Ogle County, Illinois - The whole text, 1878 (part 13 of 25)

" It would seem to be the part of wisdom not to proceed too rashly, but only to adopt such ordinances as seem absolutely indispensable to the carrying on of the city government, and in this way, time and experience will indicate to you more clearly what further legislation is needed ; and you will be better able to adapt it to our necessities and wants.

" The power of taxation is limited by the charter to one-half of one per cent., but it is not expected by our citizens that this provision should be construed to mean that this amount shall be levied, nor that it shall be regarded the minimum as well as the maximum.

*' The aggregate of taxation which our citizens are compelled to pay has become a serious burden, and it behooves us, the representatives of this new city government, not to exercise it unnecessarily. Let us set the example to those who may come after us, of having accomplished something substantial, without having resorted to burdensome taxation.

" I would recommend, in order to do away with all jealousy, that whatever money is raised for the improvement of the city, should be expended equally in each ward, as far as practicable.

" It is also necessary, among your first acts, to establish a grade of our streets, so that those who are about erecting buildings can conform to it.

" It is understood, and is the fact, that the charter absolutely prohibits the sale of rum, gin, brandy, wine, whisky, or spirituous or mixed liquors, within the city limits, in less quantities than five gallons, except for mechanical or medicinal purposes ; so that the City Council has been left no power to deal with the licensing for the retail of such liquors as a beverage.

" The charter seems to contemplate that licensing shall be granted for the sale of ale and beer. You, gentlemen, are to fix the amount of the same, to such persons as you think proper.

'^ A city like Oregon, whose attractive site was the admiration of the earliest settlers of the country, and for which nature has done so much for the encouragement of human enterprise - a city nestled in the midst of a most beautiful landscape, with the results of successful agriculture on every side, and one of the most beautiful rivers of the earth generously offering to become the strong right arm of her prosperity and power - can ask for nothing more save energy, enterprise and unity on the part of her citizens. With these, her future history must be all that the most ambitious among us can desire.

" It will be my pleasure, as well as duty, to co-operate with you in putting into operation a good city government, and making it in all respects promotive of the interests and prosperity of the citizens.

" From time to time, as experience and observation may become necessary, I may make such further or other suggestions and recommendations as may be deemed proper and beneficial. JAMES V. GALE."

On motion of Alderman Jacobs, a committee of three was appointed on grades. The Mayor appointed Aldermen Lehman, Dwight and Jacobs said committee.

The city was re-organized on the 29th of March, 1873, under an act of the General Assembly, entitled, "An act to provide for the incorporation of cities and villages," approved April 10, 1872, which organization continues in force. A full and complete list of city officers, from the date of its organization to the date of this writing (April 5, 1878), compiled from the official records, is herewith submitted :

Religious Interests

Lutheran Church. - The first church organization was effected on the 16th of March, A. D. 1848, by an assembly of the Lutherans then worshiping in the "Phelps School House."

Rev. N. J. Stroll was called to the Chair, and Charles M. Haller was chosen Secretary. A constitution was adopted, and the church organized, under the name of " Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Oregon,'" with Daniel Etnvre, Charles M. Haller, Ernest J. Rieman, Samuel B. Haines, Nathaniel Swingley and Philip Sprecher, Trustees of the Corporation.

The congregation worshiped in the Court House, until the present church building was erected, the corner stone of which was laid April 27, A. D. 1850 (which was the first church edifice erected in the city).

At the laying of the corner stone, a discourse was delivered in the Court House to the assembled congregation by Rev. C. B. Thummel, of Sugar Grove, Lee County, 111., from the text, Isaiah xxviii, 16, "Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation : he that believeth shall not make haste."

Under the auspices of a society of ladies, called the " Ladies' Philanthropic Sewing Society of Oregon," a bell was purchased and placed in charge of the Trustees of this church, in trust, for the benefit of the congregation, and to be used on all suitable public occasions ; and to this day, from its little belfry in the public square, it rings out its merry peals, calling both saint and sinner to duty.

The Lutheran Church of Oregon became a home for all worshiping Christians, of different denominations who had settled in the place, until A. D. 1858, when the M. E. Church dedicated a building and formed a class by themselves. It continued to be the leading congregation of the city, until A. D. 1873, when the Presbyterian element in the church branched off and built the elegant church building which they now occupy. In 1874, the congregation enlarged and improved their church building, at an expense of fourteen hundred dollars ; and, in 1875, supplied it with the first pipe organ ever set up in Ogle County, the cost of which was fifteen hundred dollars.

There are at the present time seven congregations of Lutherans in Ogle County, viz. : The Church at Payne's Point, at Oregon, at Mt. Morris, at Polo, at Brookville, at Forreston, and at Adeline.

The Lutheran Church Synod records show it to be the third in membership in the United States, the Baptist and Methodist Episcopal only exceeding it. Thus showing its importance among the evangelical churches of the country.

Methodist Episcopal Church. - In 1885, the Illinois Conference sent Rev. James McKean to what was called the Buffalo Grove Circuit, of the Galena District, with his residence at Buffalo Grove, near what is now Polo. He roamed almost at will, making a four weeks' circuit from beyond Rochelle, on the east, to the Mississippi River, on the west, and from the mouth of the Kishwaukee, on the north, to Prophetstown, on the south. There was a preaching appointment for nearly each week day and two for each Sunday. On the same territory there are now twenty-two pastoral charges. Oregon was made one of those appointments.

Following Mr. McKean, Revs. R. Delap, Barton Cartwright, George Pool and G. G. Worthington successively traveled the Buffalo Grove circuit and ministered in Oregon. Mr. Cartwright still remains in the ministerial work, and has achieved a favorable notoriety. During these earlier years. Revs. Hitt and Irvine, local preachers, also filled appointments in Oregon and rendered such valuable assistance to Methodism as to merit this special mention.

On the 1st of December, 1839, Mr. Worthington organized a Methodist " Class," of eleven persons. Of these, two were men, Robert Davis and Isaac

S. Woolley. These gentlemen served the class as leaders at diiferent times, and by their zealous and self-sacrificing labors did much toward establishing Methodism in Oregon.

From this time till 1852 was an appointment of different named circuits, as the territory of the old Buffalo Grove Circuit became divided into new circuits. The ministers who successively officiated during that period were Revs. A. McMurtry, L. S. Walker, N. Jewett, G. L. S. Stuff, William Palmer, C. N. Wager, and others whose names are not reported.

In 1852, Oregon was made the head of an Oregon Circuit, having four appointments, and so continued till 1869. During this period, the ministers who successively served the circuit were Revs. J. C. Stoughton, D. L. Winslow, - Thayer, A. Cross, H. L. Martin, J. H. Hartman, Prof. Harlow, Jas, Martin, J. Wardle, W. H. Haight, J. Penfield, G. R. Vanhorn, A. P. Hatch and George S. Young. Mr. Stoughton was a peculiarly gifted and earnest temperance worker, and his pastorate was signalized by a temperance reformation. Prior to 1857, the services were held in private houses, the school house and the court house. In 1857, A. Cross began, and in 1858, H. L. Martin finished, the enterprise of building a neat brick church, at a cost of $3,000. In 1868-9, during the administration of A. P. Hatch, the society erected a comfortable parsonage, at a cost of $2,800. The parsonage is still used as a pastoral residence.

In 1869, Oregon became a " Station," demanding the entire service of a pastor. Since then the pastors have been, successively, Revs. J. Borbidge, J. H. Ailing, G. W. Carr, and the present pastor, Isaac E. Springer. Oregon is now a charge in the Dixon District (of which Rev. I. Linebarger is the efficient Presiding Elder), of the Rock River Annual Conference.

Gracious revivals have followed the labors of most of the pastors. Among the most noticeable were those during the administrations of Revs. A. Cross, G. R. Vanhorn, J. H. Ailing, G. W. Carr and Isaac E. Springer. Mr. Vanhorn greatly endeared himself to the community by his genialty and earnestness. Mr. Ailing closed his pastorate with a reported net increase of sixty-eight in membership.

The pastorate of Rev. G. W. Carr was of especial value to Methodism in Oregon. During the three years of his labors, there was a net increase in the membership, as reported, of 101. The congregations became too large for the old church, and the society began and completed, under the very energetic and prudent management of Mr. Carr, the beautiful and commodious edifice in which the society now worship, at an outlay of $15,000.

The present officiary of the church is as follows : Pastor, Rev. Isaac E. Springer ; Local Preachers, Revs. E. Wadsworth and A. S. Babcock ; Class Leaders, F. G. Petrie and E. Stevens ; Stewards, F. G. Petrie, A. L. Ettinger, T. Welty, C. Marsh, J. A. Barden, J. Matmiller and R. Donovan ; Trustees, F. G. Petrie, B. F. Sheets, E. P. Piersol, A. L. Ettinger, A. Woodcock, F. H. Marsh, A. S. Babcock, J. W. Mack and W. Osborn.

Rev. E. Wadsworth has been a faithful, zealous and useful local preacher. Since 1845 he has preached in the vicinity of Oregon nearly every Sabbath. By his earnest labors, large liberality and wise counsels, he has rendered great service to Methodism around Oregon, and has won an enviable share in the esteem of all.

Hon. F. G. Petrie has rendered invaluable service to Methodism in Oregon. He has been class leader since 1859. His home has been ever open with most hospitable welcome to the preachers. His irreproachable record, hearty support of every reformatory and humanitarian project, deep interest in whatever pertains to spiritual welfare, and generous contributions to every religious and benevolent cause, have given hjm a commanding position in the society and community.

