secretary. J. S. Forsythe acted as master one year, and Dr. "Wenger the remainder of the time. He also built the lodge and furnished it, giving the rent free the first year. It was dedicated by the late William Rounsville. The lodge meets the second and fourth Saturdays in each month. The present officers are : E. Wenger, W.M. ; O. R. Morey, S.W. ; R. H. Miller, J.W. ; F. G. Schrnedt, S.D. ; Charles Meyer, secretary ; W. H. Cassady, treasurer ; Thomas Fitton, tiler. The Gilman Grove, No. 50, of the Ancient Order of Druids, was organized January 20, 1875, with the following charter members and original officers: Albert Olms, A. A. ; Paul Meyer, W. A. ; H. Bark- meyer, secretary; Anton Nagel, warden; Joseph Schalkle, treasurer; and Guenther Rosenburg. It numbers twenty-one, and meets in Masonic Hall Tuesday nights. The family of each member dying receives from its fund $500. It is in a flourishing condition. The present officers are : J. Schalkle, A.A. ; George Althans, W.A. ; C. Layer, secretary ; R. Sheable, treasurer ; John Shule, warden. Gilman Lodg'e, No. 648, I.O.O.F., was instituted November 12, 1877, with the following charter members and original officers : F. Macdonald, N.G. ; Geddes Simmons, Y.G. ; J. R. Flynn, secretary ; Charles Meyer, treasurer ; R. N. Foster, lodge deputy ; Lewis Anson, Julius Kahle, E. Skeels, J. Schalkle, and three others. The lodge numbers forty-two, and meets Monday evenings. Dr. J. W. Snyder served one year as N.G. The present officers are : Charles Meyer, N.G. ; C. C. Stone, Y.G. ; John Flynn, treasurer ; F. Macdonald, sec- retary ; R. N. Foster, deputy. Star Lodge, No. 202, I.O.G.T., was instituted by G.W.C.T. Uriah Copp, Jr., November 23, 1877, with fifty-two charter members, and! with the following officers : Ed Rumley, W.C.T. ; Mrs. Rumley y W.Y.T. ; A. J. De Long, secretary; J. A. Wilcox, financial secretary; James Rugg, treasurer ; F. Wilcox, marshal ; Jennie Kerr, guard ; J. J. Rugg, sentinel ; Mrs. F. Wilcox, deputy marshal ; Kate Lameraux,. assistant secretary ; Mrs. A. J. De Long, R. H. supporter ; Mrs. J. A. Wilcox, L. H. supporter; S. B. Howard, chaplain. The lodge num- bers eighty-eight members, and is a live and energetic institution, doing good service in behalf of temperance. The present officers are: 240 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. G. W. Shute, P.W.C.T. ; E. Kumley, W.C.T. ; Mrs. J. A. Wilcox, W.Y.T. ; Charles S. Cavis, secretary ; H. Johnson, financial secre- tary ; Miss Lizzie Mann, treasurer, L. Edmuns, marshal ; Miss Gertie Bucklin, deputy marshal ; Miss Jennie Cassady, guard ; W. A. Mann, sentinel ; Miss Belle Hudson, assistant secretary ; Mrs. Fowler, R. H. supporter ; Mrs. W. H. Mann, L. H. supporter ; G. N. Hawley, chaplain. The Gilman Library Association was organized February 8, 1870. It is organized under the laws of the state as a joint-stock association, the stock being 100 shares at a par value of $10 each. The first officers were D. L. Parker, president ; A. Dickerson and H. C. Bush- nell, vice-presidents ; L. A. Chase, secretary ; Ed Rumley, librarian ; Dr. E. Wenger, treasurer; W. H. Mann, S. S. Cone and Isaac Beyea, directors. The interest in the society is kept up and its funds im- proved by entertainments of different kinds, lectures, plays by home talent, etc. On the 22d of February each year the society has its annual dinner, which is an enjoyable feature. No officer receives any salary but the librarian. The association owns its building, and 1,256 volumes, embracing many of the standard works in all the departments of literature, and is out of debt. The shares of stock are now worth $30. Non-stockholders are charged $2 per annum for the use of the books. The present officers are : Mrs. W. H. Mann, president; Mrs. Fannie Potter, secretary and librarian ; George H. Potter, treasurer. The first school building was put up by Isaac Beyea, two blocks north of Wenger's Block, in 1860. Previous to this, school was held in a building which stood north of where Harwood lives. The school- house was 22 x 48, and was used until 1869, when it was moved to the center of town, and is occupied by S. Y. West as a drug store. In 1869 the main part of the present school-house was built. It is 55x75, two stories high. The west wing was built in 1879, 30x40, two stories. The school is graded to four departments, primary, sec- ond primary, intermediate and senior, and is in charge of Mr. E. Bru- maghin, a graduate of the Albany (New York) High School, with Miss Annie R. Brumback in charge of the intermediate, Miss Phillips of the second primary, and Miss Mattie Beach, primary. The average attendance is 275. Misses Crooks, De Land and Mosher are the direc- tors. The " Model " series of arithmetics are used ; independent read- ers, Montieth's geographies, and Green's grammars. CITY ORGANIZATION. Gilman was incorporated as a town in 1867. At the first election the following officers were elected : T. Spalding, president ; Dr. E. "Wenger, D. Harwood, Mr. Layer and J. Mulvaney, trustees ; Joseph DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 241 Armstrong, clerk ; E. Wenger, treasurer. The limits, as fixed by the incorporating act, included the S.W. ^ and S. % of N.W. ^ of Sec. 31 (27-14), the E. i of the S.E. \ Sec. 31 (27-11), and the N. i of the N.W. \ of Sec. 6 (26-14), and permission was given the trustees to extend the limits a half mile each way ; afterward the limits were enlarged by being extended half a mile each way. This organization was under a special charter, as was the custom before the act of 1872 took effect. Under the latter, city organization was effected, March 11, 1874, by the election of Thomas Spalding, mayor; C. Howard, E. Wenger, J. D. Watkins, G. H. Potter, Isaac Beyea and L. W. Kennedy, aldermen ; J. Armstrong, clerk ; S. S. Cone, attorney. These officers served until the regular election under the general act, April 21, when the follow- ing were elected : J. D. Watkins, mayor ; T. Spalding, treasurer ; S. S Cone, attorney; J. Armstrong, clerk. Aldermen: first ward, A. W, Beery, Thomas Fitten ; second ward, John Mulvaney, L. L. Reams ; third ward, J. H. Allen, L. W. Kennedy. At present writing the officers are : C. P. Kinney, mayor ; J. Armstrong, clerk ; D. L. Parker, treasurer ; J. D. LeLand, attorney ; W. M. Scott, J. Mulvaney and A. J. DeLong, aldermen. License for the sale of strong drink has been the rule in the city until the present year, i.e. under the election of 1879, when the anti- license policy prevailed. License has usually been $300 per annum. The city's protection against fire consists of six Babcock extinguishers and an efficient hook and ladder company. The cemetery is owned by the city. It consisted of ten acres which was laid out into eight blocks, containing in all about 600 lots. A portion of the ground was transferred to the Catholic church, as under the rule and custom of that faith, grounds for burial are sacred to the use of their own people, and are under the charge of the church. Con- siderable has been done in the way of beautifying the grounds, by the authorities and by individual purchasers, making the grounds pleasant, according to the taste of the modern idea in regard to places of burial, which marks the higher civilization of the age. NEWSPAPERS. The first newspaper established in Oilman was the " Journal," a local six-column folio, by Matthias Custer, in 1868. It was independ- ent in politics, and fairly represented the local interests of the young town. Its publication continued two years. On May 21, 1870, Mr. Ed. Rumley began the publication of the "Oilman Star," which has brightly twinkled during ten years of pros- perous existence. Mr. Rumley had acquired, by a considerable experi- 242 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. ence in newspaper publishing an education, which, coupled with a native aptitude in that line, peculiarly fitted him for managing a local paper. As early as 1864 he had published the "Advertiser" at Onarga, which in 1865 was changed to the " Review." He had also published the "Fruit Grower," a publication which, as its name indicated, was de- voted