Ogle County, Illinois - The whole text, 1878 (part 14 of 25)

A few years after the demise of the above firm, Clark & Dana opened a drug store. Though located on the same lot where their successors are at present, their building seemed to stand out separate and alone, quite a little distance from the center of business. It was raised up from the ground, too, and quite a high step was placed in front of the door to connect it with the sidewalk. This establishment met the fate of a great many others, being burned down in the winter of 1860-1. It was rebuilt the next season, and formed a part of Union Block, a three-story wooden building, with three stores below and a public hall above, the north two-thirds of which was owned by Mr. Angus Bain. This block was in turn destroyed in the fire of December, 1870, and was replaced with the present elegant row of brick stores. Though this firm has undergone numerous changes, the head partner, Mr. Clark, has been connected with it most of the time. The present company is composed of Messrs. Clark & Barker.

Jay L. Putnam came to Lane in the employ of "Jerry " Barber, and after *' Jerry" went out of trade, he was variously engaged until he became established in the drug business. He was in the next door north of Clark till the completion of Shockley's Block, when he removed into his north store, where he yet remains. The firm became Putnam & Cook, in 1871.

R. W. Porter was proprietor of one of the earliest furniture stores, and was located in the old wooden row. He was succeeded in that branch of trade by Moses Lovejoy, who was in the same building occupied by Peter linger. George Kershaw afterward held forth in a wooden building just south of Ellinwood's, and his repair shop was conducted by Peter linger, who afterward established a furniture store, independently, which he still continues.

The different boot makers who have held forth in Rochelle are too numerous to be remembered. Among the first and last, however, was Jacob Fisler. At the time of the first fire, his building stood on the lot where Bain's middle store is located, and as it was separated from Clark & Dana's by a vacant lot, it escaped destruction. It was then removed to make room for Bain's portion of Union Block. Mr. Fisler sold his shop to S. J. Parker for a harness shop, and moved West. There have been several exclusive boot and shoe establishments, but George L. Howe's was the first successful one. He opened, during the latter part of the war, in the firm of Covell & Howe. They were located in a wooden building on the Rae lot ; but, on dissolution, Mr. Howe went into the middle store of the Union Block, where he was burned out in 1870. He is now located in Turkington & Hilb's Block. Robert Anglemire opened in the same trade, and his successor, Joseph Craft, continues, in Shockley's Block.

The pioneer harness maker of Lane was Delos A. Baxter, who opened in a portion of the present Rochelle House. He afterward enlarged the building ; took a few boarders and at last developed the house into a regular hotel, called the Baxter House, but having sold out, he managed to get into the harness trade again. After Mr. Baxter's retirement, the name was changed to the Rochelle House, and during the following years underwent many changes of proprietors, who met with various phases of success in pleasing the public. In 1871, however, Mr. Gliomas W. Mills assumed control of the house and continued to manage it until April, 1875. Until 1876, it was kept by John Collar, followed by J. S. Patchin, and is now continued by Hines & Wilson.

The first meat market in Lane was kept by M. J. Woodward in a little shanty west of Wade's pump factory. His slaughtering was often done in the street, we are informed, in front of his market. Mr. Elijah Taylor had a market at quite an early day and held forth for several years, in a little shop on .the Comstock corner. He is now located between Main and Washington, on the north side of Cherry street.

In 1860, Elijah Scott started a planing-mill, in connection with a lumber yard, on the lots north of Byington & Northup's establishment. This was the first mill in Lane. In a few years afterward, Scott went out of the business, and made way for John W. Cook. Cook, when he first came to town, lived in the house now occupied by Mr. P. Lyon, and the barn on the alley was used as a sort of machine shop. He had two or three wood lathes, and a few other machines, which were run by horse power. As his business extended, he determined to move down town, and he located on the corner where Horton's carriage factory now stands. Cook put in a planer, a circular saw, a fine iron lathe, besides several wood lathes, and at the time he was burnt out, in 1866, was enjoying a good business.

The foundry was started by John Rae & Co., in 1865. This firm was dissolved after a short time, and, when Cook's planing-mill was destroyed, the new firm of Byington & Simons erected an addition to the foundry building, putting in a planing machine, saws, and iron and wood lathes. George F. Northup purchased a half interest, some years ago, and the concern, under Byington & Northup, is now in a very flourishing condition. Albert Byington, who was a member of the original firm, is quite a successful inventor, having patented several little devices that are very extensively manufactured.

A grist-mill was started in Lane, about eighteen years ago, by Miller & Jarvis, in what was once a school house, the first building south of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Jarvis did not remain long in the mill, but it was managed by J. T. Miller for several years alone, when he finally sold to A. S. Cox, and Pierce C. Himebaugh was made head miller. The present mill was erected about twelve years ago by Cox, Himebaugh & Co., Mr. Cox having formed a partnership with the brothers F. F. and P. C. Himebaugh. The firm subsequently became Himebaugh & Brother, then F. F. Himebaugh, and is now A. S. Cox & Co.

William Slaughter was blacksmithing in Lane many years ago. He erected the Comstock building, which was merely boarded up, battened and painted a coarse red. Here he worked at his trade for a few years, but finally sold to John N. Comstock, who fitted it up for a billiard hall. Tom Skelton was also an early blacksmith.

About eighteen years ago, the old building on the corner north from the Craft warehouse was built by George and Theodore Minkler. Before it was fairly completed, a bowling alley was arranged in the basement, and, soon after, a billiard hall above. The hall was purchased by John N. Comstock, and occupied by him until his death, when it passed into the hands of his brother, the present proprietor.

