Kendall County, Illinois - Dark Days, 1877

Dark Days

I^N 1842 came Andrew Brodie into Fox township ; Mr. Lyons, Byron E. and David H. Shonts to Little Rock ; Thomas Greenfield, John Chapman, Samuel and Thomas Hopkins, Dr. Clemmons, E. D. Bradley and George Bradley to Oswego; C. R. Cook, David Springer, Mr. Young, C. H. Raymond, Dr. Pierre, A. Allaire, and Leonard Mabbott to Bristol ; Ark en Baker, Dennis Dougherty, Solon and Augustus Worthing, to Seward. Lewis Rickard came from New York with several of the Montgomery county boys, who wanted to view the country, but the others went back and saw Illinois no more. The following names, most of them not mentioned before, are copied from hundred and fifty in all. The list probably includes nearly all the families then living within a radius of six or eight miles of Bristol. The Congregationalists bought the old store, now standing on the hill by the mouth of Blackberry creek, and used it for meetings and schools. The feeling consequent upon the had not subsided, and so late as December 30th, 1842, a remonstrance was sent to the Legislature from citizens of LaSalle county, remonstrating against their being set ofi" into Kendall. It was presented by Rev. Elisha Bibbins, who, on some disafi'ection between the political parties, had been elected Representative from LaSalle, as a union candidate. But as an off-set, he presented at the same time a petition from the citizens praying for a continuance of the county as it had been organized.

Accumulated Misfortunes

the tides of emigration and wealth have ceased to flow into the State. All the channels of trade are completely obstructed, and the vitality of business seems almost extinct. The produce of the country is reduced to its lowest price, and in many places cash cannot be realized for it at all. It will be difiicult, if not impossible, for the people to procure current funds for the payment of taxes. Cash cannot at present be realized from the sale of public lands owned by the State."

State Financial Adversity

Governor Ford in his inaugural said: "Two causes have operated to prevent an increase of population for a year or two past. One is the prevalent fear of exorbitant taxes ; the other the reproach to which Ave are subject abroad."

In the preamble to resolutions against repudiation, adopted a few days after, it is said: "Under our former policy public works were begun and prosecuted, and vast schemes of internal improvement adopted altogether disproportionate to our means. These measures had their origin in the delusions incident to one of those periodical excitements which in Europe as well as this country have led States and individuals into inordinate speculations, uniformly terminating in bankruptcy and ruin. Under the influence of this delusion former Legislatures have contracted debts in times of great apparent prosperity which we are now in a period of financial adversity utterly unable to liquidate. But * * we fully recognize the legal and moral obligations of discharging every debt, and the revenues of the State shall be appropriated for that purpose as soon as they can be made available without impoverishing and oppressing the people.

It was, perhaps, the darkest time in the history of our State, and in many a household the pinching of poverty was extreme. But in the midst of the gloom there were yet many things to be thankful for, and by the Governor's proclamation, December 29th, 1842, was set apart as a public Thanksgiving Day. The prayers offered up were heard, for times began to be better, and two years thereafter emigration began to pour in as of old, and was opened for the district embracing Kane county and our three northern townships formerly in Kane, and in these the same troubles were experienced and the same precautionary measures taken as in the southern part of the county before. Marcus Steward, James McClellan and Daniel S. Gray were among those who did the bidding for tlieir several localities. In Little Rock, a Claim Association was formed, with J. M. Kennedy for captain, and James Phillips lieutenant, who marched to Chicago to see that the settlers had their rights. The plan generally followed was to let any one bid who wished, and as high as they wished, and often a man's farm, with all its improvements, would be knocked down to a speculator who had never seen it, or to an avaricious neighbor who coveted it. But the lockout would come the next morning when the purchaser, gleeful over a good bargain, appeared with his money, and could not pass the guard until the appointed hour had passed, and the tract of land had been called again and knocked down to the real owner at government price. The officers were in understanding with the settlers in the matter, and were silent partners in the agreement ; for though not the letter of the law, it was certainly the honest wish of the government that every actual settler should keep his own farm ; and it was surely difficult enough to do this even at the lowest prices, and many who are now weal- of D. H. Shonts, Esq. : Three miles above Piano, on the Big Rock creek, is the mill site where in 1836 a saw mill was erected by Elisha Pearce and Wm. Wilson, of Oswego. They also got out the frame for a grist mill, but it was never put up. In 1838 the property was traded to Eber M. Shonts, and in 1842 to his brother, David H. Shonts, the present owner. The latter came with his family from Herkimer county, New York, with a capital of $58, and saved but one dollar to begin life with in Illinois. To make times still harder, the ague waited for him and boarded with him all winter ; had the misfortune to cut his foot in the spring ; was taken down with bilious fever in June, and had a relapse of fever in August. He was barely recovered when his father died, and ten weeks afterwards his brother Eber's wife also died, her husband following the ensuing year. In the year 1846 there were two other deaths in the family. At the land sale in '42, he was unable to raise the money to pay for his farm, and arranged to borrow it of Barnabas Eldredge, who, in turn expected to procure it of Thomas Swift. But the latter discovered what it was for, and was minded to make something for himself, if anything was to be made ; whereupon Mr. Shonts applied to Mr. Tuttle, of Chicago, who, though hard pressed in his own business, loaned his friend the money at twentyfive per cent interest, taking the Government duplicate of land as security. After three years, Mr. Tuttle desired a settlement, and Mr. Shonts deeded his farm to

Moses Booth for money to pay Tuttle, and then to J. L. Adams, of Ottawa, for money to pay Booth - all the time paying twenty-five per cent. At last, in '47, he obtained the deed of his farm from Adams. After escaping the jaws of the speculators at Chicago, there were difficulties among neighbors to settle. One was known as the " Hummel and Hubbel case," in which one of the parties refused to re-deed to the other, according to mutual contract. The reason was, he would lose a larger slice than he would gain. After all fair means had been tried, the neighbors were notified and they met on an appointed day to the number of one hundred and fifty, resolved to enforce obedience to the law. All the young bloods in the country were there, eager for "fan," but enough of the sober element were present to control the proceedings. A deputation was first sent to the house of the accused, but met with no success, and they left him with the words: "We have done what we could, sir, and you must bear the consequences." It was then resolved to take down and remove the logs of his house, but soon a messenger came, announcing his willingness to deed the patch of land, and so the matter was settled without recourse to violence.