Bureau County, Illinois - Chapter 12, 1885

Chapter 12

IMMKE'S GROUP PICTURE OF THE OLD SETTLERS - ITS VALUE IN AFTEK YEARS - SUOG&TIOXS TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - A VALUABLE CHAPTER ix THE COUNTY'S HISTORY - WHO ARE THE REAL KNICKERBOCKERS - ETC., ETC.

IN a preceding chapter reference is made to the picture of the large group of old settlers, made a few years ago, by Mr. Immke, of Princeton. As a work of art it is an interesting study, as a faithful reflex of over four hundred faces of the men and women who were of the band of Bureau County pioneers. It is already of surpassing interest, and could it be preserved for the people for the coun - try's second centennial, it would be one of the most invaluable contributions to the history of the Mississippi Valley that posterity could possess. In the small space of about thirty inches square are preserved by the photographic art, at the hands of a master workman, the shadowy lineaments of the features of some of the gray -haired fathers and the "blessed mothers in Israel," everyone of whom of those still left us will probably be laid tenderly away during the next decade of years, and the records made in this book and these shadow reflections will contain all the lesson we can know of these remarkable men and women.

As remarked in a previous chapter, the form and substance of history is being reconsidered by this age, and the former judgements as to what history is, the lessons it teaches, and the fundamental facts thereof, its true science and philosophy, in short, are opening new fields of thought and evolving the most salutary lessons for our contemplation and study. The annalist, the chronologist and the historian are the order of the development. When the real historian comes he will give mankind the highest attainable type of instruction and wisdom, because true history is the cause and effect of the existence and growth of the mind, its sweeps onward, its ebbs backward.

Let us illustrate the idea we wish to convey. The large majority of men have been taught to regard Martin Luther as the sole author, creator and master of the reformation, and therefore, the liberator of the mind and body of our race from the thrall of ignorant bigotry, persecution and i [liberality. Whereas, the truth is the forces had been at work to this end for more than a century before Luther was born. The spark had been struck that fell upon the ready material to ignite, most probably many centuries before he was born, and secretly and slowly it extended in the dark apartments of the mother church and the state until the glow and heat within brought the surging force of the wind from without that forced open the door and in a moment the leaping flames burst from all parts of the great structure, hot and hissing, licking up the long and patient labors of men who had builded neither wisely nor well. Luther was but the door forced open by a resistless out. side pressure, which he no more created or controlled than does the cork direct the mad torrent of waters as it bobs along on the surface. Every written or spoken word we have of him confirms this beyond all peradventure. There is not a question but that he died an old man, wholly ignorant of the effects, not upon the church but upon mankind as we have them now, in the liberty of conscience, the freedom of body and mind, the right to discuss, to think and to act, each and every one for himself, and to cast off those heavy burdens of oppressive governments, to be men, in short; these are a part of the slow-coming effects of the Reformation that are reaching us and that were forming and growing through the long centuries.

The surroundings, the conditions, the ripening fora great event are always the result of a previous preparation and growth as are the ripe fruits hanging upon the tree. The twig that bears the apple is but the medium through which have worked the little fibers in the deep secrets of the soil, as well as the swinging leaf that is kissed by the sun and drauk of the gentle dews of heaven.

It is the master purpose of the types, when fashioned into ideas, to transmit the images of men's minds to the remotest posterity, and, if aided by the photographer's art, the reproduction of men who have passed away is not only made more accurate and easy, but far more complete than would otherwise be possible. The old, old saying that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country, was well grounded upon that deep trait in the character of all people to feel that it is distance that lends enchantment to the view.