Col. B. F. Sheets is the Sunday school man of Northwest Illinois. He was elected Superintendent of the Oregon M. E. Sunday School in 1862, in which office he has remained ever since. His tact, patience, industry and personal worth have enabled him to build up the Sunday school in numbers and influence till it has become noted as one of the best schools in the district. To serve the best interests of the school. Col. Sheets has spared neither pains nor personal means within reasonable possibility. Aside from his labors in the Sunday school, he has been notable in sustaining with heart, voice, personal labors and open purse, every department of the church's interests. His prominence in church and community is the result of demonstrated ability, tried integrity and a marked, though unostentatious, liberality.

Other members of the officiary are also worthy of praise for their devotion to the interests of the church, and have been less prominent in the history of Methodism in Oregon, only because their membership has been much briefer than the above named.

At the present writing there are 267 members and probationers. There have been 77 persons received into the society by the present pastor. The Sunday school has 7 officers, 18 teachers, and 225 scholars. The average attendance is 185. The annual contributions of the society for its own and other church interests are over $2,000. It has an active, working membership, and makes itself a felt power for good in and around Oregon.

Presbyterian Church. - The following historical summary of the First Presbyterian Church of Oregon is gleaned from a sermon read before that society by Rev. George W. Crofts, July 2, 1876 :

In the growth of Oregon there had been quite an accumulation of what may be termed Presbyterian element. Quite a number of Presbyterian and Congregational families had from time to time moved into the place. The most of them had identified themselves with other religious interests, yet they began to feel a desire for a society of their own, one to whose polity, forms and doctrines they had been accustomed, one in which they could put forth all their powers for good and salvation of man, and for the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom. They felt that they had numbers and means sufficient for the successful prosecution of individual church work, for the building of a suitable house of worship, and for maintaining a stated ministry. To this end there was a meeting of the citizens of Oregon called on the 16th of February, 1873, at the office of E. L. Wells, County Superintendent, for the purpose of organizing a religious society, and, on the motion of Mrs. Mary J. Mix, the society was called the First Presbyterian Church of Oregon. At that meeting the following named persons were elected permanent officers for one year, viz. : G. W. Hill, Chairman; E. L. Wells, Secretary; and J. H. Allen, Treasurer (Mr. Allen held the office of Treasurer until May 31, 1875, when he resigned, and T. A. Jewett was elected in his place). There were also five Trustees elected at that time, as follows: P. Jacobs, G. W. Hill, G. M. Dwight, W. J. Mix and A. Barnum. After the transaction of other business relative to the time for holding congregational meetings, the duties of Trustees and privileges of members of the society, etc., on motion of Mr. Hugh Rea, E. L. Wells was chosen to attend the next meeting of the Freeport Presbytery, within whose jurisdiction this church would come, to lay before that body the interests of this charge, and make arrangements for the regular organization of the church, which meeting Mr. Wells duly attended, and there secured the appointment of a Presbyterial Committee for the purpose assigned. On motion of Mr. W. A. Washburn, a committee composed of P. Jacobs, A. Barnum and G. W. Hill, was appointed to procure supplies for regular preaching until the meeting of the Presbytery in April.

It was also resolved to organize a Sabbath school upon the next Sabbath and to hold weekly meetings for prayer, and the discussion of the Sabbath school lessons. At this first meeting for the formation of the society, the names of those who desired to become members of the society were enrolled. It appears from the record that the society was formed under the direction of the Rev. G. M. Wilson, of Rochelle, who has since gone to his reward in heaven. On the 11th of April, 1873, service preparatory to the organization of the church were held in the Court House, the Rev. W". S. Curtis, D. D., preaching from Lamentations iv, 1. On Saturday the Presbyterial committee, consisting of Rev. Dr. Curtis, of Rockford, Rev. A. Smith, of Galena, Rev. R. Proctor, met in the Court House at half past two o'clock P. M., to organize a Presbyterian Church. According to the record of the first meeting, there were but twenty-three received into membership, after which they proceeded in regular form to the organization of the church. After the confirmation of the name of the church adopted by the society, the following Elders were elected : E. L. Wells, H. Jewett, A. Barnum.

After the election of Elders, a Board of Trustees was elected, consisting of Mr. P. Jacobs, G. W. Hill and Geo. Dwight, W. J. Mix and A. Barnum ; Mr. John Rea was afterward elected to fill the place of Anson Barnum, deceased. Soon after, an invitation was extended to Rev. R. Proctor to become its pastor, which invitation was accepted, Rev. Proctor remaining until after the dedication of the church edifice, October 25, 1874. At a meeting of the society held September 1, 1873, a plan for a church edifice was adopted. A building committee was appointed, when shortly after the work began. On the 6th of October the corner stone of the church edifice was laid. The church was dedicated October 24, 1874.

The church building is forty-eight feet front, seventy in depth, of brick. It has a basement beneath the audience room, airy and cheerful, and well adapted for prayer meetings. Sabbath school, congregational business, and social meetings. The cost of the church edifice, not including the finishing of the basement, is about $9,000. Added to this, the worth of the lots on which the church stands, the bell, the organ, and the amount raised and expended by the ladies in finishing the basement and furnishing the church, with other expenditures, makes the entire worth of the church property $14,000. The first pastor of the church was Rev. Robert Proctor, who was succeeded by Rev. G. W. Crofts, whose pastorate closed January 1, 1877, since which time Rev. Dr. Curtis, Rev. C. C. Hemenway and Rev. C. H. Hoyt have supplied the pulpit.

Catholic Church. - The industry and zeal that characterizes this people, that has carried their faith and practices among the people of all ages, in all countries, found a footing in Oregon when Michael Nohe, an enterprising grocer, and John M. Schneider, clothing merchant, settled here. With that energy which is born of good intentions, and which always characterized their undertakings as private and reliable business men, they soon began to cast about for ways and means to build a house of worship that should be dedicated to the worship of God by the people of their religious belief. They were not long in laying the foundations and providing means for the accomplishment of this cherished purpose. They secured the necessary grounds for a church edifice, and then, by subscriptions obtained from the generous and liberal people of Oregon and vicinity, a sufficient amount of money was raised to commence the erection of the present church edifice, which was completed in 1862, at a cost of ^1,600. The first officiating priest was Rev. Father Lightner, of Dixon. The church society (or congregation) is represented by about forty families, who are noted, not only for their strict obedience to the requirements and duties of their faith and creeds, but, also, for the high character which they maintain in the community in which they live. Their church edifice is a stone structure, located at the corner of Third and Monroe streets, where services are conducted once a month by Rev. Father Beineke, of Sterling.

The educational interests of Oregon maintain a high standard of excellence. As previously noted, the first school house was built in the Summer and Fall of 1839. As the scholars increased and there came a demand for enlarged and more comfortable accommodations, the old school house gave way, and was succeeded by larger and better ones. In 1859, the present Union School House was erected, at a cost of $2,000. The people and their representatives, the Board of Education, have always labored to secure the best educational talent to be found in the country, to whom they have always paid liberal salaries. As a result, the children of the city are surrounded with educational facilities equal to those of any other city in the State. School is maintained nine months of each year. Six teachers are employed, of whom Prof. S. B. Wads worth is the Principal, and teacher of the High School Department. His assistants are : First Primary, Miss Agnes J. McMollin ; Second Primary, Miss Belle Hobbs; Third Primary, Miss Mary Wilson ; Fourth Primary, Miss Rusha Dunkleberg ; Grammar Department, Miss Laura Middlekauff". During the Winter of 1877-8, there was a school enrollment of 325 pupils.

Oregon Lodge, No. 4,W, A. F. k A. ilf. - Organized September 10, A. D. 1863, under a dispensation from Thos. J. Turner, Grand Master. The following members constituted its first membership : Ruel Thorp, W. M. ; Hiram L. Currier, S. W. ; William J. Mix, J. W. ; M. N. Smith, Secretary ; John M. Sewell, S. D. ; Perry Barker, J. D. ; William Rea, Tyler ; Lewis Hormell, A. A. Chamberlin, George M. Dwight, M. L. Ettinger, George M. Kinney, H. A. Mix, Robert Rea, Hugh Rea, A. P. Snow, George 0. Snowden.

Present Officers: A. S. Babcock, W. M. ; Harry P. Sargent, S. W. ; John T. Rea, J. W. ; A. L. Ettinger, Treasurer ; J. E. Sheldon, Secretary ; C. A. Anderson, S. D. ; S. Lee Anstene, J. D. ; Daniel S. Trout, Tyler. Number of members, 59. Meet every Wednesday preceding the full moon of each month.

Oregon Lodge, No. 94-, L 0. 0. F. - The charter of Oregon Lodge, No. 94, was issued by H. L. Rucker, Grand Master, in 1851,* to the following named charter members : R. C. Burchell, John V. Gale, John M. Hinkle, C. F. Emerson and N. K. Hawthorne. The Lodge was organized October 17, 1851.

Temperance Organizations

A lodge of I. 0. G. T. was organized May 11, 1877. Its membership includes a number of the best and most influential citizens in Oregon City. The Lodge holds its meetings every Tuesday evening.