Enoch Hinckley & Son established the first bank in Lane about 1860. Subsequently E. T. Hunt & Co., with W. E. Lewis as manager, were engaged in the same business. Mr. Lewis became the head of the firm and sold out to I. M. Mallery. Mr. Mallery went into the banking business about sixteen years ago, in the store now occupied by Mr. S. Dawson. From this banking house the Rochelle National Bank was organized, Mr. Mallery being President, and his old bookkeeper, John T. Miller, Cashier. The present ofl&cers are : Mortimer D. Hathaway, President ; Isaac N. Perry, Cashier. It is located in the brick block facing east. Two national banks were chartered in 1872, the other being the First National, of which M. T. Ellenwood was elected President and John C. Phelps, Cashier. This bank, which has been located in

Otto Wettstein dates his establishment from the year 1858. He was in the little building occupied by E. A. Hinckley as a meat market, then located on north side of Cherry street. Mr. Wettstein had this building moved to its present location, but afterwards moved to his present substantial storeroom. His jewelry store is very elegant.

Another fine feature of Rochelle is its press. The office of the Register is not excelled among the country offices in the West. It will be referred to in a chapter on that subject.

Longenecker & Shinkel commenced in the general trade here about eighteen years ago. They were first located in the Flinn building, and when the two stores west of Turkington's block, on Cherry street, were built, in 1863, they moved into the store now occupied by Otto Wettstein. They remained there until the double store east of it was built, a few years later, and in the Fall of 1871 they made a third move, to the brick block facing east. The firm was dissolved in 1872, and are now of the firms of C. 0. Longenecker and I. Shinkel & Co.

Miss M. K. Minier was here at quite an early day, conducting the millinery business. Her first rooms were in a part of the John Jones building, and her establishment was about the first one of the kind in Lane. She is still in the trade, over Perry & Todd's store.

About eleven years ago, the firm of Rice, Smart & Rowe opened a store in the old building that stood just south of Ellen wood's corner before the fire. They sold out to W. K. Williams & Co., who continued until within a few years.

Perry Brothers, from Aurora, began business in 1871. Mr. George Loomis soon became a partner, but was replaced by Mr. Isaac Shinkel, and the firm is at present Perry & Todd.

The Malleable Iron Works were erected here in 1876, by Lane, Barber & Co., at the eastern edge of town, where much work has been done, though it is temporarily suspended.

At present writing, March, 1878, the Bain Opera House Block is just being completed. It is a three-story brick edifice, with slate roof and all the modern improvements. It is situated at the southeast corner of the crossing of Washington and Brice streets, and when finished will be the finest building in Rochelle, and an elegant resort for all amusement seekers.

Besides the business houses mentioned, there are the new drug store of Hartong & Butterfield ; R. H. Atwater, restaurant ; E. Gardner, auctioneer ; John Jones, billiard hall, etc.; E. Taylor, meat market; M. Cohen, clothing; F. C. Ward, news depot ; Lorenzo Hoadley, meat market ; Beagle Bros., meat market ; Mrs. E. A. Hinckley, millinery ; May & Monroe, farm machinery ; A. H. Fields, butter and eggs ; Anton Meyer, bakery ; John Rae, fruit and confectionery; E. Hilb, clothing; E. L. Thomas, jewelry; E. H. Reynolds, music store ; James 0. McConaughy, real estate agent ; William E. Wade, pump factory ; Milne & Loomis, lumber and coal ; George Addy, butter and eggs ; Budlong & Miller, brewery ; Joseph Parker, books, stationery and groceries ; S. J. Parker & Bro., harness ; Miles J. Braiden, lumber ; Wightman & Lee, dentistry ; A. B. Elmer, dentistry ; Peck & Brink, wagoners ; Z. C. Raymond, cooper; E. B. Blackman, wagoner; A. F. DeCamp, tailor; E. McGinness, tailor; W. H. Way, painter; S. D. Reynolds, patentee of piano mover and road dresser ; John G. Carson, photographer ; W. J. Hope, tailor ;

William Patterson, painter; E. F. Brownell, flour and feed; Mrs. Marshall, millinery ; John C. Phelps, general merchant ; H. G. Fuller, dining rooms ; Michael Flinn, saloon and billiard hall ; M. Farry, saloon ; John Moss, barber ; William Scott, barber ; Rudolph Heideklang, saloon ; Kofer & Goodmunson, cobblers ; Hakes & Self, blacksmiths, and others.

One of the earliest representatives of the legal profession in Lane was Henry M. Miller. A man named Mott was also here at an early day, and Abe Adams sometimes expounded the law when he had no carpenter work.

In the early days, an old lady named Peggy Bums, of considerable local celebrity, lived in an old shanty south of the railroad. She gained support, chiefly, by stealing wood and selling whisky. Her hovel was finally burned and the incendiaries were arrested and fined fifteen dollars each.

Dr. D. W. C. Vaile began the practice of medicine here soon after the advent of the railroad and was among the first here in that profession. Dr. Henry Reed came about 1857, and Dr. Pratt a year later. The latter died here, as did also Dr. S. B. Reed, who came soon after.

Among the first town lots fenced and improved for residence purposes was the old place of Mr. A. Harlow. A. S. Hoadley built a house the same year, 1854, on the corner opposite the Brackett House, east. The Elmore House, built by Isaac Ross ; the house just below the Chicago & Iowa, south of Brackett's, built by J. R. Hotaling; J. M. May's house, built by J. B. Barber; an<i the Stiles House, which was removed to make room for Wade's pump factory, were all built the same Summer as the two above. During the next year, 1855, a house was erected by J. M. McConaughy, now occupied by his widow ; another by Thomas Padgett, now occupied by Mr. J. Storm ; the old Bird house, west of Ellenwood & Scranton's ; the Capt. Humbertstone house, now occupied by Mrs. Moulton ; and the little brick house near the Chicago & Iowa Railroad, owned by Patrick Kelly. From that time residences began to multiply so rapidly that it is impossible to make any record of them.