We wish we could impress upon the people of Bureau County, especially upon those in authority, and whose duty it is to care for the true interests of the people, the immense importance, the historic value of this group picture of the old settlers; make them understand that the people of the county, the descendants of the noble men and women who won this rich heritage, are deeply concerned in keeping green their memories, and that they regard the keeping of their good names and fame as a sacred trust, and that it is neither time nor the people's money wasted if the proper steps are taken to put this monumental picture in such careful keeping of the county that at the end of the next hundred years it may be found. And that from these small portraits life-size pictures may be made, a public building erected for their keeping, and a public resort; reading and social and educational meetings of the people will be had and the central and attractive portions thenxrf will be the portraits of the old settlers true to life; to each may be appended a short biographical sketch, and in the whole will be found a historical picture gallery more highly prized when all now living are dead and gone, than any other one thing it is possible for us to hand down to the unborn generations. Let the old settlers and the new settlers, too, stir this matter up, make their demands upon those who are caring for the public affairs; convince them that it is first their business, and that it is your imperative wish. If they lag and continue indifferent tell them that there are old settler voters as well as Republican, Democratic, Butler and St. John voters; that in the " off years," at least, you will vote as old settlers and will politically settle every one who is ready to vote money for every popular demand and to pooh pooh at the idea of a public memorial to the memory of the noblest race of men and women in the world's history.

Mr. Immke is deserving of great commendation for the excellence of his work, but more for the enterprise and generous public spirit with which he performed the difficult. undertaking. We are free to say this because as a financial venture it has paid him nothing, and largely, therefore, it is a free offering and a most noble and generous tribute it is on his behalf.

As the custodians of the county's interests, the Board of Supervisors are the proper ones, and to whom the people look to more in this matter, for the simple reason that it must have their official notice in order that the work may be properly attended to. The total expense that would be incurred would be so very trifling that no tax- payer would ever feel it.

prompt and the mos^efficient action. You have an Old Settlers' Society, of long and reputable standing, composed of the best representative people of the county. Its yearly meetings, its large attendance and interesting addresses are an important part of your history, the most interesting part that is now being put upon your records. But few of the links are left of the venerable men and women of the pioneers, and are visibly diminishing at each of your annual gatherings. The larger part of the audience are the children and friends of a noble generation that is gone, and their sacred dust, their memory, their finger marks and the results of their immortal lives is the one great trust in the keeping of the people of to-day. You cannot remit this noble work to the future, because if done at all, it must be done now. When the substance fades, the shadow is gone forever.

Lord Bacon, the brightest mind that has yet adorned the human race, speaking of that natural impulse that characterizes mostly the human family, the ambition to be more than the insect or worm that perishes and is for gotten; to be remembered at least a few hours after death, says: "That whereunto man's nature doth most aspire, which is immortality or continuance; for to this tendeth generation, and raising of houses and families; to this buildings, foundations, and movements; to this tendeth the desire of memory, fame and celebration, and in effect the strength of all other human desires." Yes, the mainspring in life is the ambition to be not wholly insignificant, but to be remembered - if not by the world, then by the neighbors, and if not by the neighbors then by your children, or if yet alone, then by your faithful dog, or by some animate thing. This is " the strength of all other human desires." Ambition has ruled and fashioned everything human we see about us. It is the spur of all exertion, directly or remotely to all action, good or bad. Without it man would be wholly worthless; with it in any excess, he is generally a selfish, cold-blooded monster. It was the " Ambitious youth who fired the Ephesian dome," in order to link his name with its history, even knowing his life would pay the forfeit of his crime. It was the ambition of Napoleon that drenched Europe in blood. All war, the great crimes, as well as the grand heroes and man's greatest blessings have this common origin. It is deep-seated and wide -spread ignorance that makes ambition a great affliction instead of a blessing.

Probably no class of men in the world had less of that ambition for the applause of men, for the pomp and power and notoriety that drives so many ambitious men to heroic deeds and great crimes, than the early pioneers of Illinois. The horizon of their ambition closed in at the very doors of their rude cabins, where were gathered their family idols. Here they could get a home, lands for themselves and their children; to be free men and women, owing no man a dollar that they could not pay, and rear their children with no other masters save their parents. They well knew the hard trials, the risk, the dangers, the suffering and hard toil they had to pay for this little boon of life.

