Mo Hie Duffy. Some Notes on Pioneer 
 Days in the Dixon Vicinity. (1948) 
 
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY 
 
-MOSS HISTORICAL SURVEY 
 
SOME NOTES ON PIONEER DAYS IN THE DIXON VICINITY 
 
 1948 
 
 Mollie Duffy 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://archive.org/details/somenotesonpioneOOduff 
 
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 Py ILL, 
 
 ILLINOIS BEFORE THE WHITE MAN CAME 
 
 When the early explorers came to Illinois, the treeless plains looked like seas of 
 tall grass and beautiful flowers. The forests of our state were chiefly in the southern 
 part, in the northern part of the state along river banks only. Bordering the rivers 
 were oak, black walnut, willow, wild plum and thornapple trees in abundance. Many 
 other varieties of wild fruit, such as berries and grapes were also plentiful. 
 
 Many wild animals were living in the thickets; deer, squirrel, wolves, wild cats, 
 rabbits and an occasional bear. Along the rivers themselves, otter, beaver and musk- 
 rat were common. In the rivers the fish were plentiful and were of unusual size. The 
 Indians along Rock River were not fond of fish so that these had been little disturbed 
 by man. Wild fowl was abundant and provided for many meals. It consisted of 
 geese, turkeys, prairie chickens and ducks. 
 
 In the late summer, the Indians habitually burned off the land in their search for 
 game. This caused many serious prairie fires. Since the earliest days of the white 
 man, Illinois has been known as the Prairie State. 
 
 WHY PEOPLE CAME TO ILLINOIS TO SETTLE 
 
 There were several reasons why people chose to come to the great Illinois country. 
 Some pioneers came west because they loved adventure and new scenes. These were 
 men like Daniel Boone. Some came with the idea of making great profits in the new 
 country. But most of the people came because they saw here an opportunity to buy 
 cheap land, to establish new homes and to, eventually, they thought, give their 
 families a far better living than they could make back East. Times were very hard in 
 the East, partly because of the panic of 1837. In Europe times were bad because of 
 the number of recent wars. In many of the Eastern states at this time only property 
 owners could vote. Illinois, from earliest days, gave the vote to any man who had 
 lived in the state a year and could pay his county tax. This, too, made for greater 
 independence. 
 
 When land was sold at $2.00 per acre, with a minimum of 640 acres, few people 
 could buy it, but shortly afterward the price was lowered to $1.25 per acre, with the 
 minimum set at 40 acres. At this low figure many could buy enough land for a really 
 large farm. The land along rivers was considered the most desirable since here the 
 settler could find timber, water supply, protection against prairie fires and a source of 
 food — fish and game. 
 
 In our own locality, many of the settlers came with the idea of working in the 
 mines at Galena for a part of the year, or of profiting in some way through the great 
 seasonal migration of people to Galena. Wherever there was a ferry, there must be 
 trade. Travelers must have food and shelter along their way. Many people came to 
 take up land here, realizing that they would not be too isolated with a thriving ferry 
 and important trails nearby. One other great reason influenced many people of the 
 Dixon area. This was the beauty of this locality. Men like Leonard Andrus of Grand 
 Detour, Alexander Charters, Dr. Everett and many later settlers stated that they were 
 
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charmed by the beauty before they even thought of its economic possibilities. 
 
 Rock River Region 
 
 "The unusual character of the Rock River region has always attracted men. Long 
 before this region was open to settlement, persons who crossed the area in journeying 
 between either Chicago, or Peoria, and the lead mines at Galena, in the northwestern 
 part of the state, made frequent comment upon the natural beauty and charm of the 
 county. That it was so long closed to settlement was due solely to the fact that it was 
 the home of the Indian. For at least a decade after Illinois was admitted to the Union, 
 (1818), the red men paddled their canoes unmolested up and down Rock River, in 
 and out among the willow-covered islands, hunting and trapping and bartering their 
 furs to the occasional white trader who came their way, or carrying them to the old 
 fur post located near Grand Detour. (Lasallier's and later Stephen Mack's post). The 
 Indians loved this country, and left it only under compulsion. Not until after the 
 close of the Black Hawk War in 1832 was the area really open to general settlement 
 by white men. Then it was — with the charge of the conquered Indian leader, Black 
 Hawk, saying, — "The Rock River was a beautiful country — I loved it — and fought 
 for it — It is now yours. Keep it as we did."* 
 
 Indians of the Rock River Region 
 
 The earliest known Indian tribe in the Rock River Region was the Illini. Father 
 Marquette met the Illini along the Illinois river in 1673. In general, the Illini were 
 located in the central and southern parts of the state, but a few, at least, were in this 
 locality. Early in the 18th century the Sacs (Sauks) and Foxes, who were living in 
 Eastern Wisconsin, were driven out by the French. They wandered as far west and 
 south as the Mississippi valley. The two tribes became one nation. They joined other 
 tribes, the Pottawatomies, Winnebagoes and Menominees in driving the Illini farther 
 south. They were fierce and war-like. They occupied the banks of the Mississippi and 
 its adjoining streams from the mouth of the Missouri to that of the Wisconsin. The 
 Sacs occupied the eastern side of the river and the Foxes the western side. These 
 Indian tribes had been very friendly for years with the British whom they had known 
 long before in the Quebec area and later around Montreal. During the time of the 
 Revolution, British recruiting agents came to these tribes and secured some of them 
 to help in the British cause. Again during the War of 1812 some of these tribes 
 joined the British. Black Hawk himself joined the British at this time. Frequently, in 
 history, one sees reference to the Sacs and Foxes as "the British Band". In all there 
 were probably about five thousand Sacs and Foxes wandering through the Rock River 
 region. Most of the Winnebagoes were a little north of this region and the Potta- 
 watomies south. 
 
 *Rock River Country of Northern Illinois — Deete Rolfe 
 
 One Indian tradition says that as the river came along from Oregon to Grand Detour, the 
 scenery was so beautiful that the river hated to go on and leave it. However, knowing that it 
 must go on, it turned around, almost doubled back, for one last look at the beauty. This .meat 
 turn or bend is now (ailed Grand Detour. 
 
Crossing Rock River before the ferry was established 
 
 The crossing of the river prior to the establishment of the ferry was attended with 
 difficulties and perils. The method is described by John K. Robinson in the following 
 manner — "The method of crossing the river with teams before the establishment 
 of the ferry was primitive and simple. On arriving at the place of crossing the wagons 
 were unloaded and the loads carried over in canoes by the Indians. The wagon was 
 then driven with the side to the stream and two wheels lifted into a canoe, then 
 shoved out a little into the water, another canoe received the other two wheels, when 
 the coupled boat was paddled or poled to the other side. The horses were taken by 
 the bridle and made to swim by the side of the canoe, while the cattle swam loose. 
 Then commenced the lifting out of the wagon and reloading after which the journey 
 was renewed, and all hands happy that the task of crossing the river was completed." 
 The local Indians conducted this ferry business. 
 
 "Once James P. Dixon, well-acquainted with the hardship of crossing, arriving 
 on the banks of the river with the mail wagon, called to the Indians for assistance, 
 but received no answer. Vexed at their delay, and at their arrogance when they did 
 assist, he boldly unchecked his horses so as to give them a chance to swim, and 
 crossed the river with the wagon and mail in safety." 
 
 The Indians were not reliable as ferrymen, being frequently absent or not dis- 
 posed to give assistance and it was only when the river was low that it could be 
 forded. When Mr. Bogardus, in 1827, first attempted to establish a ferry, the Indians 
 were angry at this possible loss of business, so they swooped down on the men 
 working on the ferry and burned the structure. 
 
 Land Sales 
 
 When the pioneers finally arrived in the Illinois country, they simply took what 
 they found and liked. Here they built homes although they did not own the land. 
 This was called "squatting". Before 1813, the Illinois pioneers had not been able 
 to get title to the land which they wanted. Then a law was passed giving title or 
 ownership to any settler who lived on a piece of land and farmed it for five years. 
 Settlers usually fenced in their selected piece of land as fast as they could so that 
 someone else could not claim it. Frequently there was trouble when someone else 
 would try to claim a piece of land already claimed by another. This was called "claim- 
 jumping". Until a settler could actually purchase his land, he was not likely to make 
 improvements. Therefore there was much progress after the lands were opened for 
 sale. A squatter or settler was given preference in land sales over a land speculator. 
 
 In the Rock River valley, land was not opened for sale until 1829 although much 
 of this territory was settled in 1828. The government land office for this region was 
 first located at Galena. In 1839, through the efforts of Father Dixon, it was moved 
 to Dixon, located in a stone house at Second Street and Ottawa Avenue. 
 
 In our Loveland Museum one may see framed land titles to claims. 
 