A few years since, M. J. Braiden erected an elegant residence, costing $10,000, which was burned within a year after its completion. Costly mansions have also been erected by Dr. Vaile, Angus Bain, M. D. Hathaway and others. Rochelle has many residences that take high rank in the completeness and general elegance of their architectural design.

On the establishment of a post office at Hickory Grove, Hiram Spaulding was appointed Postmaster, and the office was located south of the river and called " Story." It was then moved a mile north at what is now called Col. May's Corners, and kept by Alba 0. Hall. D. B. Stiles next managed the mails and had an office in his store. On the election of Buchanan, in 1856, J. B. Barber received the appointment and held the office until in 1861, when C. B. Boyce became Postmaster. He was followed, in 1869, by Major Hotaling, the present incumbent.

The first Station Agent for the old Galena & Chicago Union Road was Willard P. Flagg. Two or three others intervened between him and D. D., Culver, who held the position for a number of years, when he resigned and gave place to James C. Overhiser, who was followed by the present Agent, W. H. Pratt.

Religious. - The Presbyterian Church was the first erected, and the first pastor was Rev. S. N. Evans. Mr. Evans, while walking on the open common near the present school house, in a thunder shower, on the 30th of Sep- tember, 1858, was struck by a bolt of lightning and killed instantly. Rev. Mr. McCrea succeeded to the pastorate, and after him came that ever popular man and minister, Rev. S. H. Weller. Mr. Weller having accepted a call from the Presbyterian Church at Mendota, about eight years ago, the church here was without any regular pastor till early in 1872, when Rev. T. M. Wilson accepted their call. He was followed by Rev. Israel Brundage. The new Presbyterian Church w^as commenced in the Spring of 1874, and completed the following year. It is believed to be the finest church edifice in Ogle County, and cost $16,000.

The Methodist house was not erected till a year or two after the first Presbyterian Church, and their meetings were held in the basement for a long time after they had commenced building, as the upper part was not completed. The pastorate of the Methodist society embraces a more extensive list, and we can recall the names of the Revs. Nate, Hanna, Brookins, Plum, Paige, Cochrane, Walker, Youngs, Fassett, Strout and Cramb. Rev. A. W. Paige was a man of superior ability ; and the ringing, off-hand speeches he occasionally made at war meetings and other political gatherings will be recalled by many. The present pastor is Rev. 0. F. Matteson, who was preceded by Rev. G. R. Vanhorne, now of Dixon.

The Baptist Church was erected in 1868, Rev. Mr. Youngs being the first pastor, and Rev. S. Monroe Hubbard and James Carnes his next successors. They have no regular pastor at present.

A Catholic Church was commenced quite a long time ago, but has been completed only a few years. The Catholic Priest at present is Rev. Father Edward and the church is in a very prosperous condition.

When the Presbyterian denomination began the erection of their new church, the Universalist Society purchased the old one and moved it on to a lot donated by Messrs. Rae, Gardner and Hilb. The Universalist Society was organized by D. N. Calkins, M. D. Hathaway, I. N. Perry, A. S. Hoadley and others, about 1870, and until 1874, meetings were held in Shockley's Hall. D. M. Reed, of Rockford, then preached here at regular intervals, since then there has been only occasional preaching.

Schools. - The first school in Flagg was held in Jefferson Grove in an old log cabin near Jeptha Noe's. The first teacher was Miss Mary Rathbun, and the total attendance was less than a dozen, of which we give the complete list : Harris Rathbun, Dolly Rathbun (now Mrs. R. H. Beers), David Rathbun, Sally Rathbun, Stacy Rathbun, Mandy Wright (now Mrs. Daniel Grimes), R. Z. Noe, Julia Ann Cochrane (late Mrs. A. S. Hoadley), Oscar M. Lake and Mary Noe. Their schools, like all others in early days, was supported by private and voluntary subscriptions made by parents whose children attended, and not by fund raised for that purpose by general taxation. There was no school at Hickory Grove till several years after this at Jefferson, and the first one taught within the present limits of Rochelle was in a little log cabin near the old Bartholomew building by the river. Miss Maranda Weeks (now Mrs. Constant N. Reynolds) was the first teacher, and among the few attendants at this seat of learning and others in the early times were Oscar M. Lake, Simeon Reynolds, Maria Bartholomew (late Mrs. Isaac Ross), Joseph Hawthorne (now of Oregon, but then living at Bartholomew's), Tupper Reynolds, Martha Reynolds, "Dolph" Steele, "Joe" Grimes, Alanson McComb (the murderer of Laura Harvey, and hung for the crime at Ottumwa, Iowa), Perry Fulton, George Fulton, Lovice Fulton (now Mrs. C. C. Bennett), "Bink." Marr, Simeon Chester (nephew of the old gentleman of same name), " Billy " Steele, Joe

