Bureau County, Illinois - Chapter 22, 1885

1837 - COUNTY EXISTENCE COMMENCES - THE ELECTION - BUREAU TBIDMPHS - JOLLIFICATION - " SHUT THE Doo» " - FIRST HIGHWAYS - PART OF INDIAN TRAIL STILL PBESBRVBD - FIRST OFFICIAL OFFICERS AND ACTS - LIST OF OFFICERS TO ADOPTION OF TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION - COUNTY'« CIVIL HISTORY TO 1860 - me., ETC.

~VTT"E now return in our narrative to the VV year 1837, and take up the civil history of the county, which, as stated in a preceding chapter, commenced in that year. The act of the Legislature creating the county passed the Legislature and became a law February 28, 1837. By reference to the act it will be seen that it denned the limits of the county and appointed three Commissioners to locate the county seat, and appointed a day for the first county election. The only difference in the boundary lines as organized and now, is in the addition of the towns of Milo and Wheatland, which were added to the county on the formation of Marshall and Stark Counties. But the act provided that the majority of the people of Putnam County should vote a majority in favor of the new county before the act would take effect In accordance with this act an election was held on the first Monday in March, which was a very exciting one, and many illegal votes were said to have been cast on both sides. On the west side of the river people voted almost en masse for the division, while on the east side they voted against it. A few votes were cast in

Indiantown Precinct against the division, and a few in Sandy Precinct for it. There was about thirty majority for the division, and when the result was known there was great rejoicing on the west side of the river. In Princeton houses were illuminated, bonfires built, guns fired, and various tokens of joy were manifested. Although the west side of the river had won the victory and was entitled to a new county, those on the east side, with the authorities at Hennepin, pronounced the election illegal, giving notice that they would contest it - declaring no division - "Putnam County still whole," etc. Notwithstanding this protest, Bureau claimed to be a county, and went on to comply with the provisions in the act of the Legislature. Three Commissioners, who had been appointed for that purpose, met in May, and located the county- seat at Princeton.

On the first Monday in June, 1837, an election was held to elect county officers, at which Robert Masters, William Hoskins and Arthur Bryant were elected County Commissioners; Cyrus Langworthy, Sheriff; Thomas Mercer, Clerk; John H. Bryant, Eecorder; Jacob Galer, Coroner, and Robert Stewart, Surveyor.

Judge Dan Stone, of the Fifth Judicial District, ordered court to be held in Princeton on the following August, and appointed Cyrus Bryant, Clerk. Courts were held in Hampshire Colony Church until 1845, when a court house was built, and a jail twelve feet square, with hewed logs, lined with sheet- iron, together with a frame building for a jailer, on a lot now occupied by the residence of O. S. Phelps.

When the vote of Putnam County was taken on the question of setting off all this fair portion of her domain into a new county, it was only natural it should attract much attention of the people. The people west of the river realized the great disadvantage they were under every time they had to go to their county seat. And every old settler and some of the younger ones are still fond of telling over some of the exciting and funny incidents.

Princeton was a small hamlet in the wilderness, but had ambitions, and its aspirations were boundless, and her people were especially interested in the success of organizing the new county. They well understood that Princeton would be the seat of justice.

The election day was over, the returns came in and the new county had triumphed. This was the happiest day, perhaps, in the history of Princeton. Shouts, yells, tin horns, cow bells and a horse fiddle banged, screeched and howled the joy of the Princetonites. Long into the night continued the din and rejoicing, and many of the men (this was tolerated then more than now) were, after the manner of Tarn O'Shanter, "o'er all the ills of life victorious;" and "here's to the victory we celebrate' ' was the boisterous order of the hour. And many sang "We won't go home till morning," and without waiting further on the order of their going, straggled off "hickuping" their wending way to rest. They were abnormally tired, even if they were full of patriotic glory.