 In 1838 in what we call Pine Creek Township, a claim was jumped by some 
 men who had no right to that property. Courts were scarce, the law did not always 
 
afford prompt relief for wrongs suffered, and as a consequence, honest people of the 
 frontier frequently had to enforce laws with their own hands. This claim had been 
 jumped by men of bad character, well-known in the book "Banditti of the Prairies". 
 They had built a log-house with loop-holes for their rifles, had laid provisions and 
 had in their group about twelve of the worst characters in the country. 
 
 Mr. Dixon helped organize a group of law-abiding citizens to attack the men. 
 The group met about two miles from the bandits' cabin. They were armed with guns 
 and axes. When they approached the claim jumper's stockade, they were warned by 
 the inmates that they would be shot if they advanced. John Dixon and Hugh Moore 
 of Grand Detour volunteered to break in the door. This they reached and battered 
 down while the rest of their party followed and attacked the roof and walls. The 
 men inside saw that it would be useless to continue the fight so they surrendered. The 
 building was then burned and the bandits were escorted out of the county. 
 
 Another instance of claim jumping occurred near the present Chicago-Northwest- 
 ern R. R. Station in Dixon. A party of armed citizens went up to route the claim 
 jumpers. Father Dixon went along armed only with his pipe. The men inside threat- 
 ened to shoot, but Father Dixon went on up to the door and after much patient 
 persuasion and pipe smoking, induced them to surrender the claim. 
 
 How people traveled to Illinois 
 
 Many Southern people migrated overland to Illinois, especially people from Ken- 
 tucky and Virginia. Some of these came because they were opposed to slavery, others 
 came only for opportunity. Around Galena were found many families from these 
 two Southern states, and some had brought slaves with them. The early settlers came 
 on foot, on horseback, in covered wagons and on flatboats. They followed two main 
 highways into the West. The Ohio river carried the boats of those who wished to go 
 by water. Many who used this route came from New England, New York and Penn- 
 sylvania. They had to go overland to Pittsburg. Here they bought or built flatboats 
 which had a hut-like building at one end of the boat and space for cattle, household 
 goods, etc. at the other. There was no means of propelling these boats, they simply 
 floated with the current. Usually the settlers used the lumber from these boats for 
 building purposes, or sold it, after they had located places to make their homes. Some 
 came also by boat up the Mississippi river but these were, of course, on steamboats. 
 
 Those who came overland often followed the Wilderness Road through Cumber- 
 land Gap to the falls of the Ohio River, then from that point on, by boat. Another 
 trail was through the mountains to Pittsburgh and down to the Ohio river. There 
 was also a trail from North Carolina and Virginia into Kentucky, first blazed by 
 Daniel Boone. 
 
 Some of the early settlers came by way of the Erie Canal to the Great Lakes, 
 thence to Chicago and overland from there out to the vast prairies. All of these forms 
 of travel were quite primitive and many of the pioneers endured hardships in order 
 to get to the place where they had dreamed of finding a better life. 
 
Earliest Homes 
 
 In our locality, probably the first log cabin was that of the fur trader, LaSallier. 
 This was near the mouth of Franklin Creek and near the Indian trading post (now 
 called Grand Detour). It was built about 1820. One can still see the foundation of 
 this cabin. It is on the Kingdom Road, north of the Pana farm. The D.A.R.'s have 
 marked on the road the approximate location of the cabin. One must go across the 
 field about a quarter of a mile to the exact location. 
 
 The first cabin in Dixon was built by Joseph Ogee. It was a log shanty near the 
 foot of what is now Peoria Avenue. This was bought by John Dixon. By 1836, 
 Dixon's Ferry had four log houses, one frame house and a log blacksmith shop. 
 
 Pioneers who settled in timberless sections, usually farther west, had to build 
 sod houses. 
 
 When a community had progressed far enough to have a saw-mill, frame houses 
 were put up by those who could afford them. Brick yards were also established in 
 most settlements after they had become fairly permanent. The first bricks made and 
 used in the Dixon area were used at Hazelwood. The first stone house in Dixon was 
 built in 1840 on the east side of Peoria Avenue just south of First Street. 
 
 Pioneer Homes 
 
 "Pioneer homes in this region were, in the early stages, all very much alike. They 
 were made of unhewed logs, chinked with wood and plastered over with clay mortar. 
 Shakes for the roof were made of split trees, as was the floor. Shelves for dishes 
 and pans were made by boring holes in the logs, driving long pins in and then lay- 
 ing boards across the pins. 
 
 Fireplaces warmed the room and served for cooking. Bread was baked in iron 
 kettles with iron covers, the kettle being placed in one side of the fireplace and 
 covered with coals and ashes. 
 
 Gourds were used for baskets, basins, dippers, soap dishes, etc. Hollow trees, 
 sawed, were used for well-curbs, beehives and storing grain. Troughs made from 
 hollow trees were used to contain sugar syrup, rain water and even used as milk pails. 
 
 Butter bowls, ladles, etc. made by the husband were fashioned through rude 
 carving. Some men came to do excellent work in this. Clocks were scarce. Time was 
 often indicated by a mark placed on the door, night time by the Big Dipper. Brooms 
 were made from young hickory branches. Flint and steel were used to kindle fire 
 when there were no neighbors from whom to "borrow fire."* 
 
 How did the pioneers of this region get their food? 
 
 Since the pioneers had no place to buy food, they must find or raise their own. 
 Those who came to this region along the Rock River fished and hunted. They were 
 able to get deer, wild fowl, rabbits and occasionally bear. 
 
 Corn was the staple food and was served in various forms, bread, pudding, 
 hominy, "pone", and mush. Mills were far away as a rule, so often the corn had to 
 *History of Illinois and Lee County. — Frank Stevens. 
 
 7 
 
be pounded into a rough meal at home. Wild honey, from "bee trees" and maple 
 syrup formed the greater part of their sweets. Molasses was brought up the rivers 
 from the south quite early. Wild fruits, such as plums, cherries, crabapples, grapes 
 and berries were used and were often dried for winter use. Nuts were plentiful in 
 this wooded area. As soon as the settlers were able to raise their own pork and beef, 
 they did their own butchering. Much of the meat was cured or dried for later use. 
 In general the diet of those times was very monotonous. 
 
 In the early days in this area, provisions, pork and flour, were brought chiefly 
 from St. Louis, Kentucky and Indiana, and the southern part of this state in large 
 wagons with broad tires, high wheels and very long boxes, often twenty-two feet 
 long. They made a track over half wider than our wagons. They were drawn by 
 three or four teams of horses or eight yoke of oxen, and carrying from 6000 to 8000 
 pounds. These wagons well deserved the name "Prairie Schooners". They went in 
 gangs of six or eight wagons with several men on horseback to pilot them and to 
 help them avoid the dangerous sloughs. They sold their bacon at from $.25 to $.35 
 per pound, flour from $25-$35 per barrel. 
 
 Water 
 
 In the earliest days of pioneering, the settlers had to depend upon streams and 
 occasional springs for their water supply. Rivers were cleaner at that time, since little 
 waste was dumped into them. Wells were dug as soon as possible in a new community 
 to insure safe water. In the Rock River region, many good clear springs were found. 
 This is due to the type of rocky river banks and underlying layers of stone. On the 
 south bank of the river, about where Dixon Water Works now stands, was found 
 a large, ever-running spring. This became a very popular meeting place for people 
 on the trail. Indians had long known and used it. It was known of in all directions. 
 The earliest settlers in Dixon used this. Up the river about a mile was found another 
 excellent spring. This was in a cave called, in later days, Fuller's Cave. The water 
 here, too, was cold and clear. The cave showed traces of having been used for many 
 years, both as an animal shelter and for human shelter. The spring at the Water 
 Works' site was inundated when the dam was built, and the progress of Dixon 
 Cement Company gradually destroyed the lovely old Fuller's Cave. There is now 
 no trace of the first-mentioned spring but one may see the remains of Fuller's Cave. 
 
 Father John Dixon 
 
 John Dixon was born in Rye, New York, October 7, 1784. Here he grew up. 
 When a young man he moved to New York City and there engaged in the clothing 
 business for several years. Here he married a Miss Rebecca Sherwood who shared 
 the joys and hardships of his life. While living in New York, John Dixon became 
 acquainted with Robert Fulton. When Fulton made his first run of the famous 
 Clermont, John Dixon was the first one to pay fare on the little steamboat. 
 
 In 1820, John Dixon was advised by doctors that, because of weak lungs, he 
 should seek another climate. After much planning, he and his wife decided to go to 
 
the new Illinois country. At this time they had three children. Travel was slow and 
 difficult. Days of travel today, meant months on the road then. 
 