to the important fruit interests of this locality. The "Star" was started as a six-column folio, and has grown into a triple sheet, or twelve pages, now the largest paper in this part of the state. It has always been successful financially, independent in politics, but radically in earnest as an advocate of temperance, and has a large circulation all over the county. Patronage was scant at first. The first number contained advertisements of J. H. Allen, dealer in dry-goods ; D. L. Parker & Co. and J. Wilson & Son, bankers; W. H. Mann & Co., nursery ; A. Dickerson, insurance ; H. Bushnell & Son, lumber, and a flaming advertisement of Cyrus Shinn, the redoubtable real-estate and excursion agent. A single number of the "Star" lately has contained thirty columns of advertisements. Mr. D. Harwood was the first to enter into any business enter- prise in Gilman, and Mr. D. L. Parker was the first to open a full stock of goods, in the store now occupied by Charles Layer, in the spring of 1858. It was supposed at first that business would not be drawn to the railroad crossing, and it seemed more comfortable to be away from the smoke and noise of trains. Mr. Parker continued to carry on the mercantile business until 1861, when he went into the railroad office for six years, after which he engaged in banking business. J. F. Wright engaged in mercantile business the same year. Isaac Beyea was one of the first here. He lived just north of the town and carried on his trade, that of mason, and did his full share to build up the town. He divided the time between the pressing duties of his vocation and the more exciting duties of the chase. It was beautiful hunting here for at least ten years after the railroad was built, and Beyea's education, on the hillsides of southern New York fitted him for the joys of the chase. He has, however, steadied down and become a justice of the peace. It is supposed to require a good hunter to make an acceptable peace officer. Jonathan, David and Aaron Wright were early here, carrying on the carpenter trade. Matthew Lynch opened the saloon business early in 1858. The town is the most diffusely scattered, probably, "of any town of like population in the state. It would be very difficult to tell which is the center of the town. Dr. Wenger's endeavor to centralize the business on the high ground west of the railroad was a worthy one, and the buildings he put up there would necessarily have tended to that result, but other interests were DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 243 drawing in other directions. With railroad facilities of the very best and a fair start in manufacturing, Gilman can hardly fail to draw to it the men of capital and enterprise, together with the energetic and liberal men who have her interests in charge, to make it a point of commercial and business importance. An attempt was made by the citizens to call the town Douglas, but the railroad seems to have got the start in naming, and would not con- sent to change. It seems strange in this particular case that there was an unwillingness to make the change, for if there is any honor in hav- ing a town named after a man whose public acts have been devoted to the interests of a great public enterprise, no one was more entitled to such remembrance than Stephen A. Douglas, whose enterprise, skill and great tact originated and carried through congress the wise and statesman-like measure, which made it possible to reduce this grand prairie from wilderness to magnificent farms and thriving cities. Warren E. Esty was the first postmaster ; after him, D. L. Parker, Oliver Clark and Albert Dickerson, and W. H. Mann is the present one. The brick block west of the railroad, known as Wenger's Block, was built by Dr. E. Wenger and A. W. Beery in 1870. It includes six two-story and basement brick stores, four of which were built by the former and two by the latter. The block is 129 feet long and 70 feet deep, and cost $18,000. Dent & Mosher built the two stores south of the railroad in 1867. A joint-stock company, composed of men who had business interests in that portion of the town, built the two-story brick store south of the railroad in 1870. D. L. Parker built the one- story brick block just north of the railroad, occupied by the bank and stores, and the building where the post-office is, in 1872. The Crooks Brothers built the one-story and basement brick store occupied by them in 1878. It is a very neat one, 25x85, and cost about $3,000. E. H. David & Son built the planing-mill in 1871, and run it as such four years, when they renewed the machinery and put in three runs of stone for a grist-mill. They do custom work only. It cost about $3,500. Mr. C. Cross built the small custom mill west of the railroad in 1877. La Hogueis a station on the Peoria road, four miles west of Gilman, where considerable business is done in buying and shipping corn. Miles Brothers of Peoria, Durham & Doe of Onarga, and G. C. Beckwith are engaged in buying grain. John Zea has a store and is postmaster. .The hay business at La Hogue is an important one. The ground here is well adapted to raising grass, and large quantities are cut and pressed for the Peoria market. The work is done by the 244 HISTOKY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. recently introduced steam-power press. The population of Douglas, which then included Danforth, in 1870 was: native whites, 1,801; foreign-born, 598 ; total, 2,399. BIOGRAPHICAL. David C. Wright (deceased), was one of the first settlers of this part of Iroquois county. He was born in Green count} 7 , Pennsylvania, and was a soldier of the war of 1812, belonging to the Light Horse Cavalry. He was married, about 1818 or 1819, to Ede McCowen, who was born in Green county, Pennsylvania, in 1801. Her father, James Mc- Cowen, was a soldier of the revolutionary war. Mrs. Wright is one of a family of eleven children ; she is the only one living of the family. In about 1829, David C. Wright, with his wife and six children started for the Far West, and arrived in Terre Haute, Indiana, where they remained about two or three years. From there they came to Iroquois county, and located on a farm four miles from Gilman, on Spring creek. They were among the first families in this part of the county. He engaged in farming. David C. Wright (^ied October 27, 1852, and thus passed away one of the old and honored settlers of Iroquois county. After the death of Mr. Wright, Mrs. Wright moved to Gilman, where she has remained ever since. They had eleven children. One son, Jonathan Wright, was in the late war and did good service. Matthew Lynch (deceased), was one of the first settlers of Gilman. He was born in Ireland, and emigrated to America with his brothers and sisters when he was very young. His mother and father both died in Ireland before they started for America. Mr. Lynch came direct west to Illinois, and first located in Naperville, and from there he went to St. Charles, and in 1850 was married to Margaret C. Ponsevy, who was born in Ireland, and came to America when young. From St. Charles, Mr. Lynch and wife moved to Chicago, where they remained about five years. From there they moved to Galesburg, where they remained until 1847. During his residence in Illinois Mr. Lynch was a railroad engineer. He engineered on the Galena, Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy, and Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroads, and was known as a good engineer, always performing his duty faithfully. In 1847 Mr. Lynch and wife moved to Gilman, and there were but two houses in the place. The first house was occupied by Matthew Lyon, and the other, a shanty, was used as a section house, consequently Mr. Lynch built the third house in Gilman, which stood in the rear of the Park Hotel. Their house was used as a hotel, and was known as the Rail- road House. Matthew Lynch took an active part in organizing the Catholic church, and the first meetings of this church were held at his DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 245 house. He was a faithful member of the church, and a friend to the schools of Gilman. He