Steele and others. After Mr. Cochrane had moved down from Jefferson Grove to Mr. Flagg's, the idea of tearing down a portion of his old log cabin and changing it into a school house was suggested, and Mr. Flagg and Constant Reynolds proceeded to carry this idea into eifect ; the logs were soon on the ground selected for the proposed edifice.* The whole eastern part of the present site of Rochelle was at that time an unfenced prairie, as we have stated, and they began the erection of their new school house on an open space where Colditz & Williams are now located. The work progressed rapidly and it was soon completed, but it did not answer the anticipations of its builders, and they became so disgusted with it that they tore it down and dragged the logs over to Mr. Flagg's, where they were transformed into an out-building of some kind. This ended the first attempt to erect a house expressly for school purposes. The school in the Bartholomew cabin was continued until Mr. Elagg donated other logs, and all the men in the neighborhood joined together in the erection of a new building, just west of the solitary oak in an open plat of ground, on the opposite side of the road from Mr. Flagg's old house. Here the school was held until 1854, and among the different teachers in this and the Batholomew cabin, besides the one mentioned, were Miss Julia Ann Cochrane (late Mrs. Hoadley), Miss Huldy Rosencrantz, Miss Amanda Sillsby, a Mr. Christy (an eccentric genius, claiming some knowledge of law), Miss Letty Thompson, Miss Ruth Youngs, and Mr. Oscar A. Hall. In 1854, the year after the completion of the railroad, it became necessary to have a larger and better house, and the building just south of the Presbyterian Church, used for a mill some years ago, was erected. The first teacher in this building was Mr. "Mat." Andrews. Miss Mary J. Miller (who became Mrs. 0. M. Lake) and Miss Alma Saylor succeeded him ; and Miles Ten Eyck, with Mrs. Baldwin as assistant, was the last.

In the Summer of 1858, another school house was erected on the present school grounds, and, because of some disagreement and division, school was held during the Winter of 1858-9 in both the old and new buildings, the former taught by Mr. Ten Eyck and the latter by a Mr. Moffatt. A reconciliation was effected before the next term, and the old building was turned over to Jarvis & Miller, the contractors for the new house, who changed it to a grist-mill. The next teacher in this new building, after Mr. Moffat, was Mr. Merrill, who was assisted by Mrs. Baldwin ; but the attendance increased very rapidly, and at the time of the destruction of this building by the fire of April 7, 1869, six teachers were employed, besides the Principal. John W. Lowell succeeded Mr. Merrill, but left for the war in 1861, where he received an officer's commission.

His successors in the school, down to the time of the fire, were : Mr. Baker, a thorough scholar and a severe, yet successful, disciplinarian ; Mr. W. L. S. Bayley ; W. H. V. Raymond, afterward Superintendent of the Cairo city schools ; J. Thompson Long ; Prof. McClintock ; 0. W. Garrison, for a short time ; W. B. Howe, in charge for several terms ; Prof. A. J. Blanchard, who conducted the school for four years, and is now at Sycamore. Among the assistant instructors were Misses Ruth, Jane and Lydia Youngs, and Mr. E. Brown, afterward Principal of the Rockford schools. While the present edifice was being erected, in 1869, the schools were conducted by Prof. Blanchard in rooms down town, leased for the purpose. The Professor was a hard worker. While there, he gave a long series of dramatic entertainments, and with the proceeds bought 'a piano, a large number of pictures, and other furniture for the school rooms, and paid for the fence surrounding the building. This school edifice is a brick structure of three stories, besides a good basement, contains ten good-sized rooms and a large hall for public exercises, is furnished in the most complete manner throughout, and surrounded with beautiful grounds and shade trees. Its total cost was nearly forty thousand dollars. It was built in accordance with designs furnished by Mr. G. P. Randall, the Chicago architect. The instructors, in 1872, were Prof. P. R. Walker, Principal, assisted by Misses Carrie E. Kershaw, S. E. Robinson, M. J. Levington, M. M. Caldwell, Libbie Bird, Ada E. Scranton and Clara Vaile. Those at present are : Principal, P. R. Walker; assistants. Misses E. Smith, Sarah Robinson, Josephine Waite, Fannie Cunningham, Stonehouse, Stratford, Steele, Belle Young and Clara Vaile. They will graduate a class of more than twenty this year. There is now an enrollment of 521.

Hickory G-rove Lodge^ No. 230, I. 0. 0. F., was instituted on the 21st day of May, 1857, with J. B. Barber as Noble Grand, and John F. Nettleton as Vice Grand. Their meetings were held in Republican Hall till December, 1858, when they removed to their own liall, over Clark k Dana's drug store. This hall was destroyed by the fire of December 27, 1860, and rebuilt again the next year, when they again established themselves in it. Their hall was swept away again in the conflagration of 1870, and their meetings have since been held in Masonic Hall. At the time of the last fire, they had their lodge room fitted up in magnificent style, and their losses were estimated at $700. Though twice burned out, and losing all their lodge property each time, the Order is still in a very flourishing condition. The present officers are : J. N. Willis, N. G. ; A. J. Bird, V. G. ; Charles Jaque, R. S. ; John Rice, P. S. ; M. T. Ellinwood, Treas. Regular meetings on Thursday evenings.

Horicon Lodge, No. ^Jf,^, -A. F. cf A. M. - The Masonic brethren were not far behind, and on the 3d of June, 1857, and less than two weeks after the establishment of the Odd Fellows, Horicon Lodge, No. 244, was organized under dispensation from Grand Lodge. Their charter was obtained on the 7th of October, 1857, D. A. Baxter, tl. H. Frisbie and H. Burlingim being charter members. The Grand Lodge appointed D. A. Baxter, Worshipful Master ; H. H. Frisbie, Senior Warden ; H. Burlingim, Junior Warden. Upon organization, A. Chamberlin was elected Senior Deacon ; W. G. Copeland, Junior Deacon ; Thos. A. Hill, Tyler. Present officers : D. A. Baxter, W. M. ; H. R. May, S. W. ; G. W. Turkington, J. W. ; C. H. Rathbun, Sec. ; E. Hilb,' Treas. ; Frank Ladd, S. D. ; A. Hilb, J. D. ; Chas, Reed, S. S. ; J. A. Brundage, J. S. ; B. E. Mcllwain, Tiler. Masonic Hall, over the corner brick, is very handsomely furnished, and the Lodge is of course prospering. Stated communications on the evenings of the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

Union Lodge^ No. 128, I. 0. G. T., was organized in 1863. Their meetings were at first held in Odd Fellows', afterward in Masonic Hall, from whence they moved to their own hall. Before the fire of December 10, 1870, they leased the hall situated over the place of the Reform Reading Room, and fitted it up with a great deal of richness and elegance, and their loss in the fire was quite extensive. On being burned out, they returned to their old quarters over Mallery's. Lodges Nos. 230 and 307 were organized after this Lodge ceased to act. The latter continued until the organization of the Reform Red Ribbon Club. This association was the result of a temperance movement in Rochelle for which Mr. Reynolds lectured two or three evenings, and a membership of 250 was obtained. Five hundred dollars was raised by subscription to pay the room rent of their free reading room, which is a pleasant room in Hathaway's Building. In the back part is a smoking and coifee room, which is carried on by Wm. Bailey, who also has charge of the reading room. The present officers of the society are : Charles Rathbun, President ; E. Taylor, George Baldwin and John R. Steele, Vice Presidents ; Charles Shawley, Secretary ; Isaac Shinkel, Financial Secretary ; F. N. Perry, Treasurer.

There are several other societies in Rochelle in a flourishing condition, among them the Patriotic Order Sons of America, Fire and Hose Company, The Rochelle Anti-Horse Thief Association, and others.

The Township of Flagg was named, and its first town meeting took place at Flag Centre, on the 2d day of April, 1850. At this first meeting. Sterling Blackman was Moderator; John Chubback, Clerk, and the following officers were elected; Supervisor, Ira Overacker; Town Clerk, Hiram Leonard; Assessor,

A. D. Clark ; Collector, Enos Smith ; Poor Master, George Steele ; Constables, S. D. Reynolds, J. M. Jewell; Justices of the Peace, Sterling Blackman, J. P. Randall ; Commissioners of Highways, C. D. Biggers, Dr. E. Squires, John Fisher; Overseers of Highways, Garret Ackerson, Enoch Fossbinder, Mills Stewart, Thomas Fisher, Cornelius Dusenberry. The town meetings and general elections were held at Flagg Center till as late as 1859.

At the Spring election the year previous, they put the question to vote as usual and for the first time the old settlers at the Center found themselves outnumbered and were forced to surrender the town meetings to the growing railroad town, and they were held at Lane thereafter. The first meeting here was held at the school house, but for a number of years after they met at 'Squire Hamaker's office, a little wooden building on the site of Turkington's block on Cherry street.

The list below gives all the Supervisors, Town Clerks, Assessors, Collectors and Justices of the Peace elected since 1850, the first year the township was organized.

Other officers at present are : Constables. - C. H. Dawson and George Youker. Commissioners of Highways. - D. H. Tunison, Wm. Slaughter and George Ambrose.

At the town meeting in 1866, an appropriation of $3,000 for building of a Town Hall was passed, but as strong opposition to the measure was afterward developed, nothing more was done in the matter than to purchase the Bird property, west of Ellinwood & Scranton's, which now belongs to the town.

The village of Lane was incorporated by act of the General Assembly on the 22d of February, 1861. The legislative power was vested in a Board of Trustees, consisting of five members, who elected their own President. The first Board consisted of Enoch Hinckley, David C. May, Horace Coon, David B. Stiles and Joseph Parker. Mr. Hinckley was President of the Board, and John R. Hewlett Clerk. During the session of the Assembly in the Winter of 'Qb-Q., a bill was passed amending the charter in several important respects, and changing the name to Rochelle. In obedience to a petition, the Board of Trustees called an election on the 10th of April, 1872, to vote on the question as to whether the town should become incorporated as the "City of Rochelle." It having been decided in the affirmative, another election was held on the 28th of October, 1872, when the first city officers were elected. H. 0. Rogers was the first city Mayor. The present officers are: Mayor ^ George W. Clark; City Clerk, R. W. Sackett; Treasurer, J. T. Miller; Aldermen, Wm. Stocking, J. Miller, M. T. Ellinwood, S. J. Parker, M. J. Braiden and W. H. Holcomb, the latter of whom has recently resigned.

Incendiarism

The Lynching of Thomas D. Burke. - Rochelle has been visited by three very destructive conflagrations, besides a number of smaller fires. The first and second followed close upon each other, one occurring on the 27th of December, 1860, and the other on the 7th of the next June. By the first fire, nearly all the business buildings on the west side of Washington street were swept away, and a few months after, the row of grain warehouses and elevators, extending from the lot south of the corner brick to the stone house, met the same fate. These events happened in the midst of exciting times. The war had just begun, and while many went forth to meet the armed enemy in the South, the citizens found themselves as&ailed at home by a secret, lurking incendiary. A man in thorough sympathy with the South had been leading an eccentric l^fe here for some time, and the general suspicion fastened upon him as the guilty party. The measures taken to ferret out the criminal, the evidence secured, and tragic termination of the affair were all narrated in an extra issue of the Lane Leader^ dated June 20, 1861. We submit it to the reader in full as the most complete account of the affair we can give :

On the 7th inst., the day on which the late fire occurred, a meeting of citizens was held at Republican Hall, for the purpose of taking action in relation to the discovery of the perpetrators, as all felt convinced that the fire had been set by the hand of an incendiary. The result of that meeting was the selection of a committee to ferret out, if possible, the author of the fire and bring him to punishment. A special meeting of the Board of Trustees was held the next Tuesday, and the action of the citizens' meeting was indorsed as far as the selection of the committee was concerned. The services of a detective, from Bradley's force, Chicago, were secured, and he commenced the job on Tuesday morning of last week. By pretending to be a Southerner, a bitter Secessionist, an agent of Jeff. Davis, and even a robber, he obtained Burke's confidence, the result of which was the owning up by the latter of not only being the originator of both of the recent fires, and designing to burn the town up entirely, but of all kinds of deviltry heretofore committed by him in the course of his life. Matters progressed well until it was feared that Burke might be put on his guard, and leave town, when it was decided to arrest him, which was accordingly done about 3 o'clock Wednesday morning - Sheriff Hughes making the arrest. At 9 o'clock an examination was commenced before Justices Hamaker and Hoadley, and the following evidence was taken. The first witness called upon the stand was the detective who had ingratiated himself into the confidence of Burke. His name is David W. Vandewacker, and his testimony was as follows :

" Acquainted with the prisoner; known him since last Friday, so as to be intimate with him ; saw him first in Taylor s yard ; had conversation with Burke in relation to the burning of warehouses June 7th ; talked with Burke about grain being burnt on Friday ; asked him how much was lost, and he answered didn't know, but thought about 100,000 bushels; he said that some boys were suspected of setting it on fire - got drunk and played cards in warehouses, and set it on fire ; my answer was that it was a great loss, and it had better been shipped South, and B. said that was the reason it was burned ; he said the public wasn't aware who burned it ; he was glad of it ; B. asked who I was, and I told him I was one of the ' Let-me-alones ; ' I started away, and he said he had something to say, and called me back ; shook hands, and said he understood it ; and said he wanted to see me again ; and Saturday evening I saw him again in Taylor's barn ; B. told me of his former acts and history, and said that something was going on that he wanted to be beiter posted on ; and that him and me were all right ; said there was considerable talk here, and folks suspected him of setting it on fire, and thought I could be of aid to him ; wanted an interview with me on first opportunity ; agreed to meet him next day in grove back of barn ; went there according to agreement, and had a long conversation with him in relation to Jeff. Davis, Beauregard and the South generally. He then began to talk about this fire of June 7th ; said he was strongly suspected of setting it ; said he had satisfaction partly of some parties here in town, and calculated to have more. He told me that he must go to the house, but at the next interview he would tell me something that might interest me ; told me to stay in the bushes a little while, as he wanted to go to the barn. He went away, was gone a little while, and came back with a bottle containing about two ' nips ' of whisky ; said he drank whisky once in awhile, but never when he had any business on hand ; wanted to keep his head clear when he had ' work ' on hand ; parted, finally, with an agreement to meet next day ; met him again Monday morning in the grove ; B. said he had not rested well the night before ; felt somewhat in trouble ; was afraid I might be suspected, and hadn't nothing to cover me from suspicion, and that we had better make a business by dealing in patent rights, whenever any one was around ; supposed I was all right, and felt as though I was his brother, and could talk with me ; told him he needn't tell me anything, except what he thought was all right; had a cigar partly smoked in my hand that had went out, and and asked him for a match ; B. took a couple out of his pocket, and told me they were ' mates ; '. asked him, ' mates of what ? ' He said, ' mates of the matches thcN, set the ivarehouses on fire! " Told him I hardly believed it, and he said he ' be d - d if it wasn't so ; that he had got to tell somebody, and he didn't know anybody better than me.' He went on then, and told me what he had done ; said he went from Taylor's meat market across the lot with some shavings under his coat, and an Abolition paper in his pocket ; went to the corner of Spalding's warehouse, where a piece of board was broken off; said some might think it was broken off by a wagon, or cattle ; put the shavings inside the warehouse through the place where the board was broken off, and also put in the Abolition paper ; took a match from his pocket and struck it, and it went out ; took another and struck it, and touched fire to the paper; then started and went to Taylor's barn, where he (Burke) sleeps ; said when he was going down, he thought if he met any one, not having his knife or pistols, he would do what he could with his fists, as he was a good fighter ; when he got to the barn door, it was light enough so that he could see the latch ; asked him if it was the light of the moon, and he said no, it was the light from his work ; ' stayed in the barn until the bells began to ring, and then took off his coat and went across to Taylor's house to wake them up, and make them believe he had just woke up from the ringing of the bells ; then he ran up the street to where the fire was, and asked some man what he should do and where he should go to work, and so on to another and another, so that all might know that he was at the fire ; asked him if he worked any, and he said he did a little, but against his will ; he loved the taste of the smoke, and wished I had been there to taste it, too. I asked him if he had any partners or watch that night, and he said he never had any partner or watch, but always done his work alone; said it was the second fire he had set in this town, and he be d - d if he shouldn't set another the first opportunity; the fire did not spread as far as he expected ; thought it would have taken in the rear of the stores on Cherry street, and spread through and across the street ; said he had his plan laid to set another fire ; asked him if he had any particular place picked out, and he said he had ; asked him where, and he went on and said that there was a little wooden building adjoining the brick block (Turkington's), where there was a window out and inside a lot of corn husks; intended to come along, light his matches and throw them among the husks, and wanted a good strong south wind ; asked him if / should set the fire, and he said no, there was so much feeling and suspicion against him, he would be hung for it ; asked him if there was any other place where he intended to set ; said there was a red barn near Taylor's (John Fulton's), which he thought some of burning, but there was no chance of its spreading, and would only burn three horses and the contents of the barn; asked him if he had any particular spite against this man, and he answered nothing, only he was a strong Union man, and the horses couldn't be used against the South ; then he began to talk about De Kalb ; said he would go down there and destroy a great deal of grain and property ; said there was a good chance to destroy property in Beloit ; there were parties there against whom he had a grudge, and he wanted satisfaction ; asked him why he did not go South, and he said he should as soon as he paid one more debt ; had paid two ; had made them smoke twice, and he be d d if he wouldn't again ; asked me if 1 had ever heard about some stores that were burned here six or eight months ago ; told him no ; he said he had a d - d nice fire here ; asked him how it was supposed to have taken, and he said from some chemicals in an ambrotype room ; asked him if paper and shavings had anything to do with that fire ; said no, that he had often worked with a fuse, and that a fuse was a nice thing ; said he could take a brace and bit and bore into a clapboard, light a fuse, put it into the hole, stop it up with a cork, and take a twenty minutes' walk before it was discovered, and then it would run up the studding and break out of the roof; said his last fire operated in much the same way ; ran up the studding and broke out of the roof as soon as any other place. Next time saw him was on Tuesday, at the hotel, when he came in and handed me some papers in relation to patent rights, as a cover, and told me after I had looked them over to come down and see him at the barn. (Witness here presented the papers, deed of patent wire fence, advertisements, etc., and also presented the ' mate ' match.) Went down to the barn, and there he said to me that he hadn't told me all, but was afraid he had told me too much ; hadn't slept well the night before ; had been thinking about traitors, and didn't know but I was one; told him h« needn't tell me any more; said he hadn't told me the worst; that there was somebody that had got to die! asked him who, and he said it was a G - d d - d w - e's bastard who was living at Taylor's ; asked him what the boy had been doing, and he said that the boy had told him that morning that he would like to see him and all the other secessionists dangling in the air ; that the boy had got to be put out of the way soon ; am afraid he will swear against me; asked him how he was going to dispose of him, and he said he had a good double-barreled gun which he should get into shooting order ; asked him when and where he would do it, and he said he would get the boy to go out hunting with him some day ; asked me if I had ever heard of any accident resulting from a gun going off half-cocked ; told him I had, and he said his gun would go oflF that way, if he wanted it to; asked him if he wasn't afraid he would get caught at it, and he said no ; there was a great many d - n rascals and scoundrels in town, and they were afraid of him, and daren't do anything with him ; went into the barn and showed me his gun, and just then the boy came along the road, and he (Burke) said there is the d - n scoundrel, and he won't drive that wagon along many more times ; talked over some murder and robber affairs ; said he had killed three men in Rio Janeiro, and showed some scars of the afiray; said he had been in irons and had seen the rope, and if it had been me I couldn't have got out of the scrapes ; said some people thought him crazy, and he tried to have them think he was insane ; talked ' slang ' with him, which he understood ; said he was well posted in these things ; said he had commanded steamboats, and had been up the Straits on business which, if known then, would have hung him ; said again he had no partner, but that there was a man in this town who would help him with money on the pinch ; talked wiih him about a partner I had in the business, and he said, though he was shy of strangers, if any man came recommended by me and gave the right signs, he would recognize him as a brother; thought it wouldn't do to talk secession at all ; he could do it, because they were afraid of him ; strangers wouldn't be permitted to talk it at all ; object in setting fire was to destroy the grain and keep it from the South ; had a grudge against a man who had shaved him out of $10,000 ; that man was Pagett ; another warehouse near the water tank, full of grain, which would help some ; could set it if there was a watch in the building ; prayed to God for a good south wind ; no set time for setting the hardware store, only should do it when the wind was right ; had much general conversation with him, but the above is all bearing upon his case. Burke and I had a trial of nerve by holding weights out at arm's length, and he could beat me a little."

We presume to say there was not a person in the hall but was convinced of the guilt of the prisoner after the witness had concluded his testimony. There was an air of truth and sincerity about his manner which, coupled with facts and localities unknown to him, but familiar to our citizens, carried conviction to the hearts of all. Other testimony was taken, however, merely as corroborative of the testimony of Mr. V.

After the case was closed, a call for the reading of the testimony was made, as many had come in who had not heard it. It was accordingly read over to those present, amid exclamations of surprise and horror, and it took but a glance at the pale and determined faces among the crowd to be satisfied that the prisoner would not be permitted to leave the hall alive. And he was not. Even while the Court were conferring in relation to making out the commitment, and in spite of the orders and exertion of a Deputy who had temporary charge of the prisoner, at fifteen minutes before 1 o'clock his hands were tied behind him, a rope placed about his neck, and he summarily ejected, feet foremost, from a side window in the hall. His fall was easy, and he struggled but once or twice, and ceased to exist. After hanging between one and two hours, he was cut down. Thus ended the life of Thomas D. Burke, who, if we are to believe his own confession, ought to have been in the same position years ago. His crimes stand recorded as among the worst in the calendar. He had murdered, he had robbed, he had premeditated the murder of a young and inoffensive lad ; worse than all, he had twice been guilty of arson (the first time a young man narrowly escaping with his life), destroying property to the amount of thousands of dollars and inciting suspicion and distrust among the entire community. His punishment, though deserved and just, was awful in the extreme.

Burke was 64 years of age, and was well known as the inventor of the wire fence used so generally throughout the Northwest. He was a native of Kentucky, held an important office under President Jackson, in Florida, and has boated considerable on the Mississippi. For the last four or five years, he has been a resident of our village, and two years previous, a resident of De Kalb.

