Kendall County, Illinois - Chapter 51: The Mill and Canal, 1877

Chapter 51: The Mill and Canal

'HE chief excitement in 1869 was over the railroad bond question. At an election held March oOth, Kendall county voted one thousand and seventy-four to eight hundred and five to take $50,000 stock in the F. R. V. Railroad. The majorities were obtained in the towns along the river. Lisbon gave but one vote for it, and Seward none at all, while the town of Kendall gave but one against. The feeling ran very high. May 4th, the town of Kendall voted an additional §25,000 ; Oswego did the same - making §50,000 for that township, and the town of Fox voted §15,000. These issues were intended to be in bonds of one thousand dollars each, one falling due every six months until all were paid. Besides these, the sum of $15,000 was subscribed by private individuals of Kendall, and $18,- 000 of private subscriptions from Oswego, making a total of nearly $175,000 county aid to the proposed railroad - nearly $10,000 a mile for all that part of it which would be located in the county. Thus, of the four separate lines of railway then being agitated, the Fox River Valley line had the lead.

The second, the Chicago, Plainfield, Pekin and Southwestern, was to run diagonally through the county, striking Plattville and Lisbon, and much of the line was graded, and remains so.

The third, the Joliet, Newark and Mendota, would intersect the other at right angles, crossing the county on the opposite diagonal. Dr. W. M. Sweetland, of Newark, was President of this company.

The fourth, the Chicago and Rock River, was to run from Lockport to Amboy, via Yorkville. Nearly all the towns along the line had voted the necessary stock, and were confidently expecting it to be put immediately through. Bristol voted $30,000, October 27th, 1869. By this magnificent net-work of roads, Yorkville, Plattville and Newark would have been railroad junctions, and every township in the county would have a railroad running through some part of it. 0 ! wonderful day dreams, why did ye not come true ? Happy the far off day of the mercantile millenium, when every man can enjoy the sight of the world on wheels passing through his field, without the discomfort of losing his railroad stock by swindling directors, or his live stock by passing trains.

The Texas Cattle Disease

Speaking of live stock brings to memory the Texas cattle disease that gave us a visit once. Major W. N. Davis, in 1868, received one hundred and eighty Texas steers, which he drove out from Chicago to his farm. A strange disease followed them. It seemed to be spread along the route over which they had traveled, and while thev were not affected at all, other cattle were seized with it and died in considerable numbers. Laureston Walker lost nine cows and thirty head of young cattle, and brought suit against Major Davis to recover, but lost his case both here and at Princeton, where it was taken. Whatever the disease, it has not visited us since. Another cattle panic, of a different nature, but yet almost as serious, occurred in May, 1869. Nathan Brown and Stephen Ashley had collected throughout the county a drove of fourteen hundred cattle, which they were to herd during the summer in Kankakee county, and stopping over night at Manteno, the entire drove took fright and starapeded. When once started, no human power could stop them. They were confined in a lane, and in their struggles to get away, leaped on each other's backs, or fell and were trodden to death. Horns were knocked off, bones crushed, drovers trampled, and nine animals were killed. The noise of the stampede sounded like thunder, and could be heard for miles. One of the drovers, impelled by despair, fled the county. Scores of horsemen went down from Kendall county searching for their stock, and most of them were eventually recovered.

convention was held at Yorkville in October, E. Moulton, president. A prohibition ticket was put in the field and received one hundred and twenty votes.

In July, a "Kendall County Woman's Suffrage Association " was formed, with Mrs. M. A. Steward as President. A convention was held at Piano, and another at Yorkville in August.

Among the fatalities of the year were two fatal falls and a fatal burning. In March, Mrs. McOwan, of Bristol Station, while giving her little daughter a music lesson, accidentally knocked the lamp off the melodeon, and was so badly burned that she soon died. In October, Mr. Dodd, of Bristol, while going with others to do a job of threshing, and standing up in the wagon, fell out, and breaking his skull, died in a few hours. In November, Mrs. Asa Manchester, of Newark, while visiting at Mrs. Edgerton's, fell down the cellar stairway, and died the next mornina:.

Among the new buildings of the year were the Heap school house, in Seward, and the residences of Lott Scofield, in Big Grove, and of George Parker, in Oswego.

The Year 1870

The first train of cars entered Yorkville, October 27th, and was received with rejoicing. Golden visions of dividends on stock floated before the minds of the fortunate holders of the same. But alas ! for human hopes, especially railroad hopes. At the close of the year the entire road mysteriously sold out to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and the Kendall county stock was worth only what it would brino; for old rao;s.