was made school director. Matthew Lynch died June 9, 1870, at thirty-nine years of age, and thus passed away one of the old and highly respected citizens of Gilman, leaving a wife to mourn his loss. Mrs. Lynch was married to her present husband, Christopher Ennis, July 31, 1876, by the Rev. Father Fanning. Mr. Ennis was born in Ireland. Some twenty-four years ago he was employed with the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroad as a section-boss. From that he gradually built his way up, and to-day is road-master of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroad. He is a man that is well thought of from one end of the road to the other. D. L. Parker, banker, Gilman, was born in Orleans county, New York, April 29, 1836. He remained a resident of his native county until he was about fifteen years of age, when he came west to Illinois and located in Chicago. Here his father, Warren Parker, was engaged in running an omnibus line in Chicago. Mr. Parker, the subject of this sketch, was engaged in the omnibus business with his father, and remained a resident of Chicago about five years. He then came to Iroquois county and was farming one year near Gilman, and in 1857 moved to Gilman, where he has been a resident ever since. He entered the real-estate business, and the general merchandise business, he being the first grocer and general merchant of Gilman. From that he was employed by the railroads as general agent at Gilman. In 1869 he entered the banking business, the firm being D. L. Parker & Co. In 1873 he formed a partnership with J. H. Allen, the firm becoming Parker & Allen. William P. Gardner is u the pioneer furniture man "and one of the first settlers of Gilman. He was born in New London county, Ver- mont, December 27, 1812, and is the son of Isaac Gardner, who was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and who was born on the same ground on which the subject of this sketch was born. Mr. Gardner's ancestors were among the Mayflower pilgrims. Mr. Gardner was raised on the farm, where he remained until he was about twenty-four years of age, with the exception of two years when he was a resident of New York. In 1836 he was married to Sarah E. James, of Rhode Island, and they moved to Pennsylvania and located in Gibson, Susquehanna county. He engaged in farming and remained there until 1857, when he came west to Illinois and located in Gilman. He commenced the erection of his residence, the first in Gilman, which is now owned and occupied by Dr. E. Wenger. In 1858 Mr. Gardner moved his family to Gilman, and engaged in farming. In 1865 he moved to Kankakee county, Illinois, and remained until 1870, when he returned to Gilman, where 246 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. he has been a resident ever since. In 1872 he embarked in the furni- ture and undertaking business. This business he has gradually built up until to-day he is doing a leading business. He occupies two build- ings, one size 18x40 feet and one 20x36 feet. He keeps constantly on hand a full line of goods. Mr. Gardner has held the office of con- stable of Gilman for four years with honor and credit. He had one son in the late war. Bur Gardner was a soldier in the 113th 111. Yol. He was a brave soldier and did good duty, and was honorably mus- tered out on account of sickness. Mr. Gardner lost his first wife. She died in 1872 and was buried in the Gilman cemetery. He subse- quently married Mrs. Hunt. Mr. Gardner is a member of the Baptist church, having been a member of this church since he was eighteen years of age. William E. Knibloe, farmer, Gilman, was born in the town of Sharon, Connecticut, February 17, 1820. His parents, soon after his birth, removed to Dutchess county, New York, where he learned the trade of cabinet-maker. In April, 1842, he married Miss Mary A. Dakin, of North East, who was born December 22, 1821. In 1843 Mr. Knibloe removed with his family to Chicago, where he continued to follow his trade until 1858, when he removed to Douglas township, Iroquois county, and commenced farming. This business he has since successfully prosecuted. They have had three children, two of them now living. The daughter, Harriet, is married and living in Gilman. The son, Walter E., is teaching in the public schools of Champaign. The family are directly descended from a distinguished Scotch ancestry, some of whom were employed in translating King James' version of the Bible, and one of whom assisted in founding Yale College. Mrs. Knibloe is a member of the M. E. church. Isaac Beyea, justice of the peace, is one of the few original settlers of Gilman. He was born January 25, 1822, in Orange county, New York, and is the son of Peter Beyea, who was a soldier of the war of 1812. He learned the trade of stone mason in Orange County, New York. In 1857 he started for Illinois, and located in Kaneville, Kane county, where he remained until 1859. He came to Gilman in February of the same year. The first work he did at his trade was in 1859, in building the foundation for a business block, which was the first stone or brick foundation built in Gilman. This house was used for a grocery store, and was the first regular grocery store in Gilman. It is now owned and occupied by Mr. Charles Layer. Since Mr. Beyea has been a resident of Gilman he has been engaged in building some of the leading business blocks in Gilman. He helped to build the Wenger Block, and erected the first school-house in Gilman, which at DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 247 that time was located three blocks north of the Wenger Block. This school-house is now used as a drug store, know as the City Drug Store. Mr. Beyea states that the first plaster is still on the ceiling. He helped to build the present M. E. church, and erected the brick building now occupied by Joseph Armstrong, as a real estate office. Mr. Beyea retired from the stone-mason's trade in about 1873. He has held several offices of public trust. He was the first assessor of Douglas township. He filled the office of supervisor of Douglas township three terms, and township collector two terms. He is now holding his second term of office as justice of the peace. In all of these offices Mr. Beyea has acquitted himself in an honorable and creditable manner. His politics are republican, and he is one of the eight republicans who have worked so hard for the success of the party in Gilman. Wright Brothers, hardware merchants, are among the leading hardware men of Gilman, which firm is composed of George D. and Charles M., both natives of Kane county, Illinois, who moved to Gilman at an early day. The firm of Wright Brothers commenced business in Gilman in its present room, in 1876, located in the Wenger Block. They occupy three floors : basement, first and second floors, size 20 feet front by 70 deep. They keep a large stock of hardware and stoves on hand. The second floor is used for the tin-shop, where they employ steadily a regular tinner. The Wright Brothers are the sons of John F. Wright, who was born in Oneida county, New York, in 1812. John F. Wright remained in Oneida county until he was about five years of age, and then moved with his parents to Genesee county, New York. From this county, in 1839, he made a trip west to Illinois and visited the present county of Iroquois, then a wild country. He returned to Genesee county and married Abigail McWayne, of New York. In 1844 Mr. Wright and wife came west to Illinois, and located in St. Charles, Kane county, where he engaged in the mercantile business, and remained until 1859, when he came to Gilman with his family. Here he engaged in the mercantile business, being the second merchant to sell goods in Gilman. He continued in business about two years, when he went to Watseka, and sold goods some three years. From there he moved his family to a farm in Iro- quois township, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising some four years, when he returned to Gilman, and has been a honored resi- dent ever since. He has been engaged in the real-estate business. Mr. Wright has held several offices of public trust. He was