Kane County, Illinois - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 20 of those read), 1908 (part 1 of 3)

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 20 of those read)

The township of Aurora occupies the southeast corner of Kane county and borders on DuPage county on the east, Kendall county on the south, and corners on the northwest corner of Will county. Its unwritten history reaches back unnumbered centuries into the unknown past, when it was the favorite home of several tribes of Indians, who lived comfortably on the wooded banks of the Fox river, whose placid waters furnished them an abundance of fish, and where the buffalo fattened on the prairies to the west, could be driven almost to their homes. Here W'aubonsie, chief of the Pottawatomies, lived most of the time, particularly in the summer months, but in winter would migrate with his family to the south - as far south as the Illinois river, but returning again on the approach of spring. Shabbona, known as "the white man's friend," spent much time near Aurora, and is kindly remembered by old settlers as warning them of the approach of Black Hawk's warriors. The Winnebagoes, Sacs, Foxes and other tribes have at times made their homes in or near Aurora and it is claimed by some that the Fox river derived its name from the tribe of Indians of that name. But the Indians are all gone. They did not improve their opportunities by cultivating the soil, and, like the man with one talent told about in the Bible, who did not use what he had, it was taken away from him. So the land which the red man failed to use was taken from him and given to those who would utilize it. But they left the graves of their ancestors behind, and several mounds in Aurora and vicinity are known as Indian burying grounds. Bones and arrow heads are all that remain as evidence that the country was once inhabited by another race. The present inhabitants of the country boast of a superior civilization, yet, if for any cause this country should nut be inhabited for a thousand years, northern

Illinois might not show any nmre evidences of a past civilization than now exist of the extinct Indian races, certainly not as nuich as exists at present in Egypt after five thousand years have passed since the inhabitants then existing attempted to perpetuate the memories of their deeds to the end of time. The future antiquarian might find here an occasional knoll containing a few bricks indicating that the country had once been inhabited, but nothing else would stand the rigors of this climate for a thousand years. We cannot hope that the paper on which this history is printed can last as long as the buried papyrus in the dry. mild climate of Egypt; so the occurrences here related will be of interest and use for only a few generations, and it is probable that after two hundred years from now it will be difficult for any then living to trace their ancestry back to those now taking part in making the history of these times whose names are herein recorded. The tendenc}' to "race suicide'' will soon render many family names extinct ; and blot their race and memory from the face of the earth. The population of this section of the country is constantly changing, many of the early settlers have migrated to other sections and thousands are moving in, coming from every part of the world. Will they form a new race by the intermarriage of the newcomers, which will crowd out the old? Will they change the laws, customs and civilization now existing? Time alone will tell. But let it be recorded that at the beginning of the twentieth century the inhabitants of Kane county, Illinois, believe they have the best known system of government for establishing justice, the preservation of liberty, and the promotion of the general welfare; that they have the best known system of schools for the development of the individual to his greatest capacity ; that they have perfect freedom in religious beliefs, and that, virtuallv, no prejudice exists against any class or sect on account of religious views or creeds; and that they actually have the highest form of civilization ever known in this world since the dawn of history. They may have no monuments to perpetuate their memory, but they have the more enduring, unseen principles of civil and political liberty, of religious tolerance and freedom, of justice and equal rights to all, well established in the hearts and minds of the people, with the hope that these principles will never perish as long as man inhabits the earth.

The story of the early settlement has been often told and will be only briefly repeated here. A complete history of Aurora with all its institutions, industries, churches, schools, and all that goes to make the city would require a volume. Space and time are limited in the compilation of this little sketch, and errors and omissions must be pardoned.

Early Settlements

The first white settler in Aurora was Joseph McCarty, a millwright by trade, from Elmira, New York, who in April, 1834, at the age of twenty-four years "squatted" on a claim of one hundred acres on the west side of the river, just north of the island where he saw possibilities of water poper and a sawmill. He also laid claim to three hundred and sixty acres on the east side of the river and bought from another squat- ter his claim of four hundred acres adjoining his own, paying therefor sixty dollars. This was for his brother Samuel, who was expected, and soon appeared on the scene. A log cabin 14x16 feet was soon built on the east side, and preparations were made to build a dam, which was completed in the summer and autumn of 1834. Then a sawmill was erected, the "raising" of which required the services of a dozen men, which exhausted the supply for twenty miles around, and it took them three days to "raise" the frame. The first lumber sawed was for Mr. W'ormley, of Oswego, and the process afiforded the Indians much surprise and pleasure. They would watch the saw for hours at a time with great delight.

Before the arrival of the McCartys the Indian name of the place was "Waubonsie," in honor of the chief of that name, whose home was north of the mill, on the west side of the river - a pretty name, which ought to be perpetuated in some way. In 1835 the place became known among the whites as McCarty's Mills, and in that year the immigration to this section was quite extensive. Among the newcomers were Stephen A. Aldrich and family, R. C. Horr, who was afterwards elected justice of the peace, the first justice in town; Dr. and Mrs. Eastman. Joseph Hamilton and family, Wilson Higgins and family, Seth Read, Theodore Lake, Zaphna Lake, R. M. Watkins and wife, Charles Bates, B. L. Philips, E. Squires, J. M. Leonard, William L. Elliot, Peter Mills, E. D. Terry, besides hosts of others. Samuel McCarty. like a thrifty manager, which he was, laid out his land into streets and town lots, leaving one block for a public park (now Lincoln park), and selling many lots to the new residents. He always insisted on calling himself "The founder of Aurora," and is entitled to the honor, in as far as laying out the "original plat of Aurora" can give it. It extended from Flagg street, on the north, to Benton street, on the south, and ran back from the river to Root street, on the east. Most of the business section of East Aurora is now included in this plat.

The early settlers formed themselves into a "Mutual Squatters' Protection Society," which served to protect their rights and but little "Claim jumping" was known. One case is related by Augustus Harman in his little history of Aurora in 1858. He says "Theodore Lake had quite a large claim west of his brother Zaphna. extending westward to the creek. A "claim jumper" - a sort of land pirate - who went about jumping claims and extorting money from the "squatters" to induce them to evacuate their claims, by the name of Atwater. undertook to build a frame house nor far from the creek (since named Turkey creek). Mr. Lake questioned him as to his intention, and was answered sullenly that he intended to build himself a house. Mr. Lake then called in several of the neighbors; they assembled; Mr. Lake told him he might have fifteen minutes to move his frame in; one of his friends held the watch and when the fifteen minutes were up they tore the frame down. Atwater was then asked what he wanted to do with the lumber, and he answered he had nothing to say; whereupon they loaded it on a wagon and took it down near the river, not far from Wilder's tavern, where they contemplated building a schoolhouse, and used it for finishing the inside."

In 1836 Samuel ]\icCarty staked out a road between this place and Naperville, and persuaded the mail contractor to use this road in going from Chicago to Galena instead of the original state road, which crossed the river at Gray's, now Montgomery. The compensation was, McCarty kept the stage driver and his horses free of charge for one month. McCarty acted as a sort of sub-postmaster and handled the mails for all the neighbors. But a postoffice was needed and several consultations were held to find a suitable name for it. Several Indian names were suggested, but finally E. D. Terry suggested the classic name Aurora, which was adopted.

Burr Winton, a democrat, was the first postmaster, being appointed by Martin VanBuren, and held the office two years, and had the postoffice on the east side. ^Vhen General Taylor was elected president, Mr. Winton resigned and M. V. Hall was appointed, holding the place during the Taylor administration and moved the office to the west side. When Pierce, a democratic president, was elected the office was turned over to E. R. Allen, who moved it back to the east side. He turned republican and Senator Douglas had him removed and R. C. Mix appointed in his place. Mr. Mix promptly had the office removed to the west side, locating it in the Plum block, corner of Downer place and River street. This created such a storm of indignation that Mr. Mix finally built a little frame building on Stolp's island and moved the postoffice there, and thus settled for all time the que.stion of the location of the postoffice. It has remained on the island ever since, occupymg the city building until the government building was erected expressly for its use.

After 1835 t'le fame of the fertility of the soil spread throughout New York and New England and sturdy pioneers flocked to this land of promise by hundreds, and soon thereafter by thousands, who not only secured some of the. finest farms in the world, but who transplanted to this soil the civil and religious institutions they had enjoyed in their former homes.

Many interesting stories are told of the early settlers, which ought to be put in some permanent form, but fur which room for only a few can be given in this volume.

Joseph McCarty. the (lisco\erer of Aurora, did not live to see the town grow up, but being in poor health, went to Alabama for his health, where he died in the spring of 1840, aged about thirtv vears.