One case was a leading merchant whose store was on the Square. He was in the habit of sleeping on his counter, and with great trouble he had watched the houses as they raced around the Square and finally had landed himself on his front steps. Here, from sheer fatigue, he soon was sound asleep, spread out all over his doorsteps. About daybreak one of his neighbors, on his way to market and to see if the "hole in the wall" was still a sure enough "hole," found the slumbering innocent, and by violent shaking roused him up, to get him to go inside and go to bed. Terribly top-heavy, the sleeper sat up and finally said: "Boys, boys! I'm devilish cold - shut the door!"

At the time of the organization of the county there were two prominent roads of thoroughfares within its territory. One of these was the celebrated Galena thoroughfare, or great stage road from Peoria to Galena, over which the daily four-horse coach passed each way, carrying the mails and the chief portion of travel to and from the lead mines. This passed north and south through the county, and at that time passed west of Princeton, through Boyd's Grove, Bulbonna Grove and other noted points in the western part of the county. The other was the Sac and Fox trail running east and west through the county ; and over this trail the Indians for many years made it their great highway to Canada to get their annual supplies, and also to Chicago. This was the guiding road for many of the early immigrants who came by way of Chicago. It was followed by Gen. Scott's army in 1832, from Chicago to the Mississippi River. The difference in a great Indian trail and a white man's road is in the width of the two, the Indians always traveling single file, and hence his route was marked by a narrow path. The writer was shown a short section of this great Indian trail, that yet remains undisturbed, except by the elements, as the Indians left it when they last passed over their noted highway. We were shown this interesting spot of ground by Mr. A. L. Steele, of Dover. It is in Dover cemetery, and to this fact is due its preservation, the original sod having never been disturbed either by the plow or by the tramping of stock, as the graveyard was enclosed some years ago. There is plainly visible about thirty feet of the trail, and as it is a slight decline of the hill, the running water has at one time washed it out several inches in depth. Thus we trace the footprints of people who have long since passed away, and like the crawling of the worm or the walking of the bird upon the plastic mud, making their imprint that becomes hardened stone, and is covered by the deep soil, to remain hidden for ages, and finally is brought to the surface and attracts the attention of the scientist and historian, who there reads the history and writes the story of the habits and lives of these apparently insignificant birds and insects and the long, immeasurable path that lies between their worthless lives and the present. Many years ago, yet within the memory of men still living, it was no uncommon sight to see hundreds of Indians on this trail at one time. The last was in 1837, when the last of the Indians were being removed from Michigan to the west of the Mississippi. Mrs. ,1 aiucs G. Everett tells us she was, on the occasion of the passing through the county of the last large body of Indians, teaching school just west of Princeton. She was then new in the West, and knew but little of the Indian character. She was occupied with her school when the red men began suddenly to swarm about the building. She was terribly frightened, but some of the children had heard at home about the Indians going to pass that day, and explained to their teacher that they would not harm them, and in a little while the cavalcade passed along. But she thinks the work in the school room that day was largely a failure. N. Matson says that the first obstruction in the way of fencing up the land that occurred on this Indian trail, between Bock Island and Chicago, was caused by a fence of Robert Murphy in the spring of 1837.