supervisor of Iroquois township two terms, and supervisor of Douglas tow'nship one term. He was mayor of Gilman two years. In this office Mr. Wright acquitted himself in a very creditable manner. He is a demo- 248 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. crat in politics. He is the father of four children ; three born in Kane county and one in Iroqnois. Nelson Eldred, proprietor of the Gilman creamery, was born in Herkimer county, New York, September 13, 1816, and there he re- mained until he was about twenty-one years of age. He then came west to Illinois, and located in Morgan county, where he was engaged in raising the silk-worm. This not proving a success, he retired from this business after trying for some three years. He is satisfied that the silk-worm cannot be successfully cultivated in this part of the United States. From Morgan county he moved to Greene county, where he remained some four years. Here he was engaged in teaching school. He then moved to Rock county, Wisconsin, where he farmed some eleven years, when he went to Davenport, Iowa, and embarked in the lumber business, which was very profitable to him. From there he returned to Illinois and located in Kankakee city, where he commenced the lumber business. While a resident there he attempted lumber manu- facturing in the pineries of Michigan. He invested $16,000 in erecting a mill and buying land. He was not very successful, as he lost most of his capital invested. In 1860 he came to Iroquois county and farmed here some three years. He went to Iowa Falls, Iowa, where he was in the mercantile business four years; then in the dairy business five years. There he did a very good business in the manufacture of cheese, making as high as 600 pounds a day. In 1875 he came to Gil- man and commenced the erection of his present creamery, a brick building, size 36x40 feet, two stories high. He has two vats, each holding 600 gallons ; four churns, with a capacity of 60 gallons each, run by steam. He makes, in the summer months, about 1,000 pounds per week, and in the winter months about 300 pounds per week. He finds sale for his butter in the New Orleans markets. This creamery was the first regular creamery built in Iroquois county. John Shule, agricultural dealer and harness-maker, Gilman, was born near Darmstadt, Prussia, in 1832. With his parents he emigrated to America, and landed in New York city in 1847. He came direct to Illinois, and commenced work on a farm in Cook county at $3 per month. He remained a resident of Cook county about five years, and then went to Kane county and engaged working on a farm three years. He then moved to DeKalb county, where he purchased a farm of 120 acres of land. Mr. Shule gave to his father all the money he made up to the time he was nineteen years of age. From that on he worked and accumulated money for himself. He remained in DeKalb county about twelve years, when, in 1861, he came to Gil- man, then in its infancy. Here he commenced farming and dealing in DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 249 stock, and was very successful for the first few years. Mr. Shule has followed farming ever since he has been a resident here. In 1867 he built his present business block. In 1874 he embarked in the agricul- tural business and engaged in the harness business. To-day he is the oldest agricultural dealer in Gilman. His son-in-law, Mr. Lewis Eppel- sheimer, is the book-keeper in the agricultural department. In both departments, in busy times, Mr. Shule employs six hands. The store used for his agricultural department is 20x60 feet. The harness shop is 20x50. When Mr. Shule first came to Gilman it was a town of some eight or ten houses. He has held the offices of alderman and street commissioner. Mr. Shule was married to Miss Margaret Ham- mel, of Germany, who came to America when she was two years of age. By this marriage they have seven children. Andrew J.Alexander, supervisor of Douglas township, Gilman, is one of the prominent men of Iroquois county. He was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, January 25, 1821, and is the son of Jerard and Eliz- abeth (Henry) Alexander. When he was about six years of age, with his parents, he moved to Kentucky and located in Meade county. From there they moved to.Breckinridge county, where his father died July 2, 1834, at fifty years of age. Mr. Alexander remained in Breckinridge county, where he received a common-school education, and graduated from the Georgetown College about 1840. Soon afterward he made a trip, on a keel-boat, down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and up the Red river to Shreveport. He returned to Breckinridge county, then to Davis county, near Owensboro, Kentucky, on a farm. In 1843 he was married to Miss Lucy A. Washington, a distant relative of Gen. George Washington. From Davis county Mr. Alexander returned to Meade county, and in 1864 came to Iroquois county and purchased his present farm. In 1865 he moved his family. Mr. Alexander is a dem- ocrat in politics. He has been supervisor of Douglas township for the last ten years. Charles Layer, grocer, Gilman, is one of the leading business men of Gilman. He was born in Germany, in 1836, where he learned the trade of a baker. In 1854 he emigrated to America, and landed in Quebec, financially a poor man. From Quebec he went to New York city, and worked at his trade about two years. He then came west to Illinois, and worked at his trade in Peoria, and about 1858, having saved a little money working at his trade, went to Washington, Tazewell county, Illinois, and set up a little bakery. Here he met with good success, and "mar- ried Miss Katherine Ringeisen, of Germany. They remained in Washington until 1864, when Mr. Layer came to Gilman and em- 250 HISTORY OF IKOQUOIS COUNTY. barked first in the restaurant business, his being the first restaurant in Oilman. This he followed until 1865, when he entered the gro- cery business, being among the first of this place. He commenced the business in his present stand, and is to-day the oldest grocery merchant in Gilman. Since Mr. Layer has been engaged in the mercantile business in Gilman he has associated himself as a business partner with G. Holliday, John Burkee and Charles Meyer. Mr. Layer has been engaged in business in Gilman ever since he came here, except in 1872, when he made a trip to his native countrv, Germany, to see his mother, brothers, sisters and friends. He made a pleasant visit and returned to Gilman, where he has been recog- nized as one of the honorable citizens of the place, holding the office of city trustee for two terms, and refusing the third term. By his marriage Mr. Layer has four children. William, his son, is clerk in the store. He was born in "Washington. When Mr. Layer first came to Gilman he did not engage in the bakery business, because the vil- lage was too small. After several years he commenced the bakery business. Mr. Layer's parents are both dead. John D. Leland, attorney-at-law, Gilman, is one of the leading attorneys of the Iroquois county bar. He was born in Rose township, Wayne county, 'New York, January 20, 1835, and is the son of Gail and Polly (Phelps) Leland, both natives of the state of New York. Mr. Leland's grandfather was a soldier of the war of 1812. In 1836, when Mr. Leland was a babe, with his parents he moved to Ohio, and located in Geauga county, then very wild, they being among the early settlers of that county. Here the subject of this sketch remained until he was about twenty-one years of age, engaged in farming and attending the district schools of the period "in a little red school- house." From that he attended schools and seminaries in different parts of Ohio. From Geauga county Mr. Leland, with his parents, moved to Ashtabula county. Here, when he was about twenty-three years of age, he was married to Miss Cornelia Alderman, of Ohio. In May, 1864, Mr. Leland moved to Illinois, and first located in Onarga. From there he came to Gilman, where he began teaching school, which profession he followed while in Ohio. He taught the school in Gil- man located about three blocks from