The first wedding in Aurora was a runaway match, the story of which has been often told, but never twice ahke. A brief authentic version is this: William F. Elliot, a blacksmith, aged twenty-four, from [Middlesex county, Connecticut, located a quarter section of land on the east side of the Fox river about half way between Aurora and Montgomery in 1834. He boarded at Elijah Pierce's tavern, in Montgomery, and fell in love with Mr. Pierce's daughter. His affection was reciprocated, but Mr. Pierce strenuously objected to the match. At that time the law required that the bans of marriage he announced publicly by a minister of the Gospel two weeks before the contemplated event, and Mr. Elliot saw to it that this was properly done by Elder Clark, at Naperville, Mr. Pierce was still relentless, but he had to go to Chicago for supplies for his tavern, expecting, he said, to be back before the two weeks' notice expired, but, instead, the time was up the day he started for the city. Mr. Elliot and Miss Pierce improved the opportunity by going to a neighbor's house, sending to Oswego for a justice of the peace, and had the ceremony performed in a rail pen adjoining the settler's cabin. This happened August 3, 1835, and the couple lived to a good old age on the claim on which Mr. Elliot originally located. They had many sons and daughters, some of whom are still with us, who, with their children, are highly respected citizens. It is further related that when Mr. Pierce found that he had been outwitted by I\Ir. Elliot, he attributed it to too much whiskey, which was among the supplies brought from Chicago, and, therefore, he rolled a barrel of the liquor outside the house, knocked in the head, letting it spill upon the ground and decided that no more whiskey should be used inside his house - a resolution which was thereafter sacredly kept.

Theodore Lake laid out the village of West Aurora in 1842 and established the first store in town. The original plat was bounded on the north by Galena street, and on the west by Lake street, and on the south by Holbrook's addition. In a few years the plat was sold out and the proceeds laid the foundation for quite a fortune for the enterprising farmer.

In 1845 the first attempt was made to suppress the liquor traffic by law, and in 1849 t'''*^ effort was quite successful. A. A. Dexter was corporation constable and zealously prosecuted oft'enders and collected fines.

In 1848 the first division of the Sons of Temperance was organized, and included many prominent men, among them being Ben Hackney, W'. H. Hawkins, B. F. Hall, Rev. O. Barr, Rev. L. Jenks, and others. It flourished three years, and then expired.

Rev. D. R. Miller, who was the pastor of the First Congregational church from 1849 to 1852, wrote a letter to the semi-centennial anniversary celebration, in 1888, giving some interesting reminiscences, from which the following are selected : "The town had commenced to run down. Elgin had a railroad, and St. Charles a branch road, and they were building up. In Aurora the frame of a public house was up and partly covered, and there it stood, a perfect scare-crow; persons coming into the place would see that there and leave. Everything looked dilapidated, and all were feeling that nothing could be done, and no one seemed willing to make a move." After detailing how his first effort was to secure a bell for his church, he continued :

"I told them we wanted a branch raih'oad. One man said he only wanted to live until a railroad was built to Aurora, for he would then be an old man. I could find but two men who felt it possible to hope for such a thing. Mr. Benjamin Hackney and Colonel Lyon, who afterwards moved to Batavia, said, 'W'e can try." I knew a good engineer who could be hired by the day to make the survey, and I agreed to board him, his wife and child, and they agreed to pay him for his work. Before snow fell in the fall the cars w'ere running into Aurora. The town then begim to build up." (A detailed account of the construction of this branch, which was the beginning of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system, is given under the head "Railroads.'") events in the history of Aurora, gave different answers. Among them were: "The most important event was the settlement and planting of Aurora

Village Of -Moxtgomerv

The village of Montgomery is located in sections 32 and 33, lying principally on the west side of the Fox river. According to Pliny Durant the first settler was Elijah Pierce, who came in the spring of 1834. "He erected a shanty, which contained but one room, answering all the purposes required of it, and his house, being a station on the stage road between Chicago and Galena, became a noted tavern and popular place, as manv as forty persons bunking at a time on its fioor over night, men women and children huddled together like a flock of sheep."

Daniel Gray, from Montgomery county. New York, came out in the fall of 1835 and brought his family in 1836, and built the first frame house in the village. The place became known as "Graytown, ' but Mr. Grav named it Montgomery. Tlie large stone grist mill was begun by Gray & Watkins in 185 1, and finished in 1853. Mr. Gray died in 1854. The grist mill, starting afterwards became the property of Herd, Brodhead & Company, who still own it, alth< lugh it is used fur grinding mica instead of wheat. The Burlington sheep pens were located in Montgomery about 1890, and have a capacity of seventy-five thousand sheep. There has been some discussion about the old covered bridge at Montgomery, some claiming that it floated down bodily from Aurora in the flood of 1857, and was picked up and put on the present foundation, but eye witnesses say that the bridge went down in pieces and was not stopped at Montgomery, but the bridge now there was an old bridge at Aurora, which was taken down and hauled to Montgomery when the new bridges were built in Aurora in 1868.

Record Of The Incorporation Of Aurora

At a meeting of the legal voters of the village of Aurora, in the county of Kane, and state of Illinois, convened at the sclioolhouse, in said village, on the 6th day of March, 1845, pursuant to legal notice for the purpose of incorporating said village, according to the revised statutes in such cases made and provifled. Daniel Gushing was elected president, and Myron Whipple, clerk. Then the following votes were polled, to-wit : For incorporation - O. D. Day, Isaac Marlett, Jerome Brown, John M. Merrit, Edward Starr, Arthur Thornton. Thomas Hamilton, Daniel Eastman, E. R. Allen, John Gilson, Richard Terry, Charles E. Goodwin, J. T. Bevier, Andrew F. Wagner, C. H. Goodwin, Isaac Gilson, Wyatt Carr, Winslow Higgins, P. J. Wagner, P. Brown, F. G. Campbell, A. D. Sargeant, R. D. Marlett, B. F. Phillip, M. S. Noble, A. A. Dexter, W. H. Hawkins, Wm. Blanchard, Joseph Huntoon, David Banks, William A Titton, Ezra Drew, James King, A. P. Farnsworth, G. G. Waterman, Charles C. Culver, Daniel McCarty, Samuel McCarty, J. W. Tripp, Enoch Terry, Edward Cuthbert, H. N. Goodrich, H. C. Cross, J. H. Montgomery, Daniel Gushing. Myron Whipple, J. S. Marlett, Daniel McKay, Rossoe Granger, John M. Goodwin, George Higgins, A. G. Chauncey - fifty-two.

We hereby certify that the above is a true statement of the proceedings of a public meeting held for the purpose therein mentioned. Fifty-two votes were polled for incorporation, and none against it.

Town And City Governments

From the first settlements of Aurora, in 1834, up to 1845, the only form of civil government in use was the county commissioners' court ( described elsewhere). In 1845 the town took advantage of the new state law, allowing towns to elect their trustees to provide for better police regulations. The fol-

Trustees Of The Town Of Aurora

In 1854 the "triwn of West Aurora" was incorporated as a separate government under the same law. and the following named trustees were elected :

There was some rivalry between the two towns, as well as some jealousy, and hard feelings, but both boards served the people faithfully until the year 1857, when the people of both towns agreed to bury the hatchet and unite to become the city of Aurora, and the town trustees were superseded by the mayor and the board of aldermen, styled the "common council."

Broadway, Looking North, In An Early Day, Aurora

By mutual agreement it was arranged that a mayor should be elected from one side of the river one year and from the other side the next, in order to promote harmony between the two towns, and this practice has been kept up ever since, until it has become an "unwritten law." The city was divided into eight wards, four on the east side and four on the west side. Each ward was entitled to one alderman, whose term lasted only one year. The number of wards in the east division was soon increased to seven, owing to the increased population, but the "unwritten law" still held good.

Charles Wheaton was elected mayor in 1864 on the prohibition issue, but the council passed an ordinance granting licenses for the sale of liquor for a fee of one hundred dollars, and at the following meeting, April 18, 1864, Mr. Wheaton resigned at the opening of the session, saying he "had been elected on the prohibition issue, and as prohibition had failed, he considered it his duty to resign, the resignation to take effect immediately." He, thereupon passed his written resignation to the clerk and "took his hat and walked out of the hall," as the records show. Public report has it that he resigned rather than to sign a license for the sale of liquor. This is not only a credit to Mr. Wheaton's conscientiousness, but it is also a credit to the city of Aurora to have a citizen with such a fine sense of honor as Hon. Charles Wheaton.

1873. Mayor, A. George; aldermen, W. Egermann, D. \\". Hurd, J. Billings, J. F. fhorwarth, W. Holmes, A. K. Perry, E. R. Allen, S. B. Hawley, P. G. Benson, L. W. Gray, Thomas Thayer; clerk, W. J. Pollock; attorney, A. C. Little; treasurer, J. Plain; marshal, A. C. Graves; surveyor, George Wilder.

In the year 1887 the city was organized under the general law governing cities and villages, which extended the term of mayor and aldermen to two years, decreased the number of wards to seven and gave two aldermen to each ward. Since then the mayors and aldermen elected are as follows :

1889. Mayor. John Jameson; city clerk, J. M. Kennedy; city attorney, C. I. McNett: city treasurer, A. C. Solfisburg; clerk of the city court, James Shaw; aldermen, elected for two years. W. Zimmer. U. P. Hord. Frank Fasmer, Robert Burke, Fred Fauth. John Couglilin. Frank Dillenburg.

1891. Mayor, W. S. Frazier; city clerk. J. ^I. Kennedy; city attorney. C. I. McNett; city treasurer. Peter Klein; police magistrate. L. Baldwin;

1896. Aldermen, elected for two years, J. A. Freeman, Theodore Howard, William Rees, E. W. Trask, C. Riddle, Barney Olinger, P. J. Kartheiser.