and Arthur Bryant, Commissioners, and Cyrus Bryant, Clerk. They were sworn into office by John H. Bryant, Esq. Cyrus Bryant gave bond as Clerk, with Thomas Epperson and B. L. Smith as sureties. Nathaniel Chamberlain was the first County School Commissioner, and gave bond, with Thornas S. Elston, John M. Gay and R. T. Templeton, sureties. The first official act of the Commissioners was to appoint Degrass Salisbury County Treasurer, who gave bond in the sum of $15,000, with Thomas S. Elston and John H. Bryant as sureties. The precinct of Greenfield was fixed as a voting precinct, including nearly all the northern half of the county, and Jonathan T. Holbrook, John Kendall and Joseph Fassett were made Judges of Election, and the house of Tracy Reeve was the voting place. Brush Creek Precinct was described, and Brown Searl, Job Searl and Harmon Heliums were made Judges, to vote at the house of William Hoskins. In June, 1839, a part of Dover Precinct was taken from Greenfield and a new district made; and Brush Creek Precinct was also changed and a part thereof taken to form Hall District in September, 1838. At this first meeting Windsor District was formed and Morris Spalding, Joseph Robinson and Amariah Robinson made Judges, to vote at the house of Augustus Langworthy. Also the Princeton District, and John Musgrove, Elijah Smith and Benjamin L. Smith were Judges, to vote at the house of Stephen Triplett. Also Coal Creek Precinct, and Sampson Cole, Thornton Cummings and Moses Stephens were the Judges, and the voting place the house of Thornton Cummings. A resolution was passed requiring the Commissioners appointed by the Legislature to locate the county seat, to meet in Princeton on the 20th day of June, 1837, and make such selection. A tax of one-half per cent was ordered to be laid on all personal property in the county, " except neat cattle under three years old;" and a tax of one- fourth per cent on all taxable lands in the county for roads and bridges. It was ordered that the Circuit Court be held in the ' ' Congregational Meeting-house" in Princeton until a place could be provided. John H. Bryant was ordered to procure a suitable "table and pigeon box" for the Recorder's office; $15 was appropriated to purchase plank to cover the bridges across the sloughs on Main Bureau, near Elijah Smith's, and for this purpose Enos Matson was appointed agent; $50 was appropriated for the bridges near Robert C. Masters' and near Simpson Huffaker's, and James G. Foristols and Robert C. Masters was appointed to attend to the work. Arthur Bryant was authorized to expend $5 on the bridges in Town 16, Range 9 east, and William Hoskins was authorized to expend $15 on the public roads in Town 16, Range 11 east.

The Commissioners then selected the following as the first grand jurors in the county: Jonathan S. Colton, Robert Scott, Moses Thichnor, John Hall, Stephen B. Fellows, David Nickerson, John McElwaine, Tracy Reeve, Aaron Mercer, John Ament, Marshall Mason, Peter Ellis, George Bennett, Cornelius Corss, Elijah Smith, Thornton Cummings, James G. Everett, Roland Mosely, James Howe, Morris Spalding, Robert Clark, Austin Bryant, Amariah Watson. When the grand jury met, Gilbert Kellums, LymanHowe, J. H. Olds and Stephen Smith and Mr. Spalding were placed on the jury to fill vacancies.

The following were selected as the first petit jury: Butler Dunham, James Smith, Brown Searle, Arthur Thornton, James G. Swan, James Seaton, Curtis Williams, Demarcus Ellis, Obediah Britt, James G. Foristol, Henry Thomas, Simpson Huffaker, Elias

It is a notable fact that the first order ever made upon the County Treasurer was for the purpose of bettering and making new roads and bridges in the county.

On June 22, 1837, a special term of the Commissioners' Court convened in Princeton. Benjamin Mitchell and Peter Butler took an oath to faithfully consider the interests of the people and the situation of the settlements, ' ' having an eye to the future population," in locating the county seat. And on the same day they made a written report, in which Princeton was named as the county seat, the report saying: "We have determined to select the public square in the town of Princeton, on the west side of said square, designated as Lot No. 33, as near the center as practicable; Provided, D. G. Salisbury, Thomas S. Elston and John H. Bryant shall execute a bond, approved by the County Commissioners, for $7,500, and a bond to execute a deed for eight and one-half acres of land, payable to said Commissioners, for the purpose of erecting a court house and other public buildings. " Twenty dollars was paid Peter Butler and $15 to Benjamin Mitchell for services in locating the county seat. Except allowing a few orders, this was the business of the special term.

At the August term, 1837, appeared Lyman Howe and prayed for a writ of ad quod damnum.," which was granted. At this term R. T. Templeton was appointed County Treasurer. He gave bonds of $15,000, with Cyrus Langworthy, W. O. Chamberlain, John M. Gay and Thomas Epperson as sureties.

Salisbury, Probate Justice; Robert T. Templegate, Treasurer; Thomas Mercer, County Clerk The following were elected Justices of the Peace: Justin H. Olds, William Frankeberger, Daniel Bryant, Nathaniel Applegate, Silas Trimble, Augustus Lyford, Caleb Moore and Tracy Reeve; the following Constables: John G. Reed, Benjamin Cole, Joseph Frank, William C. Sycler, Carlton W. Combs, John Howe, Moses M. Thompson and James Cheney.

