Kendall County, Illinois - Chapter 40: New Towns, 1877

Chapter 40: New Towns

V HE Chicago, Burlington and Quincy ' I Railroad passed through this county in 1853. The Oswego depot was built a mile and a half from the village. It has been practically abandoned since the Fox River Road came through, and no trains stop except they are flagged. Once in a while a strange passenger comes along, and the young Irishman in charge gets out his red flag, but most of the time he can watch his cow eating railroad grass, or feed his chickens on the steps of the deserted waiting room, with none to molest or make afraid. Bristol was left still further in the rear, and was founded two miles and a half from the old village. It was laid out on the farm of T. S. Hunt. The first lot was sold to William Kern, the second to Messrs. Merrit for a store.

Reuben Hunt was the first postmaster, and Alexander McLeay built the hotel. The village site was on a tongue of prairie between two groves, with Blackberry creek on one side and Rob Roy creek on the other. It was yet eleven miles to Sandwich, and plenty of room for another station ; so another was founded on the tongue of prairie between Big Rock and Little Rock timber. It was laid out Feb. 28th, 1853, and named

(Spanish for plain), at the suggestion of John HoUister. William Ervin put up the first house and opened a store in it June 7th. Calvin Barber built the second. Then Hugh Henning started business. J. C. Barber built the first hotel. All this before the first train of cars arrived, August 23d. The first post-office in that region was at Little Rock. Then at Post's, on the river, and at Penfield's, at the mouth of the Rob Roy, before it was removed to Piano.

During the summer, cholera broke out among the railroad hands. It was believed to have been brought by them from Ottawa. Seven men died on the track, and also Mrs. Napoleon Youngs, who was boarding the hands. Her little child soon followed. Also, Mr. Fishell, Mr. Borton, and other settlers.. Four years previously, in 1849, the ravages of the cholera were so great, especially at Chicago, that a hospital and orphan asylum became necessary. But notwithstanding the increase of railroads, other roads were still needed, and the " Grundy and Kendall Plank Road Company" was incorporated, to build a plank road and establish tollgates between Morris and Lisbon. The stock was divided into eight hundred shares of fifty dollars each, but they were not all taken, and the plan fell through ; which latter fact every traveler well knows who has tried to engineer his struggling vehicle over the famous " Morris flats" in the soft and mellow spring time. A more continuously exasperating road probably never was discovered, though it has improved in modern days. The was organized in 1853, and first worshipped in an old building now occupied by a German society. The present meeting house was built in 1857. The pastors have been : John McKinney, A. E. Thompson, J. H. Nesbit, H. A. Thayer, H. A. Barclay, W. K. Boyd, J. B. Andrews and Thomas Gait. The was organized in 1853, and built their meeting house in 1858. E. H. Buhre, Mr. Zucker, William Binner and Mr. Koch being the pastors. The first church building of the Lutheran Society, at Lisbon, was also built in 1853, and the present one in 1872. Rev. P. A. Rasmussen has been pastor most of the time. The

Whitlock School

Na-au-say, was opened in 1853. The following is a partial list of teachers' names : Maria and Sarah Wedge, Mary Terry, Cornelia Avery, Corvosso Reeder, Graham Duncan, Cornelia Carroll and Mr. Reese. One season previous to the building of the school house, Ellen Davis taught one term in a part of Parshall Reeve's house. The history of the grove, and Mr. Neese's school over Hollenback's store, about 1837. When the precinct house was built for a voting place, in 1838, it became the school headquarters also. Diantha Gleason was the first teacher. Among others were : J. J. Wilson, George Bristol. George B. Ames, Miss Ora Barn, Horace Day, Albert Learned, (who was killed while digging a well at S. Bingham's, in 1846), William Cody and James Harvey. The latter repaired the building after being damaged by fire, about 1849, and taught a select school for several years, while the public school was removed to the building now J. D. Erwin's residence.

A homicide occurred in the town of Lisbon, Mr. Foreman being killed by Andrew Wilson. Some foolish words had passed between them, when Foreman struck the other, and he in retaliation struck Foreman over the head with a rake, and a tooth penetrating the skull killed him instantly. It was a very sad aifair, and the more so as Wilson was but a youth. He was tried and acquitted, but during the war he enlisted in the army and fell at Fort Donelson.

was dedicated January 25th, 1855. The list of pastors from the first commencement of preaching in 1847 is as follows : Levi Jenks, Mr. Wolliscraft, David Cassidy, Michael Lewis, Wesley Batcheldor, Robert K. Bibbins, H. Haggerty, W. P. Wright, Isaac Linebarger, J. N. Martin, John Frost, John Cummins, W. H. Smith, J. H. Ailing, F. H. Brown, Philo Gordon, George Lovesee, J. R. Allen and W. H. Fisher.

The Bristol Congregational Church

The Society was organized in 1836 by Rev. Mr. Parry, at the house of Deacon Elisha Johnson, who, with his wife and daughter, Justus Bristol, wife and daughter, James Gilliam and wife, and Lyman Bristol completed the number of the first members. Rev. H. S. Colton was the first pastor. After him, L. C. Gilbert, Henry Bergen, James Hallock, Chauncey Cook, Beardsley Trail, W. Gay, Joel Grant, D. Webb, Mr. Granger, Mr. Hibbard, A. Doremus and Ward Batchelor.

The Kendall County Agricultural Society, still holdincr annual fairs on its grounds in Bristol : and the Kendall County Protective Association, for the apprehension of stolen horses and detection of thieves, were organized in 1854.

Chas. S. Fisk, the village preacher, at twenty-five cents a year. The Chicago, Sterling & Mississippi Railroad, re-chartered as the Joliet & Terre Haute Railroad, was expected through, and the paper says, "It must be the route to Chicago. This village has now two hotels and three stores, and will probably put up two or three church edifices shortly." But the railroad is expected yet, and twenty-two years passed before the first church edifice went up ; which illustrates the diflficulty of deciding in a new country where the channel of business will run. It is generally not local advantages, but position between distant business centers, that decides the prosperity of a village. But, fortunately, happiness does not always travel on the lines of business. The paper ran but three months, and was removed to Mendota.

At Oswego, Adam Armstrong started his broom factory, and for several years did considerable business. With the passing away of the summer, that dread epidemic, the cholera, again entered. It was not severe in the country, but in Chicago nearly one thousand fell victims to it.

The Little Rock cemetery, situated west of the village, dates from 1854. It was secured by a donation of two acres of land from Gilbert Fowler, to J. T. H. Brady, Henry Abbey and Alfred Houghtaylen, and their successors in office.

Pro- Slavery Excitement

was kept in a little building occupied by Norman Dodge as a probate office. The brick school house was built in 1842. Arabella Barstow, D. G. Johnson and B. Gifford were among the teachers. And in the present building, Abbie S. Dyer, J. W. Fridenberg, Addie Clark, Lois Marston, Lizzie Smith and Hattie Morley.

The Year 1855

witnessed the culmination of the pro-slavery spirit of our country, in the mob elections and territorial enactments of "bleeding Kansas." Among the laws made by that first Legislature was one making legal voters of all who paid one dollar poll tax, and another visiting the death penalty on any one helping a slave to his freedom. No more exciting times, except years of actual war, have ever been known in our land. Looking back upon it now, we can see how our civil war was as inevitable as if decreed by statute.

The State Road To Ottawa

was re-located by act of Legislature. It was first laid in 1838, by B. F. Fridley, I. P. Hallock, Almon Ives and Archibald Sears. Thomas Finnic and J. J. Cole were appointed to re-locate it, after its wear of eighteen years. The new road was to pass through " Badgley's lane, the widow Gridley's lane, John Boyd's lane, the lands of James Evans, George Hollenback's lane, over the bridge which crosses the Ackley creek, or river, the lane formed by lands and enclosures of John A. Cook and Whitman Stone, and by the southwest end of Long Grove to Pavilion."

In the Fletcher school, town of Kendall, the early teachers were: James Bishop, Barbara Fletcher, A. J. Smith, Ellen Leach, Anna Howell, Lizzie Beatty and JennieSmith.

The Naden school, Big Grove, shows the following early teachers : Naney Barnes, Lucius Whitney, Sarah J. Howes, Milton Wright, Fred Freeman, Henrietta Howes, James Brown, Phebe Jilson. Helen Norton, Mary Hare and Wright Adams.

The Piano school is the largest in the county. There are three extra buildings besides Academy Hall, and seven teachers are employed. The principals have been as follows: J. B. Stinson, Mr. Huff, Joel Jenks, Mr. Gridley, Georgiana Smith, Mrs. Sill, Mr. Needham, Mr. Sly, 0. W. Van Osdell, J. Evarts, Sarah L. Steward, George Green and J. H. Rushton. The names of all the teachers would make a long list. Laura Ervin, Mary Berry, Jennie Cox and Anna Browij have taught several terms each.

The Fowler Institute

Newark, was opened in the fall, with Miss Jemima Washburn as Principal, associated with her brother, Rev. Sanford Washburn. They had for two years been teaching private schools in the village. Dr. H. R. Fowler erected the building, and February 10th, 1857, the school was chartered under the name of the "Fowler Female Institute," and was afterwards changed to "Fowler Institute," in 1867. The first trustees were W. C. Willing, Horatio Fowler and G. W. Hartwell. Miss Washburn left in 1859 to be first Principal in Clark Seminary, Aurora. The following have been Principals since : John Higby, John Wilmarth, A. J. Anderson, D. J. Poor, J. R. Burns, A. J. Sherwin and J. P. Ellinwood. Among the other teachers have been : Ella Lent, Libbie Sullivan, Mr. Simon, Sarah J. Higby, Nettie Havenhill and Miss Shawber. This Institute has had at times one hundred and fifty scholars in attendance. It has connected with it library, cabinet, philosophical apparatus, etc., and offers in some respects better inducements to the student than any other school in the county.

There were altogether one hundred and twenty-four public schools in the county in 1855, making it the twelfth county in the State in regard to the number of its schools, while it was only fortieth in respect to its taxable property. The average wages paid to male teachers, $29.00 per month; to female teachers, 516.00. The number of schools at present does not reach one hundred.