1899. Mayor, Theodore Howard; city clerk. William Pfrangle; city attorney. W. J. Tyers ; city treasurer, John L. Dickes ; clerk of the city court, W. J. Fowder; aldermen, elected for two years, J. W. Curry, R. H. Taylor - J. H. Tolman, E. J. Doetschman, G. W. Alscluder, H. A. Rackmeyer, Louis A. Stoll, J. W. Linden.

1900. Aldermen, elected for two years, J. A. Freeman, E. C. Pufifer, W. G. Eitelgeorge, C. D. Treman, Fred Fauth, Leon Baltazor, Adam Komes.

1901. Mayor, G. W. Alschuler; city clerk, William Pfrangle; city attorney, E. M. Mangan; city treasurer, Eb. Denney; police magistrate, A. Halverson; clerk of the city court. F. W. Greenway; aldermen, elected for two years, Periam Thompson, R. H. Taylor, E. J. Doetschman, Williaiu Budlong, H. A. Rackmeyer, L. A. Stoll, J. \Y. Linden.

1904. Aldermen, elected for two years, J. W. Curry, A\'. M. Rich, William Eitelgeorge, William H. Knuth, Fred Fauth, William Queenan, John P. Kartheiser.

In the year 1849 t'^^ Illinois legislature passed a law allowing the people of the different counties to vote on the question of organizing a township government in each town in the county and giving a name to each township thus organized. The law provided for a supervisor, who should have general control of the town's business, be overseer of the poor, etc., an assessor, collector, three highway commissioners, school trustees, etc., for each township, with a provision for a "town meeting" on election day at which various minor matters maj' be considered, discussed and voted on "vive voce." This is similar to the New England system of town organizations, which probably comes nearer a true democracy than any other system in this country, if not in the world.

Unfortunately the law made the supervisors in the several towns to constitute a county board for the transaction of all county business. This gave Kane county alone a little legislature of sixteen members. This system continued in vogue until 1887, when the state legislature discovered some discontent in some of the counties in the state where large cities of 25.000 or more population found that they had no more influence in the county board than a farming town of only a few hundred population, for each township had one member on the board. It was suspected that the farmers, being in the majority, might object to paying some of the big pauper bills from the cities and to try to throw upon the cities more than their just share of taxation. So the legislature passed an amendment to the law concerning supervisors, providing that all cities should have one "assistant supervisor' for everv two thousand five hundred inhabitants over four thousand. This gave Aurora seven assistant supervisors and increased the entire board to twenty-eight men to do the httle county business that could better be done by three men. Following is a list of supervisors elected in Aurora for the years mentioned. The names of the numerous "assistants," together with the assessors, collectors, justices of the peace, constables, etc., "too numerous to mention," elected at the same time are omitted :

Police Department

The peace and good order of any city is best preserved by the prompt and sure punishment of all offenses against peace and good order. Riots and mob rule never occur in places where all disorders of a minor character are promptly and quickly punished. Aurora has been particularly fortunate in having competent and conscientious officers whose highest ambitions been to do their duty. As a consequence Aurora has never had any public disturbance and all breaches of the peace have been summarily punished.

sheriff, to which office he was elected. Frank Michels was appointed in 1899 and served up to the time of the present writing, making a most efficient officer. During his administration he kept minutes of the most important -cases, two of wdiich have become historic and are given herewith :

"On October 8, 1903, at 9:30 P. M., the Riverview Park street car was held up by three masked men, who robbed the conductor and motorman of their watches and wliat money they had. and made them get off the car near the Montgomery schoolhouse. They then operated the car and ran it about a quarter of a mile, stopped and threw off the trolley and abandoned the car. They walked across the E. J. & E. railroad bridge, came to the city of Aurora and boarded a street car on the Elgin, Aurora & Chicago line. About 10:10 P. M. Officers Grass and Gibson, of the Aurora police department, having been notified about the holdup, boarded the 10:10 P. M. car -on the same line at Spring street to go to Aurora avenue to see if any suspicious characters would be getting on the car at that point. About two blocks north of Spring street they saw three men come out of the dark and flag the car to stop and got on the car. When the conductor came around to them for their fare they did not seem to know where they wanted to go. This made the officers suspicious of them and thinking that they must be the holdup men, they made up their minds to place them under arrest, but as the thieves were sitting in different parts of the car it was impossible to capture the three men without using their revolvers in the car.

"There were other passengers in the car at the time, but as the men had paid their fares to Aurora avenue they thought they would wait until the. men got off the car and then make the arrest. While the men were coming out of the car door they were placed under arrest. Officer Grass descending first and Gibson following the three prisoners. \\'hile descending two of the robbers turned on Officer Gibson and the three fell off the car together, they making an effort to pull their guns from their pockets. However, they were not quick enough for Gibson, who pulled his gim from his pocket and while lying on the ground shot one of the men dead, the other man making his escape. In the meantime Officer Grass had his hands full in having a gun light with the third man. who later made his escape with the other robber. The dead robber was later identified as Clate Taylor, a tough character of Nodoway, Missouri. On October 24, 1903, two suspicious characters were arrested by the Chicago police department and in searching them guns of the same pattern were found on them as those used by Clate Taylor, the dead robber. Chief Michels was notified of the same and detailed Officers Grass and Gibson to Chicago to see if they were the men wanted here. They were placed among several other prisoners and were at once picked out by the Aurora officers and brought to Aurora, where they were identified by a good many people who had seen them in Aurora the day of the holdup. They were identified as being the three men hanging around the Montgomery schoolhouse the same day the holdup occurred. Their names were Thomas and James Conway, brothers, living in Chicago. Their trial was held in Geneva and they pleaded guilty and were sentenced to Joliet state prison March 3, 1904. on an indeterminate sentence."

"One of the most brutal murders occurred in the E. J. & E. raih-oad yards in West Aurora, February 28, 1903, when Antonio Romano, an Itahan, murdered his companion, Nicholas Tomaso, in a box car by striking him with a hatchet in the head. In this case Chief Michels and his assistants deserve great credit in ferreting- out and capturing said Romano. The cause of the murder was an old grudge from Italy before they came to America. In looking over the grounds after the murder was committed a hatchet was found in the snow covered with blood, and from this Romano was suspected of being the murderer. The dragnet was put in all the Italian quarters in Chicago and Chief Michels, with the assistance of the Chicago police department, captured Romano at 121 West Polk street, Chicago, Illinois. The arrest was made by Detectives Murray and Shaunessy, of the Chicago police department. He was brought to Aurora, bound over to the grand jury, and at his trial was found guilty and was sentenced to be hanged November 20, 1903. The execution was carried out by Sheriff Burke on said date at 12:30 P. M., the hanging being perfect."

"One of the greatest catches made was when Chief Michels arrested Emory Hartsig and five of his bogus collectors February 25, 1908, who were collecting for advertising space in several bogus directories. These men have operated all over the United States and have defrauded business houses of hundreds of thousands of dollars. They are known the world wide and all large detective agencies had been trying to capture them, liut without a\'ail until Chief Michels and his assistants made good in capturing five of these men so long sought for. These five men are now doing time in the Joliet state prison and several more are listed to keep companv with their companions in Joliet."

First Patrol H'agoii. S. L. Charles, alderman of the second ward under the old charter, has the honor of being the man who bought the first patrol wagon and team for the city of Aurora in the year 1886. Also the first team for the present fire and police system. The horses were named Sam and Charlie by Alderman Sam Charles, he being the chairman of the police committee. They had to answer every fire call, pulling the hook and ladders, besides doing all the police work. In the year 1898 the patrol wagon was done away and an ambulance was bought to do police work and take care of the sick and injured, taking them to either their homes or hospitals as requested.

The old jail in the city building has been torn out and a modern jail, well \entilated and electric lighted, second to none in the state, having cost the city $7,000, taken its place.

The "red light system" has been adopted in the business district and is indispensable to the police department. By throwing a switch in the chief's office a red light appears on most of the down town corners, telling the policemen that someone is wanted at headquarters or to be spoken to by the office. In three minutes' time all the men will have answered the signal and through this means many suspects have been caught and quick service rendered

Aurora has for many years boasted of its efficient fire department and it has certainly had capable and efficient firemen, who as a rule have nipped incipient fires in the bud and prevented their growing into conflagrations. Only three or four times since its organization and the installation of the high pressure water works system have fires got beyond the control of the fire departnient. Fire Chief Rang has recently compiled a brief and concise history of the fire department, from which liberal extracts are given :

After several large fires in the year of 1S53-54. which nearly wiped out the business portion of the village. Trustee Holmes Miller on July 16, 1855, made a motion that if the citizens of Aurora will raise S500 by subscription for the purchase of a fire engine, the trustees will appropriate the balance from the treasury, the engine not to exceed in cost $1,000.

3ilay 17 the board considered the report of Charles Gill and resolved that if practicable the sum of $4,000 be borrowed for the purchase of a fire engine, hook and ladders and for a company to extinguish fires and for a building of two stories.

June 26 an ordinance was passed to enable the president and board to purchase a fire engine when a sufficient sum shall be subscribed, said subscribers shall receive 10 per cent interest thereon, one-half to be paid from the taxes of 1856 and one-half from the taxes of 1857, provided that enough money is subscribed.

July 31, 1856, a contract with Wright Brothers, of Rochester, New York, for a hand engine, hose cart and hose ; also for a building to be erected for an engine house and calaboose and for the storing of the cannon was let. The engine cost $1,600 and the house $600.