Your school children learn the story of an Alexander, a Napoleon, or a Caesar's fame, and yet stand up any of these mistaken great names of history by the side of the least and humblest of the band of Illinois pioneers - compare the permanent good coming of the life work^of one with the other and from such comparisons, how little, contemptible, and insignificant is the great Napoleon to the humble but heroic pioneer in his hempen shirt, his well-worn wamus, his home-made shoes and hat, his coarse features, unkempt hair, his broad teeth and his loud voice and rough, uncouth rugged independence. The one butchered his thousands and thousands and converted the world into a waste and house of mourning - the ambitious architect of death and desolation. The other wrought peace, happy homes, prosperity and joys for the blessed millions to come after. Over the little hole of a door of the brush cabin in letters of living light he blazed the message to the poor and oppressed of all the world: " I have prepared the way. In thy Father's house is enough and to spare. Come and partake." But a few years ago, perhaps it is there yet, was a wood-cut in the school readers placed there for the delectation, study and admiration of innocent and guilless children. It was called "Napoleon crossing the Alps." He is on his customary mission of robbery, destruction and death. Beyond the background of the miserable picture is burning cities, blackened homes, wasted fields - a world's great sob of agony.

In a preceding chapter is an account of Abram Stratton, in the fierce storms and deep snow of the winter of 1830, with his oxsled and alone, crossing the then dreary wilderness between Chicago and Bureau County. Depending and at the end of that young dauntless pioneer's trip was the laughing land.

"Look on this picture and then on that," and true history will reverse the pictures in our school-books and in men's minds. History must be re-written. The shams and frauds will be exposed, and the really great and good, no matter how humble their lives, how obscure their names, or how little known their good work to those who supposed they were writing history - in the story of the past, they will take their proper places, and who will dare say, when the whole field is looked over, that among those whose works produced the best results, there are any who may justly claim the places above the early pioneers.

Silly worshippers at the shrine of these false idols and shams of history - these execrable frauds who are mere buzzards roosting in the eagle's nest, may cry out against the iconoclast who tumbles over their beatified monsters, but the good work will go on, because truth is eternal, and because the ulti - mate truths of history is the highest type of philosophy, teaching the grand lessons of life by examples.

Nothing will moreaid the historian in sifting out the grand heroes of history - the best type of men and women who have appeared and gone in the tide of time, than the work of the photographer. This is a modern invention, but so is the correct idea of true history. Everything is grist to the hopper of history. Here the biography, the dress, the manners, the thoughts, looks, discussions, poems, books, songs, the work and the playing - in short, everything of and concerning a people are his materials, that are carefully collated, compared, digested and studied and understood, and then the results of these lives, whether in the field of thought or physical walk, are followed out in their immediate and remote effects, and thus the great temple of imperishable fame will rise, stone upon stone, to be seen, honored and revered of all men.

"We give the list of faces that are preserved in Immke's group, in their alphabetical order, with the dates of their coming to the county, and in several instances such other facts of each as we could procure. The list includes photographs extending down to the year 1844 :

Ament, John and Sarah, 1830. The Aments were from Kentucky. John died in 1856, and was buried near his cabin. His widow married again and had quite a large family. We believe all left the State some years ago. There were three brothers came together - Edward, Justus and John. They built a cabin east of Red Oak Grove, Section 1, owned by O. Dunham.

Anthony, Dr. William C., 1841. Born 1807, Vermont. First marriage, 1837; second, 1858; third, 1860, to Lydia Allen, born Ellsworth, Ohio, September, 1833. Came to Illinois in 1857. Mrs. B. Ripley, oldest sister, Mrs. A., DOW in Princeton, another sister, Mrs. Cook, here. Dr. Anthony came here an alopath, and for thirty years has been a homoeopathic.

Brainard, Mr. and Mrs. D. E., 1841. From Medina County, Ohio. Alna Brainard, elder brother, married A. W. Bacon's sister. He died some years ago here, leaving five children.