the Wenger Block, his first term here. He had about forty pupils, they coming from a distance of six miles. The school improved rapidly, so that at the end of two years he had some 120 scholars in attendance. During Mr. Leland's school teaching he would teach school in the daytime and study law at night. In 1867 he was elected justice of the peace, which office he filled for ten years, and was recognized as one of the leading justices of Iroquois DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 251 county. In 1869 he was admitted to practice law at the Illinois bar, and to-day is the oldest practicing attorney located at Gilman. Per- haps Mr. Leland is one of the best known men in Gilman. He has taken a very active part in politics, representing Gilman at almost all the republican conventions for the last ten years. He has held several offices of public trust in Gilman : city clerk, township clerk and super- visor. In these offices he has acquitted himself in a very creditable manner. Mr. Leland's first wife died, and he married his present wife, Mrs. Mary Shultz. She has one child, a daughter. Mr. Leland had one child by his first wife. Columbus Cross, proprietor of marble and granite works, Gilman, was born in Utica, New York, in 1825, and is the son of Erastus Cross, who was a resident of Utica when it was known as Fort Schuyler. This was some time before the building of the Erie canal. Erastus Cross was a large marble dealer in Utica, and here the subject of this sketch commenced business. He remained a resident of Utica until he was twenty-three years of age. In 1848 he came west to Ohio and was made manager of some large marble works at Zanesville, owned by a firm of Vermont. Here Mr. Cross remained about four years, when he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and formed the firm of Smith & Cross, who were proprietors of one of the largest marble works at that time in Cincinnati, Ohio, employing over sixty agents and col- lectors to do the business. They did a business in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and the Southern States. Mr. Cross continued in Cincinnati about five years, when he returned to Utica, New York. At the breaking out of the late civil war he enlisted in Co. E, 2d N. Y. Cavalry. He remained in service until 1865. He participated in some of the most severe battles during the war, fighting under that gallant leader, Phil. Sheridan. Mr. Cross was wounded at the battle of Burk's Station in the left knee by a musket ball. He served as captain in Co. E. He was a brave soldier, and was honorably mustered out in July, 1865, at the close of the war. He returned to Utica, and in the fall of 1865 came west to Illinois. He remained in Chicago a short time, and from ^there came to Iroquois county and commenced the marble business at Onarga in 1869. He came to Gilman on account of the railroad facilities being better. Here he is doing a very extensive business in the manufacture of monuments and tombstones. He sells his work in Momence, Onarga, Rensselaer, Odell, Pontiac and Watseka. At the latter place he erected a fine monument for the late Dr. Fowler. In Onarga cemetery he erected a monument to the memory of George W. Marshal, which is the largest monument in Iroquois county. Mr. Cross employs some fifteen men. He has in connection a steam stone 252 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. saw-mill. He buys most of his marble and granite from first hands, importing marble and granite. His business amounts to as high as $25,000 per year. H. C. Mosher, merchant, Oilman, was born in La Salle county, Illi- nois, February 15, 1836, and is the son of Ira and Louisa (Pease) Mosher. Ira Mosher was a native of Saratoga county, New York. He married in New York, and about 1830, with his wife and one child, emigrated west to Illinois and located in La Salle, then a wild county, inhabited by the Indian and the wolf. Here they commenced farming, being among the first settlers of the county. Ira Mosher participated in the Black Hawk war of 1832. He died March 1, 1874:, respected and honored. The subject of this sketch remained on his father's farm, engaged in farming, and in the winter months attending the district schools of the period. When very young he helped his father to haul grain, etc., to the Chicago market. In 1862 Mr. Mosher enlisted in the late civil war in Co. K, 107th 111. Yol. Inf. After serving one year in the 107th he was transferred to Battery K, 1st 111. Light Art., where he served until the expiration of three years, doing good duty. Here we may state that Mr. Mosher had three brothers in the late war, and the four brothers together saw fifteen years of active service, participating in some of the most severe battles of the war. Charles Mosher enlisted in 1861 in Co. A, 8th 111. Yol. Inf. He participated in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson (where he received a scalp wound), Shiloh, siege of Yicksburg, Champion Hill, Jackson, and the last battle fought during the war battle of the Blake- leys, or siege of Mobile. He was honorably mustered out, and is now engaged in the mercantile business in Gilman. E. W. Mosher enlisted in 1862 in the 104th 111. Yol. Inf. He was captured by the guerilla, John Morgan, in Tennessee, but was soon after paroled, and was in Sherman's march to the sea through the Carolinas and to Washington, where he participated in the grand review at the close of the war. George I. Mosher enlisted in the 53d 111. Yol. Inf. He did good serv- ice, and was honorably mustered out. When H. C. Mosher returned from the army he embarked in the dry-goods business in Marshall county. In 1866 he came to Gilman, and was largely engaged in the real-estate business. The firm of Dent & Mosher purchased 360 acres of land which laid on the south side of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroad track. Since Mr. Mosher's residence in Gilman he has been engaged in the lumber and grain business. At present he is engaged in the dry-goods business, also farming. Mr. Mosher was married to Miss Elizabeth Baker, of New York state. Charles Meyer, furniture dealer and justice of the peace, is prominent DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 253 among the pioneer business men of Oilman: He was born in Pom- erania, Germany, in 1839. In 1859 he emigrated to America, and landed in Quebec. From there he went to Michigan, where he worked in the lumber business a short time, and then, in 1859, the same year of his emigration to America, he came to Illinois, and worked on a farm in Iroquois county. He afterward went to Livingston county, where he remained until the late civil war. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. K, 129th 111. Yol. Inf., for three years as private. He did good service, participating in some of the most severe battles of the war : Resaca, Dallas, Lost Mountain, and Kenesaw Mountain. During the battle of Dallas he was captured. He and two of his comrades were carrying a log to build breastworks, when his two comrades were shot, and the whole of the log fell on him. He was then taken to the Nashville hospital, where he remained for a number of days. He was honorably mustered out, and he returned to Livingston county, where he remained until 1866. He then came to Oilman, where he has been a worthy citizen ever since. He first embarked in the butcher business, and from this he entered the general grocery business with Mr. Charles Layer, who is one of the pioneer grocery men of Oilman. From the grocery business, Mr. Meyer, in 1875, entered the furniture business in company with Daniel Althan. This firm continued about one year. Mr. Meyer is now engaged in the business alone. He occupies a store on Central street, size 25 X 53 feet, two stories high. He is doing a good business in his line. In 1877 Mr. Meyer was made justice of the peace. He was alderman of Oilman two terms. He is at present school trustee. He has given entire satisfaction in all of his offices. Elias Wenger, physician, Oilman, is perhaps one of the best known and most highly respected business men of Oilman. To write a history of Oilman without mentioning Dr. Wenger would be very incomplete. He was born in Rockingham county, Yirginia, April 16', 1821, and is the son of Abraham and Mary (Orove) Wenger, both natives of Yir- ginia. The subject of this sketch remained in his native county until he was about thirteen years of age, when he moved to Augusta, Yir- ginia. Here he received his principal education, and at eighteen he began the study of medicine. He was also engaged in teaching the district schools. At twenty-one years of age Dr. Wenger was married to Miss Eliza J. Smith. At twenty-seven years of age, in 1848, with his wife and three children, he came to Illinois, and located in Washington, Tazewell county, where he began in the drug business, starting and owning the first drug store at that place. In 1855 he graduated from the Rush Medical College of Chicago, and began the practice of medicine in Washington, where he associated himself as a 16 254 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. business partner with Dr. E. F. Wood. While Dr. Wenger was a resident of Washington the people kept him continually in some public office. He served them well. He was justice of the peace twelve years ; supervisor three years ; and in 1863 he was nominated and elected to the legislature, which office he filled for one term, proving himself a man of acknowledged ability. In 1865 Dr. Wenger moved to Oilman, then a small town of thirty-one buildings, and here he invested largely in real estate, first purchasing the estate of Chamberlain & Brown, afterward purchasing largely from O. Chanute. In 1870 and 1871 Dr. Wenger erected the Wenger Block, a fine brick business block, size 129 feet front by 70 feet deep, two stories high, and perhaps the best business block in Iroquois county. Since Dr. Wenger's residence in Gil- man he has been engaged in his profession. In 1875 he embarked in the mercantile business, but not meeting with good success, he retired after two years. Since his residence in Gilman he has held the offices of school treasurer, police justice, alderman and trustee, giving entire satisfaction. He drafted the first charter in the incorporation of Gilman in 1867. Dr. Wenger's political opinions are democratic, and in religion he is a Universalist. He is the parent of seven children. Joseph Armstrong, real-estate and insurance agent, Gilman, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1838, and is the son of John and Nancy (Meanes) Armstrong. His mother was born in Pennsylvania, and his father was a native of Ireland, who came to America when he was about twenty-one years of age. Mr. Armstrong remained a resident of Washington county until he was about twenty- five years of age, receiving his principal education there. In 1867 he came west to Illinois, and located in Gilman, where he entered the drug business, and remained in this business until 1872, when he re- tired and embarked in the real-estate business, in which he has con- tinued ever since. Besides his real-estate business, Mr. Armstrong is engaged in the loan and insurance business, representing some of the leading insurance companies of America. Mr. Armstrong is city clerk of Gilman. He is a republican in politics, and a member of the Pres- byterian church. He married Miss Nancy J. Sturgeon, of Washington county, Pennsylvania. D. Kerr, county school superintendent, is one of the prominent men of Gilman. He was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, January 27, 1821, and is the son of William and Elizabeth (Mercer) Kerr. His mother was a native of Virginia and his father of Pennsylvania. Will- iam Kerr was a carpenter by trade, and followed fanning the latter part of his life. When Mr. Kerr, the subject of this sketch, was very young, with his parents he moved to Ohio, and finally located in Rich- DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 255 land county, where he was one of the early settlers. Here Mr. Kerr received his principal education at the Ashland Academy. He taught school in the winter time and attended school in the summer. About 1851 he began to read law, and in 1853 was admitted to the bar, at Columbus, Ohio. He then began the practice of law in Crawford county, and practiced about one year. He was made superintendent of the Bucyrus schools, where he remained about two years. He went thence to Galion, where he accepted a similar position, and remained there some six years. Subsequently he embarked in the mercantile business in Galion. In 1868 he came west to Illinois and located at Gilman, where he began the practice of law. In 1873 he was nomi- nated on the farmers' independent ticket for the office of school super- intendent of Iroquois county, and was elected, and reflected to the same office by a large majority in 1877. This office he still holds, and is considered to be one of the best county school superintendents Iro- quois county has ever had. Mr. Kerr is also engaged in the practice of law. He is liberal in his politics, voting the republican ticket for president, and for the best man at county elections. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. He was married to Miss Jennie M. Munerly, of New York, and they have four children. James H. Allen, banker, Gilman, is one of the most enterprising busi- ness men of the city. He was born in Preble county, Ohio, in 1832, and is the son of Andrew and Sophia (Bennett) Allen, both natives of Ohio. When Mr. Allen was very young, with his parents he moved to Indi- ana, and located on a farm in Clinton county. About 1855 he made a trip to Middleport, Iroquois county, with the intention of entering the mercantile business, but he returned to Indiana and commenced the dry-goods business at Williamsport, where he remained until about 1862, when he came to Iroquois county and commenced the dry-goods business in Middleport, and remained there until 1868, when he came to Gilman and engaged in the mercantile business until 1873, when he entered the general banking business, and to-day is recognized as one of the successful men of Iroquois county. He is a republican in politics. August A. Hauback, farmer, La Hogue, is a native of Germany, where he was born August 3, 1833. In 1853 he emigrated to the United States and settled in Norwich, Connecticut, where he followed the business of house-painting, and remained there eleven years. In November, 1858, he married Mary Berger, who is also a native of Germany, born November 26, 1838. In 1869 Mr. Hauback came to Iroquois county and settled on the land he still occupies, the W. of S.E. of Sec. 5, T. 26, E,. 10 E. He had previously, however, lived 256 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. in New Albany, Indiana, and Fulton county, Illinois. The family consists of four sons and one daughter, besides the parents. Mr. Hauback has witnessed many of the rapid changes that have taken place in this county. He has an excellent farm and is in prosperous circumstances. He has been clerk of this school district for several years. The names of their children are: George, August F., John B., Eliza Jane and William A. Charles C. Stone, merchant, commenced business in Gil man in the year 1869, and since that time has succeeded in establishing a first- class trade, and become recognized as one of the leading merchants of Gilman. He was born in Fayette county, Indiana, in 1848. His parents both died there, leaving a family of six children. Mr. Stone remained in Fayette county until 1856, when he moved to Wabash, Wabash county, Indiana, and at sixteen years of age be began to learn the trade of a harness-maker. Mr. Stone remained at Wabash until 1869, when he and his brother, William D., came to Gilman and embarked in the mercantile business by opening a general stock on Crescent street. The firm was known as Stone Brothers. It continued until 1877, when Mr. Charles C. Stone became entire owner. From Crescent street Mr. Stone moved to his present place of business, located near the post-office. He occupies a large double-room. The main room, 22 X 24 feet, is used for his general stock of dry-goods, boots and shoes, hats and caps, etc. The other portion, 22 x 20 feet, is used for his ready-made clothing, of which he carries a full and com- plete stock. In 1879 Mr. Stone established a branch store at Thaw- ville, where he keeps a general stock of goods. This store is conducted b}' Mr. G. C. Lindsey. Mr. Stone is probably the largest dealer in dry-goods and general goods in Gilman. S. S. Cone, attorney-at-law, Gilman, was born in Fulton county, Illinois, June 25, 184-3, and is the son of Spencer Cone, who came to Illinois and located in Fulton county at an early day, being among the first settlers of that county. Mr. Cone was brought up on the farm. He received his principal education at the district schools, where he prepared himself for college, and was a student of Knox College, of Knox county, Illinois. He graduated from the Albany Law School, of Albany, New Tork, in 1868. He commenced the practice of law in Farmington, where he remained but a short time. In 1869 he came to Gilman and commenced the practice of law. Here he has remained ever since. He was for two years city attorney of Gilman, where he is the oldest practicing lawyer. A. Crooks & Brother are among the largest dealers in general mer- chandise in Gilman. They first began business in Gilman in 1870, in DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 257 the frame building opposite their present place of business, where they remained in business until 1878, at which time they built their present building, which is a substantial brick, size 25 X 85 feet, one story high, with basement. These gentlemen keep on hand a general stock of dry-goods and groceries, and everything that can be found in a first-class general store. Mr. A. Crook, the senior member of the firm, was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1840. He was a soldier of the late war, having enlisted in Co. D, 149th Pa. Yol. Inf., in 1862, for three years. He served with the army of the Potomac. He was a brave soldier and did good duty, participating in a number of severe battles: Belle Plaine, Gettysburg and others. At the latter place at noon, July 1, 1863, he was shot in the right leg, and was then sent to the hospital, and July 2 his leg was amputated. He lay in the hos- pital (a church) in Gettysburg, and from there was sent to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he remained for a number of months. Mr. Crook is a graduate of the Iron City Commercial College of Pittsburgh. Thomas A. is the junior member of the firm. These gentlemen are doing a good business, and are recognized by the public as leading liberal business men of Gilman. Robert B. Johnston, farmer, Gilman, was born in St. Louis, Mis- souri, May 7, 1840, and is a son of Thomas and Hannah Johnston. When ten years of age, his parents removed to Rock Island, Illinois. At the age of sixteen Mr. Johnston crossed the plains with oxen to California. Here he remained eight years. Two years were spent in the mines, and for six years he was superintendent of a line of stages between San Diego and Yuma. Returning to Missouri he enlisted in the 4th Mo. Inf., B Gratz Brown, colonel ; also served in Gen. Fre- mont's body-guard. He then became forage-master under Seigel, and saw service at Pea Ridge. His next service was as master of trans- portation, and he was stationed at Alton, Illinois. At the close of the war Mr. Johnston returned to California, where he remained until 1869. He then commenced farming near Rock Island, where he remained until the great Chicago fire, when he removed to Iroquois county, Douglas township, and opened a farm on section 2, where he at present resides. Mr. Johnston was married in 1860 to Miss Elizabeth Dutcher. They have four children. West & McKinney, liverymen, Gilman, have had a very extensive experience in the livery business. Mr. West was engaged in the livery business for eight years at Onarga, where he kept a good livery stable and received a first-class patronage. In 1879 he came to Gilman, and the firm of West & McKinney was organized. These gentlemen occupy a good, first-class stable, and keep on hand seven horses and five good buggies. 258 HISTOKY OF IROQUOIS COUXTY. Almet Powell, merchant, Gilman, is a member of the lirm of Dent & Powell. He was born in Greene county, New York, where he re- mained until he was nine years of age, then came west to Illinois and located in Marshall county, where he was engaged in farming until 1862, when he embarked in the mercantile business in Lawn Ridge, Marshall county, by opening out a general stock of merchandise. Here he was engaged in business until 1871, when he came to Gilman, and has been in the mercantile business ever since. The firm of Dent & Powell is located at the corner of Main and Central streets. They occupy a large store, size 20 x 80 feet. The first floor is used for dry- goods, clothing, boots, shoes, hats, caps and groceries, and the second floor for carpets. This firm does one of the largest trades in Gilman. The firm of Dent & Powell was formed some three years ago. Mr. J. O. Dent is a very prominent business man. He was elected to the state legislature from La Salle county, and was also a member of the constitutional convention. John W. Zea, grain and hay dealer, La Hogue, was born in Cazen- ovia, New York, and is the son of William and Laura Zea. His family moved to La Salle county, Illinois, in 1846, where his father engaged in farming, entering the land he occupied. John W. was married, March 17, 1855, to Miss Mary E. Arris, who was born in Lincoln county, Maine. They have nine children, all living. In 1868 Mr. Zea opened a farm in Ford county, three miles west of La Hogue, and in 1872 removed to the village and commenced dealing in grain, hay and coal. Mr. Zea has also been engaged in a general merchandise business ; has been agent for the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw railroad at La Hogue, and has held the position of postmaster for four years. Through Mr. Zea's energy and business talent a large trade has been drawn to this point, until La Hogue has become one of the important shipping points on the line of this road. Large quantities of hay are pressed and shipped. Mr. Zea is a Mason and an Odd-Fellow. John W. Snyder, physician, Gilman, is one of the leading physi- cians of Iroquois county. He was born in Macon county, Illinois, in 1834, and is the son of Albert G. Snyder, who was among the first set- tlers of Macon county, Illinois, having moved there in 1831 or 1832, when there were Indians yet in that locality. He is now living in Kansas. At the age of twenty-one Dr. Snyder began the study of medicine. In 1859 he graduated from the Kentucky School of Medi- cine, of Louisville, Kentucky. He first began the practice of medicine in Sullivan, Moultrie county, Illinois, where he remained some five years. He then went to De Witt county, where he practiced about eight years. In 1872 he came to Gilman, where he has continued in the DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 259 practice of medicine. His office is located in the City Drug Store, which building was the first school-house built in Oilman. Dr. Snyder is a member of the Illinois Central Medical Society. William M. Jones, hardware merchant, Gilman, was born on a farm in Wabash county, Indiana, where he remained, engaged in farming, until he was about seventeen years of age, when he came to Illinois and located in Edgar county. Here, at the breaking out of the late war, he enlisted, on the first call, in Co. E, 12th 111. Yol. Inf., as pri- vate for three months. He served full time, and immediately reen- listed for three years. He participated in some of the most severe battles of the war : Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing, siege of Corinth and the battle of Corinth. At the latter place, on October 3, 1863. he was shot through the body with a musket-ball from the enemy, the ball piercing the right lung. He was then placed in the hospital, where he remained some thirty days, and from there home, where'he lay on his bed, not able to get up for six months. He afterward joined his regiment again, but was not fit for active duty, and was honorably mustered