The first fire company organized was the Young America, with Jesse Brady as foreman, and for many years our leading citizens and business men ran with the machine and manned the brakes.

In 1863 J. H. Thompson was appointed chief engineer, L. D. Brady first assistant, and J. S. Hawley second assistant. These were all prominent business men located on Main street and Broadway.

In the year 1869, when B. F. Parks was mayor and Ben. Bisbie chief engineer, the first steam fire engine (Amoskeag) was purchased by the city, Sam Edgerly was its first engineer.

No. I companj' was then organized ( \olunteers) and did excellent service under the various officers and men for many years. No. i was the champion team of the state and won the Buckhorns at three state tournaments. In 1871 the steaiuer and company were sent to help at the great Chicago fire and came home with much credit.

In i8q8 the steamer was sold for old junk for v$6o, and with the money frnm the sale Chief Schoeberlein had hose wagons built for Nos. i and 2.

Under the administration of John C. Murphy new quarters were built in North Broadway for $ij,ooo to house No. i hook and ladder truck and patrol wagon.

In 1891-92 W. S. Frazier, mayor; William Messenger, James Battle and John Meredith, fire and water committee, purchased an aerial truck and a chemical engine for this house.

In 1905, H. B. Douglas, mayor; Louis Stoll, J. W. Linden and Jesse Curry, fire and water committee; the chemical engine was replaced by an up-to-date combination hose wagon and a company of five full paid men organized, with George Rang as chief.

The second steamer purchased was in 1875, from A. Button & Son, Waterford, New York (D. Volintine mayor). Its first engineer was Hugh Doran and W. E. Reed was chief. The steainer w^as stationed on Anderson street, in a house built in 1870. A company of twenty men was organized and named Excelsior No. 2. The engine was in regular service until the establishment of the city water works system (1886) and is at the present time in good condition and held in reserve (1908). 1881 (T. Phillips, mayor), William Egermann chief, a horse w-as purchased for the No. 2 hose cart, then rebuilt. The first driver was George Rang, now chief. In 1882 a team of horses were purchased for the steamer and a company of thirteen men organized, with Adam Schoeberlein, captain ; Emil Frauenhofif, lieutenant: John Hubbard, engineer of steamer and Harvey Rackmyer stoker; M. Keil, driver. In 1898 the one-horse cart was replaced by a two-horse hose wagon and a company of five call men and a regular driver organized.

In 1869 the Holly pumps were established on both sides of the river, a hose house built and a company organized and located in River and Galena streets. A Holly pump was put into Hoyt's shop to pump water into the West Side mains and into the city mills for the East Side. The old Eagle mill site at the north end of the island was first tried, for the city owned one hundred and forty-four cubic inches of water then, but this power was insufficient to work the pump. After many years a hose house was built in South Lake street.

In 1881 a horse was purchased for the hose cart, then rebuilt. The company was organized under Chief Egermann and called No. 3 company. In 1886 a two-story brick house was built in South Lake street and a team of horses and a four-wheeled carriage purchased. In 1895 company of five paid men organized with Captain R. Tabor.

In 1892 the horse and cart at No. 3 was transferred to a two-story brick house, built at L^nion and Columbia streets. A company of six call men was organized, with R. Nixon as captain. In 1894 a team of horses was purchased and the No. 3 hose carriage transferred to this company. Later built into a hose wagon with a company of four paid men: organized under Chief Rang. January. 1907, with B. Weiler captain.

In 1894 old hook and ladder house in Broadway was moved to Fifth aveinie and Imrse and cart transferred frc ni Ni >. 4 and a cimipanv of six call men organized, with Captain L. Reese. It was called No. 5. In 1908 this house was rebuilt and company of four paid men organized, with Captain \V. Jacobs.

In 1 871 a hook and ladder house was built in North Broadway and the Eureka hook and ladder company organized, wath a fair-sized village truck, which was in service until 1892, when an empty truck was purchased and equipped with the ladders taken from the Aerial truck (also purchased the same year) by the fire and water committete - Messenger, Batttle and Meredith. The aerial truck is held in reserve. January i, 1907. the company (now called No. 6) were put on full pay, with five men.

In 1875 W. E. Reed and other members of the department established the first electric call fire alarm system. While stringing wires Tom Bexon, a member of No. 2 company, fell from a pole at the corner of River street and Downer place and was killed.

In 1886 an electric fire and police alarm system was installed with fifty signal boxes and gongs and printers in all hose houses, city hall and pumping station. The system has been improved and added to and at the present time there are about one hundred fire alarm boxes in the city.

The source of water supply up to 1886 was either direct from the river, from the Holly system in the business district of the east and west side, or from large cisterns located through the residence district, as follows :

Main and Root streets. Main and State streets. New York and Fourth streets, Clark and Fourth streets. Fifth and Clark streets. North avenue and Jackson street. Fourth street and North avenue, Union and Liberty streets, and Walnut and Locust streets.

In 1886 a high pressure water works system was installed, with miles of mains and hydrants, w"hich system has been greatly extended and enlarged.

East Bridge, Aurora. Erected 1885 Aurora, North Erom Hotel Arthur

As before stated, there have been but few hres since 1886, when the new water works were installed. Among the more prominent fires in the city since its settlement are the following :

City Water Works

Under the head "Fire Department" is mentioned the installation of the high pressure water system, but the circumstances which led up to it deserve a more extended mention. There had been considerable agitation of the question of water supply for fire purposes, and for a few years a supply of water for domestic purposes was discussed. An analysis of numerous wells in different parts of the city was made and they were all found to be contaminated with organic matter, decidedly dangerous to life and health of the people. The council engaged the services of an engineer, Chester B. Davis, to ascertain where a suitable water supply could be obtained. He discovered there was plenty of water in the river and advanced the theory that impure river water would purify itself by falling over a dam and becoming "aerated," therefore the river water, after falling over the North Aurora dam, would become pure and suitable for domestic purposes. He also found a large underground supply of pure water on the Douglas farm, south of town, which he thought might possibly furnish a sufficient supply. But being sure of a sufficient supply in the river, he recommended that it be taken from the river above the city. The council adopted this plan June 5, 1885, and borrowed one hundred and thirty-eight thousand dollars to complete the work. Alderman George Meredith championed the work of the council, and it is to his eff'orts, more than to those of any other one man, that Aurora secured water works at that time. The pumping station was put north of the city, and conduits were laid to an island opposite the pumps, through which the water ran to get into the big well, from which it was pumped into the stand pipe and into the water mains. But the quality of the water was not suitable for domestic purposes, for tlie air failed tn purif_\- the sewage from tlie up river towns. When the work was completed the city owned over twenty miles of mains, a steel stand pipe une hundred and tifty two feet high and eighteen feet in diameter, two steam pumps, with a cajjacity of three million gallons daily, and two hundred and forty-five hydrants. Water takers used the water for watering lawns, etc. There was an abundant supply for fire purposes, but it was not much used for domestic purposes. After a few years the city determined to experiment with artesian wells, and sunk one well to a depth of two thousand or more feet into the St. Peter's sandstone, which underlies all this part of the countiy. The first five thousand feet supplied pure soft water, but not in sufficient quantity. The deeper the well went the more mineral matter appeared in the water, and in the last five hundred feet the quantity was so great that the water was undesirable, therefore the lower end of the well was plugged up. Three other wells have been sunk, until now (1908), with the aid of an '"air lift,'" supply the needs of the city, about three million gallons daily. Extensions of the water mains have been made every year, until now (1908). the city has over fifty-eight miles of mains, while the quality and quantity is very satisfactory. In fact it analyses better than any other city water in the state. The city had in 1908, four hundred and eighty-four hydrants for fire protection. It keeps a constant supply of fresh water in fourteen watering troughs and two drinking fountains. Water is supplied to private parties through meters, of which there were four thousand five hundred in use in igp8. and the annual revenues were about forty thousand dollars. The surplus over the expenses was used to extend the mains and pay the interest on the bonds. The actual amount of w'ater consumed was two million gallons daily. Thus, in 1908, it appeared that with fifty-eight miles of water mains and five hundred hydrants for fire protection, free water supplied to the city buildings, fire department buildings, schools, hospitals, drinking fountains, watering troughs, the entire expense, including interest on the bonds, was paid by the private water consumers and the water tax was not large, compared with that of other places. This w-as considered by the advocates of municipal ownership of public vuilities to be an unanswerable argument in their favor.

Since the water works have been installed tlie citv has from time to time put in a sewer system until, at the present writing (1908) the city has over fifty miles of sewers paid for by the property owners under the special assessment plan.

Electric Street Lighting

Aurora claims to lie the first city in the world to have its streets lighted by electricity. In the spring of 1881 the city made a contract with the Aurora Electric Light and Power Company for sixteen two thousand-candle power lamps at six thousand dollars a year for five years. The lamps were placed on elevated towers about one hundred and sixty feet high, made of gas pipe. At the expiration r^f this contract, in 1886, the city installed an electric lighting plant of its own, securing power from the city pumping station, up the river, and so far as is known has the record of having the first municipally owned electric street lighting plant in the world. After twenty-two years of service it is at this writing pronounced very satisfactory. The lamps have been lowered to fifteen or twenty feet above the street crossings, which gives better service than on high towers.