John Clark, Jesse Perkins and Robert Stuart were appointed to locate a road from the bridge on Bureau, near Peters' saw-mill, to run to David Nickerson's house, " where Wherry now lives;" thence to the bluff on the Illinois River near David Searls' ; from there to Henry F. Miller's, near the Spring Mill farm; then to the bluff near Ezekiel Piper's house; then to the east side of William Hoskins'; then to an intersection with the road leading to Ottawa and Coles' Ferry, between the forks of said road and William Hoskins' . The Commissioners considered the return of Howe's ad quod damnum writ, and refused to grant him permission to build on the land designated. An order was made to Cyrus Bryant of $20 to purchase suitable records for the Circuit Clerk.

A bond dated the 2d of June, 1837, for $7,500, and signed by Thomas S. Elston, Degrass Salisbury, John H. Bryant, Elijah Wiswall, John M. Gay, Noah Wiswall, Cyrus Langwortby and S. B. Fellows for the purpose of securing the public buildings of the county. It was approved by the court.

At the December term, 1837, Jonathan Colton, David Robinson and John H. Bryant were appointed to locate a road from eighty rods west of the center of Section 32, Township 16, Range 9, to the house of Austin

Bryant, and south of the house of Roland Mosley, to the southwest of Section 27; thence to the house of Christopher Corss; also a road from the starting-point of the above east to a point not to exceed thirty rods west of the east line of Section 32.

And Jonathan S. Colton, Eobinson and Robert Clark were directed to locate a road " from the center of Section 16, Township 16, Range 9; thence south on the quarter section line two miles; thence to the sawmill now occupied by James How." Robert Stuart, Roland Moseley and Alby Smith were ordered to locate a road from Princeton to Greenfield, " making James Garvin's, Sylvester Brigham's, Elias Isaac's, and the south end of Dimmick's Grove points on the road." Robert Stuart, Martin Zearing and Aaron Mercer were appointed to lay off a road from the Leeper Mill to the town line between Ranges 9 and 10.

At an election held in October, 1837, i Benjamin L. Smith was elected County Clerk, and "William Frankeberger and John Searle elected Justices of the Peace, and Moses Thompson, Carlton W. Combs, Jacob Young and James Wilson were elected Constables.

Aaron Mercer, Robert Stuart and Justin H. Olds were appointed to review a road from Princeton via the Searle settlement to the county line, between this and La Salle counties.

An order was made allowing Sheriff Langworthy $63 for expenses in prosecuting Mc- Broom and Stuart, charged with passing counterfeit money. These were two noted criminals in the early days of the county.

Justin H. Olds, Robert Stuart and James Garvin were appointed to view a road asked for by Thomas Epperson and others, commencing at Leonard Roth's Mill, thence easterly towards Peru, to the county line.

The county was divided into eighteen road districts, and Asa Barney, Caleb Haskel, Daniel Radcliffe, Amariah Watson, Jesse Perkins, William Mann, John Hall, John Clark, Chauncey D. Colton, Stephen B. Fellows, William Cowan, Lewis Chilson, Thomas J. Stephens, Ezekiel Thomas, Lyman Stowel, Peter Ellis, Nathan Rackley and Zenas Church were appointed Supervisors. One hundred dollars was appropriated in 1838 to build a bridge across Bureau, on the road from Princeton to French Grove, and Arthur Bryant was appointed to superintend the building of the same. Benjamin L. Smith was appointed to go to St. Louis and procure seals for the Clerk's offices. At the March term, 1838, it was resolved to release the persons on the $7,500 bond, mentioned heretofore, that the parties signing the same be released on the following conditions: " To build a jail and jailor's house," and to deed to the county the half acre of land on which the Congregational Church meeting-house stands, together with the house thereon, and to deed to the county one-fifth of a five-acre lot owned by William O. Chamberlain, also 34x42 feet on Lot 31, on the public square adjoining lot owned by Fellows & Downing. Pyrena B. Ellis went before Squire Joseph Brigham and made oath ' ' that Thomas J. Cole was not the father of said child." This is probably the only instance that ever happened in the county of exactly this kind.

