Henry County, Illinois - The whole text, 1885 (part 28 of 31)

Another railroad enterprise which is to-day owned by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, was the Rockrord, Rock Island & St. Louis Railroad. This road was to run from Rockford to St. Louis, via Rock Island. It secured the charter of the old Sterling & Rock Island Road, which was granted in 1854. The panic of 1857 and the war delayed railroad enterprises for a time, but shortly after the war the Rockford, Rock Island & St Louis Railroad was pushed forward. The Sterling branch, being already completed, gave it a line from St. Louis to Sterling. The remainder of its line it was never able to complete. This road was sold under a foreclosure of mortgage to the St. Louis, Rock Island & Chicago Railroad Company, which was incorporated April 21, 1876. It was soon afterward leased by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, who now operate it as its St. Louis Division. This road was sold for $1,600,000, and it is said that it cost $rr,ooo,ooo. The bondholders who live in Germany were the losers of about six-sevenths of their investment.

The American Central Railroad, now the Galva & Keithsburg Branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, was begun as early as 1847, but not completed until 1868.

As above remarked, the management of this road has been of the highest character. Men of broad and liberal views, enterprising and considerate for the comfort and welfare of their patrons, have always been at its head, and especially is this the case at present. The passenger department of few railroads in the country is managed with that sagacity and at the same time with that singleness of purpose to give the traveling public every accommodation known to the science of railroading, that characterize the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. This department is under the management of Mr. Perceval Lowell. A trip over .this road will convince the most exacting that Mr. Lowell not only understands the art of railroading, but is exceedingly generous in providing every means of both comfort and safety. He has imbued all of his subordinates with that one idea so prominent with him, - "the public must and shall have the very best of traveling accommodations, and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad shall be excelled by none."

Y the Legislature of i85r this great Illinois railway was incorporated as the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad. The object of the projectors was to connect the Great Lakes with the Mississippi, by way of Chicago and Rock Island, a distance of 181 % miles. This road was completed in the spring of 1854, and at once took rank as one of the great lines of the country. Improved and wild lands contiguous to the city and along the line of the road entered a few months previous with warrants costing the purchaser from 87^ to H2j4 cents per acre, rose to $5 and $io per acre.

The presence of the locomotive arouses the dormant energies and sets on foot enterprises that otherwise might sleep for ages. It changes the face of society and moves the whole world forward. Railroads create business and build up cities that otherwise would never have had existence.

This road passes through some of the finest agricultural country in the State. In 1866 this railroad was consolidated with the Mississippi & Missouri

Railway Company, under the name of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, which name it now bears. In June, 1869, its line was completed to Council Bluffs, where it connected with the then newly completed Union Pacific Railway. From the date of its completion to the Missouri River, it has been a favorite route of the travelers and tourists to the Pacific slope and also to the Territories. Since that time it has expanded, by consolidation with other lines and by building branches into Iowa and Missouri, from 550 miles to a great railway operating some 1,400 miles of road, and having for its termini the cities of Chicago, Peoria, Keokuk, Council [Bluffs, DesMoines , Atchison, Leavenworth and Kansas city. Its freight now embraces the products of the Eastern and Western States and Territories, as well as that of Europe and the empires of the Old World. This company has also opened up a new route to the Northwest, known as the " Albert Lea Route, " extending to Minneapolis, where it connects with the Northern Pacific and the St. Paul & Manitoba Railroads.

This route traverses some of the finest scenery in the country and talfes the traveler to many of the most noted resorts for health and pleasure in the United States. The Chicago & Rock Island Railroad has had a rich country and an extensive commerce to support it, and from its first inception it has been prosperous. From the running of the first train up to the present time, the management of this road has been such as to secure and hold the sympathy of its patrons. This has been accomplished by establishing the principle of equal and exact justice to all, and by giving to the people, as far as in human power lay, immunity from dangers incidentrto travel. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway has had an able management. For many years Mr. R. R. Cable has been its President and General Manager and Mr. E. St. John has been its General Ticket and Passenger Agent. This very popular and efficient railroad official - Mr. E. St. John - has been recently promoted to the position of Assistant General Manager, while he still holds his former position. So long a continuation of the road under the same management, speaks well for the company and also for its officers. - been obliging, their engineers skillful and faithful and their brakemen prompt. The Superintendents have also been scrupulous and exact, training the men under them to correct business habits.

The aim of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company has been to locate its lines and establish its < onnectlons so as to Teach its objective points with the greatest facility and in the most desirable manner. From the completion of its first track to the Mississippi to the present time, when it operates over 1,400 miles of road, a great portion of which is spanned by double parallel lines of steel, the Rock Island Company has performed its duty to the State, and has* been a potential factor in the development and civilization of the great West.

HIS originated as a Henry County- railroad enterprise, being fathered by Amos" Gould and Orrin E. Page, of Cambridge. These gentlemen procured a charter in 1867. for. the road, and by the middle of 1871 trains were running over it. The first train was -run over the" road July 8, 1871. It enters the county at section 36, Galva Township; passes through Galva, Bishop Hill, Cambridge, Warner, Osco and Orion, leaving the county from Western Township.

EVERAL anecdotes related elsewhere in this book completely illustrate the fact , that with the pioneers in Henry County about the only criminal that confronted the sparse settlers was the horse-thief. One reason why this particular species of thief only was present at that day probably is the fact that the horse was about the only property that presented itself to the thief. There was no money in the country, and little or nothing else that would pay the rascals to carry to the far away markets. But in the course of time men did get to stealing timber, - first, off of Government land, then off of school lands, and then taking freely- and with impunity . from non-resident timber owners. Many substantial, good men at one time, hardly thought it dishonorable to get all the timber they wanted for home use or the markets without paying; for it. Then, in the course of time, men would sometimes kill some one else's half-Wild hog in the woods and supply their families with meat. And from here came a growth of a small crop of hog thieves. As population increased, and mar-' kets came to be nearer and better, these thieves* would sometimes steal cattle from the range. Andl sometimes extensive feuds came into existence over suspicions and charges in reference to missing hogs, cattle and horses. In the course of the progress of the settlement, and the establishment of stores and business houses, came the occasional burglary ; and the incendiary at rare intervals, plied with his destructive trade as an aid to his robberies and thefts. There was never a marked feature among the peopli of this county of any of these crimes or criminals. Inl fact, as it has always been a rural people there., hai been but a small per cent, of crime in the county,'

^compared to other places, especiallj' where there were [large towns and cities. But advancing civilization always carries its own haunting shadows with it, and therefore it is that we can easily trace in every growing community the natural growth or development of a certain character of crimes. The development from horse-stealing to murder and robbery of the most fiendish kind and quality is possible to trace even in this moral county. We do not attempt to give an account of all the crimes of the county, but , only those which were the most startling and atrocious.

Bank Robbery

The good people of the county, more especially oi Kewanee, were, in the latter part of August, 1882, startled by the news that the First National Bank of Kewanee had been robbed in broad daylight. Two armed men had entered the bank, just after the close of business hours, and, by violence overcoming the only two employees in the room at the time, had carried off the money, first throwing these two persons - the assistant cashier, Mr. J. J. Pratt, and a lady clerk, Miss Charity Palmer - into the vault, in an insensible condition, and had got away, and had been gone some time before these employees could release themselves and give the terrible news to the public.

The two men who entered the bank and robbed it were named Welch and Kenedy. Welch had been a commercial traveler in this part of Illinois, and he was recognized by Miss Palmer and Pratt when in the bank. He was run to the ground in the East, and Kenedy was caught in the distant West by Pinkerton detectives. These arrests occurred some two weeks after the robbery. The cunning detective soon wormed a confession out of Welch, and the whole story was soon known, and then the whole community was more amazed than ever, because Pratt, the assistant cashier, was implicated. He was arrested, and then he, too, confessed at once and told all about it. Pratt was a young man, reared in the town, was a great favorite in the community, a model churchman and Sunday-school teacher, and every one was highly indignant when he was arrested - at his father's in the night. No one would or did believe in his guilt, except the detectives, until he confessed and told where he had buried his share of the swag, under the sidewalk in front of his home. A man named Scott, a dentist who had lived in Princeton, and was then in St. Louis, was arrested; he was not convicted of the robbery, but was sent to the penitentiary for a forgery that he and Pratt had concocted and carried through some time -before the robbery. On the preliminary examination Pratt and Welch told the whole story, reserving nothing. It seems that Miss Palmer was the only honest one in the lot, and she had been seized by Kenedy and choked and beaten to insensibility, but had fought like a tiger until overcome. The robber had seized her, and put his hand over her mouth to prevent her screams, and she bit his fingers to the bone. On the final trial of Pratt, Welch and Kennedy, they all confessed, and the Judge sent them to the penitentiary for the term of six years e,ach. The bank recovered the most of the money, and there are many men now in Kewanee who feel real sorrow for Pratt, - we hope solely for the sake of his respected parents and sisters ; for certainly by his own confession, both in the robbery and the forgery, it was a public misfortune he could not have been sent to the penitentiary for the term of his natural life.

Shocking Murder

While all Kewanee and vicinity were in the throesof excitement and the preliminary examination of the bank robbers was going on before Esq. Wood, there came the still more, startling news that Mrs. Maggie A. Copeland, wife of Joseph L^ Copeland, living on a farm four miles south of Kewanee, had been brutally murdered at her home in broad daylight. It was said or supposed to have been done by tramps for the purpose of robbery. When found the body lay with the head toward the door, just outside the house, and in the kitchen and in the main house were evidences of the struggle she had made for life. She had been horribly beaten, and shot three times; the fiend commencing the attack in the kitchen, followed her into the house, and she had jumped through a screen door and still pursued had turned to go again into the house, when she fell on her face and expired. The trunk in which was nearly a hundred dollars had been rifled, but the other furniture had not been disturbed.

Mrs. Copeland was young, accomplished and very intelligent and handsome, beloved and greatly esteemed by a large- circle of friends. Her husband had left her, taking, most fortunately, their brightr eyed, sweet -faced little boy with him, going to town.

It soon turned out that the murderer was a man named Mockinson, a wretch who had come from near the same place in Ohio the Copelands were from. He had come into the neighborhood, and had no acquaintance except a hired man who worked for a neighbor of Copeland. In the kindness of their hearts, Copeland and wife had allowed Mockinson to make their house his home, and had treated him more as a brother than a stranger. He got work at a near neighbor's, but would frequently go to Copeland's, visit and eat and sleep there and be entertained, and in return for this great kindness, in his black heart he hatched and nursed his hideous crime. He confessed his guilt, told the sickening details of his story, and was duly hanged, as he most richly deserved to be. He was a depraved, vile and wretched human beast, without a redeeming trait or quality in the world, and it is hoped that there was not a healthy-minded man, woman or child in the world but that, when told the story, was really rejoiced when his neck was broken by the hangman's rope.

Another

About one year before the above related murder, there occurred in the northwest part of the county, near Colona, a double murder, the details of which are sickening. Clem Gallion murdered Thomas Dilley and wife.

In the dead of the night, the murderer secretly entered the bed-chamber of the victims, and as Dilley lay asleep, he shot him dead, the bullet entering the eye, and death was so instantaneous that he never moved, but lay dead just as he was sleeping! The shot probably awoke Mrs. Dilley, and then the murderer, having no other shot left, fell to and with an old broken shovel slowly pounded the poor woman to death ! The sight in the room was simply appalling. Blood and brains were on the floor, the ted and the walls, the plastering broken in many places, the foot-board of the bed splintered, and the poor woman literally beat to a jelly ! What a slaughter pen! and the victims were a good man and wife, who had extended to the murderer friendship and kindness, and given him a home when he was in pressing need of it,

In the adjoining room were asleep the three Dilley children, the eldest a girl of 12 years; and as soundly as children sleep, the girl was awakened, and greatly frightened at the horrid din, but in her terror acting with wonderful discretion. Through a crack she saw a light in her parents' room, and quickly she approached and looked through, and saw a man rumaging in the bureau. She recognized Gallion and realized something terrible was going on. She waited till he put out the light and went away, and then she aroused the other two children, one of them not yet five years old, dressed them, and taking hold of hands, they went through the dark to a neighbor's, nearly three-quarters of a mile, roused them up and gave the alarm.

John Root, a Swede, was sentenced Sept. 18, 1852, for two years for manslaughter, in Knox County, to where he had taken a change of venue. He was educated as an American, but married a woman more recently from Sweden, who was a member of the Bishop Hill Colony. Eric Jansen was autocrat of this colony and would not let Mrs. Root leave it to live with her husband among the Americans. Mr. Root brought suit against Jansen at Cambridge, and while the case was pending, he shot and killed him in the Court-House at mid-day. At the end of a year he was pardoned.

HE early settlers of Henry County organized their society in 1875, and have had every year large and interesting gatherings of the pioneers, their families and friends. It is one of the most successful and prosperous county organizations in the State. Speeches, poems, familiar talks, reminiscences and anecdotes are the performances on these occasions from the stand ; but in the crowds many dear old friends meet and clasp hands, and eyes which age is fast making dim are there brightened again ; and who can imagine the swelling hearts, the glow of recollections of the long ago that come rushing to the rekindled memories of the white-haired grandfathers and grands*ye^--@A$llll@llll&A<S :*$^ mothers at these hearty re-uniohs ? We most heartily endorse the concluding verse of a poem, read at the Old Settlers' meeting of ' 1879, by T. F. Davenport, aS'follows: - ' -> " So ; keep Up these gatherings, year after year ; F.qr w.e.c.annot.expect to be always here. AS" the months and years go hurrying by, And \>re fail in strength as time, will fly, We. can stijl look back o.n the simple ways, The innocent pleasures, the happy days. Of our pioneer life,, and still can say .;. Wer thank pur God,, we're here to-day."

The first meeting to organize an old settlers' association was held in the Town Hall in Cleveland, July 10, 1875. James Glenn was selected to act as Chairman ; James H. Paddelford as Secretary, and William Glenn was chosen Treasurer. A meeting was appointed for Aug. 13, 1875, to be held at Hanna Grove... That meeting-was well attended, and great interest was manifested by the pioneers in recounting the incidents experienced in their early settlenient of the county.' James M. Allan was elected President of the association; James H. Paddelford, Secretary; Patterson Holmes, Assistant Secretary, and William Glenn, Treasurer; and one Vice-President for each township was also selected, as follows : Clover, J. W. Epperson ; ;Oxford, Robert D. Timberlake; Weller, John. Pyatt; Kewanee, E. E. Slocum; Western, Chauncey Washburn ; Osco, R. H, Hinman ; ! Munson, J. W.:Crawford ; Cornwall, Lewis Shearer; Arinawan, John L. Dow; Colona, James Glenn; Geneseo, Alfred W. Perry; Alba, W. D. Robertson; Phenix, Benj. F. Frittz ; Yorktown, Lyman Stowell ; Burns, Jacob: Kemmerling ; Galva, John A. Ayres ; Wethersfield, Charles B. Minor; Lynn, George B. Pillsbury; Andover, S. W. Knapp; Cambridge,' George T. H. Wilson; Edford, William Austin ;- At-" kmsoh>, Asa Crook;1 Hanna, Phil. K. Hanna; and Lorarne, Jr/seph Arnett.

'The' second annual' meeting was held at Geneseo, Aug.' 11, 1876, when "Joseph A. Sawyer' was chosen President and T. F. Davenport Permanent Secretary r P. :H. Beveridge was~chosen Assistant Secretary, "and Philip K. Hanna, Treasurer. The third annual -meeting; was held at Cambridge, Aug. 10, 1877, when Philip K. Hanna was elected- President; M. B. Potter, Assistant Secretary ; and M. B. Lloyd, jTreasurer. Mr. Lloyd held the position of Treasurer until 1883. The fourth "annual meeting was held at Kewanee, Aug. n, 1878,- arid -Matthew B. Potter ^ was chosen President. The next annual meeting was held at Orion, Aug. 21, 1879. Alfred W. Perry was given the position of President. The sixth annual meeting was held at Hanna Grove, Aug. 26, 1880, when Mr. Lewis Shearer was chosen President. At the next meeting, which was held at- Cambridge, ,Sept. 8, 1881-, Mahlon B. Lloyd was elected President. Dr. Ira R. Wells was elected to this- position ; at the eighth annual meeting, which was 'held at 1 Geneseo, Aug. 30, 1882. The next meeting was held at Orion', Aug; 28, 1883, when Matthew B. Pot- ,ter was elected President, and C. C. Blish Treasurer. At the tenth annual meeting, held Sept. 17, 1884, at Alpha, A. W. Perry was elected President, and Mr. Blish was re-elected Treasurer. The next meeting was held at Colona, Aug. 27, 1885, when Mr. Richard Maseall was given the position of President, and Mr. Blish was again re-elected Treasurer.

The meeting of 1885 was at Colona, and was probably one of the largest and most interesting 'meetings ever held in the county. 'President A. W. Ferry,' whose zeal at the Old Settlers' meeting is !well krtown to be boundless, selected from the assembly ten old ladies' "Who were in Henry" County 50 years ago, and who now wereseated'on the stand facing" the throng Oh this semi-centennial celebration of "the country's natal day, the only ladies, save -Mrs. Earl" P". Aldrich, who was not present, who now reside in the county, and who were 'here 50 ;years ago. ; These ladies were Mrs. Columbia Aidrich, Mrs. Polly Hecox, Mrs. Caroline Withrow, Mrs. James Glenn, Mrs. M-artha Sively, Mrs. Arthur Hunt, Mrs.- Elizabeth Brandenburg, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Anna Burrall.'

T the November election of 1856 the proposition to adopt township organization was voted upon by the people of the county, and was carried in the affirmative by an overwhelming majority. To comply with the expressed wishes of the voters at the December term of the County Court, Merritt Munson, John Piatt and M. B. Potter were appointed the three Commissioners to " lay out the county into townships " in conformity to the organization laws. The Commissioners met at Cambridge Feb. 16, 1857, to enter upon the duties of their office. They published a notice to the people to meet together in the different townships or contemplated divisions "to consult together and agree upon names for their respective towns and report the same to the Commissioners ;" and since that date the present townships have existed, under the township organization law.

The first meeting of the first Board of Supervisors met in Cambridge April 10, 1857, at which meeting were present O. A. Turner, Geneseo; J. N. Wilson, Munson ; W. T. Crosier, Loraine ; Lewis Shearer, Cornwall ; M. B. Potter, Wethersfield ; William Miller, Edford ; George B. Pillsbury, Lynn ; S. W. , Knapp, Andover; A. Underwood, Oxford; Henry

River, that meanders entirely from the east part of it to the west side, mostly in the northern tier of sections. And then, just west of the west line is the mouth of Mud Creek, which eni ters. the- township at the south line and bends around through sections 35, 29, 30, 19 and 20. These streams were, it seems, protecting barriers against the settlers, and they traveled around them, the immigrants from the east striking south of Mud Creek and the Green River swamps; and those, of course, which came by way of the river, stopped among their friends in other parts of the county, and often, for many years, lived there without seeing any part of Alba Township.

The name Alba was one of the unaccountable inventions of the Commissioners selected to give baptismal names to the twenty-four townships in the county. What, if any, meaning there is attached to it we are unable to ascertain. It is a case, perhaps, of purely poetic fancy, and will always remain a reminder to posterity of the oversight of those who gave names to localities in the county of what an opportunity was missed - what inadequate ideas the men who shaped the destinies of this fair portion of our land had of the real benefactors who had made the great sacrifices for our good. (The word alba in Latin signifies white)

There is a tradition, or rather an unverified story, that two brothers, James and John Sumatra, came into this part of the county in an early day, about 1836, and put up a pole cabin and made a small truck patch; but their chief occupation was hunting and trapping. Their home was the cheapest and easiest made they could design - simply a poor protection from the elements, and indicated that they were ready, upon short notice, to follow the game in its migrations from one portion of the country to another. They lived their solitary life, it is thought, wintering here only one winter and spending two summers, and had possibly been gone years before the remains of their camping place were discovered. Where they were from or where they went is not known.

It was only after the Winnebago Swamp Land Company had succeeded in demonstrating the feasibility of draining these swamp and overflowed lands that the permanent settlers and farmers began to turn their attention to the township, and now may be seen the tillers of the soil tickling the ground that breaks forth in smiling crops, where once a goodsized steamboat might have easily floated. These lands, wlien once restored to the husbandmen, like all overflow lands, are deeply covered with the richest 1 soil. This is true of the Green River swamp lands, except in spots where there is more or less peat in the drift deposits. While Alba Township still only has a sparse population, yet the future may transform it into a very rich garden spot, producing all the cereals and grasses in unexampled quantities.

HIS was one of the several experimental colony enterprises in which prospective hard cash and piety lurked at the base of the original idea. It was proposed to build a splendid city on the wide prairie plains, and reap the profit that would arise from converting crawfish chimneys and the trysting places of the festive " greenheads " into valua'ble corner lots; and where, on the Lord's day the grand peal of the great, wide-mouthed bells would ring out the command from on high, " Come, let us worship !" But worship meant probably singing nasal psalms strictly according to my doxy :

William S. and Jesse Woolsey, Ithamar Pillsbury, Noah T. Pike and Archibald Slaughter came to Henry County in September, 1835. The last three named were agents for the Andover Colony. When starting West their objective point was Knoxville. They crossed the mountains in stages to Pittsburg, then down the river and up to St. Louis, and then' up the Illinois River. Pillsbury had been out the year before. Abel K. "Woolsey, brother to the above, came in the spring of 1837, in company with his brother William, who had returned to his old home, married, and the two brothers and their families came to Illinois.

Pillsbury was the prime leader in authority for the colony. He was authorized to buy land and control matters generally ; he put up buildings, and soon commenced a mill on Edwards River, the first in thecounty. Among the patrons of this mill were people all the way from Prophetstowri. The three Woolseys.

When these parties arrived on the ground they found a man named Campbell already there in his hut. He was engaged in building a bridge across Edwards River. Pike and Slaughter soon returned to their old homes. The nearest settlement to Andover then was Henderson Grove, where lived William Riley, two families of McMurtrys - James, William " and Samuel - and Reece Jones. The nearest postoffice was Knoxville, distant 30 miles.

The venerable Eben Townsend bought Campbell's claim. Townsend lived to be a very old man, and when he died he was buried in the Andover graveyard, with no stone to mark the resting-place of the old pioneer. Rev. Pillsbury was buried in the same graveyard. He left a widow; his son, Edward P., is a lawyer in Macomb ; Nettleton is in Florida, Frank in Dubuque, and Ithamar in Macomb ; the daughters, Mary is in Macomb ; Sarah and Elizabeth in Minneapolis ; Jesse Woolsey died, leaving two children - Gilbert R., a physician, and Mrs. Buck. Albert K.'s children are in the West; one daughter lives in Jersey City. **£ The agents of the colony entered about 30,000 'acres of land, and provided for a section to be laid / . out into town lots. No member could hold more ^ ' than four quarter-sections ; he was entitled to five acres of timber land, and in business meetings each owner had one vote for every quarterTsection of land he owned. The south half of section 8, and the north half of section 17 were platted into town lots. The town was intended to be patterned, after New Haven, Conn., and one of their rules was that no buildings should be erected within less than 30 feet of the street without special permission. Ample provisions were made on paper for the building and endowment of a splendid seminary of learning, and also for spacious and costly edifices for the worship of God. But neither the seminary nor the church materialized under the auspices of the colonists ; but in 1853 Jenny Lind appropriated $r,ooo to build a Lutheran Swede Church in Andover. At first the Presbyterians dominated, and eventually, under Rev. Pillsbury, a very modest, plain little church was erected. It soon divided on the question of the Old and New School, and as early as T839 the colonists , got to wrangling among themselves, and the courts were invoked to settle their differences. So utterly did the Utopian designs of the colony fail that in a few years all the original parties moved away until William J. and Jesse Woolsey were all that were left of them. As already stated, Jesse died, and William removed to Cambridge, where he now lives in comfortable retirement.

It was long confidently asserted and believed that Dr. Baker was the first settler in Andover Township ; but it will be remembered that Dr. Baker settled first in the northwest part of the county, not far from the mouth of Green River, and then, after living awhile in his wagon, he removed south and then again went back to the northern part of the county. At an old settlers' meeting in T877, B. W. Seaton read a paper and discussed this subject pretty thoroughly, and it was then pretty well settled that a man named Butler was the first settler in this township. Judge Tillson said that Butler was living on section to in the early summer of T835, and that he entered the tract in August of that year. He sold his land to the New York Colony. Judge Tillson said : " In June, 1837, 1 found Mr. E. Buck and family living in a log cabin 60 or 80 rods southwesterly from Capt. Mix's place, near the timber, but not in it. The cabin was there when Mr. Buck arrived. Mr. W. S. Woolsey says he and William Potts used the pabin for a carpenter shop in the summer of 1836. This cabin was moved across Edwards River some years later and occupied by Swan Nelson. Capt. E. A. Mix, who came from New Haven, Conn built the first frame house in Andover in 1836." The account closes as follows : " The preponderance of evidence goes to show that Butler, not Baker, was the first settler in Andover Township ; but as neither remained permanently, it does not matter which was there first. "

This institution was chartered as the " Orphans Home and Farm School of the Scandinavian Augustana Synod, " November T3, T872, the charter members being Jonas Swenson, A. Andreen, P. M. Sannquist, A. G. Setterdahl, Victor Setterdahl, S. P. Lindell, S. A. Peterson, Samuel Hoogner, Gustav Johnson, Jonas W. Larson, S. P. Johnson and Jonas Westerlund.

was but a small beginning. They conducted it until 187 1, when it was removed to Andoyer under the supervisiop of Mr. Lindeil, for the Synod.

The property now used in Andover was purchased in 187 1. It was purchased in the name of Rev. Swanson, and after his death conveyed by the courts to the institution. The buildings on the property' weie sufficient for temporary purposes. New buildings were- added in 188 r. The new house has 12 large rooms and accommodates 62 children, its full capacity.

The objects anc} the Christian works and charities , of this institution make it one of the most admired institutions in the world.. It.is a; home for poor orphans, and we know, of no place that comes, nearer to supplying, the poor unfortunate, little ones for their loss of parents and. their, natural homes. , In religion. they, train, them according, to the faith of the Lutheran, Church., but yet more important, they give them a practical education, well grounded in the rudiments of learning and thoroughly trained to work and prepare them to successfully enter upon the duties of life. In this home, they are kept until t8 years of age., when they ai:e supplied with good wardrobes and an. amount of money to. do for themselves,, the house, in every instance, securing those, who desire it suitable, places in private families., . To every one of its children it. is always their homeland no parents watch more carefully after their own flesh and blood than does the institution of its wards. Each year they hold, a 4th-of-July reunion, and those who are too far away to attend in person write letters, and. thus the family of children know of the whereabouts and doings of their Home brothers and sisters. . . Thus the sacred relations of parent,, and child, brothers and sisters, are continued through life, : and at last these orphans are blest with loving parents who never die.

Mr. Lindell, who came to Andover with the Home, ' opened here with 17 children as inmates; and that he successfully conducted it until the time, of his death, ; in December, 1881, is fully evidenced by the fact that it increased in that time to 45 children. Mr. Lindell and wife did all the work of teaching and superintending the Home during their incumbency. :

The main new building is a plain, but yery -substantial- structure, and comfortable; two stories; -is '38x42 feet and 22 feet high. The -old -building^ to which the new is a front, is 50 x 18 feet, storyand-a^half. The new building cost $3,364. There is a cellar under the entire .building and it is all heated by a furnace. The. buildings were paid for by contributions- from different congregations. The Home is maintained by the- farm- of 280 acres-he-^ longing to it and from charitable cootributions.j;esrj>ec-' ially from Sunday-schools of the different Lutheran* Churches. -'-..' -, J(, .,; ... '

The Orphans' Home :was under the supervision of the Synod to 1,8.76, and since that tirne: the.Illingis. Conference, Augustana Synod, has had the control.

It probably should have been stated above that in case one of the Home children is unfortunate or afflicted after leaving, the institution, the, doors are al- C y ways open to him. or .her to return, and .partake ofa that substitute for, a rnothejr's lovp.and care. .

der unfortunates are taken_and they partake of thatift wholesome M and. real charity .that certainly, to our< mind, is a blessing to see and blessed to aid and encourage. . . ,.;..,, ;,: -v: , ,

The present directors of the Home are Rev. Ejl Carlson, Rev., J. Vickstrand, R. T. Setterhahl, G. Johnson, S. A. Peterson, S. Hoogner and G. Bengston. . .....

dover, was organized March 18, 1850, with ten com-J municant members. Rev. Lars P. Esbjorh was the first Pastor, remaining in the active work until 1856. Under his care the first church building was commenced, in 1851, and completed and dedicated in 1854. For one year after Esbjom left, the Church was not regularly supplied. Rev.' B. J. P. Burgendler was then stationed here. In 1858, Jonas Swenson, the father of John S. Swenson, at present) in charge of the Orphans' Home, was ordained in Swedona and took charge of the Church. This Church and the one at Moline and New Sweden received $13500 donation from the celebrated singer

Jenny Lind. Mr. Swenson remained in charge of the Church to the time of his death, in December, 1873. The vacancy thus, caused was supplied by transients until April 28, 1875, when Rev. Erl Carlson, the present minister, took charge.

The present new church was completed and dedicated in August, 1874. It had been commenced in 1867. The total cost was $41,000. It is supplied with an organ costing $3,000. The Church trustees are Jonas W. Larson, Peter Esterling, S. P. Johnson, Gustav Benkston, Ostoff Stephenson.

Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church probably owes its existence to Jonas Hedstrom, who came here in 1850 and at once took up the subject. He called a meeting in the house of Mrs. Lobecks and incited the few friends to enter upon the good work.

In 1854, a little church was built, at a cost of $536. This church eventually was too small for the growing congregation, and in 1863 the present church edifice was erected, at a cost of $3,200. During the past ten years, several members have removed to the West. Present membership, 140. Sunday-school, 75. The following Pastors, in the order of their succession, have been in charge: Jonas Hedstrom, Victor Witting, Peter Newburg, A.. J. Anderson, Andrew Ericson, Albert Ericson, I.. Lindquist, John Wigreen, O. Gunderson, James Iverson, H. Olson, J. H. Ekstrand, Alfred Anderson, and the present Pastor, Rev. John Bendix.

HAT is now Annawan Township presented no inviting grove to tempt a settlement of either the earliest lone pioneer, or the ad- \ vance agent of the different colonies that were organized in the old States, and hence it was only when the railroad became a fixed fact that immigrants began to turn their attention to this part of the county.

I. G. Heaps, the present Supervisor of the township, came to the county in 1848. He is a native of Pennsylvania. He has been a respected and valued citizen ; was among the first to commence the breeding of Short-horn cattle and Norman and Clydesdale horses. He was in the late war, in Co. I, 27th 111. Vol. Inf., was twice wounded in battle, and was for some time a prisoner in Anderson ville.

The real settlement commenced in 1853 and continued in an uninterrupted stream until Annawan became one of the populous townships of thrifty farmers. Of those who came in 1853 and early in 1854, we note William M. McDermond, John Troyer, Joshua Matthews and his son Thomas, Charles Tinker, Daniel Blinn, Silas Morton, J. C. Webb, John Burns, Daniel Morton, Isaac Croft, Mr. Dingman and his sons Joseph and William, Charles Dunham, G. W. King, James Carroll, Thomas Piper, John McNeeley, William B. Heaps, Henry Patterson, Joseph Frock, Isaac Shellenberger, " old man " Benson, Fred Benson, William Benson, Mr. McCanney, William Hodges, John Hags, Mr. Hunt and his son Lewis.

Solomon Minard came in i860, George McChesney in 1854, John McNeeley in 1852, Erastus Kelly in 1856, H. F. Humphrey in 1856, Stephen Moon in 1853, C. V. Holdridge the same year, William Haxby, 1855 ; William Gochenouer, 1856; Samuel Pettit, 1853; G. H. Mumford, 1856. Daniel Morton, one of the earliest settlers in Annawan, and Charles Dunham, another one, reside in Geneseo.

John C. Ward returned to Bergen, N. Y., and died in 1868. His widow is living in Galesburg. Philo S. Ward's grandfather married Rufus Hubbard's mother.

as soon as it could be ascertained that the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad would want a depot at or near this point on the rojd, then being constructed. The rapid settlement of the surrounding country indicated this as one of the natural important shipping points on the road.

The earliest settlers in the new town were Joseph L., T. T. and Silas Morton, Almon Baker, Absalom Blinn and Joseph Dingman. The two last named were probably the first to take up their abode in the village boundaries. Solomon Minor lived just north

The first house was put up by Silas Morton, which was a small frame store, now owned by B. C. Sargeant as a residence. The first residence was by Almon Baker, .and very soon- after this' Philip J. Wintry had his residence completed and moved into it. Then in quick succession the houses of Samuel Pattorf, Miram Barber, Absalom Blinn and Daniel Blinn were soon up and occupied. Daniel Blinn built the first warehouse, in 1854. He operated it about two years. Joseph L. Dow erected the first hotel, and Tristam T. Dow built the next hotel in the place. Josiah Dow, Asa Prescott, and Philip, Joshua. William and Philip, Jr., Locks, all built about this time.

&& The Daw Brothers, who put up the first hotel and *=* kept a store, and built the elevator, are now living in i$J Davenport. They still, own the elevator in Annawan.

B. C. Sargeant is the only one left of the very first house-builders in the place. The first grain-buyers were Jared Sexton and Henry Hutchman. The first railroad agent was William Lamb. Zebulon Jones was the first " village blacksmith " of the place. He is now in Galva.

The first mill was built by William and Ebenezer Hard in 1856. It was burned to the ground in 1866. When burned it was the property of White & Andrews, who had purchased of Hard. It afterwards was wrecked by a boiler explosion. In 1859 robbers burned Daw's store.

A public meeting was called Jan. 30, i860, to consider the question of incorporating the village, F. H. Slater, president, and G. W. Lewis, clerk of the meeting. The election was held on Feb. n, i860. Sixty-one votes were cast; fifty-one for incorporation and ten against.

There are at present in the village four dry-goods and grocery stores, one drug store, a hotel, lumber- ; yard and one feed store, and several small shops.

Congregational Church. - This church was originally organized in»the country, south of the villager. It was moved into town about 1866, and supplied by Rev. Mr. Lyman, of Sheffield, who remained" till the church was built in 1867, and was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Allen, who was followed by Rev. Mr. Howard, the preacher in charge at Atkinson. There was no regular pastor from that time till 1876, when Rev. John A. Griffin, of Atkinson, commenced preaching.

The Annawan Baptist Church was organized in Sept., 1843, at Wethersfield, but was removed to its present location in 1854. Its original membership was eight, whose names were Rev. Edw. Otis, Hannah Otis, Edw. Otis, Merrill Otis, Hileman Otis, Sarah Otis, Chas. B. Miner and Mary G. Miner.

The present church was built in 1856, at a cost of $t,ooo. The following ministers are among those who have served as Pastors : Rev. Chas. E. Tinker, Wm. McDermond, R: Turner, D. S. Dean, R. Everts, Wm. Storrs, David Heagle; J. D. Cromwel^ Harvey Kingsbury, G. A. Hogeboom, Edward Jones, Wm. Archer and G. W. Lewis.

The Church of the United Brethren in Christ. - This church, now located three miles south of Annawan, at Fairview Chapel, was organized in the village of Annawan in May, 1854, by Almond Baker and others, with a total membership of eight persons. The first meetings were held in private houses and in unfinished or unoccupied buildings, and not until 1858 did the society build a church, which was dedicated by Rev. Wm. Rinekart, Dec. 15, of the same year, at a cost of about $[,400.

First services by Almond Baker, Julia Baker and Jared Sexton ; William C. Romine preached one year; John Cubbage two years; B.- Wagner two St. Clair Ross, two years ; J. R. Evans, one David F. Bear, two years ; M. Bonnet, one? J. L. Condon, one year; David. F. Bear, one Elisha Godfrey one year ; Amos Worman, one year ; I. Kretzinger, one year ; Seth Coats, two years ; William Hankins and J. Edwards, one year; B. Wagner has served two years ; Archie W. Collahan, two years; O. F. S.nith, one year; N. M. Douglas, present Pastor. The membership is 60, Sundayschool 50. Present Church Trustees : Daniel Blinn, Joseph Frank, Richard W. Batten, Thomas Crosby and Philip J. Wintz. Clsss-leader, W. B. Heaps.

7 he Congregational Church of South Grove was organized in May, 1854, at King's School-house> near the present residence of I. G. Heaps, at which place the earliest meetings had been held prior to organization.

The original membership was ten persons, as follows: Elijah Benedict, wife and son, Thomas J. Hunt and wife, Asa Prescott and wife, A. B. Noyes and wife and Mrs. J. McConney.

The society built their present church in Annawan in 1866. The following in succession have been the Pastors : Rivs. Asa Prescott, A. Lyman, John Allen, Alva Hurd, O. Howard, John Griffin and the present pastor and only minister now stationed in the village, Rev. O. O. Smith.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1854; first meetings were held in the house of G. W. King; the original members being John Hays, Jacob Hodges, Isaac Shelinberger, G. W. King, Almon Woodruff, John P. Bassett, William Benson, Solomon Minard, William Barber and their families.

The church was built in 1856; cost $2,000. The Pastors in their order were as follows: Revs. Win. White, P. J. Moulton, J. T. Linthicum. G. M. Morey, G. C. Woodruff, W. Odell, W. W. Sedore, G. W. Brown, R. L. W. Jameson, S. S. Gruber, W. E. Williamson, A. E. Day, C. C. Woodruff.

PKINSON was named after Charles Atkinson, now of Moline, one of the early settlers of this county. He owned large quantities of land in the township and all the land on which the village is situated. The first settler in Atkinson Township was Andrew Tay- He died here many years ago. One of his John, lives in Cornwall, and a daughter, Mrs. Hamilton, lives in Geneseo,

Asa Crook is probably the oldest settler now living in the township. He made his improvement on section 18. J. W. Little was one of the early settlers. John Welch was another early settler and was quite a prominent man while he lived here. He went to Nebraska. One of his daughters is still in the township ; married her cousin, B. F. Welch. The. most important family were the Nowers, Thomas Nowers, Sr., and his sons and daughters, David Walters, the Trekells and Trekell's brother-in-law, D. W. Wonderly. The last named are all now in Nebraska. R. M. Besse and Henry Bass are both well known early settlers.

A large part of this township is in the Green River swamps. There were very few settlers came. into it until after the building of the railroad in 1854, and the extensive drainage of the swamp and overflow lands, which was commenced in 1856. Jacob Meyers came in 1855 ; the same year Robert W. Milar. Otis W. Mankins came in 1854. John K. Trekell came to the county in 1836. He is a native of Ohio. His wife was Theresa Walters, of Ohio. They were married Feb. 13, i860.

W. MILAR came from Ohio and settled in what is now the town in 1856. He found living in this vicinity when he came Lorenzo Eldridge, now of Chicago ; Stephen Trekell, who left for California and died on the way on shipboard ; Henry Bass, living two and a half miles north ; E. R. Lucas, the present Town Street Commissioner ; Benj. Shearer, who returned to his old home in the East; James W. English, Z. Welch, Hiram Grant and Michael Milar (the last four deceased), and John Crosby, now living in the southern part of the county ; George Rummell, living in Geneseo; David Walters, in Nebraska; John Rummell, in Iowa; John Heller, in Missouri; Asa Crook, living near the village ; John Bowen (deceased) ; Harry and Henry Fanes, now in Kansas ; George Williams, living north of Green River; C. J. Gearheart, living on Green River; M. W. Taylor (deceased); E. F. Rose, in Chicago; George Lowbauch, in Geneseo ; Andrew Miner, in Iowa ; Sperry Howard (deceased), and some think he was about the first settler in the township ; and Wally Smith, who went West years ago.

R. W. Milar's family were the first that got moved into the village proper. He built the first dwelling. There were two other houses going up at the same time, but Mr. Milar it seems worked the fastest and was a day or two ahead of the others. This first house occupied is now the property of Fred. Kizer. One of the other two houses is now the hotel of the place. It was .built by Trekell. The other building was the first store room in the place, by N. W. Taylor. It is now a harness shop on State Street. Taylor was the first store-keeper and Postmaster.

With this flush start for a good town, the people put up as the fourth building a school-house. It is now a dwelling and belongs to Thomas Nowers, Jr. At one time additions were put to it and it became a hotel, and when it served its day in this line the additions were separated and made into two dwellings, one of which is occupied by the agent, Emmons, and the other by A. R. Walters. George Lowbauch put up the next building. It is now occupied by Daniel Seybert. Then Dr. Lucas put up a dwelling. He sold to Brandon and left this part of the country. Brandon died some 25 years ago. Slusser then built just north of Milar's. Isaac Fry erected a building on Mai:. Street, on the same block of Trekell's building. Then E. F. Rose, just south of Milar's, and then Babbit built. Then E. F. Rose erected his elevator and opened it for the trade of the farmers. Stephen Trekell then put up his store-room. Lorenzo Eldridge built and opened his store about the same time, and soon after this Samuel Brant put up his building. The first brick building was erected in 1867, by Edward Everett.

The first school taught in the place was by Elizabeth Nowers, now Mrs. Henry L. Lyon. Rev. Wm. White.'ofthe Methodist Episcopal Church, preached the first sermon in the place.

A notice for the people to meet and vote upon the question of town organization was posted Jan. 12, 1867, signed by Luke Wills, Amos Fry and John }<?* Ashley. There were 19 votes cast at the election, <jj> n for and 8 against organization. A charter was obtained, and at the first election, Thomas Nowers, Sr., President, Dr. Levi Carter, John Ashley, Jr.,

George R. Babbitt and John M. Brown were elected a Board of Trustees, and John Ashley, Clerk. The town was under its special charter until June, 1878, when by a vote it changed to the general incorporation law.

The present population is 500; has four churches : - The Methodist Episcopal Church, the Free Methodist, Congregationalist and Catholic. Three drygoods stores, five groceries, one bank and one hotel.

The present village officers are, John Straly, President; John W. Smith, John Johnson, John English, John F. Nowers, J. C. Pierson ; and Charles E. Sheldon, Clerk.

The Congregational Church was organized in 1864. The same year they built their church at a cost of $2,700. The parsonage was built in 1868.

The M. E. Church was organized in 1857, by Rev. White, mentioned above as preaching the first sermon. Revs. D. M. Hill, O.W. Pollard and Knowlton were the Pastors in charge. Then Revs. Sheldon, Morey, Kinney, Woodruff, Frick, Heckard, Odell, Fleharty, Head, Swartz,- Woodruff, Keller and Otterman. The church building cost $3,500.

'HIS is one of the few townships untouched by the iron track of the railway, but finds good markets and shipping points about equi-distant to Kewanee, Cambridge and Galva, with good roads and easy approaches to either. The entire township is arable land, with a sufficient natural drainage in every part, and has the rather curious topography of the small drainage streams that rise near its center and flow directly north, while from the center to the south line the small streams lead to the west and southwest. The face of the country is largely prairie, but in it are several valuable groves of timber, chief among which is Round Grove in the southwest corner. The settlers here were not town builders, it seems, as they have never laid out any great paper cities or attempted to'plant and grow a flourishing and ambitious town that would spring into grandeur in a single night. The Edwards River, flowing west tQ :

The first settler was Samuel Carson, a carpenter, from Harrison County, Ohio. He was born in 181 1, and came to the county in the spring of 1836. He improved 183 acre>. He married Elizabeth Doty, Sept. 20, 1836, a native of Trumbull Co., Ohio, born July 4, 18 14. There were born to them eight children - four boys and four girls ; three children died some years ago.

Jacob Kemerling came March 23, 1837; born in Columbiana, Ohio, May 18, 1807. He improved a splendid farm on section 35, of 426 acres. He was married to Sarah Allbright Feb. 10, 1820; she died Sept. 20, 1863, having borne nine children, eight of whom survived her.

Mr. Kemerling was very nearly the perpetual Assessor and School Director during his life, having filled those places for more than 20 years. He was a noted man among the early settlers, and toward the close of his active life as well known as any man in the county. He was a most companionable man, and his delight was to meet old brother settlers, and all night and all day recount experiences, anecdotes and frightful stories of hair-breadth escapes in the day of wild varmints in the land. If he could not get an old settler to swap experiences he would content himself with a "tender-foot;" and when he fell upon a credulous one he would delight to afflict him with stories that would bring the listener hideous nightmares for the next six months. In another chapter is an encounter with a wolf on the prairie by a lone pedestrian on his way to Andover The wolf was large, and, driven by hunger, was ready to eat a pioneer blood-raw. The story is a hairstarter, and the reader had better turn to it on another page, and thus gain some idea of what perils were once upon these peaceful prairies - what awful dangers by flood and field, and hungry wolves did once beset the peaceful pioneer.

Simeon Mathews settled on section 9. He was from Hartford County, Conn., born April r7, 1812, and landed in this county in 1848. He improved a splendid farm of 300 acres, He married Phebe Jane

Rogers in 1836. She was a native of Ohio, born in 1815 ; died March 30, 1868. In 187 1 Mr. M. was again married to Minerva Hemingway, of Litchfield Co., Conn., who was born in 18 1 6.

W. S. Charles came in 1842, and settled on section 32. He was a native of England, born Nov. 1, 1 8 18. He improved 200 acres. He came to this county direct from Stark County, where he had settled in 1837. April 19, 1839, he married Esther L. Stoddard, in Stark County, it be'ng the first wedding in that county.

William Clement, a native of Ireland, born Jan. 26, 1828, came in 185 1, and settled on section 25. His wife was Sarah Gash, born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1836. They were married in 1870.

George Kemerling settled on section 35, in i84r. He was born in Ohio, April 15, 1815. He married Jane Leonard, Sept. 2, 1847, a native of Ohio, born Oct. 10, 1827. They had six children.

Michael Roberts came in ^52. He was born in Cumberland, Me , June 20, 1796. He came to Illinois in 1833, and stopped in Peoria, and then in Fulton County.

This was about all the settlers in this township until the days of railroad building, that decade from 1852 to 1862 that witnessed such a tremendous flow of immigration to this county, when every part of it became thickly settled.

HE following history of Cambridge Township is taken from an article prepared by F* B. W. Seaton, editor of the Prairie Chief, for the Old Settlers'meeting, August, 1877, and may be relied upon as entirely authentic : Previous to the year 1840, what is now known as Cambridge Township had no history save that which is common to the whole West while slumbering in the lap of nature. In 1835, when the prospecting party, headed by Ithamar Pillsbury, came this way in search of land on which to locate the Andover Colony, they found a little cabin near the west edge of Sugar-Tree Grove, a few rods north of the state road, on the farm now owned and occupied by Mr, Perkins - better known as the Cady place. This place was the first habitation built in Cambridge Township, and was the headquarters of a party of hunters from Knox County, who paid a visit to this section annually to hunt deer, which were then quite numerous in the grove. In this littlecabin Mr. Pillsbury and party spent one night; and they have often been heard to say that they passed the night more comfortably than they had at any other place since they left Peoria.

In 1838, William Stackhouse and James Mascall drifted this way in search of homes, and found them. On the northwest quarter of section 10, Cambridge, they found a double log cabin and other improvements - a well and a small patch of broken prairie. The house -was deserted, and the " breaking " had run to weeds. These improvements were made by a man named Chillson, who supposed he was on Government land; but, finding there was a prior claim, he abandoned the place. Where he went to we have not been able to learn, but a man by the same name opened the farm in Cornwall now owned by Lewis Shearer. This man Chillson was the first who attempted to make a permanent home in Cambridge Township, and turned the first furrow. A few years later the cabin was " lifted " by Captain Mix and taken to his place in Andover. The well has long since caved in, but a slight hollow in the ground shows where it used to be.

After spending some time prospecting, and in their travels stumbling upon Richmond, the county seat, where a court-house was being built, Messrs. Mascall and Stackhouse each selected a farm and returned home.

In the spring of 1840 Wm. Stackhouse returned with his family, consisting of himself, wife and one daughter, and pitched his tent 0.1 section T4, where he erected a log cabin and commenced housekeeping at once. He proceeded at once to turn up the prairie sod, and soon had the first crop raised in Cambridge Township, then without a name. ' When he built his first cabin, having no timber of his own, he " borrowed " some, as he supposed, of Uncle Sam. One morning he was " pegging away " in the timber, when a fine-looking stranger on horseback came along, told, him he was tresspassing on his land, and asked him what he was going to do with the logs. On being told by Mr. Stackhouse that he was building a house to shelter his family, who were with him, the stranger told him to go ahead and take all the logs he wanted for that purpose. This stranger proved to be Patrick Owens, known about here in years after as a " land- shark ;" but many remember him as a kind-hearted, generous gentleman, who could not do too much for a friend, or too severely punish an enemy.

The same year James Mascall, then a single man, came on and improved his claim on section 12. In common with all pioneers, Mr. Mascall met with misfortunes that would have discouraged many. Early- in his career as a Westerp farmer, his team was broken up by the death of one of his horses. He soon got another; then the other died. Being literally '" dead broke,'' he could not buy a fourth horse ; so he pressed a pair of young steers into service. One of these becoming lame and unfit for work, he put a heifer into yoke, and with a Dolly Varden team, consisting of one steer, one heifer and one horse, he got through with his year's" work successfully.

When these pioneers arrived in 1840 they found Joseph Tillson keeping bachelor hall in a pole cabin near the west edge of the grove. He owned a quartersection of the best land there, and his only occupation seemed to be to prevent squatters and others from carrying off the trees.

So far as we have been able to learn, the actual population of Cambridge Township in 1840 was five - William Stackhouse, wife and daughter, James Mascall and Joseph Tillson ; and all, except Miss Stackhouse (who died many years ago) are still living in Cambridge.

In 1841 Richard Mascall came here from Wyoming, Stark county, built a cabin near Mr. Stackhouse * and became the sixth on the settlers' roll. About the same time Charles Else settled on section it. In the fall of the same year, Stephen Cady andi his son-in-law, Alex. H. Showers, arrived and built a cabin where the Perkins House now stands. About the same time, Elisha Attwater came over from. Andover and opened the farm just north of the village limits.

HIS beautiful little city is located near the center of the county, on the line of the Peoria & Rock Island Railroad, and is the county seat. Much was the excitement and great the controversy in selecting sites for the seat of the county's government. This feature of the history of Cambridge is treated under the head of county seats.

Measured by the changes from the time this place was selected as the county seat until now, it looks as if long ages must have intervened between that time and the present. Where Cambridge now stands and as far as the eye could see, it was but the unbroken (&) prairie - tolling, rich and beautiful as it came fresh ^ > from the hand of God. There was no house north S\ of Sugar-Tree Grove nearer than the close vicinity S3 of Geneseo ; west, there were no houses or improve- /<£ ments until you neared Andover. At the east end of the grove a settlement, or rather an improvement by A. H. Showers, had been fairly started ; to the south, Red Oak, six miles, was the nearest settle- / . ment. Galva was yet in the womb of the future and ' so was Bishop Hill settlement. Hence, to the east it was almost unmeasured qua ntity . At Wethersfield and Barren Grove, in the southeast, was a settlement. And at that early day the county-seat question had so embroiled some of the good people of Wethersfield and Barren Grove that they desired to secede from Henry and attach themselves to and become Starkians of Stark County. A few settlements were at Oxford and about Richland Grove in the southwest corner of the county. Andover was the most flourishing settlement in the county. Ten miles northwest of Cambridge were three or four families who " stuck stakes " and commenced their improvements.

At this time immigration to the county was very light, and a serious question to " Judge " Tillson was, now that he had secured the location of the town, how to induce men and money to go there. Cambridge was duly surveyed and platted, and named by Tillson ; the christening took place June g, r843. Tne " Judge " was the god-father of the

"infant phenomenon," responding to all the vows and winding up the ceremony, in his mind, with a final "By the eternal, Cambridge shall wax fat and grow." To this end, he built a cabin - a very, very small log hut, very squat, and, in the language of the pundits of the time, the " residence " was about as " broad as it was narrow." One or two others put up log cabcabins about the same time the " Judge " did, but in the matter of smallness he distanced them all. In his determination to make Cambridge a populous town he married, and soon there was an addition to the house and in it ; regularly as clock-work these additions went on, until finally the mansion was many additions clustering around; and inside and about the first small hut, like " birds of a feather that flock together," were the smiling and frolicsome young progeny.

The original town contained about 36 acres. Two public squares were platted : " Court Square " and "College Square." These two names are suggestive of the bent of mind at that time. One square was to punish criminals on, the other " square " was the first idea of a great institution of learning - " College Square," where, at that time, prairie wolves, frogs and crawfish chimneys were the existing alma mater for these classic grounds.

The court-house at Morristown was not completed when this last change of county seat occurred, and work was stopped. The people of the southern part of the county were invited to assemble, and every man to bring his work-oxen, and the court house was placed on "runners " and hauled to Cambridge over the prairie and tall grass. What an astonishment this moving court-house must have created as it slowly sailed along, rousing, up the green-heads, the musical frogs and the lurking prairie wolves.

The court-house was thus moved in the following way: Messrs. Stackhouse, Hanna, Mascall, Cady, Osborn and others made a proposition to the County Court to move the house and complete it, they to have the house, and furnish the court room for its sessions until a new court-house could be put up. At other times the building was used as a schoolhouse. The court-house was moved down Sept 5, 1843. After being thus used for three years it was sold to Messrs. Gaines, who put up a small addition to it and converted it into a residence and store. July, 1844, a contract was made with Sullivan

Howard for a new court-house. This was completed in July, 1845. This was for many years used for court-house, school, town hall and all other public purposes. Nearly all denominations held worship there, and the singing master, writing master, humbug phrenological, mesmeric and other cheap frauds lectured there ad libitum. It was evidently a "free for all."

June 26 was the first sale of lots in the new town. Twenty lots were sold, at about an average of $20 each. There were 13 purchasers, and of these but three are known to have remained any time in the county. These were Tillson, Allan and Ayers. Qua lost his life in a stone-quarry, a mile and a half northeast of Cambridge ; Russell soon left the State, Montgomery went to Missouri, Jagger to New York and Thompson to California.

As much dodging and moving around as there was in the location of the county seat, it is but just to say that it was all in the best of-good feeling, and no bad blood was ever stirred up, as in many oth,er places, over the county-seat question. There was keen rivalry, but no bitterness, especially of that sometimes deadly kind that is sometimes to be seen ii new counties in the West, and as was then sometimes to be seen in new counties in Illinois.

Joshua Harper who was one of the Morristown proprietors, was in 1843 selected by the Legislature to act as a commissioner in settling the vexed and hot county-seat question in Whiteside County - a county where the question raged with great fury, and which Mr. Harper aided in finally and permanently settling.

The growth of the town was very slow indeed, because expectation stood on tip-toi, looking for the new town to take up its bed and walk off to same new location, through force of habit, probably. But it has remained and .verified the old adage that " the third time is the charm." It is a charming, quiet little unpretentious shire town, now possessing a splendid $8,000 court-house, a splendid soldiers' monument of enduring granite, a very elegant and commodious public-school building on "College Square," and a thrifty and contented, kind-hearted, genial, polite and cultured population of over 1,200.

The- town originally was built about the two squares; the business houses fronting the Court- House Square and the first residences fronting the south side of College Square.

At one time or another the county has built four court-houses. Three of those buildings are now standing in Cambridge, the other one was burned, as related above. The little, story-and-a-half courthouse that was hauled from Morristown to Cambridge., is now a residence, and after its last travels, it stands on a lot three blocks east of the southeast corner of College Square. The other is used as a broom-corn warehouse, and stands a short distance west of the northwest corner of the Court-House Square. It was sold at public sale and purchased by Mr. Gould, and he had commenced to move it and had got it into the street and started on its travels, when Mr. Pillsbury purchased it of him and started to take it to Andover. He got it as far west as it now stands, and bad weather for houses to be out and exposed coming on, he left it in the street, where it stood until the authorities notified him to " move on " with his house. Owing to the continuous inclement weather for houses out of doors, or to its weight and cumbersomeness, or to a thousand other causes combined, it was shunted into the lot where it now stands, awaiting its owner's next movement to get it to Andover.

Sullivan Howard built this frame court-house, contracting therefor Sept. 3, 1844, and completed the building July 28, 1845. From its completion and for a long time it was the big house in the county. Here schools were taught, lectures delivered, debating societies, political meetings, prayer meetings, secret societies, dancing and preaching, in turn were in possession. The Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and Universalists at one time all worshiped in this building. Often as many as three different denominations would hold services on the same day, at different hours, and they dwelt in unity and harmony.

The oldst settlers all agree that the noted " village blacksmith," " Lord John " Russell , put up the first house in Cambridge. He occupied it with his family until he could erect a cabin, and then this first rude hut was his blacksmith shop This first cabin was near the southeast comer of College Square. Judge Tillson hewed the poles for his more pretentious bride's residence.

A log cabin was erected nearly opposite where the Cambridge House now stands, by W. A. Ayers, in 1843. In this house was confined the half-breed Indian, "John," who in cold blood murdered another Indian, " Jim," - both of the Ottawas. John made his escape and went to his tribe on Rock River. The officers pursued him and Shabbona pointed out the culprit and delivered him to the law. He was again confined until the Grand Jury met, and it refused to find a " true bill " and he was turned loose. The murder was so flagrant, so cold-blooded and wanton, that the action of the jury in turning the murderer loose is to this day spoken of with significant headshaking.

John and Jim had started hunting, Jim walking along the path and John on his pony near behind, when he secured the gun of his victim to carry for him on the pony, he shot him in the back, and turned back, leaving the dead Indian lying in the path where he fell.

It was only a dead Indian, and his murderer was a living one who mixed with others of his tribe, and the white man wanted trade and traffic. Could it be possible that at that early day men appreciated the Shakespearean philosophy that " thrift might follow fawning?"

The first hotel was built by A. H. Showers in 1848. Prior to this time accommodations were furnished in any and every cabin in the place, - especially in Judge Tillson's. Showers ran it for some time and then rented it, and it was made a private residence, and as such became the property of Michael McFadden. Mr. Showers then erected the ptesent Cambridge House, which he sold in 1856 to A. and M. B. Gould. They added to the building and put on the third story. 'After running it five years, the Goulds sold to James M. Weir, who in turn sold to Joshua Bushnell, in February, 1864. Bushnell enlarged it again to its present capacity, and in February, 1876, sold to J. W. Hartzell. M. W. Thatcher kept the Cambridge House eight years. Afterwards he built the Thatcher House and opened it to the public.

There was no wild " booming " in Cambridge property. It was a modest, unpretentious county seat, and grew in population, buildings and business strictly in keeping with the demands made upon it by the wants of the public and the solid growth of the adjacent farming community. Other towns in the county had railroads and were putting on extensive city airs while it peacefully plodded on its way. It was for some years content to get along with a semi-weekly mail on the Peoria route that passed through Wethersfield to Geneso. It did not very greatly complain when in the early day this route was so changed as to leave it away off the road, and the mail-carrier would throw off the Cambridge sack at the " Corners," ten miles east of the town ! There was no office there, and Cambridge hired a boy to bring the sack to town. Often matter put up in other offices in the county was sent to Massachusetts, being, we suppose, the supposed accessible Cambridge and ,the only one that anyone could possibly address a letter to. This distressing state of affairs continued until 1856, when a tri-weekly mail from Geneseo to Kewanee was established. For some years the only mail from the east came by the mail route from Princeton to New Boston. A weekly mail from Rock Island to Cambridge was eventually established. In 1853 a route was opened from Lancaster, on the Illinois river, to Cambridge; but this was soon discontinued. For years " Uncle Bobby " Robinson carried the mail from Cambridge to Rock Island. He was an express agent also, and was a trusty and valuable aid to all the people who had to do much of their shopping at the latter place.

The Congregationalists were the first to effect a church organization in this place. The settlement had in it from the first many of this faith from New England and New York, earnest God-fearing men, whose great joy and highest worldly pleasure was to mingle and work with their brethren, and on Sunday to hear and heed the call, " Come, let us worship God. " A meeting was held as early as February 9, 1837, and the Church organized, with n members, as follows: Nelson Gaines and wife, Henry G. and Mrs. Fidelia Little, H. G. and Mrs. Elizabeth Griffin, Joseph and Mrs. Julia Tillson, C. W. Davenport, Mrs. Margaret Atwater and Mrs. Ruth Moore. Revs. L. H. Porter, of Galesburg, and William F. Vaill, of Wethersfield, officiated. In company with the Methodists and Baptists, worship was held in the courthouse. In 1854 the congregation had increased to 24 members, and they determined to put up a house of worship. This was. accomplished the next year, and the church was dedicated Jan. 12, 1856. It was used continuously until 1875, when it was sold to the Swedish Lutherans, and then the present edifice was erected.

Rev. Vaill was in charge the first year. He was succeeded by Rev. Joseph D. Baker, who continued in charge seventeen -years. Then came Rev. L. H. Parker, who remained one year. Then Rev. Joel Grant came and remained three years, then Rev. Thomas Douglass two years. Then Rev. S. F. Dickinson took charge. The present Pastor is Rev. J. B. Bid well.

The M. E. Church organized for worship in the old frame court-house in 1850, with 20 members. Missionary Harding, then traveling through the West, officiated. John and Mary Russell, S. P. and Mrs. L. Cady, Michael Grant, A. S. Ebright, A. M. Cornstock and wife, Elias Morse and wife were the principal organizers.

The Protestant Episcopal {Trinity) Church, is a mission church under the care of Grace Church Parish, whose permanent headquarters are five miles northwest of Cambridge. Their church building was erected in 1876, at a cost of $5,000, with a membership at that time of 30. The pastor first to reside in Cambridge was Rev. J. S. Chamberlain, who was in charge of Grace Parish and Cambridge Church. Has no resident pastor at present. It has generally been served by the Osco minister, or, in other words, the two churches are in charge of Rev. J. Newman, of Osco.

The Baptist Church was organized July 8, 1854, in the court-house. Prior to this they had met at the court-house for occasional worship. There were thirteen of the original members, as follows: William Talbott, Mary Talbott, Aaron Talbott. Phebe Talbott, James M. Woodmansee, Clarissa M. Woodmansee, John McFarland, H. McFarland, Emma Blackman, Laura Bishop, Harriet Daggett, Electa Davenport and Eliza Ayers. They purchased the old school-house, and worshiped in it until they erected their present church, at a cost of about $10,000. In 1877 they built a parsonage, at a costof $2,100. Their first Pastor was Rev. F. Ketchman, one year, then Rev. W. W. Smith, fourteen months ; Rev. R. Edwards, one year; G. D. Simmon, eighteen months; Rev. A. "Edison, two years and four months; Rev. J. Shepherd, six years; Rev. W. B. Velsher, two years and six months ; Rev. J. Cairns followed. The resident minister of this church is S. G. McCormack.

The Christian Church. - The Disciples of Christ held meetings in the court-house, then in the Baptist church and at times in the school-house. Dec. 18, 1859, they held a meeting to organize in the courthouse. The following were attendant at this meeting: Samuel- and Mrs. Ellen Horn, Mrs. A. E. Mathews, Asa B. Lobingier, George Lobingier, G. W: Sroupe, William and Mrs. Martha McFarland, and William Kirkland. ,

Jan. 23, following, a permanent organization was effected ; William Kirkland and G.W. Sroupe, Elders ; William McFarland and John M. Evans, Deacons, and George Lobingier, Clerk. At this meeting Hannah and Elizabeth Kirkland, Mrs. Mary E. Evans, Mary Busenbark, Mary L. Cahon, John, Hannah B., and Malinda McFarland, Mary Hazel, Miranda-M. Noel and Nathaniel C. Whitney joined the Church.

Jan. r,' 1 87 1, the congregation purchased the Baptist church (school-house) and removed it to its permanent'place. They had over fifty members and a Sunday school of over 35 pupils.

Rev. James E. Gaston organized the Church and remained one year. For three years they had no regular, pastor ,_ then John W. Errett was called and remained in charge until 1868. In January, 1869, Elder G. W. Sroupe was employed. He remained until 1872. In October, 1873. James Seaton was engaged and preached until March, 1875. After he left, no regular pastor was engaged for some time. The present Pastor is S. C. "Humphrey.

Swedish Lutheran Church. - The first few members of this church met for worship also at the court-house, and sometimes in the Christian church. With 52 members they met at the court-house and organized, May 30, 1875, by Rev. L. Carlson, of Andover. They purchased the Congregational church. Rev. Carlson continued for years their only minister. There was a gradual increase in the number of members from the first organization. Have no resident pastor. Is served from the Lutheran college, near Moline.

Miss Sarah Francis Little, sister of Henry G. Little, taught the first school in Cambridge, in the year 1845. Like everything else in the way of a public gathering in those days, it was held in the court-house. In 1850 a building was erected, and in 1856 it was sold to the Christian Church, when the old brick on College Square was put up. In 1857 there were two departments taught in the school, and the basement of the M. E. church was used for a school until the brick was completed. This was the first -attempt at grading or dividing the schools. The Principal was R. C. Raymond, afterwards a practicing physician, assisted by Miss Fanny Gould and Miss Lucy Brooks. The next year, 1858, Henry P. Sumner was Principal. Dr. Raymond was again principal. Then Mr. Thorpe, assisted by Miss Sarah B. Dunn. These remained until 1863, when Ira D. Marston became principal, remaining until 1866. The building to this time contained but two rooms.

In 1866, B. F. Borge was secured as Principal. Ten years afterwards he was elected County Superintendent of Schools. He remained in charge until 1872. In 1868, the spacious frame school-house in College Square was built. This added two additional departments to the school. When Mr. Barge retired C. J. Gruey was placed in charge. At that time the enrollment had reached 288- pupils. The High School course of study, maintained to the present, was established in 1873. The first graduates were in 1875. In 1876 the enrollment had reached 450, and five departments provided, and six teachers were employed. In 1876, the frame building was enlarged to six rooms.

A. G. Smith became Principal 1884. The teachers for that year were Mi=s Amy Rhodes, Lizzie Rhodes, Maud Marston, Alia Rosenstone, Belle Mock, Mrs. A. M. Nye and Miss Mary Hagin. The present (1885) corps of teachers are A. G. Smith, Principal, Miss Lizzie Rhodes in charge of study hall, Amy Rhodes, language and reading, Maud Marston, history and geography, Laura Haggart, mathematics, Belle Mock, third and fourth grades, Mrs. A. M. Nye, second, Miss Mary Hagin first, Prof. W. J. Stabler, teacher of music.

Enrollment for the year 350. Average attendance 280. Two school buildings. Two rooms in the old brick and six in the frame building. . This school is not conducted upon the old graded plan exactly. There is one general study hall in constant charge of one teacher, and from this they go to their respective rooms for recitations. School Directors - Ira D. Marston, F. G. Welton and J. F. Gack.

The Board of Trustees of Cambridge are : Henry White, President ; L. H. Patten, L. T. Gould, James Stewart, B. J. Hulin, E. H. Gaines, and Clerk W. R. Allen; City Marshal, William Decker; Police Magistrate, Samuel B. Randall.

Miscellaneous

There are two elevators, one mill, lumber yard, three hardware stores, two national banks, three drug stores, two dry-goods and clothing, four groceries, four dry-goods stores, two jewelry establishments, and numerous shops, bakeries, restaurants, millinery stores and two hotels.

Three of the court-houses built by the county are in Cambridge. One is a small residence east of the public square; the second is a kind of broom-corn store-room west of the square, and the present splendid court-house, commenced in 1878 and completed in 1880. The contract, price, $68,000, and total costs, $75,000. It certainly is the most elegant and commodious fire-proof building in the State for the money.

LOVER TOWNSHIP had for its first settler Thomas Weir, who came April 6, 1841, and settled on the northeast part of the southwest quarter of section 10. He came from Mercer County, and at one time was regularly employed as a " runner " (called detective now) for the " Vigilants " - a close corporation that devoted its energies to catching horse-thieves. When he came to this county, the only neighbors he had were some Winnebago Indians, who were out hunting. As a part of Mr. Wier's experiences, he was twelve days in going and coming to the mjll at Moline. The chief part of the time was in waiting at the mill for his turn, and in the meantime he worked so diligently on the dam that the miller favored him and slipped his grist in ahead of its turn. He said if he had not thus been favored by the miller, he might have had to wait a "right smart spell!"

The first child born in this part of the county was in Weir's house - James Hammers, in October, 1843. In 1846, the first newspaper was received by a subscriber. It was the New York Weekly Universe. The extensive name of the paper indicates that the eagle-eye of the editor was fixed, not only on the whole human family, but " the rest of mankind " in the wilderness, and was indifferent as to the name of the subscriber so long as he paid in good subscription money.

The oldest settler in this part of the county is A. P. Vannice, from Indiana: came in 1852. A. A. Reed is one of the oldest settlers in Clover: He is from Connecticut, and came to Knox County in 1840, and came to this county in 1850. He has a family of six children. William Payton, from Ohio, came in 1851.. He was for some years Justice of the Peace and held other town offices. Daniel Mc- Queen came in April, 1852. After the death of his wife he lived with his grandchildren, George H. and. John McQueen. Thomas S. and J. A. McConnell came in 1857. They were from Pennsylvania. S. W. Johnson came in 1858. T. J. Howell came in 1856. Henry E. Houghton came in 1852. Mrs. Phebe Forgy, widow of Newton Forgy., came in 1852. Forgy died Nov. 14, 1868, leaving three children. Mrs. Morgan's maiden name was Phebe Taylor, born in Pennsylvania, Jan. 20, 1833. William Forgy came in April, 1853, born in Morrow County, Ohio, May 27, 1826.

OODHULL is an enterprising town of almost a thousand population, and is on the line between Clover and Oxford Townships, mostly in the former. There are many rv good business houses located there, divided among the various lines of trade necessary to supply the wants of its inhabitants and-ihose in the surrounding country. The village was laid out Sept. 30, 1857, by an Eastern gentleman by the name of Maxwell Woodhull, of New York City. Not much progress was made for some time,4)ut in 1867, J. W. Horn laid out a large portion of the place lying north of the railroad. Hugh Russell, about i86r, laid out a considerable portion of the present town and upon this the first house was built.

Three years after his first addition, Mr. Horn laid' out another, lying south of the railroad. A large dwelling was the first building erected in the place. This, however, was shortly afterwards purchased by E. A. Widney and converted into a hotel, the Widney House.

The railroad passing through the place - the Keithsburg Branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy - was surveyed in 1847; but years elapsed before it was built. In 1868 the franchise passed'into the hands of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and it was soon completed and a road was in operation. The old road, that remained so long only on paper, was known -as the American Central Railroad. The first buildings of the town were erected mostly on the west side of town, except one or two opposite the present postoffice. The town was rapidly built in anticipation of the coming of the cars, and by the time trains were running there were half a dozen stores, a number of shops, and many busy carpenters, masons, etc. The first boom of the new town had expended itself before the completion of the railroad, and did not, as is usually the case, wait until the road was wakirig the echoes with its shrill whistle. It maintained a steady and permanent growth in business and population. Before the town was surveyed and platted, a postoffice called Heathland was kept by F. Heath at his house, but a short distance from the village-site. When the town was founded it was the determination to call it Leoti, and for some time it went by that name , but the friends of Mr. Woodhull finally prevailed, and its name was fixed as it has remained, in compliment to him.

M. N. Hurd opened the first store. In a short time it was destroyed by fire and building and contents lost. In 187 1, T. S. McConnell's store, in which Mr. Wright had a large stock of goods, was destroyed by fire. An unoccupied building adjoining was destroyed at the same time.

hull has been unusually heavy. During 1876, more than $500,000 was received at the place for produce, and in the fall and winter of 187 1-2, more broom-corn was shipped from this station than from any other point in the United States. In 1869, a spacious brick block was erected by J. D. B. Bell and Andrew Edson. Another brick block was put up in 1876, the upper part of which was made into a hall and offices.

Before the railroad came it was a common occurrence for great trains of wagons to pass through the place loaded with grain. They would generally haul their loads to Oneida, make their sales and returning stop in Woodhull to make such purchases as they desired. A firm - Elder & Skinner - sold in one year over $80,000 worth of goods. Three large elevators were erected, and three good hotels were well patronized. It commenced a temperance town and has maintained its fame in this respect unfalteringly. Woodhull was incorporated in 1870 and the following were elected as the first Board : B. Taylor, Prest., J. V. Kennegoy, Clerk, W. O Gamble, Treasurer, W. C. Wagner and James Walton, Trustees.

The village is provided with excellent schools, which have good accommodations and are ably managed. Prior to 1869 there were only the regular district school-houses where school was held, but at that time excellent quarters were provided for the school and great interest manifested in educational matters by the people in general.

The village is equally well supplied with churches, which as a general thing are reasonably live and prosperous. There are five different denominations, as follows: Methodist, Christian, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Catholic. These have good, comfortable houses of worship, and are in charge of good pastors.

I ITHIN the confines of this township with a curious name, is the spot of the first settlement of Henry County. Here it was S> Dr. Baker, impelled now by what we do not know, to direct his way to this particular place, drove his wagon and team, and looked out upon the fair and beautiful world that lay before him, halted, unhitched and went into camp ; and then for the first time the smoke from an actual settler's camp-fire went curling and creeping through the treetops, and the frugal meal and the first supper of the first settler was prepared, and the little houseless household went to bed in the wagon, and slept in innocent content after their long wandering.

It is fully told elsewhere how in a few days came Thomas and James Glenn and Anthony Hunt, and how they were simply following the wagon tracks of Dr. Baker. They had been to the " lead mines " and come down to the mouth of the Rock River, and followed up its course until they found Baker. How they, too, looked upon the country and said " it is good enough " and concluded to tarry. Then came George Brandenburg, and slowly his friends followed and founded the first town in the county, and for a long time Brandenburg's was the famed and wide-worldknown point to all who contemplated coming or did come to the new country.

In the history of the early settlements and of the early settlers in preceding chapters all this is told of who these men were and what has become of them and their descendants.

The villages in the township are Dayton, the oldest town in the county, and Colona. Dayton served its day of usefulness or imperative necessity for existence as an important business center for commerce and business of the county, and went into a quiet and unostentatious decay, a kind of slow forgetfulness among new-comers, and in 1853 Colona came into existence as a desirable place for a station on the railroad. It was laid out in that year by Marcus Warren. The next year (1854) the railroad just then commencing to do business, J. A. Sawyer built a grain house and prepared to handle some of the great quantity of grain that the surrounding country was awaiting to ship.