 From New York to Pittsburgh the Dixons travelled by team, then by flatboat 
 down the Ohio River to Shawneetown, Illinois. This trip took seventy days. In 1824, 
 the Dixons moved to Peoria where Fort Clark was located. The country was new 
 and at that time northern Illinois was a wild territory largely inhabited by Indians. 
 
 While livng in Peoria, John Dixon secured a mail contract, to take the mail from 
 Peoria and Gratiot's Grove. In 1826 the Dixons moved to Boyd's Grove in Bureau 
 County in order to be in a better position to carry on the work of the mails. The 
 Miners' Journal (Galena) ran this advertisement from December, 1828 to April, 
 1829 — 
 
 "The U. S. Mail Stage from Galena to St. Louis will hereafter leave Galena every 
 Monday and St. Louis every Friday. Fare — $8.00 from Galena to Peoria; $3.00 from 
 Peoria to Springfield; $4.00 from Springfield to St. Louis. 
 
 John Dixon — Proprietor of the line from 
 Galena to Springfield." 
 
 At this time Galena was a very important little town — much more so than 
 Chicago (Fort Dearborn). Lead had been mined by the Indians here for many years. 
 The demand for lead was great. Every pioneer had to depend upon it for his gun 
 in order to secure food and for protection. The lead mines at Galena were busy 
 through the digging season. Each spring hordes of people went there from miles 
 around to work. It is said that the nickname "Suckers", given Illinoisans, comes from 
 this annual trek north in the spring and return home in the fall, which stimulates 
 the action of the red sucker fish. Throughout northern Illinois there was no other 
 great migration of people. The bulk of all travel was north and south and involved 
 crossing streams. 
 
 In 1830, John Dixon moved to the rather well-known Ogee's Ferry located where 
 the trail from Peoria to Galena crossed Rock River. Here, a Frenchman, Joseph Ogee 
 had a ferry, tavern and little trading post. At first Mr. Dixon leased this from Ogee. 
 Ogee had been an agent of the American Fur Company and was well known as an 
 Indian interpreter. In 1832, Mr. Dixon purchased the ferry from Ogee. They now 
 had five children. In 1835 the name of the ferry was changed from Ogee's Ferry to 
 Dixon's Ferry. At this time too it was changed from a pole to a rope ferry. 
 
 The log cabin was located about where the northwest corner of Peoria and First 
 Street now is. An historical marker of bronze has been placed on the east side of the 
 building there now to commemorate the location of the original cabin. The cabin 
 of Ogee bought by Dixon had two parts, the one-story part built by Ogee and the 
 two-story built by Mr. Dixon. This building stood until 1845 when it burned down. 
 The store-room was in the two-story section of the cabin. Here were sold to the 
 Indians, powder, shot, tobacco, pipes, cloth, traps, beads, etc. Usually the Indians 
 paid with furs and deer skins which Mr. Dixon shipped to St. Louis, Galena or 
 Peoria. The old account book kept at that time shows some very amusing names of 
 
customers. It shows, too, how much faith Mr. Dixon had in the Indians' honesty. 
 
 Mr. Dixon had travelled throughout the state and came to know Indians and 
 their ways of life. He was always liked and respected by them. Although he was 
 only in the forties, his hair was white. The Winnebagoes gave him the name "Nada- 
 Chu-Ra-Sah" or "Head White Hair". This became "Nachusa". Later he was called 
 by the whole community Father Dixon. 
 
 When Father Dixon first came to Ogee's Ferry, he found the Indians drinking 
 heavily. This he tried to stop. Some of the Indian leaders helped him in this effort, 
 but others resented this. One of the latter group, Dah-Shun-Egra, while drunk, 
 attacked Father Dixon with a muskrat spear. Father Dixon was unarmed, but un- 
 afraid. After quite a struggle, he disarmed the Indian. This demonstration of courage 
 was greatly admired by the Indians. 
 
 Besides operating the ferry, the store and tavern, in 1830, Father Dixon was 
 appointed postmaster. When, in 1832, Black Hawk and his followers went up the 
 river before the battle of Stillman Run, they stopped at Dixon's Ferry. Mr. Dixon 
 was in Galena but Mrs. Dixon and the children were at home. Many Indians crowded 
 into the house. Mrs. Dixon sent for Old Crane, an Indian friend, a Winnebago chief. 
 Old Crane persuaded the Indians to go out of the house. Then Mrs. Dixon prepared 
 a good meal for Black Hawk and some of the other leaders while the rest of the 
 band went up the river bank a short way to the big spring on the south bank to 
 wait. (This was where the Dixon Water Works now stands.) 
 
 Father Dixon remained at the ferry most of the period of the Black Hawk War 
 while his wife and children spent part of the time in Galena. Later he went to Wis- 
 consin with our army and acted as Commissary. He supplied the troops with beef 
 and other necessary supplies. 
 
 In 1837, Father Dixon moved out to his farm which was located where the 
 Chicago Northwestern Railway station now stands. In 1838, he was appointed by 
 the governor to fill a vacancy in the Legislature. By this time there were forty 
 families living in the Dixon community. Among these were two men of noted 
 culture, Captain Hugh Graham, who had settled on the north bank of the river west 
 of town, and Alexander Charters. Mr. Charters had purchased a claim to a tract 
 north of town. There he established what became a famous estate, known as Hazel- 
 wood. 
 
 In 1840 Father Dixon donated eighty acres of land to the town. A survey of the 
 town was made at this time. Father Dixon then went to Washington to make appli- 
 cation to have the government Land Office transferred from Galena to Dixon. In 
 this he was successful, partly due to the fact that he had been friends with General 
 Winfield Scott, and other influential men, during the days of the Black Hawk War. 
 The land office in Dixon was located at Second Street and Ottawa Avenue. 
 
 The plat of the town made in 1835, when there were only three log houses here, 
 described the town as extending south from the river to half a block south of Third 
 Street, from one-half block east of Ottawa Avenue to one-half block west of Peoria 
 
 10 
 
Avenue. (These designations were not the same as in the original plat but better 
 describe the piece of property today.) 
 
 In 1847 Mrs. Dixon died and in 1853, the son James. Father Dixon was the last 
 survivor of his family although they had had twelve children. He continued through 
 the years to help develop the best interests of the town which he had founded and 
 loved. Several times he made donations of property, i.e., John Dixon Park. 
 
 In his declining years he lived with a daughter on the north side at the corner of 
 E. Bradshaw Street and Jefferson Avenue. This home had a large wooded lot. For 
 many years after the Indians had left Illinois, some of them came back each summer 
 to visit Father Dixon. They came by canoe down the river from Wisconsin. The 
 Indians camped in his yard, visited, smoked their pipes and talked with him of the 
 earlier days. After several days they would take their canoes and return to Wisconsin. 
 (There are a few persons in Dixon today who recall these visits.) 
 
 In 1876 Father Dixon died. The whole community mourned his loss. The old 
 Dixon Sun closed their article on his death with these words — 
 
 "To live in hearts one leaves behind, is not to die." John Dixon has lived in hearts 
 he left behind in the friendly little town which bears his name. 
 
 Black Hawk War— 1832 
 
 The Treaty of 1804, by which certain chiefs of the Sac and Fox Indians ceded to 
 the U. S. government their lands on Rock River and elsewhere, was confirmed by 
 other chiefs of the same nation in 1815. Black Hawk, who was a leader by nature 
 if not a chief by birth, bitterly opposed this sale. He said that the deal was a swindle, 
 that the chiefs were a lot of "boodlers," that the Indians had been intoxicated, and 
 insisted that the sale was not made with the consent of the whole nation. He was 
 in favor of what is known in modern times as initiative and referendum. This treaty 
 gave the U. S. government fifty million acres of land on the East side of the Mis- 
 sissippi. It extended from the mouth of the Jefferson in Missouri to the mouth of 
 the Wisconsin and back to the Fox river in Illinois. This meant a large part of what 
 is now the states of Wisconsin and Illinois. For this tract of land the Indians received 
 $2234.50 and thereafter an annuity of one thousand dollars. 
 
 The Indians, although they had ceded their lands were allowed to remain in pos- 
 session of them until the white man came in to settle. This last phrase probably was 
 the cause of most of the misunderstanding and trouble. The Indian felt that if he 
 could keep the white man from coming in, or from staying in, then he still had a 
 right to his home. 
 
 The U. S. government had vast lands on the west side of the Mississippi and 
 wished to move all the Indians to that side. Most of these Indians had dealt with the 
 Spanish at St. Louis and were friendly with the Spanish. They had been allied with 
 the British for many years; some had fought during the Revolution with them. Again 
 during the War of 1812 some of these Indians joined the British. Black Hawk was 
 not the only one who thoroughly disliked and distrusted the Americans. 
 
 In 1831, Black Hawk and his band were compelled by the government to leave 
 
 11 
 
the Rock River valley and go to the west side of the Mississippi. This enraged Black 
 Hawk. He planned ways of securing again his valley where lay the bones of his 
 ancestors. He was encouraged by White Cloud, the Prophet, and Neopope, his 
 lieutenant, to believe that he could secure the assistance of all the Winnebagoes and 
 Pottawatomies in the northern Illinois region to drive out the whites. Keokuk, Black 
 Hawk's rival in their band, declared it was a useless venture. Shabbona of the Potta- 
 watomies, also tried to discourage Black Hawk. He, however, was firm in his belief 
 and ready to risk all to achieve his goal. In 1832, he crossed the Mississippi with a 
 band of 300-1000 warriors, women and children and took possession of their old 
 fields. He was warned to return to Iowa but refused. Friendly Indians who lived 
 farther south became restless and sullen and the state government realized that force 
 was necessary to quell such revolts. 
 
 A call was made for volunteers and an army consisting of 2500 men, under 
 Generals Atkinson and Whiteside, met at Dixon's Ferry at the log fort. Major 
 Stillman, who had never seen any fighting, asked to be sent on some dangerous 
 mission. With him was sent Major Bailey. They were sent with two battalions of 
 275 men up the Rock River to spy out the Indian activities and report to head- 
 quarters at Fort Dixon. 
 
 At Dixon's Ferry a fort had been quickly built on the north side of the river. 
 (Site of the present Lincoln statue.) Here, from time to time, were stationed some 
 of the finest men our country has produced. Several of the leaders in the Civil War, 
 as well as Abraham Lincoln were at that time serving their country here. 
 
 The battalions under Major Stillman and Major Bailey followed the river valley 
 up to Sycamore Creek (now called Stillman's Creek) and camped in a grove north 
 of the creek. As the men prepared their supper three Indians approached. They were 
 taken prisoner by the guards and one was shot, but the other two managed to escape. 
 Some writers tell us that these Indians were carrying a white flag and had come to 
 talk of a peace agreement. Other writers state that this is not true. However, another 
 group of five Indians had been scouting to see what reception the first three received. 
 They were alarmed at the developments and hastened back to Black Hawk to tell 
 him what had happened. He was stationed at the mouth of the Kishwaukee a few 
 miles north of Stillman Valley. A dozen American soldiers, without commander or 
 orders immediately started in hot pursuit of these Indians. They killed two of them. 
 But as they approached the Indian camp the war whoop was raised and the savage 
 band all turned out to attack the whites. Our men retreated as fast as possible but 
 were of little match for these Indians. When they reached our camp the men reported 
 that thousands of savages were pursuing them. Panic-stricken, unable to determine, 
 in the evening light, the number of the enemy, the whites leaped on their horses, 
 crossed the ford and headed for Dixon's Ferry. Some officers tried to rally their men 
 but could not do so. 
 
 The story that Stillman's men were intoxicated has long been told. That too, can- 
 not be verified. No doubt some had been drinking but many were men who never 
 
 12 
 
tasted alcohol. Eleven men were found dead on the field the next day, all horribly 
 mutilated, heads and hands cut off, some with hearts torn out. One must remember 
 that our troops were raw, undisciplined soldiers who had seen less than thirty days 
 service. It is not unusual that such troops might become panicky in moments of 
 grave danger. 
 
 On the 24th of June Black Hawk was defeated at Kellogg's Grove (between 
 Galena and Rockford). Major John Dement was in command of the Illinois troops 
 at this time. The troops continued to move up the river and in July another engage- 
 ment near the Blue Mounds, Wisconsin resulted in another white man's victory. 
 Black Hawk and his men fled on up the Wisconsin River valley. Here, however, 
 they were captured by a band of Winnebagoes who were anxious to secure the 
 friendship of the whites. These Indians delivered Black Hawk into the hands of 
 General Street, the United States Indian Agent, at Prairie du Chien in August. Later 
 as a prisoner, Black Hawk was taken to Washington for some time. He spent his 
 last few years in Iowa on a reservation. Here he died in 1838. He chose to be buried 
 in a sitting position, six feet deep, dressed in a suit given him by the president and 
 holding a cane also given hm by the president. 
 
 The Black Hawk War was the last struggle between Indians and whites in this 
 area. 
 
 Galena 
 
 The old city of Galena is one of the most interesting in the state. Long before 
 the day of the white man, the Indians had found lead in the hills nearby and did 
 a crude form of mining there. This privilege they guarded jealously from the white 
 man for many years. Earliest records show that LaSuer visited this area and reported 
 mines of great wealth in the area of the upper Mississippi as early as 1700. He visited 
 there in August. With the thirty men accompanying him, he went up the river to 
 about two miles above the site of Galena. He called the little river the Riviere de 
 Mine. The Indians called it Macaubee River. The squaws were doing most of the 
 mining at this time. All of this area was French territory until, in 1762, it was made 
 a part of Canada by the British. The French did much trading throughout the district 
 for many years. The nearby village of Prairie du Chien became a noted trading post. 
 In 1822 some white people came up the Mississippi River from Kentucky and formed 
 a settlement at Galena. The name, Galena, is French for lead sulphide. At this time 
 the river, now called Fever River, was six times its present width and averaged fifteen 
 feet in depth. Boats came up from the Mississippi River and continued up the Fever 
 to the settlement with no trouble. As the years passed, great docks were built at 
 Galena and these were extremely busy. Some of the workers were slaves. 
 
 It must be remembered that in frontier days, lead was extremely necessary and 
 valuable. It was even used as currency at times. Without lead the pioneer was quite 
 helpless as he must depend upon his gun for his protection and for a great share of 
 his food supply. The supply of lead around Galena was excellent. There was no 
 better supply nearer than Virginia at this time. 
 
 13 
 
In 1826 the Fever River post office was established. It served the people living in 
 the fifteen log cabins and also the nearby territory. The post office nearest to this 
 one was at Fort Clark (Peoria). 
 
 One of the early pioneers here was William S. Hamilton, the son of Alexander 
 Hamilton. One wonders what led him to forsake his Eastern life of ease to seek the 
 prairie but he did. Here he was a mining operator, frontiersman, officer in the Indian 
 wars and civil engineer. His mother used to come out to Galena to visit him there. 
 By 1828, the little settlement had grown to eight hundred people which made it 
 easily the center of all northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Chicago, then Fort 
 Dearborn, was two hundred miles from Galena. Very early a stage line was estab- 
 lished between these two settlements. For many years, Galena far outdistanced 
 Chicago in growth. Great prosperity came to Galena through the lead trade. The 
 steamboats were soon carrying the product to New Orleans and St. Louis. Many 
 of the steamboat captains and pilots made their homes in Galena. These men earned 
 as much as $1000 per month and most of them spent it freely. Soon Galena was the 
 acknowledged metropolis of the mid-west. During the 1830's and '40's Galena saw 
 her greatest prosperity. The population went up to twenty thousand. Fortunes were 
 made and lost here and the town became a typical rip-roaring mining town. Southern- 
 ers, who formed a large part of the population, brought some of their slaves and 
 their luxurious ways of living with them. Beautiful homes were erected on the hills 
 overlooking the river. It is said that during the Mexican War and the Civil War, 
 ninety-five per cent of all the bullets were made from lead mined in Galena. 
 
 The old Kellogg Trail between Galena and Peoria was one of the most heavily 
 travelled in the mid-west. As the railroads grew in use, steamboat traffic began to 
 decline. The time element was greatly in favor of the railroads. Early in the fifties, 
 this rival means of transportation cut great inroads into Galena's business. Then, 
 too, lead mines near Potosi, Missouri, began supplying lead to the trade at St. Louis 
 at a lower price than that of Galena. Another factor hurried the decline of Galena. 
 This was the gold rush of 1849. Miners, as a rule, were reckless and anxious to try 
 new fields where the rewards seemed to be more promising. Therefore many of the 
 best, experienced men set out at once for California. One of these was William 
 Hamilton. The output of lead declined and consequently the profits and the accom- 
 panying trade. Steamboating also declined and many of the wealthy families left 
 Galena. Little industry of any other kind had been established here and when the 
 mining dwindled a depression was inevitable. The hordes of people who had swarmed 
 into the town for the mining season, spending money freely for food, shelter and 
 entertainment, no longer came. 
 
 Galena's most famous son, Ulysses S. Grant, lived obscurely in Galena and 
 worked as a leather merchant there, prior to the Civil War. He had been well- 
 trained for military work at West Point, and when he was called to service, became, 
 in a very short time, the leading general of the forces of the north. Galena, itself, 
 the home of many former southerners, was the scene of many bitter arguments over 
 the issues of the war. Galena's pride in Grant was great and expanded when he 
 
 14 
 
became president of the United States. Grant returned to Galena after the war and 
 made his home there for some time. Citizens had given him a beautiful home in 
 recognition of his services to his country. A few years later, Grant returned to the 
 East. Hs home, very much as it was in the days of Grant's occupancy, still stands 
 on a high bluff commanding a good view of the river. 
 
 Galena today is picturesque and full of historical interest. In the old DeSoto 
 Hotel, still operating, one may see pictures of the old docks with as many as fourteen 
 large steamboats there for loading. Beautiful old homes on the hills are still occupied. 
 The little old Episcopal Church high on the hills is a gem of architecture and full 
 of beautiful appointments. During the last war, some mining was done in this vicinity. 
 However, most of the surrounding country is now devoted to dairy farming. 
 
 Grand Detour — (Big Bend) 
 
 There are records of fur traders located at or near the Winnebago village at what 
 is now Grand Detour, as early as 1803. In 1822 a Frenchman, LaSallier, came there 
 from Canada and built a log cabin on the east side of the bank, near the mouth of 
 Franklin Creek. He began business as a fur trader, but, like most of the French, did 
 not long remain in this spot. It was possible to ford the river at Grand Detour during 
 good weather and when Oliver Kellogg drove from Fort Clark (Peoria) to Galena 
 he crossed here, establishing what became known as the Kellogg Trail. In 1823, 
 Stephen Mack, one of the noted pioneers of the Rock River Valley, bought the cabin 
 from LaSallier. 
 
 Stephen Mack was the son of Major Stephen Mack of Tunbridge, Vermont. 
 Major Mack was the first Yankee to open a store in Detroit, dealing in dry goods, 
 groceries, crockery and hardware in 1807. As early as 1816 the firm entered the fur 
 business. They established an agency in 1816 in Chicago to further their fur business. 
 
 The elder Mack was a member of Michigan's first legislative body and was one 
 of the founders of Pontiac, Michigan. 
 
 The young Stephen Mack joined a government expedition around the lakes. 
 At Green Bay he was told by traders that the Rock River country would be a good 
 place to establish a trading post. Acting upon this suggestion, he made his way 
 overland to the location of the present Janesville, Wisconsin. Here he took to the 
 river and followed it down to the Winnebago village at Grand Detour. He bought 
 LaSallier's cabin. At this point he established his trading post, taking the Indians' 
 furs in exchange for his goods. He had to get his merchandise from Chicago, 
 carrying all articles of trade on the backs of Indian ponies. He maintained this post 
 for about three years and never sold liquor to Indians. 
 
 Stephen Mack married Hononegah, an Indian girl, said by some to be a Winne- 
 bago, by others, a Pottawatomie. She was an unusually fine woman, and was beloved 
 throughout her life for her kindness and good works among the white neighbors. 
 In Rockton, Illinois, you will see that she is honored by having the high school 
 and a park named for her. 
 
 After 1832, Stephen Mack, who had served in the Black Hawk War, moved 
 
 15 
 
farther north to another Winnebago village, called Bird's Grove, near what is now 
 the Wisconsin line. Here he became a prominent citizen, beloved, as was his wife. 
 As one drives into Rockton today, he may notice the Stephen Mack school. 
 
 But Grand Detour (Big Bend) did not die out after the removal of the Winne- 
 bago village and the loss of Stephen Mack's trading post. It seems as though this 
 beautiful spot has had a charm for all people passing that way. In 1834 Leonard 
 Andrus came to Grand Detour, saw that there was possibility of good water power, 
 and bought the land which had formerly been the Winnebago village. Here he laid 
 out a village and formed a power company, putting in a dam, building a mill-race 
 and a sawmill. By 1837 many settlers had arrived from the East. Among these was 
 a very skilled blacksmith from Vermont, John Deere. Deere brought with him his 
 tools and immediately opened a shop. He then sent for his wife and family. 
 
 (One can still see the remains of LaSallier's cabin on the old Harrington farm. The D. A. R. 
 marker on the road indicates its location.) 
 
 JOHN DEERE 
 
 John Deere was born in Rutland, Vermont in 1804. Even at that early date many 
 people were heading west to seek greater opportunities. In 1821, John left school 
 and was apprenticed to a good blacksmith. This trade was hard but John found it 
 very interesting and became an unusually fine smith. In 1827 he was married. For 
 a few years he practiced his trade in two or three different places. In Royalton, 
 Vermont he worked where the stage routes converged. Here he heard great tales of 
 the fabulous West. About this time Leonard Andrus, who had been out to the 
 Illinois country and established a sawmill (in Grand Detour) returned to Royalton 
 and told of the beautiful location he had found. He said that men were needed 
 badly out there. Indian troubles were now settled and the Illinois country was like 
 Paradise. He said that there were a few boggy little towns, like Chicago, that would 
 never amount to much but that Grand Detour was bound to become one of the 
 wonder cities of the West. No doubt all this talk influenced John Deere. He had 
 little to show in profit for his long years of careful workmanship. He set out alone 
 for Grand Detour, feeling that there must be need of a good blacksmith there. He 
 went by way of the Erie Canal and Great Lakes to Chicago. Here in Chicago there 
 were many job opportunities but John would not remain there. So, in the fall of 
 1836, he joined a little band of pioneers who had hired a wagon to take them from 
 Chicago to Grand Detour. In Grand Detour the nearest blacksmith was forty miles 
 away, so there was ample work for John Deere. 
 
 A great problem had come up for the Illinois settlers. The rich black soil which 
 had so much promise was failing them. The first year the sod was broken, their 
 plows worked satisfactorily. However, the second and third plowings were almost 
 impossible. The plows brought from the East worked in the first plowing but after 
 that, they being made of wood, iron-patched, would not shed the rich, sticky loam. 
 It clung to the mold-board until the plow became so heavy that a man could scarcely 
 scour it fast enough to keep going. Even horses and oxen were worn out after a 
 day's work with such a plow. Some farmers were giving up and returning to their 
 
 16 
 
homes in the East. Discouragement was everywhere. Word had gone back East, 
 "Pass up the prairies and push on West to the timberlands, for no plow will work 
 after the first breaking of the sod." John Deere thought there must be an answer 
 to this problem. In a land so rich, it was incredible that no one could find the 
 answer to the problem. He worked hours and hours trying to find some sort of mold- 
 board and share which would scour or shed the soil. One day John Deere saw at 
 the sawmill a large steel circular saw made of steel. It flashed into his mind that 
 perhaps from steel he could make a self-scouring plowshare. He experimented with 
 this for some time and found that if it were the right shape it would scour. 
 
 Many people scoffed at John Deere's plow and said it would never work. He 
 proved that it would, taking for his experiment a location at a farm that had especi- 
 ally difficult land. When the news reached the public that this plow was self-scouring, 
 the orders just swamped John Deere's little shop. Steel had to be sent from England. 
 John Deere tried to make each plow better than the last one made. He knew that 
 refinements are always necessary in any product. He went out to the various farms 
 and constantly tried out his plows. In 1843, he arranged to secure steel from Pitts- 
 burgh. His business was growing rapidly as was the little town of Grand Detour. 
 He had by this time established a foundry and cast his own parts. 
 
 However, in 1843 a great blow fell upon Grand Detour. A railroad coming West 
 
 planned to go through Grand Detour. For some reason — it is thought that the 
 
 price of the land was held too high — the railroad did not go through there. Instead, 
 
 it came through Dixon and was followed shortly afterward by another road. From 
 
 this time on Grand Detour was not a good location for John Deere's factory. Coal 
 
 and all kinds of supplies had to be brought overland. Goods to be shipped out 
 
 needed better transportation too. So, after about three years, John Deere moved his 
 
 factory to Moline. There were excellent reasons for his choice of this city. 
 
 See marker near highway in Grand Detour, marking centennial of John Deere. Also, see his 
 home there, kept in its original condition. 
 
 DOCTOR OLIVER EVERETT 
 
 Dr. Oliver Everett came to Dixon's Ferry from Massachusetts. He was graduated 
 in medicine and decided to try his fortune in the West. He had a married cousin 
 living in Princeton, Illinois and determined to come to that vicinity. His journey 
 was made by stage coach from his home to Albany, thence to Buffalo on the Erie 
 Canal, and from Buffalo to Chicago by steamboat. When he arrived in Chicago he 
 found that there was no means of transportation to Princeton, so it was necessary 
 that he walk this distance of one hundred five miles. The heat was extreme, and the 
 water sources very limited, but, by drinking, when necessary, from mudholes, he 
 managed to keep going through the trackless prairie and reached Princeton within 
 two days. 
 