At the election August 6, 1838, the following officers were elected: Recorder, Robert Garton; Sheriff, Cyrus Langworthy; Coroner, David C. Searle; Commissioners, Robert Clark, William Hoskins and Tracy Reeve; Constables, Daniel Elliott, Allen S. Lathrop, Obed W. Bryant, Gilbert Clement, Alfred Anthony and C. R. Searle. Agreea- ble to a " drawing by lots," as the law directed, the Commissioners took office as follows: Three years, Robert Clark; two years, William Hoskins; one year, Tracy Beeves. The grand jurors chosen for the second term of the Circuit Court were: Moses Stephens, Sampson Cole, Caleb Gushing, Alexander Holbrook, Joseph Robinson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rufus Corey, Solomon Sapp, Nathaniel Chamberlain, Jr., Joel Doolittle, Joseph Houghton, Charles Phelps, William Wherry, Robert A. Leeper, Job Searle, Henry Miller, Peter Savage, John Elliott, Samuel Mohler, Joseph Frank, John M. Gay, James W. Green and John Kendall.

The following were the members of the petit jury: Augustus Langworthy, Joseph W. Kinney, John W. Headley, Ellis Mercer, Joseph E. Smith, George Golem an, Jacob Galer, William Mercer, Jr./ Jonathan Ireland, Joseph S. Meyers, Elias Trimble, Lazarus Reeve, Arthur Bryant, Asher Doolittle, Adolphus Tucker, Elisha Wood, Eli Smith, Noah Wiswall, Stephen Wilson, Alby Smith, Erasmus Phelps, Sylvester Brigham, Andrew F. Smith and William O. Chamberlain.

At the September term, 1839, of the County Commissioners' Court, William Frankeberger was the Commissioner elect to succeed Tracy Reeve. Solomon F. Denning then filed. his bond as County Clerk, and gave bonds with

At the August election, 1839, the following county officers were chosen: D. G. Salisbury, Probate Justice; Oliver Boyle, Recorder; R. T. Templeton, Treasurer; Stephen Smith, Surveyor ; S. F. Denning, Clerk ; William Frankeberger, Commissioner. The following Justices of the Peace: Moses M. Thompson, Elijah Smith, R. C. Masters, E. S. Phelps, Isaac Delano, Obediah Britt, Justin H. Olds, Noah Sapp, Tracey Reeve, Lawson Miller, John Searle, Nathaniel Applegate, Morris Spalding and Mathew Dorr. The Constables were: William H. Wells, David Holbrook, John Phillips, Jehu Long, Theodore W. Nichols, Demarcus B. Ellis, David A. Gleem, David Perkins, P. Cootey, George W. Miller, Allen S. Lathrop, C. W. Combs, James M. Dexter and Alfred Anthony.

At a special election to fill vacancies October 5, 1839, Harvey Child was elected Justice of the Peace, and Jonathan Holbrook, Barton Anderson and John Growl were elected Constables.

For the September term of the Circuit Court, 1840, the following grand jurors were chosen: Greenbury Hall, John Parnell, John W. Hall, Job Searle, Zacariah Bushong, David Nevis, George Anthony, Abijah K. Martin, James M. Dexter, Hosea Barney, James Carroll, Simon K. Lemon, Thomas Findley, Robert Thompson, James Smith, William Cowen, Madison Studyvin, Robert Garton, William Martin, Tracy Reeve, Horace Gilbert, Arthur Bryant.

Isaac Spangler, Robert Woodrough, Abram Stratton, Eenjamin L. Smith, Benjamin Porter, Noadiah Smith and Alfred T. Thompson. It was ordered that each grand juror be allowed 75 cents a day for active service at the court. In 1840 Carlton W. Combs was appointed County Collector. He gave bond in the sum of $4,000 with Nathaniel Applegate and Degrass Salisbury as sureties.

At the August election, 1840, the following officers were elected: Cyrus Langworthy, Sheriff; Daniel Bryant, Coroner; William Hoskins, County Commissioner; and Moses Mercer, Ezekiel Thomas, Barton Anderson, John Conant and Jacob Zearing, Constables.