"The municipal electric light system is composed of eight independent fifty-nine-arc light circuits, all controlled from a central switch board and energized by a three hundred and fifty kilowatt generator direct connected to a four hundred and fifty horsepower cross compound condensing Ball engine, l(x-ated at the city water station. The steam for this plant is supplied from the same battery of boilers wdiich supply the ptmiping engines and the plant is operated jointly with the water works, a division of total plant expense exclusive of labor being made on a basis of one-third cost to the lighting department, and two-thirds cost to the water department.

"The above system is practically new, having been in satisfactory operation since the latter part of 1906. and as it now stands will compare favorably with any municipal lighting plant in the country.

"Equipment - The lighting system is equipped as follows : Four hundred long burning arc lamps (of which three hundred and eighty-four are now in operation), one fifty-light transformer and five multiple arc lamps in Lincoln jjark, one four hundred and fifty horsepower cross compound condensing Ball engine with Dean condenser direct, connected to a Westinghouse Electric Companv three hundred and fifty-kilowatt generator, one exacting generator, one Westinghouse ten-horsepower engine driving a ten-kilowatt generator for lighting the pumping plant, one hundred and one miles number six weather proof wire, nine thousand feet number six single conductor and nine hundred feet of number six double conductor, lead covered, high tension cables, in Chicago Telephone Company conduits, four one hundred-light Westinghouse Electric Company transformers, eight fifty-light regulators and one fully equipped five-panel switch board.

"The operating cost for the year was fifteen thousand, eighty-eight dollars and seventy-six cents, or thirty-nine dollars and thirty cents per lamp."

"The fire and police telegraph system consists of two independent police circuits operating respectively on the east and west sides of the river, three fire circuits (two of which are on the east side and one on the west side) and one house circuit operating the tower bell, all of which are energized by a three hundred and twenty-five cell storage battery and controlled by a Gamewell automatic switch board.

"The transmitter enables the police desk sergeant to send in an alarm from his desk upon receipt of a telephone message. The repeater automatically transmits alarms from one circtiit to the, other."

Lincoln Park. - When the original plat of Aurora was laid out, in 1835, by Samuel AlcCarty, he set aside one block for a public park. This is now known as Lincoln park. It is located between Main and New York streets, East Park place and West Park place.

McKinley Park. - Located on North Lake street, and extending to River street, between Vine street and West Park avenue, was donated to the city for park purposes by Roswell Wilder, about 1839. It was christened McKinley park after the death of President ]\IcKinley. An effort has been made to change the name to "Wilder park." in honor of the doner, which may be done hereafter.

Phillips Park. - When Travis Phillips, former mayor of Aurora, died, in 1897, he left a will making several bequests and instructing his executor, Eugene B. Mix, to use the remainder of his estate in the purchase of soine land and to donate the same to the city for park purposes. In 1899 Mr. Mix presented to the city council a deed for sixty acres of land in the southeast part of the city for a park. This land he bought of H. H. Evans at four hundred dollars an acre, and the purchase carried with it a proviso that the street railway, in which Mr. Evans was then interested, should continue to run to the park for a term of years. The place had been previously used for park purposes in hopes of inducing travel on that line of the street railway. The city accepted the donation and made some improvements on the park. In 1905 park commissioners were appointed, under the state law, who built a house for the custodian and made other improvements, as fast as the funds at their disposal would permit. In 1908 the park commissioners were J. R. Schmahl, E. C. Beaupre. and N. ]\I. Hutchison.

General Summary

To sum up the public improvements of the city in the year 1908: It had a water works system valued at over two hundred thousand dollars, with over fifty-eight miles of water mains, furnishing the purest water to four thousand five hundred water takers, five hundred fire hydrants, all without any tax on the city. It also had over fifty miles of sewers, ninety-two miles of streets, twenty-three and one-half miles of street paving, eighty-five miles of brick or cement sidewalk, mostly cement; an excellent paid fire department, with five hose houses and a high water pressure in all parts of the city ; a fine police department, a good municipal street lighting system, an electric fire alarm system, all this the work of the city government. These, taken in connection with an excellent public school system with ample school buildings, it was claimed, made .\urora a good place for residence - one hard to be equaled for its size and age. the world over.

Aurora City Hospital was opened in 1886. It received its first financial boost from a bazar given in the old skating rink at the corner of Lincoln avenue and Alain street, in whicli nearly all churches and societies in the city joined, and several thousand dollars were raised. A "benefit" was again given the institution in 1888 in the reconstructed city mills. The Woman's Club gave another bazar in 1905 in the coHseum on the island, realizing a profit of over ten thousand dollars. Several legacies have also been received. The hospital has been enlarged and improved as fast as its finances would permit. It received one thousand, five hundred dollars a year from the city until the St. Charles Hospital was opened in 1900, when that sum was divided between the two institutions.

St. Charles' Hospital was opened by the Catholic denomination in 1900. The large brick house, on North Fourth street, built by Philo Carpenter, and afterwards occupied by Mrs. Coulter, was bought in 1900, and at once transformed into a hospital. In 1902 a large annex was built at a cost of about fifty thousand dollars, a large portion of which remained as a debt on the institution in 1908. Several bazars have been given for its benefit.

Charles T. Douglas, writing frLim San Diego. California, to the semi-centennial celebration of the First Congregational church, in 1888, gives some interesting reminiscences, from which we quote :

"It was in that old church that Salmon P. Chase made one of his famous republican speeches, while Douglas and Lincoln were running for the senate. Frederick Douglass twice pleaded the cause of the oppressed within its walls. John P. Hale, Rev. John Grass, Ichabod Goodwin and other noted anti-slavery speakers found its doors open to them. Many will remember the exciting day when Stephen A. and Frederick Douglass were both advertised to address the citizens of Aurora - the one in reply to the other. It was after the passage of the "Missouri Compromise Act." and Stephen A. was attempting to justify himself before his enraged and outraged constituency for introducing and advocating the passage of that infamous law. Frederick had heard that he was to address the citizens of Aurora and determined to follow in reply. The train from the south brought Stephen A., but his condition was such that it required the assistance of two strong men to walk into the Aurora - now Tremont house. Frederick had arrived earlier on the eastern train, and was so unwell that the physicians, the late Dr. Hard and some one else - positively forbade him to speak at all. When it was announced that neither was able to speak, the vast throng, including some from distant states, who had gathered to hear Frederick's reply to Stephen A., were greatly disappointed. . . . The turbulent mass insisted that Frederick should at least show himself. Soon the cry went up 'to the church! to the church!' The doctors had consented that Frederick might speak in the churcli a few moments. Away rushed the crowd up the hill, and in less time than I have taken to write it, the church was filled to overflowing, and crowds gathered at the windows. Frederick was brought in and laid down on the pulpit sofa to rest a minute. Little hump-back Beeman, son of Dr. Beeman, of New York, sat in a chair at the end of the sofa behind the pulpit. It was suggested tliat while Frederick was resting someone on the opposite side should address the people in Stephen A.'s place. A law-yer by the name of Poindexter introduced an orator from Ohio by the name of Chapman, better known as 'Crow, Chapman, crow.' AMien Chapman attempted to justify and defend the Missouri compromise, the excitement became so great that cries of 'Put him out,' 'Lynch him,' etc., were heard from all parts of the house. Judge Parks, who, w^ith Poindexter, had assisted Stephen A. into the hotel, was sitting about half way down the north aisle. He sprang to his feet, and, striding down to the front shouted, "By the gods you shall hear him," and turning he pointed his finger at Beeman, and said in tones of withering scorn, 'That little pickaninu}-' - but he got no further; for like lightning, Beeman sprang over the pulpit and clutched Parks by the throat. Everybody was on their feet, women screamed in terror; - a rush, and Parks went out of the windtiw head foremost. Strong arms stood Beeman on the communion table in front of the altar, and there with hands on his hips, chest heaving with intense excitement, and eyes gleaming with fire, he stood until he could get his breath, and then burst forth in such a flood of liurning eloquence in denunciation of the slave power and its truculent followers, as only a naturally eloquent man, speaking under the stimulant of such an epithet and in such a cause, could give utterance to. He was followed by Frederick in a half hour's speech, which those who heard can never forget."'

In the same letter from which the foregoing is quoted, Mr. Charles L. Douglas says : "It is related that some years previous to this. General Farnsworth objected to these anti-slavery meetings being held in our church. At one of them he undertook to create a disturbance while Frederick Douglass was speaking, asking, 'What of it?' etc. Frederick at length turned upon him, saying, 'What of it? Suppose they should take your wife - she is white, to be sure- - and sell her to be the mistress of some treacherous villain ?' The general replied that he would not stand that. 'But that is just what they do,' said Frederick, and put some other questions to him touching family ties, etc. At the close of the meeting General Farnsworth apologized, saying that he had done wrong in interrupting him. and was wrong. From that time forward he was an abolitionist." The general was afterwards a gallant soldier in the war, which resulted in abolishing slavery, and still later he championed the cause of freedom in many a contest in the halls of congress.

The First City Election

The first city election in Aurora was held March 4, 1857, when B. F. Hall, democrat, was elected over E. R. Allen, republican. The victorious democracy celebrated their victory with fireworks and a big parade. Owing to the bridges being swept away by the flood, the celebration must have been a one-sided affair.