The Temperance tidal wave first reached Oregon in February, 1877, when Francis Murphy inaugurated quite a reform revival. The interest he excited was carefully fostered by the Christian women of the city, and about the 1st of February, 1878, Major Matt. Cooper, of Michigan, who was laboring at Freeport, was invited by the temperance workers to deliver a series of lectures, which were largely attended, and resulted in the organization of a Reform Club that numbers nearly 600 members. In conjunction with the "Woman's Christian Temperance Union, organized about the same time, the Reform Club leased a room at the corner of Washington and Third streets, and fitted it up as a public reading room, which was placed in the care of Mrs. Hannah Jackson, an accomplished and earnest woman, and an industrious worker in all undertakings calculated for the benefit and elevation of mankind. The room was supplied with a large number of books, magazines, periodicals, pictures, etc., and rendered as attractive every way as earnest. Christian women could make it. The influences of the club became widespread and effective. Gospel temperance meetings were held every Sabbath afternoon during the last months of the Winter, which were under the direction of Miss Nancy Burchell, as President of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. The meetings were largely attended and judiciously managed.

The expenses of the reading room, such as rent, etc., were sustained by voluntary contributions of the business men. Mrs. Jackson's salary was provided by the members of the W. C. T. U.

Oregon Public Library

The importance of such a fruitful means of education is appreciated in Ogle County, and soon after the passage of a State law (March 7, 1872), authorizing cities to provide by a tax of one mill on the dollar for their establishment and maintenance, the City Council of Oregon hastened to avail themselves of that privilege. December 3, 1872, an ordinance was passed, establishing a library and reading room for the general public.

At a meeting of the City Council December 3, 1872, the following named gentlemen were appointed to constitute a Board of Directors: Albert Woodcock, E. L. Wells, G. C. T. Phelps, G. W. Hormell, J. E. Hitt, John Matmiller, John Rutledge and William W. Bennett. The Directors held their first meeting in the office of Judge Woodcock (then County Clerk), December 14, 1872. Albert Woodcock was elected President, and E. L. Wells, Secretary and Treasurer. At the next meeting, January 16, 1872, Judge Woodcock and W. W. Bennett were appointed a committee to make selection of books. The report of the above committee was accepted at the next meeting and the books ordered to be purchased. The committee appointed to select a suitable place for the temporary location of the library reported that R. C. Burchell would keep the books one year for $10, and that Dr. Woodburn would keep them in his office for nothing, provided a case was furnished. The First National Bank made a similar offer. On motion of J. E. Hitt, it was ordered that R. C. Bur- chell's drug store should be the place of keeping the books. March 7, 1874, John T. Gantz was appointed Librarian, and the books were removed to his office, he being County Treasurer. November 24, 1874, the committee appointed to secure permanent rooms for the use of the library reported that they had made a lease of J. B. Mix, for two rooms on the second floor of his building, in Block 28, Washington street, at a cost of $30 per annum. The rooms were leased on the 24th of November, 1875, for five years, and were occupied December 9, 1875.

There are 967 volumes in the library, exclusive -of all public documents, there being a large number of the latter. In the reading rooms, there are five weeklies, four monthlies, two quarterlies, and many other magazines and papers.

Present Officers: President, G. W. Hormell; Secretary and Treasurer, S. B. Wadsworth ; Committee on Books, S. B. Wadsworth, W. H. Guilford and Agnes J. McMollen ; Committee on Library, E. P. Pursol, Mrs. H. P. Loson, G. W. Hormell ; Committee on Finance, John Rutledge, Miss Jenny Page, H. L. Woodburn.

Manufacturing Industries

Flour, Oat Meal and G-rist Mills. - Of these there are three. A. Forrest & Co., on the west side of Rock River, are operating what is known as the Southwestern Mills, and are engaged exclusively in the manufacture of oat meal. These mills were built in 1873, at a cost of $45,000. The water power is bought of the Mix estate. A switch of the Chicago & Iowa Railroad runs up to the mills, a distance of one mile from the main track. The main building stands upon the bank of the river, while just across the track is the store house and elevator. The oats are taken to the top of this building, and there conveyed through a tin spout 104 feet in length to the main building. There are three kilns in the mills, where the oats are dried. Three water-wheels, of the Phelps pattern, are used in the working of the mill. Five pairs of burrs are in use. The mill gives employment to twenty men, and produces 200 bushels of meal per day. Three thousand bushels of oats are received at this mill daily, of which 2,000 bushels are made into meal. Their sales are principally in Eastern cities and foreign countries.*

The Oregon Mills, on the East Side, were built in 1861, by Mix, Sheets & Petrie, at a cost of $16,000, and were operated by them until January, 1878. Sheets and Petrie bought the Mix share in 1876. The mills are now being operated by Mr. Z. B. Sturtevent, formerly a prominent mill owner at Rockford. Mr. Sturtevent employs five men, and produces seventy-five barrels of flour a day. They have four run of stone, and all the necessary machinery, including that used in making the "new process" flour.

The Oregon Feed Mills were built in 1877-78, and are the property of C. D. Irvine. The mills are driven by water power, by means of a wire cable 600 feet in length. In addition to the feed-mill, there is a grist-mill attachment, turning lathe, circular saw, corn sheller, etc. In these enterprises, Mr. Irvine has laid the foundation for large and profitable works.

Cheese Factories. - In March, 1878, George A. Mix erected a two-story frame building, 32x48 feet, with engine house attached, 14x24 feet, and a making room 30x32 feet, for the purpose of manufacturing cheese. The second story of the main building, 30x46 feet, is used as a drying room. A ten-

* Since the above was written, on the morning of April 10th, 1878, the oat-meal mills were entirely consumed by fire. The loss was about $60,000, which was partially covered by insurance. The sudden death of this enterprise is a severe misfortune to the interests of Oregon, as it was in great prosperity and was one of the greatest features of the county seat.

horse upright engine and boiler, carrying 120 pounds of steam, supplies the necessary power for the presses, steam for the vats, drying room, etc. The machinery is entirely new and was purchased at Elgin. This establishment is operated, in the main, on the co-operative plan, although milk is also bought by Mr. Mix, from such of the farmers of the vicinity as prefer to sell direct. The establishment gives employment to five men, and turns out fifty forty-pound cheeses every twenty-four hours. Mr. A. Vedder, late of Wisconsin, an experienced cheese maker, is foreman and superintendent of the establishment. These works are located on Third street, near the Southwestern Oat Meal Mills.

The cheese and. butter manufactory of Petrie & Jones is located in the old brewery building, on First street, a short distance below the bridge. The old building was abandoned, some years ago, as a beer-making establishment, and remained idle until March, 1878, when Petrie & Jones leased the premises and "reconstructed " the interior so as to adapt it to the business for which it is now employed. The steam and power necessary is furnished by a horizontal engine of five-horse power, and eight-horse boiler, of the Gregory pattern, that were purchased new in Chicago. The vats, presses and all the other appurtenances are new and of the latest patterns. The establishment has a capacity for the consumption of 6,000 pounds of milk per day, when in full working order. At present, however, it is only turning out about 600 pounds of cheese and 120 pounds of butter per day of twenty-four hours. Richard Coster, late of De Kalb County, an experienced cheese and butter man, is in charge of the establishment. It is also conducted on the co-operative plan, but milk is purchased by Messrs. Petrie & Jones, when offered by the farmers.

Brick Works. - The brick yards of Wertz & Hallett are situated about one and a quarter miles north of the city. The manufacture of brick was commenced at this place in 1872, and 500,000 were made the first year. They have manufactured, on an average, 250,000 to 300,000 each year since. They furnished the brick for the County Jail, the residence of H. A. Mix, Union Hall Block, and the dry goods store of Stanly Jones. They give employment during the Summer season to thirteen men.

Sinnissippi House. - This hotel, a three story brick structure, was erected in 1849 by Messrs. Mix (Henry A.) & Emmerson, at a first cost of about $8,000, and now belongs to the H. A. Mix estate, which is managed by Geo. P. Jacobs, Esq., attorney and counselor at law. The hotel is under the management of T. W. Mills.

Banking

During the Summer of 1870, Messrs. James C. Baird and William Miller opened a banking house under the firm name of Baird & Miller. Mr. Miller retired in a few months and was succeeded by James D. Lott, and the business was conducted under the firm name of Lott & Baird, until May, 1872, when the business was merged into the First National Bank of Oregon, with Daniel Etnyre, as President, and James D. Lott, Cashier. In 1874, Messrs. Lott & Baird sold their interest in the bank, after which it was conducted under the direction of William W. Bennett, President ; James V. Gale, Vice President, and Charles Schneider, Cashier. The paid-up capital of the bank is $50,000. The Board of Directors at this date (April, 1878), is composed of the following named gentlemen : Daniel Etnyre, James V. Gale, Isaac Rice, George P. Jacobs and William W^. Bennett. Since the organization of the First National Bank, there has been paid, in local taxes, the sum of $3,833.67, and to the Government, $3,004.36, making a total of ^6,738.03.

In 1870, Jos. Wagner and Wm. Artz opened a banking office under the title of the Exchange Bank of Wagner & Artz. The business was continued until the Fall of 1873, when Wm. W. Bennett was admitted to the firm, and for about one year it was managed under the firm name of Wagner, Bennett & Artz. After the withdrawal of Mr. Bennett (in 1874), the old firm continued the business until 1876, when they closed up their businoss, paying every depositor one hundred cents on the dollar, with a record of honorable banking.

In closing the history of Oregon City, it is but justice to the dead and the living that especial mention should be made of John Phelps and Henry A. Mix, who contributed largely to its growth and prosperity. Mr. Phelps' death spread a deep gloom over the community, for he had been identified with this part of the country and its interests for nearly half a century. His funeral took place at his residence on Grood Friday, 1874. Military honors were accorded to the deceased, as a soldier of the war of 1812. The corpse was interred in the cemetery one mile above Oregon, laid out by Mr. Phelps, and in a lot selected by him when Oregon was in its infancy.

At a meeting of Old Settlers, held in Oregon, April 6th, 1874, James V. Gale was called to the chair, and Wm. J. Mix was appointed Secretary. On motion, the following was adopted as the sense of the meeting ;

" Whereas, We recognize the fact that to the early settler and pioneer the present generation are indebted for their enjoyment of the greatest and best country and land ever given to man, and who, with iron arm tod will, fearlessly met all dangers, and suflfered all privations and hardships incident to those who first open the road for civilization in tlie remote wilderness, which can be fully appreciated only by those who have experienced them ; and

" Whereas, In the death of our friend and brother pioneer, John Phelps, we feel that the keystone to a strong arch had become broken, we feel thankful to an all- wise Providence that we remain to bear testimony to his worth, his unswerving fidelity to his manhood, his generous hospitality, his detestation of a mean or small act, his kindness to his friends, his tenderness and generosity as a husband, father and relative ; his embodiment of a greater share of those qualities of head and heart that command the respect of man than is usually alloted to any one person, all combine to command our warmest admiration and esteem, and stir within us the deepest notes of grief for the loss we have sustained, and of sympathy for the family circle which has suffered this sad bereavement. To the aged companion of his life we tender our heartfelt sympathy, and with her mingle the tear of sorrow. To the children and relatives who have been guided to the summit of the pathway of life by his counsel, we desire to express our grief for their loss, and bear testimony that we also feel that in their loss we also have met with a loss from the web of life which no living thread can replace ; that our words of consolation come not from the lips only, but from the depths of the heart.

That a copy of these proceedings, signed by the President and Secretary, be sent to the family, and furnished to the Grrange and Reporter, and other papers of the county be requested to copy.

Tuesday morning, September 3, 1867, the people of Oregon were thrown into a state of wild excitement by the startling intelligence that Henry A. Mix,

Esq., was lying dead under the unfinished bridge. He was last seen between the hours of eight and nine, the previous evening. The bridge was finished over three spans from the West Side, and plank stringers were lain over the other two. He had evidently been beyond the unfinished part and was returning on the stringers, and is supposed to have stumbled and fallen through the bridge. Coroner J. M. Sewell summoned a jury of inquest, who returned the following verdict : State of Illinois, \ of Illinois, at the Sinnissippi House, in the Town of Oregon, in said County and State, on the 3d day of September, A. D. 1867, before me, John M. Sewall. Coroner of said County, upon the view of the body of Henry A. Mix, then and there lying dead upon the oaths of James V. Gale, Christian Lehman, D. Stout, A. W. Austin, David Wertz, P. Barker, George A. Buckner, George W. Phelps, J. Cartwright, .1. Sharp, G. Dwight, and M. L. Allen, good and lawful men of the said county, who, being duly sworn to inquire upon the part of the People of the State of Illinois, with all the circumstances attending the death of Henry A. Mix, and by whom the same was produced, and in what manner, and when and where the said Henry A. Mix came to his death, do say, upon thair oaths, aforesaid, that the said Henry A. Mix was found lying dead, under the unfinished bridge, at Oregon, aforesaid, on the morning of the third day of September, A. D. 1867, with marks of violence upon his person - that the said Henry A. Mix was, at the time of his death, of the age of fifty-one years; and, as the jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, do say, that the said Henry A. Mix came to his death so aforesaid, from injuries received by accidently falling through said unfinished bridge while crossing the same in the night.

On the same day (the 3d), a public meeting of the citizens of Oregon was held at the Court House for the purpose of expressing the sorrow of the community for the sudden and unexpected death of Mr. Mix. James V. Gale was chosen Chairman, and Albert Woodcock, Secretary.

Resolved, That the distressing casualty which has made an amiable and Christian wife a widow, and children of hope and promise to be orphans, has fallen like a stunning blow upon the hearts and hopes of all - that it came when least expected - when most unwelcome - when the arm it has palsied was battling valiantly for the weal and prosperity of the community - when the heart it has silenced was beating high with the promised accomplishment of its most cherished purposes, and when the arduous labors of his life seemed ready to be crowned with a triumph that was to bless and elevate us all.

Resolved, That, in the life of the deceased, we recogoize an ey.emplification of the truth that energy of character, integrity of purpose, and an unwavering confidence in the achievement of well directed toil are the means by which individual prosperity and usefulness are attained, and the only element of aggrandizement which communities can encourage.

Resolved, That our reliance, as a community, upon the mature judgment and sagacity of the deceased was not the result of weakness in ourselves, but of masterly executive qualities in him, which eminently fitted him to act a conspicuous part in all public enterprises and inspired his friends and co-workers with confidence in the wisdom of his counsels.

Resolved, That, while we are aware that the deceased was a kind and loving husband and father, we know also that he was a good neighbor, a faithful friend and a true hearted man - ever ready to listen to the complaints and sufiFerings of the poor, and never captivated nor turned aside by the vain show and blandishments of the world.

On the 9th of September, 1867, the following preamble and resolution, presented by Mr. Gale, were adopted by the County Board of Supervisors :

Whereas, We are in possession of the painful intelligence that Henry A. Mix, Esq., for many years the most enterprising and influential citizen of the county, has been suddenly removed from among us by the hand of death ; therefore.

Resolved, That in the decease of Mr. Mix the county of Ogle has sustained an irreparable loss ; that his thorough and conspicuous identification for the last twenty years with nearly all our important public enterprises, his superior business qualifications, constantly being exerted not only for the material advancement of the community, but also for the peaceful adjustment of difficulties among men ; his untiring energy, his generous hospitality, his cordial friendship, his condescension to the poor, and, above all, the true democracy of his life, all being lost in his untimely death, has left a void which cannot be filled.

Notwithstanding the verdict of the Coroner's Jury and the resolutions of the citizens and County Board, there seems to have been those who expressed the opinion that Mr. Mix had been murdered. This rumor prevailed to such an extent that the leading citizens of Oregon felt called upon to publish the following card in the National Guard and other papers :

We, the undersigned, citizens of Oregon, and intimate friends of H. A. Mix, Esq., late of Oregon, deceased, look upon the efforts of some few of the citizens of this town to have the public believe Mr. Mix was murdered, with surprise and regret ; that such charge is entirely unwarranted by the facts and circumstances attending his death, unjust toward the people of Oregon, and unworthy of belief by the public ; that we have not the least doubt that Mr. Mix came to his death by pure accident.

For three years after the Black Hawk War, there was not a human habitation within the boundaries of Flagg Township. The virgin sod was yet unbroken, and the site of the city undisturbed by the hands of civilization. The wild whoop of the red hunter resounded over the prairies, and his arrows whistled in the wind, as he pursued his panting game. From the claim of the Aikens' in Washington Grove, to that of Brodie, on the east, it was a wild, unbroken solitude. The tall, rank prairie grass enveloped the whole landscape, and, withered by frosts, dried by the Autumn suns, it tempted the fire demon to roll his desolating billows over the land. An occasional band of Ottawas, or other Indians, encamped in Hickory Grove, as they journeyed north from the Illinois River to the Big Woods on the Kishwaukee and beyond. As late as 1845, their lodge poles were standing at the southwest corner of the grove, and the solitary trail wound its sinuous course among the trees.

The pioneer settlers seemed to seek the protection and company, if it may so be designated, of the groves, and not until 1835 did the prairie between Washington and Brodie's Groves begin to receive inhabitants. In that year, Jeptha Noe built the first house in the township, a log cabin, a story and a half high and covered with a stave roof. Mr. Noe did not enjoy the lonesome honor of being the sole inhabitant very long, for in the year following, William Cochrane came west, passed through Hickory Grove and located near Mr. Noe. "Grandfather" Cochrane's family, at that time, consisted of six persons, namely, himself, wife, son Homer, afterward a doctor, daughter, Mrs. Lucy Lake (a widowed daughter), who married W. P. Flagg; her son Oscar M. and his daughter Julia Ann, who married A. S. Hoadley. Mr. Cochrane built quite a commodious log cabin, which was consequently used for religious worship after the settlement enlarged. Hennepin, in Putnam County, was the point at which Mr. Cochrane usually purchased his supplies, and as there were no turnpikes and few bridges, in some seasons of the year it was absolutely impossible to make the long journey. Being out of provisions on one such occasion, his family were obliged to subsist on Indian corn ground in a hand mill. At another time, while Mr. Cochrane and his wife were at Hennepin, a freshet was induced by the regular January thaw, and while the rivers were swollen by the flood, it suddenly became very cold and thus formed a thick crust of ice over them. As the water began to pass away it left this shell of ice without support, and in crossing the Kyte, while returning home, the ice gave way, submerging Mr. and Mrs. Cochrane in the freezing water. Flour and other articles were also damaged, and with wet bodies and frozen clothing, it was miraculous that they reached home alive. Mr. Cochrane had two claims, and in order to hold both, he afterward built a cabin on the one he did not occupy, and sent two or three of his family there to occupy it. An old gentleman named Amos Hubbard then lived with him. John Hayes also worked for Mr. Cochrane, chopping wood and cutting rails, at eight dollars a month. Mr. Hayes now has an elegant stone residence on his large farm near there.

In 1837, John Randall, with his family, consisting of his sons, George, John and James P., afterward a Justice of the Peace and a responsible citizen of Flagg Township, William P., Ira and Wesley, and three unmarried daughters, Sarah, Margaret and Mahala. The Randalls built a log cabin near the bridge on the main road, south, where they lived about one year. The following year, 1838, was marked by the advent of two men, who hold a deserved prominence in the history of this vicinity - Sheldon Bartholomew and Williard P. Flagg. They had been living in Ottawa ; came to Hickory Grove in the Fall and made overtures for the purchase of Mr. Randall's claim, which they procured for $1,500. Mr. Randall and family then moved to Jeflerson Grove, as stated, where they purchased the claim of a Mr. Jarvis. Bartholomew and Flagg occupied the Randall cabin together for about one year, when, in 1839, Flagg got out logs, and, with the assistance of neighbors, raised a house for himself, near where J. T. Bird's house now stands, on the south side of Kyte River. Mr. Braiden tore down this cabin a few years ago, and replaced it with a new residence. The Randall claim extended on indefinitely both sides of the river and, in division, Flagg took all on the south, while Bartholomew took that on the north side of the river. In July, 1839, Mr. Flagg was married to Mrs. Lucy Lake, and with her son, Oscar, then about seven years old, she came down to Hickory Grove. Her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Cochrane, joined them about nine years later, when the " Grant " addition was made to his house, and here they remained until, at an advanced age, they were summoned to their long home.

In 1838, Hiram Leonard moved to Jefferson Grove, where he married Sarah, a daughter of John Randall, and where he still continues to reside. Mr. Leonard had moved, with his brother-in-law, George W. Rosecrans, and wife, to Washington Grove, in February, 1835, and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 36, Nashua Township. Mr. Leonard says that Charles, Richard and Thomas Aikens, and David Maxwell, settled there, on the east side of the grove, in the same Spring. Andrew Smith and Mr. Blackmar settled south, and, in the Fall, Dr. John Roe and family settled at Lighthouse Point. Dorson Rosecrans came during that Summer, and at his house the first Methodist sermons in that neighborhood were delivered to the settlers. William Howe soon became a settler at Jefferson Grove, and married Margaret Randall. He afterward moved away. The remainder of the Randall family, excepting William P., soon after moved to Wisconsin.

Mr. Pembrook entered a farm down in the swamp region, near Brush Grove, and built a log cabin, but finding the land too moist for use he moved

Josiah Steele lived in a log' cabin near Kyte River, on the north road. He was a brother of George Steele, near Flagg Station, and his wife was subsequently married to Mills Stewart. His three sons, Adolphus, William and Joseph, grew into manhood at Rochelle, and the former is now practicing law at Frankfort, N. Y.

The father of Bradley Wright moved with him to the west side of the same grove. Mr. Wright was afterward married to Miss Jerusha Rathbun, daughter of Benjamin Rathbun. He moved into Rochelle and died there in 1877.

Samuel Huntley and his son Asa located on the farm commenced by Job Rathbun, in the eastern edge of Jefferson Grove. Another son, Francis, settled near them.

John Collier came to this country as early as 1836, but it was not until 1844, that he married and settled on his farm, which was in the northwest corner of the township. He now resides in Rochelle.

Constant N. Reynolds came to the township in 1840, at the solicitation of his friends, Flagg and Bartholomew. As he made the trip from Marseilles to Hickory Grove on foot, he was completely exhausted when he arrived and required careful attention from his friends to recover his strength. His father, Searl, and brothers Davis, Tupper and Simeon soon followed, and all settled near and northwest of the present town. " Const.," as he was called, moved to Brush Grove, in 1849, building his house on the county line. He was thus enabled to claim citizenship in either Lee or Ogle County. He voted in this county until 1860, when he announced himself a citizen of Lee. He moved to Nebraska a few years since.

Simeon Chester and Mills Stewart came in 1843. The latter brought his father and mother, who died at his house. He was a prominent character in this vicinity, but afterward moved further West.

Harmon T. Minkler and Richard H. Beers took up claims in 1845, near Flagg' s farm. The former erected the first frame dwelling within the township. The same house was occupied by him for many years and was then destroyed by fire. Mr. Beers married Miss Dolly Rathbun. Both Mr. Minkler and Mr. Beers still live on their farms in Flagg Township.

After these settlements, the inhabitants began to arrive so rapidly that a complete list cannot be attempted. Among them were Ira Overacker, now of Michigan ; Cornelius Dusenberry, Brinckley Pierce, Isaac and James Prindle, Samuel L. Bailey, Alanson D. Clarke, Sterling Blackman, C. B. Biggers, Samuel Airhart, Garrett Ackerson, George Steele, Thomas Fisher, Alexander, John and Angus Bain and Joseph Hall. William and John Fulton came at an early day ; the former entered into claim speculations, which he carried on quite actively. He died a few years ago at Rochelle, where John still resides. They built the house on the Lane farm, and sold it, in 1853, to Col. Brice. Elijah H. Blackman, Hiram Spaulding, Parley P. Hurd, Enoch Hoadley and his sons Alfred S., Sidney and Willard, came about the same time - Blackman and Hurd settling on their present farms, and the others stopping near Hickory or Loblalla Grove, as it was sometimes called from a food served up there to passing travelers.

David P. Navarro came in the Fall of 1853, and built the house occupied by James Crawford for a number of years. Mr. Navarro is now exhibiting with Barnum in the Eastern States his son, who is 17 years old in June, 1878, and who weighs 526 pounds. He was born in Flagg Township.

Since the first lonely settler first staked off his claim in the edge of Jefferson Grove, a host of citizens have joined in forming the large population of Rochelle and vicinity. Though the pioneers lived in plain style, with but few of the present pleasures, yet nowhere could the passing traveler find a more genuine hospitality than among these jovial, great-hearted men.

One was called away in the full strength and vigor of manhood, and has lain at rest beneath the prairie sod for more than thirty years. Sheldon Bartholomew died December 9, 1846, aged 39 years. He was the second one to be placed in the public cemetery, which he established. The first grave was that of Lura Reynolds, the little daughter of Father Reynolds. Williard P. Flagg, the old companion of Mr. Bartholomew, lived in the village which hadgrown up around him until August 10, 1877, when he passed away, at an advanced age, highly respected and esteemed by all.

Chicago was the principal grain market for this section until about 1852, when a load was occasionally drawn to Rockford, Peru and St. Charles. The greater part was taken to Chicago, however, until the railroads came and gave them a market here at Hickory Grove. There were few horses used until about 1843 or 1844, and it usually consumed six days to get a load of wheat to market. In those times, as there were few good hotels along the route, the farmers generally slept in their wagons and prepared their own meals along the road. Their cooking utensils consisted of a frying pan and cofiee pot, and their bill of fare consisted of hot coffee, together with bread and fried bacon. Before starting out, they provided themselves with enough coffee and bacon for the round trip, and sufficient bread to last to Chicago, where they replenished with fresh loaves.

At that time Chicago was nothing better than a great overgrown village, set down in what appeared the lowest and muddiest spot in creation. The farmers unloaded into a hopper and the elevators were no better than will be usually seen in most country towns. At times, when the roads were good, and prices a little up, there was often a big rush, and as they slowly unloaded and advanced the length of one team at a time, the unlucky farmer would sometimes be delayed several hours before he could get his grain into the hopper, and the cash therefor into his pocket. Later on it became customary to put up at hotels along the route. As the Rock River Valley became more thickly settled and the travel to Chicago increased, the number of these public houses multiplied very fast. The farmers could discriminate in regard to the quality of fare that was set before them, and, as there was brisk competition between the different houses, their patrons dined luxuriously. If there was an establishment on the road which they considered not quite up to the standard, they would drive half the night, if necessary, to reach the next place beyond. Those who run their own freight train to Chicago in those early days behind a team of oxen or horses will readily remember the old house at Brodie's Grove, Huntley's at DeKalb, Rand's on the Ohio barrens near Blackberry, Chatfield's the Valley House, Old Garfield's, Old Enterprise about a mile beyond St. Charles (then nearly its present size), Rob. Benjamin's, Hubbard's in Babbock's Grove, Salt Creek House, Hill Cottage, Oak Plain House, Six Mile House and Four Mile House. In the city, the favorite stopping places were the old American House and the Lake Street Hotel.

The prices for wheat in Chicago ranged from forty cents to a dollar and twenty. It seldom reached as high as a dollar, however, and generally ranged at fifty or sixty cents. Though they were not in any danger of becoming suddenly rich selling wheat at these prices and carting it to Chicago, the " Rock River boys," as those living in this section were called, did not appear at all despondent. In fact, if the rollicking fun and enjoyment experienced in these trips could have been reduced to a specie basis, every one of them would soon have reached a state of affluence.

At those times, when they were hauling grain to Chicago, the settlers purchased most of their groceries and other necessaries in that city, but on other occasions they found purchasing marts nearer home. There was a little stor e at Oregon at a very early day, and after that at Grand Detour and Daysville. Before any of these were started, Hennepin and Ottawa drew most of the trade of this section, save what was done in Chicago when selling grain. For a number of years, however, Daysville was the principal trading point, it being the place where elections for this precinct were held, and their nearest post office.

Wild game, especially deer, was very abundant here till quite a late date. Frequently they could be seen on the prairies at a distance, appearing like a drove of young cattle - the fawns gamboling about with as much playfulness as young lambs. The settlers found venison a very cheap and palatable food, and a good gun was considered about as essential as a plow or a lumber wagon. In the season a good hunter could confidently depend upon bringing home a deer any day, after a little tramp, till about the time of the advent of the railroad, when they began to get very scarce. In the Winter of 1853-54, a grand deerhunt was organized, taking in several townships and centering in the northern edge of Reynolds, in Lee County. Though it was not inaugurated by the Hickory Grove boys, they entered the ring when they found the slaughter was unavoidable. Thirty or forty deer and several wolves were massacred on that occasion, and at about that time these fleet-footed champions of the Indian and buffalo seemed suddenly to disappear from our groves and prairies.

Ward Wheeler, an irregular genius, who came to Hickory Grove about the time of the railroad, one day discovered three deer on the open prairie, near the south edge of the grove. As Ward had lived mostly in the East, a live deer was a rare sight to him. He notified " Const." Reynolds and one or two others of his discovery, and they determined to try and effect tlie capture of the three deer by a little strategy. " Const.," who was the only one of the party carrying a gun, was stationed behind some stacks of grain, in the direct course of the deer. As they came along in the proximity of the stacks, " Const.," by a well directed fire, brought two of them to the ground, and had good hopes of securing the third, which was some distance back, and yet undisturbed, when the irrepressible Wheeler, impatient of the delay necessary to reload the gun, darted out and gave chase. The motives which actuated him are not thoroughly comprehended, but it is believed that he thought to overtake and capture the deer by mere virtue of superior fleetness.

This same Ward Wheeler was the mariner who first achieved the difficult task of navigating Kyte River. Being the owner, by descent, of a fine, low, moist farm near Brush Grove, and being approachable by no other means.

Ward determined to see how near he could approach his swamp-environed home by navigating the Kyte. In pursuance of this noble conception, Ward constructed a raft, and, having loaded thereon the material necessary for a house, he was soon afloat on the raging waters. The raft, however, soon went to pieces on the wire fence of Tom. Padgett, and Wheeler returned to the Grove a sadder yet wiser man.

Wolves were quite plenty here in the early days, and there was a considerable number of raccoons and wild cats. Not many of the settlers attempted to raise sheep ; and if they had, the wolves would undoubtedly have proved quite troublesome. Father Reynolds and Harmon Minkler first introduced sheepraising into this vicinity, and their flocks were quite frequently visited by these skulking marauders of the prairie.

Indians were, of course, seen here quite frequently by the first settlers. Till about 1850, a band of Pottawatomies traveled through here regularly every year, and camped at Jefferson Grove. Their reservation was somewhere beyond the Mississippi, and they made an annual journey to Milwaukee to see the Government agent stationed there. Their lodges, or wigwams, were composed of some kind of tent material manufactured by themselves, which was supported by poles in the ground. These poles were not carried with them, but when they camped at a grove, as they always did, they would cut down some straight young saplings for the purpose. These were left standing, as they proceeded on their journey, and their lodge poles at Jeff'erson Grove could be seen as late as 1856-7. These traveling bands numbered all the way from twelve to seventyfive Indians, but there were usually about forty, and they used to stay at Jefferson for weeks at a time. The white settlers frequently visited their camps, and were generally received very kindly. Some of the Indians were able to use a few words of English, and a smattering of " Injun," picked up by some of the "pale faces," enabled them to communicate quite freely. They were in the habit of purchasing flour of the whites, and for the rest of their subsistence depended upon the results of their skill in the chase. The muskrat seemed a very popular article of food, and they evinced great judgment in spearing for these amphibious dwellers on the river banks. They knew where their nests were located, and as their spears penetrated the ice, they were pretty sure to impale one or more luckless rats. Their application of the culinary art to the muskrat had more regard for simplicity than cleanliness. They were usually suspended over the fire in the wigwams in their primal condition, neither skinned nor cleaned in the least, and when the hair was burned off" and it was pretty well burned through, it was considered in a proper condition for serving up. In warm weather, those passing their encampment would frequently see Indians, of all ages and conditions, loitering around outside of their wigwams in all degrees of nudity, some of them as guiltless of clothing as our first parents. In Winter, when some of their young men were out hunting, when it came night, they would very often drop down in the swamp gra>s or in some grove, and, with nothing but a single blanket or shawl to protect them from the biting cold, proceed to sleep, when it would be supposed that no human being could thus expose himself without being frozen to death. Their women were usually very busy in the manufacture of bead work and wampum, which they sold to the whites.* They possessed wonderful skill, and this work was really beautiful and artistic. There was one peculiarity about them. They would always put away their work the moment a white woman entered their wigwam, though they would allow a man to observe them as closely as he wished for hours. One gentleman states that he took his wife to see this curious industry several times, in the belief that she would be able to comprehend the mysteries of the manufacture if she could see the women at work ; but no sooner would she enter than the beads and shells were put away, and nothing could induce them to resume operations. The Indians were always very peaceable and law abiding, and measurably free from their very common vice, stealing.

The famous old Indian chief Shabbona was frequently seen in this section, his residence at Shabbona Grove not being very distant. Mr. Flagg, " Const." Reynolds, and other settlers were personally acquainted with him, and they represent him as possessed of two characters very unlike. Seen among civilized men at a dinner or some public occasion, dressed similar to any other well-to-do gentleman, and no one possessed more dignity or decorum, or could converse more intelligently ; but take him among his own Indians in camp, or on a hunt, and no one in the whole band was more a " wild Injun " than he. With his family, Shabbona was encamped at Plum Thicket several weeks at one time, and his two sons, reaching "Const." Reynolds' house one evening, remained with him over night.

Though the notorious Driscoll family lived in this county, a few miles north, this particular section was not very much troubled by the depredations of horse thieves. The settlers were in constant dread, and exercised great precaution, but very few horses were actually stolen.

Bridges. - The Rathbun bridge was one of the first built over the Kyte. The contract had been given to some stranger who made a business of bridgebuilding, and, when it came to the raising, dwellers about Hickory Grove were invited to assist. An attempt to build a bridge across the Kyte at Hickory Grove was also made while yet it was a mere country settlement. The main south road was at first further west than now, though at that time it ran in a diagonal direction as at present, and was merely a crooked, irregular wagon track and not a regularly laid-out road. They forded the Kyte several rods further down^the place where the river banks were worn down in a gradual slope to the water's edge, though grass grown, is still visible - and after crossing there they wound round to the east to reach Bartholomew's cabin, where travelers very often halted to replenish their stores. When Flagg removed to the other side of the river and built his log cabin, he laid out the present road and it was determined to build a bridge. We do not know who is entitled to the honor of originating the design for that bridge, but for simplicity and ingenuity, it could not easily be excelled. They first got out a great number of logs and prepared them in the same manner as for building a log cabin. With these they proceeded to construct an abutment on each side of the riyer and then piers in the middle, piling the logs one on top of another precisely as in building a house, only the sides of the abutments toward the land were left open. These houses, or pens, were built about fifteen feet high, nnd were to be filled up with earth and connected with beams or stringers reaching from one to the other. The filling in with earth was never done and they did not complete the bridge, but as the stringers were placed in position with a flat surface on the top, two or three feet wide, pedestrians, who understood the art of balancing, derived considerable benefit from it. In time this log structure was torn down, and in another bridge that was built " Dave " Stiles had the chief management. This one would have been a success but for one fact - it was hardly raised above the water's edge, and next Spring, when the freshet came, the whole thing was swept away. By this time a bridge had become a necessity, and their next effort resulted in a structure that was replaced some years ago by the present bridge.

Before the railroad, there was a stage line running through from Chicago on the old State road, passing Flagg Center, and diverging south to Dixon, run by the old firm of mail carriers, Frink & Walker. Some other stage up and down Rock River, touching at Daysville, furnished the people of this section an opportunity to communicate with the outside world.

The general health of the pioneers was good. That painful and exasperating scourge, " Fever and Ager," found a victim occasionally, but did not make as much headway here as in a great many other places. A sort of bilious disorder was the most general complaint. Doctors were scarce, there being only two within calling distance in those rural times. Dr. John Roe lived at Light House Point, and Dr. Lyman King was in the western edge of Jefferson Grove. Dr. Roe removed to Nebraska a few years ago, where he subsequently died. Lyman King met a more tragic fate, mortally wounding himself by an accidental discharge of his own gun while he was traveling out West.

Before the advent of the railroad, the south road, after passing Flagg's and, crossing the bridge, continued in a diagonal direction till it reached the cemetery ground, where it turned and proceeded directly north. The old cottonwood tree back of Turkington and Hilb's block was just we^t of the wagon track. A fence ran along on that side of the road, and the field beyond was planted with grain. East of that road it was an open, unfenced common, whose ancient §od had never been rent by the plowshare. The grove at that time extended considerably further north, and there was quite a dense tangle of crab apple trees, poplars and hazel brush on the east, but, aside from this, the site of the present city was an unbroken plain, and the countless shade trees that line the streets and ornament the yards and gardens are all of recent growth. Mills Stewart (down by the stone quarry), Flagg and Bartholomew occupied the only three houses within the little neighborhood, and it looked less like a city than an average country cross-roads.

The Village of Lane. - After the death of Bartholomew, his widow, generally known by the familiar title of "Aunt Charlotte," was married to "Mat." Powell, and before her death, which occurred during the past year, she had wedded her third husband, a Mr. Walker. Some capitalists from Rockford, R. P. Lane, Thos. D. Robertson and Gilbert D. Palmer, purchased quite an extensive tract from " Aunt Charlotte," including all the land comprised in the original town of Lane, and, being owners when the station was located, one of their number secured the honor of giving the town its name.

The Chicago ^ North- Western Railway. - The final survey for the Air Line Railroad was made in the Spring of 1853, and on the 14th of January, 1854, the iron was laid and the road completed to this point. A rival survey had been previously made on the line of St. Charles and Oregon, and the road constructed to the former place, and the ambitious denizens at the "seat " were very free in their sneers at what they termed the " Gas Line " Railroad, being very ceitain that it would never be built, and proportionately sure that theirs would be. But the Air Line continued to be pushed forward, be the propelling force what it would - gas or gold dollars. Several different routes were projected with the evident purpose of inducing competion among the landowners in order to cheapen the right of way. The work on the railroad progressed very rapidly during the Summer of '53, and at the date above mentioned the last rail was laid connecting Hickory Grove with Chicago. In the meantime there was great activity at the Grove, or, as we must now call it. Lane Station. There was a great influx of people, all anxious to reap the advantages and embrace the opportunities for money-making that were sure to be developed here by the new railroad. The old Lane Hotel, now the Brackett House, was built that Summer by Horace Coon, who is still a resident of Rochelle, and when the railroad was completed arrangements were made for a grand banquet in the hall over the hotel, there being no bed-room partitions at that time, but the whole second floor was one large apartment and was used for balls and other public gatherings. This banquet was originated in honor of a train of excursionists from Chicago, who were celebrating the completion of the new railroad. As the Chicagoans did not put in their appearance, after considerable delay the local participants in the festivities endeavored to get on without them as well as they could. The most attractive feature of the evening was an original song written by Grandfather Cochrane and his daughter, Mrs. A. S. Hoadley. The words were composed to fit the music of a stirring old Mexican war-song ; and the different parts Avere rendered as follows : Air, Constant N. Reynolds ; Tenor, Sidney and A. S. Hoadley ; Bass, Willard P. and Lucius Flagg. The whole company were good singers, and their splendid rendering of the piece, and the general enthusiasm of the occasion, gave it a wonderful eff"ect. The last stanza, as will be seen below, contains a prophetic allusion to the Pacific Railroad, then hardly looked upon as within the range of remote possibilities. Here are the words of the song :

We come with a song greeting those who belong To the band who have rushed on the railroad so strong, Who have dug up the earth ere injunctions could say Your work is unfinished, so roll, roll away.

A go-ahead spirit is apt to prevail In spite of their saying, ' Their work it will fail " The railing is laid through the whole of the way ; Their doubting is sinking, so roll, roll away.

The steam-horse is come to our grove in the West ; Our joy at his coming cannot be expressed; So those who have striven to hedge up his way May charge their injunctiot s, and fire, fire away.

The sound of his snorting is heard on the gale, He'll ne'er be contented until the long rail Has reached the i acific, and their mingling lay Will be music to those who are far, far away.

The steam-horse will neigh on the wave-beaten shore, And whistle a tune to the strong ocean's roar. Then wheel around eastward and make a short stay, Then, snorting and foaming, he'll roll, roll away.

Before the conclusion of the entertainment, a messenger arrived from the excursionists, -who met with a disaster at station No. Forty. The engine had broken down, and they very wisely concluded not to come any further. Several baskets of provisions were taken to them on wagons, and the citizens endeavored to make it as pleasant for them as possible.

S. L. Porter was in charge of the track laying on the new railroad, and John R. Hotaling made his first appearance as a contractor, doing the grading two miles east of Lane. The Major built a small shanty near the old brick yard, in the pasture north of the track, and after finishing the grading he took the job of clearing and leveling oif the depot grounds and other like service. Lane was the railroad terminus for about a year, and Hotaling run a passenger wagon from here to Dixon for the benefit of the traveling public.

Business Interests. - One of the first places occupied for business purposes was a little log cabin down near the river, on the green plat, opposite Mr. Flagg's old house. It was once a part of Mr. Cochrane's house, at Jeff'erson Grove, and was torn down and drawn over from there a few years before the railroad came. It was at first occupied by a fellow known as " Bruin " Walker. Afterward, Lucius Flagg, brother of Willard P., used it for a dwelling while he carried on a blacksmith shop in a little shanty located a short distance west of the south end of the present bridge. This shop, which was about the first building occupied for business purposes in this city, was conducted by Mr. Flagg nearly two years. During the Summer when the railroad was being built, Mr. Lucius Flagg having removed, the log cabin in which he had lived was turned into a sort of grocery and supply store, under the proprietorship of Mr. M. J. Woodward, who had been connected with the railroad in some way. This little forerunner of future commercial importance was not a very extensive affair and Woodward did not pretend to stay there much of the time. The key to the "store" was left with Mr. Flagg, at his house, and if a customer made his appearance, some one of the family would go down and wait on them, after which the concern was closed up as before. As soon as the stores up town were in operation, Woodward discontinued his little emporium, and the cabin was torn down. Its location can now be seen a few rods west of the bridge on the south side of the river, the excavation for a cellar beneath being yet visible, though covered with green sod.

About the first building erected in Lane for business purposes was a sort of shanty, with a car roof, located about on the southeast corner of Loomis & Co.'s lumber yard. It was owned by some Johnson Brothers, who started up with a stock of goods costing ^40, and they prospered so well that by the next Spring they had it all on paper - their stock all gone, and nothing but slates and account books to show for it. Their groceries were chiefly of that variety that comes in kegs and barrels, and is retailed by the glass ; but they kept a small line of tea and coff'ee, sugar, molasses, vinegar, candles, and other necessaries. Their -stablishment was known as '"The Shades," but we do not know by whom this romantic appellation was bestowed upon it.

George E. Turkington became connected with "The Shades," and his genial qualities made it a very popular place of resort. Of an evening we can imagine seeing most of the prominent men of the growing little village gathered there, engaged in social converse or participating in the excitement of whist or euchre.

As we stated before, the old "Lane Hotel" was built by Horace Coon, the Summer before the completion of the railroad, in 1853. "Abe" Adams, then lately arrived, did the carpenter work, and the hotel was looked upon as a great enterprise. Coon was mine host for several years, and under his management the hotel enjoyed a deserved popularity. It was finally sold to a Mr. Kendall, who ran it till about 1858 or 1859, when Col. D. C. May, from Rockford, assumed control. The Colonel officiated with distinguished success till 1863 or 1864, and sold to Mr. Asa Green, of whom it was purchased by "Uncle" John Short, of Aurora, for the use of his son John and daughter Susan (now Mrs. J. M. May), who assumed control as proprietors, and fully sustained the popularity of the house until their retirement, in 1865. Mr. Short sold to two men from Geneva, 111., who, in two weeks, transferred it to Mr. A. Simpson. He tore down the greater part of thB old building, and replaced it bj a new one, which, for size, style and architectural beauty, is not surpassed by that of any town of equal size in the State. When Mr. Simpson died, the hotel came into the hands of its present efficient proprietor, H. Brack ett, and is now called the " Brackett House."

The east half of the block on which the brick row was built, in 1871, was purchased by Mr. David B. Stiles, and a store erected by him in 1858, somewhere in the vicinity of John Rae's. In the Winter following, he opened a stock of dry goods, groceries, etc., being in full operation when the railroad came. Stiles had no competition of any importance till the next year, when "Jerry" Barber entered in trade there, and did a rushing business from the start. Oscar M. Lake and J. S. Patchin were employed as salesmen by Mr. Stiles, and, if reports are true, they were very active "counter jumpers" in those days. The store was one of the tumble-down wooden buildings on the west side of Washington street, known some time afterward as " Lovejoy's Row," and destroyed in the first great conflagration in the Winter of 1860-61. Stiles formed a copartnership with Mr. J. Parker, a few years afterward, and they continued the business in a more commodious store, situated at the head of Cherry street, on the lot where the north half of Turkington & Hilb's block now stands. Here they w(;re burnt out at the time of the fire mentioned above.

About the. next establishment, in point of time, was Henry Burlingim's. He was located in was was called the "Ark," a little low building with a car roof, on the corner where Milne & Loomis' coal warehouse stands. " Burly" kept a small line of groceries, confectionery, etc., and lived in the back part of the " store." In 1856, he erected the building now occupied by D. A. Baxter as a harness shop, and put in quite an extensive stock of groceries and provisions. This was the first exclusive grocery in town of any consequence. Miles J. Braiden came West about this time, and was connected with the Burlingim store as partner. "Burly" was subsequently engaged in the grain trade, and the stone elevator was built fey him. From here he moved to Chicago, where at one time he was conducting quite an extensive business. " Burly," or " H. B.," was an eccentric, good-natured genius, fond of a joke and extremely social, and his peculiarities will be recalled by a host of warm personal friends.

J. B. Barber came to Lane the next season after the railroad and put in a general stock of dry goods, groceries, etc., in a store erected by himself just east of the " corner brick." The same building was occupied for hardware a number of years afterward, and was torn down or moved away at the time of the erection of the west half of Turkington's block on Cherry street. "Jerry " had a rushing business immediately, and at the end of the year entered into a partnership with John R. Hotaling, under the firm name of Barber & Hotaling.

In about the year 1856, Republican Block or the "corner brick" was erected by them. They neveV moved into it, however, as the partnership was dissolved. In the division. Barber took the stock of goods and the business, and Hotaling had the new block.

They had sold their old store, and "Jerry" was obliged to find a new place and he built what was known subsequently as the "Oak Front," on the present Hilb lot. He sold to Brice & Coon, and the store was continued by the firm for awhile, and finally by Brice alone. The establishment was at last closed out or burnt out in 1860 or 1861.

Employed by Barber as clerks, at different times, were George E. Turkington, Jay L. Putman, Joseph Hawthorne, "Johnny" Hunter, and "Jim" Brice. George Turkington came in with the railroad, with which he had been connected in some capacity, and it is reported that at that time he was no steadier than an average deacon ; but he possessed first-rate business tact, and "Jerry" soon found his services almost invaluable. "Joe" Hawthorne is now a prominent citizen of Oregon, and Deputy Sheriff. "Jim " Brice was a son of the old Colonel, who succeeded "Jerry " in the business, and is now engaged in a prosperous trade at Tama City, Iowa. Of "Jerry's" other clerks we will speak further on.

Besides the store, "Jerry" was connected with several other branches of trade. He dealt in coal and had a small stock of furniture, and, in company with Hotaling, was one of the first grain buyers. Before going in with the " Major," however, he had erected a little warehouse, in company with a Mr. Flint, and was in the grain trade the next season after the advent of the railroad.

The personal history of "Jerry" Barber is closely interwoven with that of the city in those early years. To his liberality and enterprise is attributable much of its subsequent prosperity and growth. No man in the commercial history of Rochelle ever enjoyed the confidence of the trading public more completely than " Jerry." Early in trade, his genial manner and well-known probity commanded an immense patronage. Had his conscience possessed the elasticity of the modern tradesman, with ordinary parsimony he would have amassed a princely fortune, and, instead of resting in a grave unmarked by the simplest tablet, he might have reposed beneath the shadow of an imposing monument. As it was, he met with financial disaster, failed in business, and the last years of his life were spent in comparative poverty. He died in 1872 and was laid to rest with Masonic honors. Before coming to Lane, " Jerry" Barber was conducting a farm in Winnebago County, near the residence of Allen Miller, now deceased, who was Mrs. Barber's father. Here " Jerry " had led a quiet farmer's life for many years, being one of the oldest settlers in that section. He came to Lane, and for awhile was successful beyond all reasonable expectation in accumulating wealth and multiplying friends ; and the two seemed to disappear together, fully as readily as they came.

Though Barber & Hotaling built the "corner brick," it was first occupied occupied by the Cass Brothers, Frank and Milo. They engaged in the general trade, dry goods, groceries, etc., and were succeeded by Barbour & Co. Barbour was unsuccessful, and Sheriff Hughes finally secured possession and disposed of the goods at auction, for the benefit of Eastern creditors. The Brownell boys, Lawrence and " Will," opened a stock in the " corner brick " at about the commencement of the war. Possessing first-class business ability and any amount of enterprise, they built up a tremendous business at the old corner. This firm, with slight variations, continued to do business there till 1871, when they sold to Bushey, Rathbun & Francis. Francis, Glenn & Co., now constitute the firm, which holds forth in the Shockley Block.

The old brown building opposite the " corner brick " was built in the Summer of 1854, by some stranger here, on the southwest corner of the block on which Milne & Loomis' coal house stands, and fronted toward the south. It was bought soon after by Messrs. R. W. Porter and Joseph Storm, and by them removed to its familiar old location up town. Porter & Storm filled it with a stock of dry goods, groceries, etc. Storm did not long remain in the firm, but it was continued by Porter for some years. On Porter's leaving, Gerrett H. Pierce, Mr. D. Bly, and others, held forth there at different times. The stock, toward the last, was principally drugs, with a few groceries. With a number of other old buildings, it was cleared away, some years ago, by Mr. Shockley, to make room for a brick block of four stores.

The old Grove House, consisting of two long frame buildings side by side, situated opposite the stone warehouse on the east side of the street, was built by Thomas Reed of Lynnville, in the Summer of 1854. It was run as a hotel a few years, but, after remaining vacant a long time, was torn down by Rufus P. Burlingame, who erected an old half-finished grain warehouse. This, in turn, was removed, and the livery stable of H. Earl erected.

Below the track, during the first season after the railroad, a man by the name of Leach conducted a pioneer whisky shop in the Bowler shanties. One of these shanties, with a car roof, is still standing as an old landmark. It was quite a popular resort with some, and, although it was a small concern, they disposed of a vast quantity of fire-water, as was evidenced by the number of "tired" men who staggered away from there.

The first livery stable was opened by John Andrews, in 1854. "Johnny" Hunter occupied the old stable opposite the Rochelle House, in 1858, and was not noted for keeping the best stock in the world. He , was succeeded by Josiah M. May ; then Charles Welch, who sold to Edward Gardner ; he, in turn, was followed by H. Earl, who moved to his new stable when Mr. May rebuilt, near the railroad, and is still in the business.

The building owned by C. H. Gates and occupied as the " Revere " eating house, by C. Brookes, was erected about 1857. Hughes & Frisbee opened it the same year, with a stock of dry goods. Hughes afterward was elected Sheriff of the county, and during the war served as Captain of a company in the 46th Illinois, and is now at Boone, Iowa.

The first lumber dealer in Lane was one Thornton Beatty, who had a small yard a little west of Wade's pump factory. A. H. Fields and Judson F. Burroughs were running a yard, a few years after, on the corner where Comstock's billiard hall is located. That corner and all the east half of that block was an open prairie at that time. Fields subsequently formed a partnership with John F. Nettleton, in the same business ; but not meeting with any great success, he branched off in the butter and egg traffic, which he is still following. Burroughs, after leaving this place, became quite a noted character, being the victim in the Mary Harris shooting affray, which created a great sensation at the time. I. M. Mallery, soon after his arrival here in 1857 or 1858, opened a lumber yard on about the same ground afterward occupied by Parks & Miller for the same purposes.

At a very early day the grain trade at this point assumed great importance, Rochelle, or "Lane," being surrounded by a very fertile and extensive farming region that is naturally tributary to it. The first elevator was erected by Mr. James Smith, or " Deaf Jimmy," as he was often called, and was situated on the warehouse lot directly south of Colditz & Williams'. He bought grain there for awhile, and it was afterward operated by Boyce & Bump, who were in it at the time of the second fire, in May, 1861, for which Burke was hung. The large elevator which stood on the lot just west was built by Spaulding & Hotaling, and the basement excavation over which it was raised can still be seen just south of the old Brownell store. Lake & Blackman were the last occupants of this warehouse, and they were conducting the grain business till they were burned out by the great fire above mentioned. Their warehouse was very heavily crowded with grain at the time, and 0. M. Lake, of the firm, was in Chicago attending the funeral obsequies of Stephen A. Douglas. Returning the next day, Oscar found their vast hoards of grain strewn round in scorched and blackened heaps, flooding the basement, and scattered on every hand among the smouldering embers. The fire fiend had been let loose upon them, and in one fearful night the rich products of a hundred harvest fields were trampled in ashes beneath his feet. Messrs. Lake & Blackman are still living at Rochelle. The old brown warehouse in the east of town was built by Mallery & McConaughy, and the stone elevator by M. J. Braiden and Henry Burlingim, about eighteen years ago. It is now operated by Stocking & Ringold. In 1863, the elevator near the old Stiles place was built by a joint stock company, and Messrs. Shockley & Phelps were placed in charge. They purchased all the outside interest in the warehouse after awhile, and operated it for a number of years, when it came into the hands of R. C. Craft & Co., and is now owned by the Chicago & Iowa Railroad Company. On the completion of the Chicago & Iowa Railroad, it became evident that the full benefits of the railroad competition could not be enjoyed until a warehouse was built on the new road. This was done by Messrs Shockley & Co., in 1872, and is now managed by Andrews & West.

The old hardware firm of Geo. E. Turkington & Co. began operations in the old Barber building, just east of the "corner brick," about 1857 - 58. The " Co." was " Tom " Padgett, and they continued to do business in the old building until 1863, when it was replaced by the present brick stores, which were erected by the same enterprising firm. After passing through diff^erent hands, the store finally came into the hands of Colditz & Williams, the present enterprising proprietors. M. T. EUinwood was in the hardware trade in the old row of wooden buildings located in the vicinity of John Rae's, and was burnt out in the great fire of the Winter of 1860 - 61. On the erection of the old Union Block in 1861, by Angus Bain and Messrs. Clark & Dana, Mr. EUinwood leased the north store, where he remained till the purchase of the old Bird building on his present corner. He fitted up the old brick front and put on a wooden extension reaching back to the alley. This made him a very commodious establishment, but it in turn was brought low by the flames in the great fire of December, 1870. In company with Mr. Scranton, he rebuilt during the next season, and his brick store, reaching the whole length of the lot, is one of the most complete hardware establishments in the State.

Mr. John T. Bird came to Lane in about 1855, and set up a forge and anvils in an old shop on Brice street. After a few years of faithful labor, he was enabled to build the large brick shop which was afterward converted into a hardware store by Mr. EUinwood. He afterward entered into a banking business in the firm of Lewis & Bird, but is now at his old trade, including the sale of agricultural implements.

At an early day, there was a drug firm called Knight & Bennett, located in the old row of wooden buildings which we have mentioned before. David A. Knight and Charles C. Bennett composed the firm. Mr. Knight moved away, and Mr. Bennett is now express agent in Rochelle.