Brokaw, I., 1840, southern Ohio. Mr. Brokaw died in Kansas, and his widow died in Princeton. Left a large family. A daughter, Mrs. Chester Smith, living in Princeton.

Mr. Clapp was for a long time a prominent citizen of the county. His sister was the wife of Caleb Cook. Mr. Clapp died 1882. His brother's widow living in Pinceton. and his decendents live in La Moille. See elsewhere.

University Of Illinois

Colton, L. J., 1835; brother of Chancy Colton; residing now in Kansas. Married a daughter of Deacon Phelps. Was at one time partner proprietor in the Republican of Princeton (See Press chapter).

Cummings, Thornton, 1834; native of Virginia; reared in Kentucky where he married Sylvia Williams, in 1816, and came to Gallatin County, 111., and from there to Bureau. He settled in French Grove, then heavy timbered. He was the first settler in what is now Concord Township. He died in 1872, and his widow died in 1883 (See William Cummings' biography).

Crittenden, John and Mrs. B. G., the latter now living south of Princeton. One of her sisters married Col. Austin Bryant, and the other sister married Arthur Bryant (See Bryant biography).

Drake, William G., November, 1835; settled in Dover from New Jersey. Had seven children. Cyrus Langworthy married the oldest daughter, Charlotte; Ann married Robert N. Murphy, and lives in Princeton; Mrs. Catharine Gregg, is in Iowa; Rachael L. Stockton, in LaSalle; Mary J. Clark, deceased. The sons were: David, Morgan and William C., now living in Princeton (see his biography). Mr. Drake died April 29, 1852. aged eighty-one years. His widow died December 24, 1849, aged seventy-five years. William T. Drake's widow, Mrs. Michael Watson, came to the county in 1834. Michael Watson was the son of Amariah Watson, who came in 1833. Mr. Watson died in California; Amariah died here.

Gay, John M. and Mrs., 1830; Gay was from Kentucky; he was a thorough, brave pioneer. At the organization of Putnam County he was elected to office; he lived here a long time and removed to Wisconsin, where he died; he was married to a sister of Henry Thomas.

Greeley D. P. and D., 1839; from Rhode Island; he supposed he was related to Horace Greeley until he went to New York to claim his kin; the two men looked at each other and agreed that they were probably related through Adam, but no closer; he buried his wife in the Dover Cemetery and moved away.

Heaton. Isaac, Reece and Mrs. Sarah, 1836. The Heatons living at Heaton's Point. Harrison Eppersan married one of the girls (see Heaton's biography).

Holbrook, J. T., July, 1834. Died in La Moille, in latter part of Seventies; Mrs. King, his sister, lives in Princeton. His son lives in La Moille (see biography).

Hughes, Isaac and Mrs. Jane, 1837. Mrs. John Elliott, mother of Gen. I. H. Elliott was a daughter of Isaac Hughes. The Hughes came with Col. John Elliott to this State. They lived five miles north of Princeton. Another daughter of Mr. Hughes is Mrs. Moore, now of Princeton (see Gen. I. H. Elliott's biography).

Hall, John and Mrs. E., 1830. Hall Township, originally called Bloom, was named in honor of John Hall. He first settled in Selby. Hallowayville was once Halltown. Mr. Hall made very large farm improvements on his claim. Before land sales he sold thistoHassler for 14,000; he then entered a great deal of land in the county. He was an illiterate but a large-minded and great business man. He finally sold out and went to Missouri and merchandised very extensively. Among the early pioneers he was one of the most valuable citizens. John, William and Reason B. Hall were brothers.

Hoskins, William, December, 1830. Judge Hoskins was one of the remarkable early men of the county. Strong, heavy, big-boned muscular man, massive features and very large, broad teeth, a large unkempt and bushy hair, dressed in his home-made clothes. He never dressed up to come to town, and his heavy gait and movement, and his whole contour presented a figure well calculated to arrest the strangers' attention. He had not much more polish of mind than he had of person, but both were on a scale that made him a big man in any crowd. He would attract the strangers' curiosity, and then when he heard him talk, his interest. A man of very little of the advantages of school education. He was illiterate, but strong in intellect.