In the meantime, Little Rock and Bristol were a little rent over the C. B. & Q. road, and Lisbon was a good deal rent over the Pekin and Southw^estern. Indeed, it amounted in the latter town to a railroad war. The question was whether the town should vote an appropriation. At a special election, held May 3d, they said ''No," one hundred and forty-five to sixty-two. At an adjourned election, held July 1st, they uttered a fainter "No," one hundred and thirteen to one hundred and three. At a third election, held August 3d, the negative did not vote, and the affirmative carried the day, one hundred and seven to three.

Among the year's fatalities were, a man accidentally shot and killed while hunting in the Aux Sable timber, in Seward ; Andrew Sevinson accidentally shot at Pavillion by thoughtlessly crossing his leg over the stock of his cocked gun; and Geo. H. Jacobs and wife, bitten by a mad dog, at Holderman's Grove, but reported cured by the application of a mad stone kept by J. P. Evans, Lincoln, Illinois. During the summer, H. M. Bannister, Assistant State Geologist, spent a few days in the county examining us geologically, but his visit was too hurried and his examination too superficial to do us justice. Our Kendall county geology, properly explored and written up, would make a valuable and very interesting addition to our history.

post's dam, after four years of constant work. It crosses Fox river four miles below Yorkville. From fifteen to twenty men had been employed on it each season. It is in the form of a segment of a circle, with the convex side up stream, twelve feet thick and eight feet high, laid in cement, and cost §15,000. It is certainly one of the finest river dams in the country. Brownell Wing, of Big Grove, bought a half interest in it for §6,000, and proceeded to put up a stone flouring mill, with four run of stone and four turbine water wheels - the whole costing some §30,- 000, exclusive of the water power. He was obliged to borrow money to finish it, only to find, when the machinery was in and all things in readiness, that the enterprise would not succeed. The railroad, instead of making a depot there, as he expected, left him half a mile to one side. Other causes, too, combined to disappoint his plans. The splendid mills were never started, and the building still stands in its massive loneliness, its broken windows staring out on the river and looking over the high banks on either side, a mute witness to the truth that ''the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglee." It passed into the hands of the Valley Power Company, and is now owned by it. The dam, too, which was intended to be almost as enduring as the earth, has been undermined by the power of the water, the foundation boulders washed out, and a breach of several rods in length has been made, which there is at present no financial inducement to repair. Post's dam is no more.

The Millington Canal

Soon after the mill was completed, a brace of thieves entered it one night and with sledge hammers broke up nearly all the costly machinery for old iron. One of them was afterward apprehended. The time may yet come when the property may be utilized, but at present it is the most striking and romantic ruin we have in Kendall county. It is much frequented as a place of summer resort. Nothing but the pillars and stairwaj s is within, except the heavy burr stones, one or two of which have been thrown down through the floors.

Millington Canal

projected by the Valley Water Power Company. The charter was obtained by Hon. J. W. Eddy in 1866. After a delay of six years, ground was finally broken on the north side of the river, above the woolen mill at Millington, by an eight horse ditcher from Ottawa, August 30th, 1872. Speculators and press correspondents were present from all the surrounding towns and from Chicago. Never before were so many men of note and intelligence gathered at one time in Millington, and everybody was full of enthusiasm. At the close of the ditching the company retired to the hall over Foster's store, where a sumptuous banquet was spread.

The canal was to be two hundred and fifty feet wide and eight feet deep. The route had been surveyed to Post's dam by Mr. Eddy and George Steward in September, 1867, when they found the distance to be four and a-half miles, with a fall of twenty-one feet. A plate glass manufactory, employing four hundred men, was in

Work was begun on the canal at the upper end, and considerable progress made, but the dull times finally caused the work to stop until a revival of business shall warrant its resumption.

The new German Evangelical meeting house on the prairie in Oswego was built in 1871. The German settlement dates from 1845, and the first meeting house was erected in 1848. School was held in the basement. The church society was organized about the same time. In 1860 they bought the Presbyterian church building in the village, and have used both houses alternately ever since. The original house is now the school house. The pastors have been : Samuel Tobias, Samuel Dickover, John Hanert, John Schnagel, William Strassburger, Jacob Himmel, Martin Stamm, J. F. Schnee, H. Hintze, J. G. Miller, Henry Bucks, C. Kopp, Christian Hummel, J. M. Sindlinger, V. Forkel, John Kuechel, C. Augustine, John Schneider and William Neitz. The Evangelical Association is Methodist in doctrine, and was founded by Jacob Albright about 1800.