At the April term of the Circuit Court, 1841, John H. Bryant was appointed in lieu of Alby Smith to view the now celebrated Dover Boad. This road was the one for the farmers to get from Princeton to Chicago, and as it was a highway by use and custom before the prairie began to be made into farms, and as it ran.diagonally across the lands, there was a conflict arose among the people: Those who hauled over the road did not want it extended by being compelled to follow section lines, and this was exactly what the land owners mostly desired. The matter had finally to be settled by an act of the Legislature, and therefore to this day it runs " across lots " in many places.

At this time Robert Gartin was appointed Assessor for Bureau County, and the old order of the Commissioners dividing the county into two Assessors'districts and having two Assessors was repealed.

At the September term, 1841, Kobert E. Thompson appeared as the Commissioner to succeed Robert Clark. At the election in August, 1841, Thomas Mercer was elected School Commissioner. September, 1841, Carleton W. Combs gave bond as Collector of the county in the amount of $13,000, with

The grand jurors chosen for the April term, 1842, of the Circuit Court were as follows: Noah Sapp, Francis A. Hutchins, John Searle, Charles S. Boyd, A. G. Porter, Elijah Merritt, Timothy K. Ferrell, Moses Stevens, R. Carey, Henry Thomas, Joseph Heath, Nehemiah Mateon, Marshall Mason, Hiram Roth, Nathan Rackley, Roland Moseley, Flavel Thurbton, John Hall, Robert Clark, William Jones, Robert J. Woodrough, William Mercer, Jr., Benjamin L. Smith.

September, 1842, Enos Smith appeared as a member of the County Commissioners' Court; Justin H. Olds was elected County Collector; Stephen Smith, Sheriff; Henry Thomas, Coroner; and Gilbert Clement elected Constable. Justin H. Olds gave bonds in $18,000, with Cyrus Bryant, Degrass Salis bury, R. T. Templeton, Tracy Reeve and John H. Bryant as sureties. At this time the County Clerk, S. F. Denning, appointed Oliver Boyle his deputy.

The state of the money market is given by the following order passed by the County Commissioners' Court June 7, 1843: "Ordered that the County Treasurer be and he is hereby authorized to sell and dispose of all Sbawneetown money in the treasury, for any sum not less than 36 cents on the dollar. And also to sell and dispose of the certificates

August election, 1846, Jacob Sells was elected County Commissioner to succeed William Hoskins; Stephen Smith, Sheriff, re-elected. In 1846 James B. Chenoweth was elected one of the County Judges. Justin H. Olds was appointed Overseer of the Poor for the county.

In 1847 Stephen Smith was again re-elected Sheriff ; A. T. Thompson, County Clerk. M. Ballou was appointed Assessor. In 1848 J. V. Thompson was elected Sheriff. Joseph V. Thompson. September, 1848, filed a bond in the sum of $20,000 as Collector, with John H. Bryant, John Hall, Daniel Gaylor, Alfred F. Clark, Calvin Stephens, Robert Clark, Austin Bryant, Cyrus Bryant, B. N. Stevens, Benjamin Newell and William Corss, sureties. In 1848 Robert E. Thompson was elected a member of the County Commissioners' Court. J. T. Thompson was County Treasurer.

In the year 1849 the County Commissioners' Court laid a tax of 5 cents to be appropriated to buy land and erect buildings for a poor-house and farm. September, 1849, Joseph V. Thompson filed his second bond as Collector. November 27, 1849, the County Commissioners' Court adjourned, and we believe, as there is nothing more on the records, that was the last of it.

In September, 1841, the County Commissioners' Court appointed Oliver Boyle, John Vaughan and William F. Bnshnell to locate an alley in the Town of Princeton, thirty feet wide, commencing between Lots 11 and 12 on First Street in the original plat of the town, thence east between said Lots 11 and

At an election on the question of incorporating the town of Princeton, Saturday, March 17, 1838, there were twenty votes in favor and none against incorporation. The following are the voters at that election: