Kendall County, Illinois - The Old Trappers, 1877

The Old Trappers

^BOUT the time Mr. Goisline died at Holderman's Grove, and Mrs. Minkler at Specie Grove, Big Thunder, the renowned Winnebago chief, died in his lodge at Belvidere, and was buried sitting up, wrapped in blankets. His tomb was a log pen, covered with earth, and it was carefully kept in repair by his people as long as they remained there. Their time was not long, for the edict had gone forth that all Indians must leave their native hunting grounds and cross the great river toward the setting sun. September 27th, 1833, were assembled in tents in the timber on the north bank of the Chicago river, and there the Government made a treaty with them by which they ceded all their remaining territory east of the Mississippi, and a good deal west of it. So earnest was the Government in having them fully represented, that the farmers were hired to take in their wagons all who were not provided with ponies. A few days afterwards, five government wagon loads of silver half dollars, to help pay the annuities, toiled up through the sloughs to Chicago, stopping at Plattville over night. The Indians, however, did not all disappear for three or four years after that. They went in detachments, tardily and unwillingly, and often returned in smaller parties to visit again their old homes. They hunted small game in the groves, fished along the streams, and gleaned in the wheat fields in harvest time. They were frequent visitors at the houses of the settlers, always stealing in softly, so that often they were not perceived. Such was the instinct of their wild nature. Especially in storms did they seek the white man's shelter. Boys used to play with them, wrestle with them, run races with them, and sometimes go oft' to the river to visit them. They learned to like pork, but did not stay in one place long enough to raise a hog, so were fain to procure the coveted bacon from the more stationary pale face. It was therefore a common occurrence for an Indian to come to the door with a string of fish, or some other catch, and making his wants known without any store of useless verbiage, say: "Pork, how swap?" They wore nothing on their heads, winter or summer. With moccasins and leggins of rawhide, and filthy blanket, they passed through all weather. Loose deer hair was stuff'ed into their moccasins in winter to keep the feet warm. The same dress constituted part of the outfit of a who were passing away as the eastern settlers came in. They added only a coon-skin cap, with the tail dangling behind, and a deerskin frock, open in front and belted in the middle, forming convenient wallets on each side for chunks of hoe cake and jerked venison. They were hunters, trappers and traders, and from continued association with the Indians became half savage in manners and appearance. Of a similar stripe were the keel boat men of the same period. The keel boat was long and narrow, with running boards along each side, on which stood the fifteen or twenty hands needed to push the boat up stream, with setting poles. One man always stood astride of the steering oar, and another might generally be seen on deck sawing away at a fiddle with the most desperate energy. They were on the rivers what the trappers were on the land, only more so, as they had opportunities for getting together in larger numbers and having lawless sprees. The keel boat and the trading post have passed away ; and the old emigrant wagon, too, with its broad tires and heavy tongue, its high and curving side-boards, ribbed and barred and riveted, glaring in red paint, and the four horses or oxen toiling along before it. And now that we are at it, we might swell the list of obsoletes indefinitely, winding up with the hatchels, wooden plows and tinder boxes. The latter were almost indispensable, but not always available or attainable. The settlers usually kept fire covered up all night in the ashes on the hearth, but sometimes it went out, and then if they had no tinder they would have recourse to powder and gun, or borrow of their neighbors. The early settlers in Seward often brought firebrands from Plainfield, ten miles away, and it was a vexation that sometimes happened that when within half a mile of their homes, the cherished spark would shut its eyes and expire.

Falling Of The Stars

continuing until daylight, which put an end to the scene. Those who saw it never forgot it to their dying day. In this section it was cloudy the first part of the night, and oaly those who were up before the first break of day had the opportunity of beholding it. All were awestruck, while many were affrighted, believing that the world was coming to judgment. But when that night comes all the world shall know it, and "every eye shall see Him."

Many explanations have been attempted of this wonder, viz : that they come from volcanoes on the earth, from volcanoes in the moon, from compressed vapor in the atmosphere, from some far away exploded planet, &c. But it is now believed that they revolve in a permanent orbit of their own, like millions of flocks of birds flying around the sun, and sometimes the earth's atmosphere hits them with such a blow as to set them on fire and bring them down.

The following note is from E. Colbert, Professor of Astronomy in Chicago University : " The only theory now accepted by astronomers is that the meteoric matter revolves in a prolonged orbit within the solar system, extending like a monster leech over about one-quarter of the orbit, and each particle revolving in a little more than thirty-three years. The earth passes a certain point in this orbit every November, but only encounters, the meteors when they are passing that point at the same time. Our next encounter with the meteor-storm will be before daylight, November 14th, 1899, or a little

Emigration Of Thirty-Four

It mav be added that stray meteors are everywhere - invisible by day, but seen every night. They are mostly little fellows. The larger ones we call fire-balls.

In 1834, very early in the season, emigration began to move. Among the earliest were two men from Putnam county, Mr. Hull and James M. Smith, who in February came up on a prospecting tour. They followed up Fox river as far as Millbrook, and were so well pleased with the country and carried back such a good report that when they emigrated in the following month, the families of R. BuUard and William Vernon came with them, and they made claims along the Fox river timber, on the south side of the river.

John M. Kennedy and Joseph Weeks came in the same party. The latter v/as born in Gallatin county, Illinois. Elias Doyle came soon after from the same locality in South Carolina.

During the summer, R. W. Cams, J. S. Murray and E. Dyal came in a company from Camden, South Carolina, and settled on the north side of Hollenback's grove. Mr. Cams bought the Harris place of Robert Ford, now owned by Thomas Atherton. Mr. Murray's claim is now owned by George Nichols and Nathaniel Austin, and Mr. Dyal's by William Van Cleve. John A. Newell, then a young man, came with them. They also brought out two colored women, former slaves, who had been a long time in their families - Dinah in Mr. Cams' family, and Silvie in Mr. Murray's. They were the first colored people in the county and both died here.

Mr. Hull claimed six hundred acres now owned by Dwight Curtis and Lewis Steward. Mr. Smith joined him on the west, the farm now owned by Nathaniel Austin. Mr. Vernon came next^ locating the farms now owned by George Nichols, H. C. Myers and Robert Barron. Mr. Bullard took from Mr. Vernon's claim furrow down as far as Hollenback's Grove. It is still owned by J. M. and J. R. Bullard and Jacob Budd.

and added more to it on the north side of the grove. Mr. Matlock was from Indiana. His family consisted of five sons : John, who after two years returned again to Indiana ; West, well known as Deacon Matlock, now residing in the town of Kendall ; George, who became a physician and died in California ; Joseph, a lawyer in Marcello, Ind. ; and David, a Baptist pastor, who died at Makanda, 111. William Paul and Simeon Oatman came with them. The former was Mr. Matlock's sonin-law. He bought of George Hollenback the farm now owned by John Evans, west of Pavilion. The Bristol brothers had it first, and left it. Then Henry Ford took it, and sold to Hollenback. Paul is probably living now, somewhere out West. Oatman is dead. When David Matlock and his father were out prospecting the previous autumn, they slept one night in the bark covered hut erected by the Bristol brothers on their own claim, not more than two rods from John Evans' residence. It snowed in the night, and when they awoke in the morning they were covered with a sheet of snow. It was a cold reception in the new land, but it did not damp their ardor, though it did their clothes. After selling to Robert Ford, Mr. Matlock bought out James Ford, whose claim covered the present site of Pavilion and the farm of John Kellett. His sons also took other claims towards the river. Henry Ford lived where W. L. Ford does now. The family were from Tazewell county, where they had moved from Ohio 'in 1825. Samuel Piatt came with them, and taking a claim on the southern point of Long Grove, sent for his mother and the rest of the family. There were three sons and four daughters living together. But all are gone - scattered or dead. Almon Ives, from Vermont, father of Rev. F. B. Ives, came in and settled between Ford and Matlock, where Mr. Moulton now lives. There was now almost a continuous line of claims from Millbrook to Oswego.

James Prickett

from Champaign county, Ohio, was among the earliest to make a claim at Long Grove, but when he returned with his family the claim was jumped, and he bought another in Apakesha Grove. It is still owned by Elijah Prickett. The only evidence of Mr. Kellogg's claim there was some rails he had cut in the timber. Besides Elijah, Mr. Prickett had three other sons : Charles, now living at Nettle Creek ; John, at Seneca ; and Aaron, below Dwight. Also a daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Bowen, near Lisbon. His 'first log house had door and floor of basswood puncheons, and still stands back in the grove, a relic of bygone days. He died after being in the country nine years, and his wife survived him but one year.

V26 History Of Kendall County

Three families from Middlesex county, Mass., came into the neighborhood. One of them, Dea. Isaac Whitney, settled on the south edge of Big Grove, opposite Lott Scofield's. His son, Lucius Whitney, born there in 1836, is now postmaster at Morris. The second, Jonathan Raymond, now residing in Bloomington, made the claim now owned by Mr. Van Buskirk. The third was now of Lisbon, who settled between the two others, making claims for himself and younger brother, Sylvanus, on land now owned by David Brown and C Vreeland. Dr. Kendall had moved to Bond county, 111., three years previously, and leaving that place, struck out, intending to find a new home somewhere in the region of Chicago. Now occurred two new things in the history of the county. He put up a frame house. The timbers, to be sure, were split out, but it was a true frame, nevertheless. What sawed stuff was necessary was obtained at Schneider's mill, which started at Bristol. The hardware was got at Chicago. There was a store at Ottawa, but people went to the lake for their large trading. But second, the house was located on the prairie, eighty rods from the friendly shelter of the grove. The settlers were astonished at such audacity and believed the building could not stand. The wind would blow it down ; the cold would pierce it through. But it did stand, and the example was so infectious that the next year Levi Hills moved his log tavern far out upon the prairie, on the site of Lisbon, as a half-way stage station between Plattville and Holderman's.