\\'henever a stream passes tlirough a village or small city there is generally a rivalry of some sort between the inhabitants of the two sides of the stream. This rivalry, for some reason, was particularly intense at an early day in Aurora. This was primarily due to the location of the postoffice, which would change its location from one side of the river to the other with every presidential election. Samuel McCarty acted as postmaster for "McCarty's Mills,"" as the place was called, from 1834 to 1837, when Burr Winton was appointed regular postmaster of Aurora, at which time he moved the postoffice to the east side. This change in location continued regularly every four years until it was settled in by Russel C. Mix, who first moved it to the west side and later built a small frame building on the land belonging to J. G. Stolp on the island which bears his name. And there it has remained ever since, to the apparent satisfaction of every one.

This rivalry was intensified shortly after the railroad was built from Aurora to Turner's Junction. A charter had been granted by the legislature for an extension of the Aurora branch from Aurora to Mendota. Boston capitalists had bought up some of the railroad stock and were to furnish the money to extend tlie road toward the west. Then came up the question, "Where should the depot be located?" Charles Hoyt, Silas Reynolds and several other residents west of the river, who had subscribed for quite a large quantity of stock for those days, thought they were entitled to some consideration on that account, and planned to have tlie track cross the ri\"er above the dam, have the depot on the west side, and thereby make West Aurora the big town. The eastsiders heard about this, and took steps t(j change the program. Ben Hackney went to Boston, then headquarters for the road, and bought a number of shares of stock as O. T. Shedd tells the story, and coming back persuaded the engineer to place the grade of the roadbed so low that it could not cross the river above the dam, and it therefore became necessary to have the track go down on the east side and cross the river below the town. This raised such a storm of protest that the managers of the road promised to build as good a depot on the west side as there was on the east side, which was done, and for many years the depots on each side of the river were alike, but west side people never forgave the eastsiders for outwitting them in this way. It is said that "Charles Hoyt was so mad that he sold all his railroad stock."'

The rivalry continued, and Stolp's island became neutral ground, where all the public buildings w'ere located, including the city buildings, the old Young Men's Christian Association, Memorial hall, postoffice building, the old public library, at the rear of Memorial hall, and finally the Carnegie public library, after more than a year's effort on the part of the librarv board to find a satisfactory location on either side of the river.

To avoid strife over political matters, it had become an unwritten law that mayors of the city should be selected first from one side of the river and then from the other side. This has been the practice ever since the city was organized, with one exception. In 1865 Dr. Young was elected to succeed himself. Even the Woman's Club selects its president from alternate sides of the river annuallv.

The Great Flood

On February 7, 1857, occurred the great tiood, from which many local events are dated. A local paper, published that week, says the ground had been covered with snow over a foot deep for sixty days, with the ground frozen hard. On the 5th it began to rain and continued to do so most of the time until Saturday, the 7th. That morning, people living on the flats awoke to find their houses surrounded by water. They escaped to places of safety as fast as possible. The railroad bridge blocked the ice, and the water set back all over Stolp's island. Suddenly a gorge two miles up the river gave way and w'ater and ice came down in irresistible foaming fury, sweeping everything before it. "Crash, crash, crash, went the three bridges within a minute of each other.'" Twenty small houses w-ere swept down the stream, one containing a woman and her babe, who passed safely over the Montgomery dam and were rescued some distance below. A child, which floated down the river on a cake of ice w-as rescued at Aurora. Among the other losses in Aurora were Stolp's barn with three hundred bushels of grain, machinery, etc., dye house, one hundred cords of wood, bulk head, etc. His loss was estimated at over four thousand dollars. Fyfe's Eagle mills, on the island, Hyde's sawmiill, Reedy & Merrill's sash factory, Woodworth brothers' addition to the factory, bridges, dams, etc. The "Guardian" placed the loss at thirty thousand eight hundred and twenty-five dollars, and the "Beacon" at one hundred thousand dollars.

When J. M. Walker W'As Iiayor

A well authenticated story is told that when James Walker was elected mayor, he was disgusted with a number of the aldermen, who had lieen elected at the same time, and when he took his seat and made the list of standing committees he said : "Gentlemen of the council, here is a list of the standing committees for the ensuing year. They are \ery poor committees, but it is the best I could do zi'it/i the material at hand!"

In 1907 Mr. Walker celebrated his fiftieth anniversary of his connection with the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy, nearly all of which time he spent as foreman of the great blacksmith shop, better known as "Walker's shop." On the date of the celebration the manager of the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy presented Mr. Walker with a fine gold watch and chain.

One Of Hopkins' Early Law Cases

It is not now an easy matter for a young lawyer to establish a profitable practice in his chosen profession, and in old times, it is claimed, the old lawyers looked with less favor upon an aspiring young attorney than in later years.

One of the first cases w-hich the writer hereof was called upon to report for a newspaper in Aurora illustrates this proposition, as well as the fighting qualities which made A. J. Hopkins a success in both law and politics.

Flood, Aurora, 1857

A boy who had worked for a wagonmaker on Downer place and was unable to collect his pay. employed Hopkins to collect the amount due him, which was fourteen dollars. It was one of Hopkins' first cases. A. E. Searles, an old lawyer, was on the other side, and was disposed to treat the young attorney rather contemptuously. The trial came before Esquire C. H. Adams, whose office was in the little old frame postoffice building on the island. A jury of six men was agreed upon and the trial began. Searles was unusually severe, and when the trial was adjourned for dinner Hopkins told Searles that he must stop treating him in the way he had been doing or he would give him a thrashing. It appears that during the noon hour Searles armed himself with a pistol, and when the case was again called, so far forgot himself as to repeat his contemptuous language about his opponent. He had not proceeded far when Hopkins struck him on the side of the head with his bare fist and knocked him half way across the building. Searles picked himself up and pulled a pistol from his pocket and was proceeding tremblingly toward his opponent, when W. P. West, one of the jurymen seized his hand and took the pistol away. Thereupon the plaintiff in the case struck Searles twice on the head, inflicting wounds from which the blood flowed freely. After quiet was restored Esquire Adams said. "Take that man out and wash him up." Someone sponged the blood from ]\Ir. Searles' face and the esquire said, "Now let the case proceed." Mr. Searles was not in condition to make an effective plea, and Hopkins asked the jury for a \-erdict of fourteen dollars for his client, which was given.

Railroad History

Aurora is essentially a railroad town, and is now something of a railroad center. It may not be generally known that the great Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad received its start in Aurora. Such, however, is the case, and this is the way it happened.

The Galena & Chicago Union Railroad was chartered in 1836, which had been built and was in operation in 1848, when Hon. L. D. Brady was a member of the legislature. In that year he secured a charter for the "Aurora Branch Railroad Company." to run from Aurora and connect with the Galena (S: Chicago Railroad at the most desirable point, which happened to be Turner Tunction, now West Chicago. The Aurora Branch Railroad was commenced in 1850 and was finished in 1851. thirteen miles. A. C. Gibson and Benjamin Hacknev. with others, were named in the charter as directors for the new road, and Stephen F. Gale, of Chicago, was the first president. Mr. Harmon, in his history of .Aurora says : "Considerable difficulty was experienced in negotiatine the bonds, which iob was undertaken bv B. Hacknev. who was then acting superintendent and princii)al stockholder. Frink & Gale, of Chicago, and Bradv. Hacknev and others, of Aurora, had to endorse them, tints becoming personallv responsible before they were taken. . . . John Arnat of Elmira. New York, took the first ten thousand dollars worth of bonds, and

Rufus H. King, of All)any, took forty thousand dollars worth. Bonds were taken at par by the Buffalo & Niagara Railroad for a quantity of second hand flat rails, thought to be sufficient to finish the road. The road cost in all, with an engine, two passenger and twelve freight cars, about one hundred thousand dollars.

"The flat rail'^ thus purchased were just enough t<i complete the line without anv allowance for switches, sidetracks, and turning around, so additional iron was liought of the Michigan Central Railroad.

"On June 22, 1852, the charter of the Aurora Branch Railroad was amended and the road was empowered to build to Mendota, forty-six miles, while the name of the road was changed to the 'Chicago & Aurora Railroad Company,' and it began to operate this extension in the fall of 1853. In 1855 the name of the road was again changed to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and on Jri'y 9. 185^. the latter company was consolidated with the Central Military Tract Company, chartered February 15. 185 1. which had built the road from Mendota to Galesburg, eighty miles, and opened it for traffic in 1855.

"In the meantime some far seeing gentleman from Boston came here to buy up the original stock of the Aurora Branch Railroad. Some was bought at par, some at a slight advance, but two or three held on to their stock until the system was purchased by J. J. Hill, about 1900, and realized not less than forty times the original outlay. This increase was made from time to time as new roads were purchased in the form of 'stock dividends,' sometimes called 'watered stock.' The profits of the Bostonians, who bought most of this stock, can only be imagined. In i860 the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy became the owner, by purchase under a foreclosure sale, of the Northern Cross Railroad from Galesburg to Quincy, which had been opened in

1857. In 1863 it also bought the Peoria & Oquaka Road from Peoria through Galesburg to Burlington. This road had been operated since 1855. and made a direct line from Chicago to Burlington as early as ]\Iarch i of that year, and to Quincy the year following.