 In September, 1836, Dr. Everett drove his horse to Dixon's Ferry. He immediately 
 liked the looks of this place and decided to stay and grow up with the community. 
 A letter of his describing this locality is quoted, "This slope, where the heart of 
 the town now is, was then covered with large, spreading trees, while the ground 
 
 17 
 
beneath, perfectly free of underbrush, presented a smooth green surface, which, with 
 the ever-beautiful river at its base, and the opposite bank rising gradually in the 
 distance — also covered with trees and presenting a clean, park-like appearance, 
 with the bluffs crowned with lofty trees, and the islands dotting the river, appearing 
 like compact, rounded masses of green foliage, veiled only by the silver lustre of the 
 maple trees, — presented a scene of beauty and loveliness which has passed away 
 forever from this place. The woodman with his axe, the quarry-man with his pick 
 and crowbar are sad despoilers of beauty." 
 
 Dr. Everett had, from his earliest boyhood, been interested in collecting botanical 
 and geological specimens. Later he also collected and mounted birds. Here in the 
 prairie country he found unlimited opportunity for pursuing his hobby, although 
 his time was limited. As he went to the country on sick calls he watched for and 
 secured specimens. Here he found flowers, grasses and rocks very different from 
 those of his native section of the country. He was wise enough to realize that here 
 was an unusual opportunity to preserve some of the most interesting facts concern- 
 ing the locality. This opportunity, in the botanical field, especially, did not last too 
 long. As settlement became more dense, many of the earlier prairie flowers and 
 grasses became almost unknown. As the good doctor made his calls, he carried in 
 his saddlebags, a tin box in which he could carry flowers until he could mount 
 them, without their losing their freshness. He was also constantly searching for and 
 finding unusual geological specimens. It is interesting to note that after his death 
 the Smithsonian Institute and the University of Chicago both considered his collec- 
 tions so valuable that they took these for permanent exhibits. Part of his botanical 
 collection was given to the Dixon Library and may be seen today at the Loveland 
 Museum. The University of Illinois frequently borrows specimens from this unusual 
 collection. 
 
 In his early Dixon days, Dr. Everett could not use firearms. As he frequently 
 had to make sick calls twenty, thirty, and even sometimes forty miles away, this was 
 a disadvantage. At this time packs of wolves often followed the doctor, out on the 
 prairie. 
 
 He devised another means of dealing with the wolves. Before starting on a long 
 journey, he would mix strychnine with meat and bread and from this mixture make 
 little pills. These he would throw out, one at a time when the wolves followed him. 
 This proved quite effective. 
 
 Several years after he had come to this locality, Dr. Everett learned to shoot and 
 became an expert marksman. He thoroughly enjoyed this sport and brought in many 
 a deer, goose and turkey. 
 
 In 1837 Dr. Everett built his home, where the Elks' Club stands today. He was 
 married in Princeton to Emily Bryant. Across from their home was the local jail. 
 Living near this brought on some difficulties but added lots of excitement to the 
 neighborhood. Five years after their marriage, Mrs. Everett died, leaving one 
 daughter, Emily. 
 
 In 1846 Dr. Everett married Bessie Law of Dixon. Mrs. Everett was a fine 
 
 18 
 
Christian woman who shared the doctor's burdens. She helped nurse the sick and 
 afflicted. During the cholera epidemic, in 1854 both gave unswerving devotion to 
 the care of the sick and terrified of the town. 
 
 Dr. Everett was always a very public-spirited man and somehow found time for 
 public service. He served as Mayor of Dixon in 1863. In 1862 he had gone with 
 other medical men to the vicinity of the Battle of Shiloh to help care for the 
 wounded. During the war he attended families of soldiers without charge as well 
 as supplying them with wood and money when these were needed. 
 
 Dr. Everett and Father Dixon were devoted friends for forty years. He often 
 said that he had known Father Dixon twice as long as he had known his own 
 father, that he loved him as well and that he had never known another man who 
 was as good and kind as Father Dixon. 
 
 In 1888 Dr. Everett died, after fifty-two years of service to our community. He 
 is not forgotten. His hobbies, as well as his medical record, still contribute to our 
 education. Certainly he may be considered the second citizen of Dixon. Our Everett 
 is named for him. 
 
 HAZELWOOD — HOME OF ALEXANDER CHARTERS 
 
 In 1837 many people of wealth and culture found themselves in greatly reduced 
 circumstances. Opportunity in the East, in cities anywhere, seemed very limited. 
 Many of these people were searching for new possibilities in locations where they 
 might find better prospects and re-establish themselves. One such person was Alex- 
 ander Charters, a linen merchant in New York City. Mr. Charters was born in 
 Belfast, Ireland, a member of a very wealthy and distinguished family there. Here 
 he had received an excellent education. When a man of about twenty or less, he had 
 come to New York and established a branch of the family business. 
 
 Alexander Charters was a romantic Irishman. He loved beauty and all things of 
 nature. Stories of the beauty of the Rock River region, the business possibilities of 
 the Galena lead region and the activity at Dixon's Ferry had reached as far as New 
 York. All this, with its romance of Indian tradition and legend and tales of the 
 Black Hawk War appealed mightily to Alexander Charters. (He was alwasy intrigued 
 by tales of the early Indian days.) 
 
 Mr. Charters sent his younger brother, Samuel, out to Dixon's Ferry with instruc- 
 tions to secure the most beautiful spot in the West for him. Samuel found this spot 
 about three miles north of Dixon's Ferry. This land was not then on the market, so 
 Samuel made a claim to it and built there a log cabin. 
 
 Upon hearing of his claim, Alexander Charters loaded his belongings in a sailing 
 vessel, went to New Orleans, up the Mississippi and Rock Rivers to Dixon's Ferry. 
 Many beautiful furnishings, including a spinet, rare silver, china and books were 
 brought along. At the ferry, Mr. Charters met and learned to love as life-long 
 friends, Father and Mother Dixon. He was charmed by their hospitality and sincerity. 
 He was interested in the now-decaying log fort on the north bank of the river and 
 was surprised to learn that it had been built by Col. Zachary Taylor during the time 
 
 19 
 
of the Black Hawk War. Mr. Charters had expected to find the ferry pretty much 
 of a wilderness outpost. To his surprise he looked out upon hundreds of people 
 with their teams, camping on the south bank of the river, awaiting their turn to be 
 ferried across so that they might proceed to the Galena lead mines. 
 
 In questioning the Dixons about the war days, Mr. Charters learned that these 
 men who later became nationally famous, had here taken active parts in the Black 
 Hawk War: Captain Abraham Lincoln, Lieutenant Jefferson Davis, Lieutenant Robert 
 Anderson, Lieutenant Albert Sidney Johnston. In later days, Mr. Charters often 
 commented upon this. 
 
 Mr. Charters found that his claim was all that Samuel had said and he spent 
 great effort and money to improve it. He named it "Hazelwood" after Hazelwood 
 Park in Belfast. In Mr. Charters' party came his colored cook, Charity Ringgold, 
 the first colored person in Dixon. Later a colored man, Cupid, became a cook and 
 handyman for Mr. Charters. In Ireland, the master of an estate is often called 
 "governor". Some of his staff started calling Mr. Charters that and soon he was 
 known throughout the community by no other title. 
 
 Governor Charters became famous throughout the West for his unbounded 
 hospitality. He built the first large frame mansion between Peoria and Galena to 
 accommodate his family (his brother and niece had joined him here) and his friends 
 and acquaintances. Distinguished guests from all over the country were entertained 
 at Hazelwood. William S. Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton, a famous lawyer, 
 officer in the Black Hawk War, and lead mine operator in Galena, was one of the 
 surveyors of the Hazelwood tract. William Cullen Bryant, while visiting his brother 
 in Princeton heard of Hazelwood and its master. He came to Dixon's Ferry to meet 
 Governor Charters and was entertained at Hazelwood. He loved the place and 
 wrote a beautiful poem, as well as many descriptive letters concerning its beauty. 
 General Philip Kearney was another famous person who visited Hazelwood and fell 
 in love with it. So charmed was he that he decided to secure the adjoining property. 
 He bought off the squatter on the land joining Hazelwood on the north. (This is 
 now Lowell Park.) Margaret Fuller Ossoli, famous poet of that period, also visited 
 Hazelwood and wrote glowing accounts, as well as poetry, about its beauty. She also 
 visited the region around Oregon and named Ganymede Springs. Bayard Taylor, of 
 literary fame, visited Hazelwood in 1862, and, like all the other guests, found it an 
 idyllic place and its master a brilliant man of the world. Stephen A. Douglas went 
 to Hazelwood with his friend, Colonel John Dement. He, too, loved the place and 
 made many visits there later, considering it a refuge from political strife. In 1865 
 a great political meeting was held in Dixon. The speakers included Abraham Lincoln 
 and many men at that time more famous than Lincoln. They were all entertained 
 by Governor Charters. Twenty-four years earlier, Lincoln had ridden across this very 
 estate on his way to Galena as a captain in the Black Hawk War. 
 
 Governor Charters never became active in politics. He was far more interested 
 in the niceties of life. After settling at Hazelwood he never left Lee County. He 
 loved his home and its gracious style of living. The great of the country came to 
 
 20 
 
him. He had no need to seek other entertainment when his love for life was so 
 satisfied here. For forty happy years he lived at Hazelwood. In 1875 he died and 
 was buried on a bluff overlooking the Rock River which he so dearly loved. 
 
 The traditions of Hazelwood have been carried on by other owners. At the 
 present time Mrs. Walgreen is the gracious owner. 
 
 DAD JOE SMITH 
 
 Dad Joe Smith was a Western pioneer who had lived many years among the 
 Indians, in many sections of the country. He knew much about their customs and 
 habits. In 1830, two years before the Black Hawk War he made a claim upon land 
 on the Peoria and Galena road about twenty miles south of Dixon. There was a 
 fine grove of timber at this location. His home here was used as a tavern. 
 
 Dad Joe was a thick, heavy-set man of great strength. He always wore a long 
 loose garment tied with a rope or a leather girdle around his waist. His most 
 unusual feature was his loud bass voice. This lion-like voice made him famous. 
 It was said that one could hear him shout for miles. He became so famous for this 
 voice that most people of the prairies had at least heard of Dad Joe. He had a son 
 Joe and so the term, Dad Joe, given him by a French trader, was used. 
 
 During the Black Hawk War there was no communication between Dixon's 
 Ferry and downstate. The governor was staying at Dixon and needed to send a 
 message to Fort Wilborn, fifty miles away. Dad Joe called his boy, Joe, and sent 
 him on this perilous trip, unarmed. Young Joe delivered the message. Governor 
 Reynolds often told of this incident and said it was one of the most heroic of the 
 Black Hawk War. 
 
 One can still see part of Dad Joe's tavern. It has been rebuilt into an attractive home. 
 A marker located there tells some of the story of the famous Dad Joe. 
 
 Jefferson Davis 
 
 Jefferson Davis, then a lieutenant in the First Infantry, was in Dixon in 1831. 
 In "Jefferson Davis, a Memoir", Mrs. Davis states that he was going through 
 Illinois that year with his scouts, and upon reaching Rock River, "found the mail 
 coach and numbers of wagons with persons going to the lead mines detained at 
 the river. There was no bridge. The water was frozen, yet not sufficiently so for 
 them to pass over. No house except that of the ferryman, whose name was Dixon, 
 was there. His log cabin was near. The whole party put themselves at Dixon's 
 command. He told them to keep a good fire in the cabin, and set the men to hewing 
 blocks of ice. They worked faithfully and ere long the structure began to assume 
 shape. As each was set in place water was poured over it, which froze it in place. 
 Sometimes a workman would fall overboard, and he was ordered to run into the 
 cabin and turn round and round before the blazing fire to dry. Soon the bridge was 
 pronounced safe, and the whole party of men, women and children and vehicles 
 passed safely over it. The ferryman, Dixon, remembered the young army officer ever 
 
 21 
 
afterward, and some years ago, when Mr. Davis was invited to Illinois, a letter 
 came from the old man (Dixon), expressing his happy anticipation of meeting him 
 once more upon earth. Mr. Davis could not then accept the invitation, and Mr. 
 Dixon not long afterward, died." 
 
 Prophetstown 
 
 One Indian village was located at what we now call Prophetstown, down the 
 river from Dixon. It is situated on a low hill along the river, where the banks are 
 sloping. Down the stream a little way was Thunderbolt Hill which became a burying 
 ground of the Indians. White Cloud, the leader in this village, claimed to be part 
 Sac and part Winnebago. He was highly respected as a medicine man and as a 
 prophet. Even neighboring tribes had heard of and respected his ability. He had 
 scouts working for him as far away as Missouri and Arkansas. White Cloud was 
 always eager to stir up action. He had great influence upon Black Hawk. He per- 
 suaded Black Hawk that it was possible for his tribe to come back from across the 
 Mississippi to the Rock River valley and take from the white man the Indians' 
 former home. He met with Black Hawk and some Pottawatomie leaders at Dixon's 
 Ferry in 1832 to plan their campaign. White Cloud thought he could persuade all 
 the Indian tribes between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi to take part in a war 
 aganst the white man. He assured Black Hawk that he had had information from 
 the British that they would support the Indians in such a war. 
 
 When Black Hawk finally started his campaign, and got up the river as far as 
 prophet's village, he found that the prophet could not persuade even the people 
 of his own village to take part in the war. Most of them listened, then walked off 
 and soon joined other bands of their tribe farther up the river. However, the prophet 
 himself, was true to Black Hawk's cause and remained with it to the end of the war. 
 When the surrender finally came, he was with Black Hawk and Neopope when they 
 were delivered to General Street at Prairie du Chien. While Black Hawk was kept 
 a government prisoner, the prophet was released. He joined a band in Wisconsin 
 and soon after died there. Some of the former band of White Cloud returned to 
 their old location. They then had a new chief, The Crane. Soon thereafter they left 
 the valley for good. After two or three years, white men came to settle in this 
 section. Knowing that this had been the site of White Cloud's village, the white 
 men gave their little town the name — Prophetstown. 
 
 Shabbona (Shaubena) 
 
 Shabbona, known for many years by the Indians as "the white man's friend" 
 was born on the Kankakee River, in Will County, Illinois, about 1773-76. His 
 father was an Ottawa and had brought his family here from Michigan after Pon- 
 tiac's defeat. Shabbona married the daughter of a Pottawatomie chief, and after 
 this chief's death, was himself made chief of this band. The river valley proved to 
 be not a healthful place to live because there were so many swamps in that vicinity. 
 Therefore, Shabbona and his band moved north to a section in the southern part 
 of what is now DeKalb County. Here there was excellent timber, a good spring, 
 
 22 
 
a sugar-camp and good game. The land was fertile and well suited these Potta- 
 watomies. They remained in this spot for fifty years. 
 
 During his youth, Shabbona spent many months traveling with two Indian 
 prophets. They went to many different tribes and to many sections of the country. 
 This travel and contact with other tribes was quite an education for Shabbona and 
 was the basis for much of his success in dealing with the various tribes later on. 
 
 In 1812, Shabbona received a message from Tecumseh, asking him to come to 
 Fort Dearborn (Chicago), to help in an attack upon the whites. This he did. The 
 Indian camp at that time was at the present site of State Street and Jackson Boule- 
 vard. Shabbona was horrified at the courage he saw in this attack. It made a deep 
 and lasting impression upon him. He pondered the rights and wrongs of the Indian- 
 white man question in his heart. As time went on, he realized that the strength of 
 the whites was increasing and that the only solution of the problem was that of 
 compromise between Indians and white men. 
 
 Shabbona often told of his first visit to Chicago. At that early time only one 
 man lived there. He had a cabin at the mouth of the Chicago river where he culti- 
 vated a small piece of ground. This man was a run-away slave from Kentucky. His 
 name was Jean Baptiste. He had an Indian squaw wife and several kinky-haired 
 papooses. Baptiste felt that this location was a good one and tried to get other 
 Indians to help form a village here. He said that it was an excellent location for 
 trade and would grow. The Indians, however, thought that, since there was little 
 timber near and the lake winds were raw, no one would care to settle there. In 1804, 
 John Kinzie bought Jean Baptiste's cabin from a French trader. Jean Baptiste was 
 very religious. He spent much time with a priest, converting many nearby Indians 
 to Christianity. Later he moved to Peoria, being angry because no Indian tribe would 
 accept him as their chief. 
 
 In 1827, the Winnebagoes had council to determine their policy toward the 
 whites. Big Foot, a Winnebago chief, was anxious to make war upon the whites. 
 He sent for Shabbona to come to Big Foot (Lake Geneva) for a conference. Shab- 
 bona disagreed with Big Foot, pointing out the fact that the whites were an ever- 
 increasing horde which the Indians could not possibly restrain. Big Foot, in anger, 
 tried to kill Shabbona but was held back by his followers. Later, Shabbona was 
 allowed to return safely to his tribe. 
 
 Shabbona never became a Christian, as did so many Indians. He could not under- 
 stand the belief in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. However, he was a pious man 
 and had excellent morals. He had many sacrifices to the Great Spirit. In 1829 a 
 man named Whitney drove near Shabbona's village and commenced selling liquor 
 to the Pottawatomies. Shabbona forbade this and when Whitney persisted in the 
 practice, Shabbona sent a threat upon his life. Whitney knew that Shabbona seri- 
 ously meant this and left the locality. 
 