out August, 1864. He returned to his home in Edgar county and. worked at his trade, harness-maker, in Mat- toon, Coles county, where he remained about one year. From there he went to Neoga, Cumberland county, where he carried on the har- ness business, and from that he embarked in the grocery and hard- ware business. He remained there until 1873, and in November of the same year came to Oilman and commenced the hardware business in his present stand. The building is a large two-story brick, size 22 X 90 feet, with a basement. The whole building is used by Mr. Jones, the first floor for hardware and stoves, and the second floor as a tin-shop. This store is the largest and oldest hardware establishment in Gilman. The firm was first composed of Jones Brothers, which continued some two years, when Mr. Jones' brother (Hamlin) retired. Hamlin Jones was also a soldier of the late war, serving three years in an Indiana battery. He is now engaged in the hardware business in Neoga, Cumberland county, Illinois. Logan Edmunds, farmer, Oilman, son of Daniel and Eliza J. Edmunds, was born in Henderson county, Illinois, December 13, 1850. He was educated at Monmoilth College, "Warren county, Illinois. After graduating, Mr. Edmunds came to this township, in the summer of 1873, and settled on section 3, where he continues to reside. He has an excellent farm, and has been engaged in farming since leaving school. Mr. Edmunds is unmarried, is an Odd-Fellow, and in politics is a republican. His parents still reside in Henderson county. Ira C. Moore, druggist, Oilman, was born in York county, Maine, 260 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. September 28, 1811, and is the son of Harvey Moore, a native of New Hampshire. He remained a resident of York county until about 1826, when he moved to Cumberland county, of the same state, and subse- quently to Massachusetts. Mr. Moore had learned the trade of a saddle-maker. This business he carried on for a number of years. He returned to Maine, and from there he went to Canada ; thence back to Maine, and in 1855 came west to Illinois. He located in La Salle county, and in 1869 came to Gilman. He remained but a short time, however, when he moved to Arkansas, and in 1874 returned to Gil- man. Here Mr. Moore has remained ever since. He first commenced the manufacture of ,brick. He made the brick that built the two store- rooms in the north end of Wenger's Block. Mr. Moore occupies one room for his drug store. In 1876 Mr. Moore was elected to the office of police magistrate, which office he now fills. He is a republican in politics. He had one son, Justin Moore, in the late war. He enlisted at the beginning of the war, and served in the 33d 111. Yol. Inf. until the close of the war, participating in the last battle of the war, the battle of Mobile, and the capture of the Blakeley batteries. He was a brave soldier, and did good service. He was mustered out in De- cember, 1865, but on account of sickness he had contracted in the army, died eight days after his discharge. Mr. Moore married twice. His first wife, Selestia Lilies, is deceased. His present wife was Sarah S. Larnerd. They have one child. Larnoreanx Bros., Gilman, are among the leading grain merchants of Iroquois county. They commenced business in Gilman in August, 1875, and to-day are one of the oldest grain firms of this place. The firm is composed of L. and A. Lamoreaux, both natives of Albany county, New York. They came west, and have since been engaged at their present business. Their warehouse is a large first-class elevator, with a capacity of 12,000 bushels. They have also crib capacity of 35,000 bushels. They have done a business amounting to 100,000 bushels in one year. They find sales for their grain in Chicago and the eastern markets. Dr. S. F. Heath, physician, Gilman, was born in Merrimack county, New Hampshire, September 23, 1842, and is the son of D. G. and Sarah (Moore) Heath. The subject of this sketch is a graduate of Harvard University, in the medical department, having graduated in 1866. He practiced medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, a short time, and then came west to Illinois and commenced the practice of medicine at Dwight, Livingston county, where he remained some three years. From there he went to Nebraska, and thence to Streator, Illinois, where he was engaged in the drug business. In the spring DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP. 261 of 1877 he came to Gil man, and here he has been engaged at his chosen profession, and is to-day enjoying a good fair practice. Rev. Moses Noerr, pastor of the Presbyterian church, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 17, 1833, and is the son of John and Wilhelmina (Brant) Noerr, both natives of Germany, who moved to America when very young. The Rev. Noerr is a graduate of Amherst College, of Amherst, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1855. He graduated from the Princeton Theological Seminary, of Princeton, New Jersey, in 1859. His first charge was with the Presby- terian church of Maquoketa, Iowa, where he remained until 1865. While in Maquoketa, in 1860, he was regularly ordained as a minister. Since leaving that place he has been engaged in preaching at 'the following places: Belleview, Iowa; Arlington and Milan, Illinois. He came to Gil man, and December 1, 1877, took charge of the Presby- terian church here. Koerner & Keller, blacksmiths and wagon-makers, Gilman, com- menced business in Gilman in 1877. Henry Koerner was born in Will county, Illinois, April 7, 1857, where he remained until he was eighteen years of age, engaged in working on the farm. He then went to Peotone, where he commenced to learn his trade, and remained there some three years. From there he went to Frankfort, and from there he came to Gilman, where he has remained in business. George Keller was born in Cook county, Illinois, July 1, 1853, and at about seventeen years of age commenced to learn the trade of a blacksmith at Peotone, where he owned a shop. In 1877 he came to Gilman, and to-day is a member of the firm of Koerner & Keller. Since these gentlemen have been at work in Gilman, they have made and sold some twenty-five or thirty wagons of their own make. Father Patrick Aloysius McGair, Catholic priest, Gilman, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, February 8, 1854, and is the son of Patrick McGair, a native of Ireland, who was employed by the Rhode Island Beach and Dyke Works, at one time being manager of the works. He was killed by the machinery in 1878. The subject of this sketch received his principal education at the public schools of Providence, and is a graduate of the St. Charles College of Baltimore, from which he graduated in 1875. Father McGair commenced study for the priesthood in 1870. He was ordained a priest in Peoria, Illinois, on June 29, 1878. His first appointment was at Wataga, Knox county, Illinois, wheje he remained until 1879, when he came to Gilman and took charge of this church. 262 HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY. AETESIA TOWNSHIP. Artesia township is the second from the southern line of the county, in the western tier of townships, and embraces all of town 25 north, range 10 east of the 3d principal meridian ; and the fractional tier of sections, known as range 11 east ; and the western four tiers of sections in range 14 west of the 2d principal meridian. It is ten and a half miles long east and west, by six in breath. Spring creek runs nearly through the center of the township, having upon it originally a beautiful strip of timber, averaging about one mile in width, and the Illinois Central railroad runs across its center, having on it Buckley Station, a village of several hundred inhabitants. The farm lands lying off to the west of the railroad are beautifully rolling, and present a fine appearance, as most of the farm houses are of a good order and well built. The only early settlements in this township were along the belt of timber which skirts the creek. Jacob Hull settled early on section 25, and for many years was largely interested in cattle, keep- ing