"During all these years the through trains ran from Burlington through Aurora by way of Turner Junction to Chicago over the Galena & Chicago Road. Amos T. Hail, of Aurora, who was treasurer for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, attended the annual meetings of stockholders in Boston year after year and urged the construction of a direct line from Aurora to Chicago, owing to the excessive charges made by the Galena & Chicago line, but not until 1864 did he get the consent of the company to construct a new direct line. The history of the great Burlington system, (lutside its immediate connection with Aurora, does not properly belong in a history of Aurora, but the road, having its earliest inception here, will always be looked upon by Aurora people as the offspring of the town.

"There are. however, two branches of this road from .\urora. which must now recei\-e consideration. The Ottawa, Oswego & Fox River Valley Railroad and the Chicago & Iowa Railroad."

The Fox River Line

In i8')8 the legislation passed a bill authorizing towns along the Fox river to vote to take stock in the new Ottawa, Oswego & Fox River Valley- Railroad, extending frf>m Streator to Geneva. Aurora held a special town meeting February 26, 1869, to vote on taking this stock to the extent of sixty thousand dollars, and issuing town bonds therefor bearing ten per cent interest. The vote was 1,050 for, and 561 against the bonds. The bonds were issued and sold and the stock was received by the supervisor. For two years taxes were levied and money collected to pay the interest and ten per cent of the principal of the bonds, making the sum of twelve thousand dollars, which was paid on the bonds. At this juncture the supreme court decided that the law under which the bonds were issued was unconstitutional. Some one in one of the small towns down the river, who had a grudge against the railroad, discovered that this law was read only on t-ico separate days in the lower house, whereas the constitution required it to be read on three separate days in both the house and senate. He, therefore, went into court and secured an injunction against the town authorities of his town forbidding them from levying any tax in that town for the payment of either interest or principal of these bonds. The case was taken to the supreme court and the injunction was sustained. A similar injunction was secured against the authorities of Aurora. This brought on a peculiar state of afifairs. The town owned sixty thousand dollars worth of railroad stock, on which it had paid only twelve thousand dollars. It had outstanding forty-eight thousand dollars in bonds, which a large majority of the people of the town wanted to pay, but they were prohibited from paying them by an injunction from the supreme court. The innocent holders of these bonds, who paid full value for them in good money, were unintentionally swindled out of their money. Many years afterwards, a town meeting authorized the supervisor to exchange this railroad stock for an equal amount of town bonds, for which the stock was issued. The bonds wei-e held in different parts of the country, many of them in Aurora. They were gradually exchanged for stock until 1899, when only two hundred and thirty shares remained in the town treasury, including the one hundred and twenty shares owned by the town. At the annual town meeting that year the supervisor was instructed to sell them to the highest bidder, which was done May 15, 1899. and they were sold to the firm of which Senator Hopkins was the head, for seven dollars and fifty cents a share.

The road was turned over to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy in 1870 and was completed by tliat company and has since been continually operated by it and has become one of the most profitable branches of the great Burlington system.

This road appears to have been projected by Mr. Hinckley in 1865 or about that time, and was known as the Hinckley Road. The town records show that at the town meeting in 1866 a proposition to vote town bonds for one hundred thousand dollars in aid of this road was voted down l)y a vote of three hundred and sixty-nine for, to nine hundred and twenty-five against the bond issue. But the question came up again in the furm of issuing bonds to buy stock in the road to tiie extent of one hundred tliousand doHars. A special town election was held August 5, 1869, to determine whether the town of Aurora should subscribe for one hundred thousand dollars worth of stock in this road and issue bonds bearing ten per cent interest to pay for it. At this election the town by a light vote ( eight hundred and thirteen for, to three Iiundred and ninety- four against) saddled upon itself a debt of one hundred thou-^and dnllars at ten per cent interest t(j pay for stock in a railroad to run through a very rich section of farming land, whose products were brought to Aurora by teams. The construction (jf the road was a direct and serious damage to the business interests of Aurora, for on its completion the farm products, which were formerly brought to Aurora for sale and exchange, were taken to the stations of Sugar Grove, Big Rock, Hinckley, Waterman and other places along the line, and were shipped directly to Chicago. From this time dates the beginning of the decline of business in River street. West Aurora, and to the date of the present writing the street has never recovered from the backset thus gi\-en it. The town. howe\-er, paid its ten per cent interest and finally wiped out the bonds and owned one hundred thousand dollars worth of stock in the new road. The company issued bonds which were taken by the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad, which company went on and completed the road to St. Paul, and, of course, controlled its operation. Then a queer state of affairs was developed. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy wanted the stock in the Chicago & Iowa held by the town of Aurora, and as the company had built most of the road and had been operating it for several years it was taken for granted by most people that the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was entitled to the stock. But Judge R. G. Montony, who had been employed by former Supervisor O. N. Shedd to look up the rights of the town and had spent a great deal of time in investigating tins case, declared that the, Aurora stock was the only stock in the road that had ever been paid for, and that the town of Aurora virtually owned the road, subject to the bonded indebtedness. He failed, however, to arouse any interest in the matter, even Supervisor Reising, who was also a large stockholder in the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, thought it was not worth while to oppose the wishes of the railroad. The editor of the Aurora Herald, however, thought differently and called a public meeting, to be held in the editorial rooms of the Herald to consider the matter. This meeting was attended by A. Somarindyck, T. H. Day and Pierce Burton. The subject was explained and the "meeting" adjourned to the next night, and an effort was made during the ne.xt day to interest others. The adjourned meeting was attended by three or four others, and it was decided to issue a little "dodger" explaining the condition of affairs and tn-ging all voters to lie on hand at tlie appointed hour on the approaching town meeting day to vote on disposing of the stock. It was also decided to try to adopt a resolution at this meeting to take the stock out of the bonds of the super\-isor and put it in charge of a committee with instructions to sell it to the liio-hest bidder. A somewhat vigorous "dodger" was printed and circulated throughout the town, resulting in the biggest town meeting in the history of the town. The island in front of the town hall was literally packed with voters, who by a large majority adopted the resolutions, only a few stepped to one side, showing they favored giving the stock to the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy. The town meeting was held April 5, 1881, and the resolution adopted named as a committee, A. Somarindyck, Alonzo George. Holmes Miller, C. S. Hoyt, John Reising, T. H. Day, Allen W. Stolp, together with the supervisor and town clerk, to sell the stock.

In due course of time the committee advertised the stock for sale and tried to interest some Wall street parties, as no one in Aurora wanted to buy a railroad w-ith such a big debt. The result was that on the day of sale there were two bidders, who gradually run up the price to one hundred and thirty thousand dollars, and it was bid in at that price by Mr. Head, of Chicago, who paid that sum in cash. Just how much he made the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy pay him has never been made public, but it is surmised that he secured a good profit on his purchase, as that road has since held undisputed possession. These circumstances are given here in detail to illustrate the historic fact that three or four determined citizens can, by united and well directed, active effort, overcome the inertia of regular officials and accomplish almost any desired result for the good of the community. First let the result aimed at be right for "thrice armed is he whose cause is just," and there is but little danger of failure.

The town of Aurora had now (1881) nne hundred and thirty thousand dollars cash in the treasury, and didn't kn(jw what to do with it. Some suggested building a township high school, as the law provides, others a fine new town hall, others investing the money so the interest would pay the town taxes. Other schemes were mentioned, but after deliberating a year or more it was finally decided to use five thousand dollars for the annual expenses of the town, so no town taxes were levied that year, and to appropriate twentyfive tliousand dollars to gravel the public highways outside the city limits, and to appropriate one hundred thousand dollars for new iron or steel bridges, which were afterward constructed across the river at North avenue to River street. Fox street to Downer place across the island and from New York street to Walnut street, above the dam. These bridges, at this writing ( IQ08) nre in fair condition, although heavy street cars have been running oxer the Fox street bridge for many years, and it is claimed weakened them, for they were designed for the use of only horses, wagons, etc. An effort is now being made to have cement bridges constructed at the island crossing.

North-Western Railroad

What is now the North-Western Railroad was the first railroad in Kane county, and got as far as Fox river at Geneva in 1850. It built a branch to Batavia in 1873 and to Aurora in 1883, coming down the west side of the river. The Aurora branch has done a remarkably good business ever since it was completed.

Elgin, Joliet & Eastern

What is now the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern was constructed in 1886 between Aurora and Joliet, and was called the Joliet, Aurora & Northern. It changed its name and management in 1887, built a bridge across the Fox river and a depot on the west side at the corner of South street and Garfield avenue. It has done a good freight business,, but has made no effort to carry many passengers, except to run one train a day each way.

The Illinois, Iowa & Minnesota Railroad

The Illinois, Iowa & Minnesota Railroad was constructed between Aurora and Rockford in 1904-5-6, and is said to be the property of the United States Steel Company, and its chief business is the transportation of the products of the steel mills received over the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern.

Manufacturing In Aurora

Every inland town which has ambitions to grow turns its attention to manufacturing, or, to speak more correctly, tries to induce others to do manufacturing in their locality. Owners of land argue that the location of an institution near them which employs laborers might enable them to sell lots to the workmen. These workmen would create a demand for groceries, meat markets and the like, which would require lots to build stores on, and so the town w-ould grow and the land owners reap the liarvest. The early settlers of Aurora were quick to perceive these advantages and made such successful efifnrts in this direction that the town has grown to be quite a manufacturing center.