Kitterman, M., 1830. One of the oldest living settlers in Bureau County. He was first here in 1828; returned in 1830, and brought wife and two children in 1831. Had eleven children after coming here - thirteen in all, ten of whom, six sons and four daughters, are still living. Certainly no two old patriarchs ever lived who better deserved the respect and love of the large family and the host of friends, and the fortune in this world's goods that they possess, than Mr. and Mrs. Kitterman (See biography and sketch in general history).

Langworthy, Cyrus, 1834; Mrs., 1834; Dr. A., 1836. Mrs. William Drake, of Princeton, was the widow of Dr. A. Langworthy. (See Drake's biography and sketch of Langworthy, in general history.)

Stechell, living in Peoria. She was Henry Thomas' second daughter. This is another of the three first born babies in the county, Mrs. Sells being another one, and one of M. Ketterman's daughters still another. We account for their all being girls by the fact that the Black Hawk war was near at hand, and the boys all thought to wait until the fighting was over.

Long, John and Rebecca, 1836. There were several of the Longs lived near Senachwine. Jehu lived in Princeton, was constable for many years. Noah and his son Noah lived in the south part of the county.

Lumry, Rufus, 1834. Went west and in crossing a stream was drowned some years ago. Rufus was a Wesleyan preacher. Left a large family of children.

Mosley, Roland, 1831; W. Noble, 1831. Roland Mosely had four sons, all dead. His son Roland married a Radcliffe, now living with Henry Paddock.

Matson, Nehemiah, 1836; Mrs. E. C., 1841. Mr. Matson loved to investigate and write about the early settlers of the county and the Indians. He was not a literary man and yet on this subject he wrote a great deal, and deserves great credit for gathering many important items.

Phelps, George R., 1836; C. C., 1839; B., 1839. These families trace their lineage back over 300 years. (See history of Hampshire Colony and general history).

Smith, Eli, 1831 ; married Clarrissa Childs, a native of Massachusetts; Eli died August 30, 1871, leaving seven grown children - four boys and three girls; Eli Smith was born November 15, 1805, and his wife October 5, 1804. They came irf an ox wagon from Massachusetts to this county. With his brother Elijah they lived at first in Foristol's cabin. The children are all living except Harriet and Lucy.

Elijah Smith married Sylvia Childs. He kept the widely-known "Yankee Tavern," one and one-half miles northwest of Princeton. He was also a Postmaster, and we believe among the earliest in the county, except Henry Thomas. He kept the postoffice in a split basket, and when hung in the loft it was all safe. He lived here over forty years and removed to Sandwich, where he died.

Hon. John Wentworth, of Chicago, was Mayor of that city when the Prince of Wales visited it. He gives an amusing account of a citizen coming to him a few days before the prince was to arrive, and in a nutter of excitement over the great occasion, and in anxiety lest the Mayor should not fully appreciate the importance of the event up to the proper point of toadying to the callow sprout of royalty, he wanted to suggest how to do it. When Wentworth comprehended what his visit was for he invited him to proceed. His first suggestion was that it would be in excellent form to select, say one or two representatives from one hundred of the first families of Chicago, to receive and dance attendance upon his highness. " All right," says Wentworth, " Please make me out a list of the one hundred of the first families of Chicago, so I can select." The visitor studied a moment and confessed he could not do this. The Mayor then asked him to please select ten, that is, nine beside his own. In short he was driven to the confession that he could only really name one family - his own, of course.

Some years afterwards in addressing the old settlers of the city, he read off the names of the city's early settlers, referred to the above anecdote, and remarked, here is more than one hundred of the first families of Chicago - the real blue-blooded Knickerbockers, the F. F. V.'s of the city, and predicted that these men and their descendants would constitute the names of the " book of peerage " of the city, a- record that would be carefully kept and closely studied in the long future by all who desired to establish an unquestionable and illustrious lineage.