Kendall County, Illinois - Chapter 15: The Year of the Early Spring, 1877

Chapter 15: The Year of the Early Spring

|lIE YEAR 1833 opened out splendidly, 1^^ as if to make amends for the hardships I \ of the year before. The snow went away in February, and early in March the sheltered valleys and nooks b}^ the groves were beautifully green, and by the end of the month, stock could live on the prairies anywhere. It was an exceedingly favoring Providence for the few pioneers who remained on their claims ; for had the spring been cold and backward, much more suffering must have followed. The tide of emigration set in early, and in one summer more than trebled the population of the county. This was partly because the emigration of the summer preceding had been held back by the war, and partly because in connection with the war Northern Illinois had come prominently before the people. The beauty of the groves and richness of the soil had been extolled in the letters of correspondents and reports of soldiers, and thus many of the better class were induced to come, who, in the ordinary course, would scarcely have thought of going so far west. Clark Hollenback and family had wintered at Holderman's, and as soon as the season opened, moved into Hobson's old cabin, in the Newark timber, while another was being built on the site now occupied by the residence of Edward Wright. The exact site of the Hobson cabin was in the timber between Needham's and Taylor's, where Pat Cunningham afterward had a brickyard. The spot may be easily recognized to-day, after a lapse of forty-six years.

Geo. B. Hollenback

the store-keeper, sold his claim on the hill to Col. Campbell, of Ottawa, and crossing the little creek built a new store on the rise of ground opposite, in the edge of the timber. It is now well known as the Barnett corner, opposite Thuneman's, in Newark. That town is therefore next to Oswego in age and only eight months younger. The new store was no pretentious affair, being only twelve feet square, built of rough logs, but it was large enough to accommodate the business of those days and shelter the store-keeper's family besides. The only part of the old stock saved was a keg of powder that was buried by Pat Cunningham before the flight, and a keg of tobacco that was hidden by the Indians in the top of a tree. The burial of the powder prevented the foe from replenishing their ammunition, and the tobacco they probably expected to return for, but found no opportunity. The store was well patronized that summer, and the place was soon known far and near as "George- town," after its indefatigable founder, and it bore that name for more than fifteen years. George Hollenback, his uncle, returned with a young man by the name of John Perry, and put his crops in before he brought his family. Mr. Ackley returned with his family, as did also most of the other settlers. Mr. Araent had returned to his claim in the fall, at the same time with Booth and Holderman. Mr. Harris wintered in Naperville, and selling his claim to John Matlock took up another in Long Grove. Dougherty and Selvey returned to Aux Sable, and after a few years went to Oregon. Of

The Ament Boys

Hiram took a claim next to Edward, and the following year married Miss Nancy Harris. Calvin remained until 1840, when he returned South and became a Protestant Methodist preacher. Anson, next younger, in 1848 married Miss Tamar White, of Batavia, a sister of Hiram's second wife, and went with Hiram to Oreixon.

In the spring of 1833 Mr. Litsey and Mr. Havenhill also returned, and in the fall the latter located permanently on the east side of Big Grove.

Earl Adams

set out for the claim he made two years before. Ebenezer Morgan came with him, leaving his family to follow the ensuing spring. He took Mr. Adams' family in a wagon drawn by horses, and Mr. Adams followed Avith an ox team and the goods. They came by way of Chicago. At Oswego they found Mr. Wilson settled, and stayed with him over night, proceeding the next morn- ing to their claims. Two miles further on they fonnd Mr. Macomber and his step-son, Marshall Everest. Mr. Morgan found his chosen creek undisturbed, and there he located for himself and sons eleven hundred acres of land, building his cabin in Specie Grove. Mr. Adams built the pioneer cabin on court house hill, his axe first awakening the industrial echoes on the site of our county seat. The following spring he sold to Mr. Bristol and settled at Specie Grove, remaining there several years before removing to Big Grove.

One incident of their trip is worth relating. A single man by the name of Slayton, came with them. He was so addicted to the use of liquor that it had become to him almost a daily necessity, and he replenished his bottle at every watering place along the road - where the water was strong enough. But after leaving Beaubien's tavern, in Chicago, there was no more fire water to be had, and Mr. Slayton was in a pickle. It was practical prohibition, and was at least one generation in advance of public sentiment as represented by Mr. S. He grew thin. He tried the Yorkville water, but there was no taste to it. He sampled the river, but it was insipid. He crossed to the Bristol side, but there was no relief. The days dragged wearily by, but at last his health beo-an to return, and he found he was better without liquor than with it. A grand discovery for any drinking man to make. But truth compels us to add that his habit was never wholly abandoned. He was a steam engine for business, but liquor was his enemy. He lived and died at Squire Morgan's.

was helping Capt. Naper build a saw-mill at Naperville, came down prospecting, and chose a site for a mill across the river, at the mouth of Blackberry creek. lie hewed two logs and hauled them on the ground, to hold his claim, and left it until the next Spring.

Lyman And Burr Bristol

made the claim where John Evans now lives, and built a log pen covered with bark. In 1834 thev bought the claim of Mr. Adams, embracing a large tract of land west of Yorkville, as far out as the J. P. Black place. It made several good farms. In 1887 Lyman Bristol and Isaac Hallock bought out John Schneider's Bristol claim and mill for $7,000. Mr. Bristol gave the present park to the village. He went to California, and was killed while teamijig over the mountains. The ftither, Justus Bristol, came a year or two after his sons. In the fall of 1833, Isaac Hallock, Samuel Smith and Ephraim Macomber lived in one cabin, below Oswego, and were all sick together with the ague, with no one to help them. A child belonging to one of the families died, and William Harris came up from Long Grove and buried it. Many such incidents have never been recorded, and are now buried in the graves of the actors in them, there to remain until the Great Day.

Daniel Pearce

and family arrived at Oswego, having come all the way with ox teams. They had a tedious journey, for the season was wet and the mud very deep. They often met droves of cattle knee deep in mud. Mr. Pearce at once took up his present farm - one hundred acres of prairie, surrounded with timber, on Waubonsie Creek. Before this, two new settlers had come in on the other side of the river. Samuel Devoe had settled the year before at the forks of the DuPaoje, and leaving there took a claim where Myron L. Wormley now lives. Farther up the stream, Ansel Kimball made a claim at the Nicholas Young place, arriving there in April. He broke up some land and sowed ten acres to winter wheat, and sold it the same fall to Levi C. Gorton. Mr. Gorton and Benjamin Phillips came together that fall from Pennsylvania.

The Avormleys

John and William, came at the same time. They traveled on foot from New York, with nothing but their rifles and a change of clothes, averaging thirty-six miles a day. William made his claim where Oswego Station now stands, and John where he still lives. Jacob Carpenter settled near by, on the opposite side of the river from Montgomery. His brother, David Carpenter, came at the same time, and still lives at Oswego. Also, Philip Mudgett. In the Newark timber, Owen Hay mond, from Ohio, settled on a claim adjoining Clark Hollenback's, where Bosworth now lives. At Big Grove, Henry and Marcus Misner settled in the fall. Their claims were on the north east corner, between Drumgool's and Richmond's. Marcus hired Mr. Booth to make hay for him, while he returned after his family. It was in August, and while Mr. Booth was at work, finished a lar^e addition to the house, making it double, with a passage between ; and having sold it, he at once bought the next claim north, and built a log house, 16x32, on the north edge of the strip of prairie west of Mr. French's. He dug a well there, but all is obliterated now.