The C, B. & O. Shops

Among the first of these institutions to be located here were the repair shops of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. The Aurora projectors of the road had influence enough to locate the shops here, which was done in 1855, shortly after the road was in running order, with the aid of private su]:)Scriptions amounting to $6,705.75. These shops were destroyed by fire on Christmas night. 1863. but were partially rebuilt. The officials of the road soon discovered that they did not have room enough in Aurora for their shops and proposed to move them to some place wdiere more land could be obtained. This met with a protest of Aurora business men, who labored long with the officials to retain the shops here, but they had no land and the land in the immediate vicinity of the shops was owned by numerous individuals and was occupied by buildings of various kinds. Finally as an ultimatum J. M. Walker, president of the C. B. & O., submitted a proposition to the people of Aurora early in 1867 to the effect that the company would pay $500 an acre for thirty acres, e.xclusive of the buildings, altliough the property was worth more than four times that sum. .At the regular annual town meeting, April 2, 1867, of which R. C. Mix was moderator. Judge Parks introduced a resolution to the effect that the sum ut $50,000 be raised by a IkjikI issue, the niouey to be used for the purchase of land for the C, B. & O. shups, his claim lieing that the law authorized the raising of any amount of muney for "the good of the town," and this project came under that head.

J. D. Dunning moved to amend the resolution by adding that the whole amount should be raised by taxation in three years. This was promptly laid on the table on motion of Judge Parks. The motion was then "carried by a large majority," the record says, and afterwards gives the vote as 1,524 for, to 79 against the proposition. After much difficulty with the owners the necessarv land was purchased and turned over to the C., B. & Q. at a cost of about $88,000. The deficit after selling the buildings was $12,000, which was made up by the city issuing bonds to that amount. So the shops were [)ermanently located here and ha\-e aided more than any one other thing in building up the town. The wages of the employes have gone into the construction and maintenance of the town, while the profits of the work, if any, have gone into the capacious maw of the "Burlington System." The number of employes varies with the work on hand, sometimes running up to fifteen hundred.

Hoyt Brothers Manufacturing Company. Among the other earlier factories was that of the Hoyt Brothers Manufacturing Company, originally started in 1855 by Carter & Reeves for the manufacture of reapers. These were succeeded about 1858 by Pinney & Stevens, then by Carter & Pinney, and in iSAS ])y R. S. Carter & Company, who conducted a general jobbing and Cdustrncting business, and in i8Cx) by. the Hoyts. These continued the business (jf making wood-WDrking machinery until the death of Charles L. and Lucius Hoyt, when the shops were bought by the .\merican ^Vood Working Machinery Company, which now operates them.

The Aurora Silver Plate Manufacturing Company was organized in 1869-70 and was burnt out the first year after commencing work. It was rebuilt at once and has made a large amount of silver-plated ware, which has been sold in all parts of the West, Although they have a fine building to show, the original stockholders have not grown wealthy from their investment.

The Aurora Watch Company was organized in 1883 and erected a fine factory on South LaSalle street. It made excellent watches, but after most of the original stockholders lost all or nearly all they invested, the plant was sold to a company manufacturing watches in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who moved the machinery there. The building was afterward leased by the Aurora Corset Company, who are now successfully operating.

The Frazier Road Cart Factory, established in 1881 by W. S. Frazier, continues to be one of the flourishing institutions of the city, conducted now by his sons, W, S. and E. S. Frazier.

The American Well Works is another of Aurora's successful institutions, which has grown to large proportions and ships its products, well sinking machines, to all parts of the world.

The Chicago & Aurora Smelting Refining Company was the name of one of the companies which was induced to come to Aurora through a cash donation. Subscriptions were made chiefly by Aurora business men, amounting to $12,000 or $15,000, and paid over to the company, who bought land on the east side of Fox ri\er near North Aurora in 1882 and erected elaborate smelting works, bringing bullion from western mines and separating the gold and silver from the lead and other metals. Thej- did a profitable business for twelve or fifteen years and then sold out to the "Trust" (The American Smelting & Refining Company), which closed up the works here. The buildings remained idle until 1907, when they were purchased by Love Brothers and are now used as a portion of their iron works. The location has been named "Lovedale."

This is one of Aurora's very own successful institutions, it having grown up here from almost nothing to one of the great iron industries of the West. In 1878 John P. Love and Joy Love, brothers, established a small foundry on Pierce street. In 1882 they moved to the corner of Clark and Water streets, where, besides doing general foundry work, they made a specialty of architectural iron. This work has grown to such an extent that they acquired a controlling interest in the Aurora Iron \\'orks, at the corner of Spruce street and Highland avenue, and in 1907 purchased the old Smelting Works property, renamed it "Lovedale," built a suspension bridge across the river to reach the Batavia street car line, and are doing a flourishing business there.

This is one of the successful institutions which was located in Aurora by means of a subsidy or bonus. In September, 1889, a meeting of citizens appointed a committee to negotiate with Rathbone, Sard & Company, of Albany, New York, who had determined to locate a branch of their stove works somewhere in the West. This committee consisted of C. L. Hoyt, T. N. Holden and J. B. Arnold. That they succeeded in accomplishing the purpose for whicii they were appointed indicates the al)ility of the committee. After numerous interviews with the proprietors of the stove works and several visits by them to Aurora, the committee offered them fifteen acres of land free, $60,000 in cash, switches, sidetracks, etc., which took about ten acres more, agreed to extend the water mains, gas mains and street railway to the works, secure equal freight rates with Joliet, which was also after the works. The company accepted the proposition as a little better than offered by either Joliet or Elgin. "In return," says a report of the committee published in the Daily Express of October i, 1883. "the stove company agree to expend $350,000 in buildings in Aurora by the first of next June to this fall, commence the foundation of the shops and warehouses enough to give employment to five hundred men, and to increase the works until the whole plant was located here." The manner in which the money was raised was unique and became known throughout the country as "The Aurora Plan." It was this: The committee secured options on about one hundred and fifty acres of land on the line of the C, B. & O. near the "Y," crossing south of the city. Of this fifteen acres were to be given to the stove works, ten were reserved for other possible manufacturers, ten more were to be appropriated for sidetracks.

and the remainder to be cut up into five hundred city lots of about one-sixth of an acre each. These it was proposed to sell at the uniform price of $200, although they would soon be worth from $200 to $600, according to location. "These five hundred lots would bring $100,000, which would pay for the land, about $30,000, pay the bonus of $60,000, pay for the sidetracks, and the lots themselves would within a year be worth to the purchaser more than he pays for them now." Such was the rosy picture painted by the committee, and it is not strange that at a pulilic meeting held to hear the report half of the lots were sold in thirty minutes and the other half the next day by a canvass of the city, the purchasers numbering nearly three hundred. The lots were apportioned by chance, the number of a lot and the name of a purchaser being drawn from different boxes at the same time until all the lots were disposed of.

Aurora Woolen Mills. In 1837 J. G. Stolp came to Aurora from Onondaga county. New York, with $300 in his pocket, which he had earned by working six years in an old woolen mill in Marcellus, New York. His uncle, Frederick Stolp, had preceded him and laid claim to all the land on Stolp's Island for Joseph G. in 1835. Joseph G. arrived here in 1837 and erected a woolen mill on the north end of the island and put in machinery for wool carding and cloth dressing. He continued business in this location until 1849, when he erected a large brick woolen factory, 103x35 feet, five stories high, and put in four looms. In 1858 he erected an addition, 75x35 feet, also five stories high. In these buildings he continued the manufacture of woolen cloth until 1887, when the machinery was sold and the building rented to several small manufactories of various kinds. The Imilding was destroyed by fire February 11, 1906.

The original carding mill at the north end 'of the island was sold to Mr. Fyfe, who converted it into a grist mill, which was greatly damaged by the flood of 1857 and was afterward removed to make room for the Holly pumps for the city.

The City Mills occupy the site of the first mill erected by the McCarty's in 1834. In 1854 the mill was purchased by Charles Gill. It has since been owned by several proprietors, including Jameson & Russell, Jameson & Sheets and C. C. Sheets. It was seriotisly damaged by the flood of February 8, 1887, and by fire June 29, 1887, but was afterwards rebuilt in first-class shape and has done a good business ever since.

Blackhaii'k Mills were erected in 1842 by R. C. Mix for Charles Hoyt and were capable of making one hundred and fifty barrels of flour a day. For a long time this mill supplied flour for a large portion of the Northwest and sometimes made shipments to New York. The mill was idle for many years after 1870, as the Hoyt Brothers used the water power in their machine works. Later the site was covered by the buildings of the American Wood Working Machinery Company, the successors of Hoyt Brothers.

The Aurora Corset Com pan y was organized in 1895 with a capital stock of $50,000. It occupied the building erected by the Aurora Watch Company, at the south end of LaSalle street, wliere exckisive attention was given to tlie manufacture of corsets, "The Henderson" and "La Princess" being the leading ])atterns. In 1908 the factory employed three hundred hands and manufactured about $500,000 worth of goods annually. The officers of the company at that time were : S. D. Seamons, president ; E. W. Trask, secretary ; J. O. Mason, treasurer; L. J. ?^Iead, manager; F. A. Hollister, superintendent. The stock is owned entirely by residents of Aurora.