 In 1832, a council of Sacs, Foxes, Winnebagoes and Kickapoos was held at 
 Indiantown. Some of the leaders were: Black Hawk, Neopope, Little Bear and the 
 Prophet. The objective of this council was the union of their various tribes in order 
 
 23 
 
to drive out the white settlers. Here again Shabbona spoke out his disapproval of 
 war, based upon his opinion that such fighting was useless. Shabbona was not an 
 orator. However, he spoke clearly and with much feeling. His sincerity and common 
 sense had much influence with both the Indians and the whites. 
 
 When Shabbona learned, some months later, that Black Hawk with his band, 
 had crossed the Mississippi in an attempt to drive the whites from the Rock River 
 valley, he immediately set out to warn his white friends. He went to Ottawa and 
 to the Chicago area. Shabbona even arranged another meeting with Black Hawk 
 and tried to persuade him that this warfare was useless. This he could not do. 
 When Shabbona realized that Black Hawk could not be deterred, he went to Dixon's 
 Ferry and offered his services to Governor Reynolds who was stationed there. As 
 Shabbona approached Dixon's Ferry, a spy for Black Hawk, named McCabe, saw 
 him and called out that Shabbona was a spy for Black Hawk. Immediately he, 
 Shabbona, was surrounded by angry whites. Soldiers dragged him from his pony 
 and took his weapons. Fortunately he escaped death. In the meantime someone had 
 run to find Father Dixon to tell him of Shabbona's plight. Father Dixon ran to 
 Shabbona's rescue and took him to the Dixon home where Shabbona stayed for a 
 few days. Then he was introduced to Governor Reynolds, Colonel Atkinson and 
 Colonel Zachary Taylor. Some of Shabbona's band joined the whites here at Dixon's 
 Ferry and were under army command. They were very helpful to us in Indian 
 scouting and deserve much credit for the assistance they gave the white men. 
 
 In 1836, Shabbona was notified that his band must go West to a government 
 reservation. There were about one hundred fifty Indians and as many ponies as 
 they started upon this journey. Shabbona halted and camped for six weeks on 
 Bureau Creek, north of Princeton. Here he was visited by many of his white friends 
 who deeply regretted the fact that he must leave his home. 
 
 After his band was settled in Kansas, the Sacs and Foxes were settled near them. 
 An interesting aftermath of the Black Hawk War is the incident of Neopope's 
 attempt to murder Shabbona. He did succeed in killing Shabbona's son and nephew, 
 Pyps and Pypegee while all were on a hunting trip. Shabbona's son, Smoke, and he 
 escaped from the trap set by Neopope. Neopope had sworn to kill Shabbona as 
 revenge for Shabbona's aid to the whites. Neopope blamed him bitterly for the 
 outcome of the Black Hawk War. After Shabbona escaped from Neopope, he and 
 his family returned to his own land in DeKalb County. One day in 1838, an old 
 wandering squaw was found hiding near Shabbona's village. She had with her a 
 tired pony and several deadly weapons. She left the village angry and it was later 
 learned that this squaw was really Neopope, Black Hawk's war chief, in disguise. 
 He had come hundreds of miles in the hopes of killing Shabbona but had failed. 
 
 In 1845, Shabbona sold most of his land, but on a small piece had a large house 
 built. However, he never lived in the house, preferring a wigwam in the yard 
 while he stored his grain in the house. 
 
 Shabbona made several trips to Washington as a representative of the Potta- 
 watomie nation. Here he met the president and high officials and was cordially 
 
 24 
 
treated. He especially liked the handsome clothes of the white man which were 
 given to him. 
 
 In 1859, Shabbona died, at the age of eighty-four years. He is buried in the 
 cemetery at Morris, Illinois. 
 
 As one drives through the little town of Shabbona, in DeKalb County, the 
 memory of Shabbona, the White Man's Friend, leaves a warm feeling in his heart. 
 
 THE DIXON AREA 
 
 First in the line of traces of human occupation are undoubtedly the burial or 
 ceremonial mounds left by the aborigines. There are many of these in this vicinity — 
 notably at Assembly Park, on the James Leach farm in the Bend and down the 
 river in the Law-McGinnis country, and on both sides of the road between Dixon 
 and Rockford. Some of these have been opened, with little success in obtaining 
 artifacts, although arrow heads, points, chips and pottery fragments have been 
 found in them. Several years ago a young lad from Chicago found a silver crucifix, 
 apparently of French origin, wihch he had found in a down river mound. It is 
 possible that later more exploration of this kind may reveal much of interest. 
 
 *I* *K *i* *** *** *l* 
 
 The present road to Sterling (now old Route 30) was traced by Hezekiah Brink 
 who built the first log cabin in the present Sterling. At that time the location was 
 called "The Rapids" because of the rapids in the river which are now covered by 
 the Sterling dam. When Mr. Brink made the road he hitched horses to each end 
 of a log and drove back and forth to trample down the rank prairied vegetation. 
 The road wound around, as it does at present, to keep it mainly on high ground 
 so that settlers could watch out for Indians and also be able to look for strayed 
 livestock. 
 
 (These notes taken from a paper written by Barry Lennon.) 
 
 Well-known locations of early days 
 
 Fort Dearborn Chicago 
 
 Fort Clark Peoria 
 
 Galena also known as early as 1700 as River of Mines or Fever River 
 
 Fort Armstrong Rock Island 
 
 Kellogg's Grove now Pearl City — near Freeport on road to Galena 
 
 Malugin's Grove near Lee Center 
 
 Inlet near Lee Center 
 
 Dad Joe's (Smith) west and north of Princeton, a tavern of the early days on the 
 old Galena trail from Peoria 
 
 What furniture did the pioneer use? 
 
 Since the pioneers could not bring a great deal of furniture on the long trip 
 west, they usually brought only the most essential articles and the best. A few 
 brought some type of stove. Chests of drawers were another favorite item. However, 
 
 25 
 
most of the pioneers made their own fireplaces, using logs lined with clay or mud, 
 six inches thick, since no bricks were available. Beds were made like bunks from 
 green lumber cut near the cabin. Tables and chairs were also made from this timber 
 and were crudely fashioned. Many pioneer men spent the long evenings making 
 furniture. Thomas Lincoln, father of Abraham Lincoln, was noted for his skill in 
 making furniture, doors and windows. In our museum at Loveland Community 
 House, we may see some of the early home-made furniture used in this locality. 
 In the 30's and 40's some people of comparative wealth came to this community 
 and brought with them some very fine pieces of furniture. These were, of course, 
 the exception. 
 
 How did the pioneers get their clothes? 
 
 In any pioneer community one of the first means of securing clothes is the use 
 of hides of the deer, wolf, fox or elk. Since hunting is necessary for the food 
 supply, hides are bound to be available. Cloth was very hard to secure in early 
 days in this community. Most of the women had learned to spin, weave and knit 
 at an early age. The home-made cloth was dyed with juices of berries, etc. Later 
 some dyes were brought in. From the cities goods were brought out to the pioneer 
 settlements by peddlers who often brought their goods upon their backs. Until the 
 settlers had some kind of cash crop, however, they were unable to buy much and 
 had to depend upon their own handiwork and upon the system of barter. 
 
 In Dixon the first store was established in an addition to Father Dixon's log 
 house in 1836. It was run by Chapman and Hamilton. Goods for sale were hard- 
 ware, some cloth, candles, bullets, etc. The first dry goods store was opened in 1837 
 at the corner of River Street and Galena Avenue. It was run by a man named 
 S. M. Bowman. 
 
 26 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 History of Dixon and Palmyra Kurtz (1881 ed.) 
 
 Recollections of Lee County Pioneers .... . Lee. C. Columbian Club 
 
 Galena's Yesterdays Bale 
 
 Glamorous Galena - Hobbs 
 
 Early Lee County Barge 
 
 Rock River Country of Northern Illinois Deette Rolfe 
 
 Memories of Shaubena Matson 
 
 Story of John Deere Aldrich 
 
 The Prophet Price 
 
 Sinnissippi - Phalen 
 
 Banditti of the Prairie Bonney 
 
 Bright Land . . Fairbanks 
 
 Rock Island Public Schools Bulletin #5 
 
 Rock Island Public Schools Pioneer History of Illinois 
 
 Pioneer Town Lundgren 
 
 Autobiography of Black Hawk Leclaire 
 
 Story of the Battle of Stillman's Run ...Atwood 
 
 History of Illinois Handford 
 
 History of Illinois Ford 
 
 History of Illinois Struve 
 
 Illinois Grows Up .. Blatchford and Erminger 
 
 Comes An Echo on the Breeze Ryan 
 
 History of Illinois and Lee County Stevens 
 
 I Am a Man, the Indian Black Hawk 
 Miscellaneous Papers filed at Dixon Library 
 
 27