Such was the evidence on which Burke was so summarily sent to his long account, but subsequent developments have raised the question in the minds of many right-minded citizens whether the people were not too hasty in taking the law into their own hands. Strong evidence has since been adduced which goes far to show that the elevator fire at least was not the work of Burke.

The Justices before whom the trial began were Samuel Hamaker and Enoch Hoadley. From an interview with Mr. Hoadley we learn that Mr. Burke denied everything, and that he had no counsel until the latter part of the trial. Mr. Hoadley says that when a rope was presented he thought it was for the purpose of frightening him ; many of the people had gone home to dinner, including the County SheriiF, John A. Hughes, leaving the prisoner in charge of a Deputy, Mr. Haight. When the mob began to make violent demonstrations, Mr. Haight went out for help, leaving the prisoner with the mob. The rope was quickly placed around his neck, and Mr. Hoadley attempted to get it off, but was struck back and led away. Mr. Burke was thrown out of the northern window on tlie west side of the room, now used as a Masonic Hall, in the third story of the brick block on the corner of Cherry and Washington streets, and was left hanging there some hours, during which time it rained. Some of the participants were indicted by the Grand Jury, and prosecuted by Judge Eustace, of Dixon, but were cleared by the jury.

The third great fire occurred on the 10th of December, 1870, and made a clean sweep of everything from Turkington & Hilb's block north to Ellinwood & Scranton's corner, including the building on the latter place at the time. The total loss was estimated at $55,000. It was all rebuilt the following Summer and Autumn, the whole ground being covered with a continuous row of brick stores, which, for elegance and durability, are rarely equaled in a city of the same size.

The business houses, residences and schools of Rochelle are of a superior character, unexcelled in the county, and every apparent indication of its future points to a continued prosperity and rapid growth.

Mount Morris

Mt. Morris was well founded in the Spring of 1841 [1839], and it is now already found, when not yet ten months old, to hold 282 souls, inclusive of the students and teachers at Rock River Seminary, which dignifies the center of the village. This day, January 1, 1842, the citizens number 137, and the town consists of twenty-one houses. Mt. Morris is five miles west of Oregon City, in the same county, and eighty miles west of Chicago. It is handsomely situated on one of the most beautiful and extraordinarily fertile prairies which distinguish Illinois, and especially the Rock River region, for abundance and excellence of agricultural productions. It is named in honor of Bishop Morris, of the M. E. Church.

Starting a newspaper under such circumstances, in a wild and 'sparsely settled country, was a hazardous experiment at best. But Mr. Knodle doubtless trusted to the enterprise and energy of his Maryland friends and colonists for the rapid development of Mount Morris.

In the Summer of 1836, Samuel M. Hitt and Nathaniel Swingley came to the site of Mt. Morris and made several claims, including the present village site. They returned to Maryland in the Autumn of that year to make preparations for removing to this country. Early in the Spring of the following year, they arrived at a vacant cabin in Fridley's Grove, which had been occupied by Judge Ford. They brought Eli Householder, Daniel Stover, William McDaniel and Mrs. Elizabeth Ankeny, with their families, also Frederick Finkbohnar, Adam and John Stover, Balka Niehoff, and a few others.

When they came, in the Spring of 1837, John Phelps, who was the original pioneer of this vicinity, lived on his old farm, about two and a half miles east ; Mr. Baker had a cabin and claim about four miles south by east, now owned by Daniel Price ; David Worden lived a mile and one-half southwest of the village site, and one or two other settlers skirted the edges of the woods, but leaving the broad prairie free from the encroachment of civilization.

The first Maryland colony remained in the "Ford " cabin for two weeks, cooking on a stove which had been brought by Mrs. Ankeny (who was a sister of Nathaniel Swingley), and sleeping on "wagoner beds," which consisted of plain mattresses, rolled up during the day and spread over the upper or garret floor at night.

As soon as possible, these pioneers began the erection of their cabins. The first one to be built was a double log cabin, about three-quarters of a mile south by west of the present village, on the claim of Mrs. Ankeny. In this lived the families of Mrs. Ankeny and Mr. Householder, in one part, and Messrs. Stover and McDaniel in the other.

The former half of this house is still standing on the land of William Watts, near its original location, while the other portion was afterward moved down in the grove near a spring, but has since been torn away.

After- remaining here for two years, Mr. Householder moved about six miles south of Mt. Morris, to the farm, where he still resides. Messrs. Daniel Stover and William McDaniel lived in the cabin referred to until the Fall of that year, when they moved to their claims. Mr. Stover afterward died in this vicinity, and Mr. McDaniel still lives on his farm near Pine Creek.

Mr. Finkbohnar moved north, to Adeline. 'Squire Samuel M. Hitt settled about three miles west of Mount Morris with his family, including Margaret, Andrew, Robert, George, John W. and Joseph.

Captain Nathaniel Swingley took up the claim of the farm now owned by Jacob Keedy, and resided there until, in 1850, he went to California, where he remained three years ; he then returned and located at Creston, Dement Township, where he still resides.

September 3, 1836, Jacob Rice, Sr., and family left Washington County, Maryland, to seek a home in the West. He wintered in Ohio with his brotherin-law, John Wagner, who in the following Spring accompanied him on horseback to look up a location. Claims were made within three miles of Mount Morris, and their families, consisting of twelve children each, brought on that Summer, July, 1837. Both of these pioneers died on the farms they had made, which are now owned respectively by Isaac Rice and Reuben Wagner, their sons. Many of their descendants are still residents in this vicinity.

In the Fall of 1837, Rev. T. S. Hitt and wife left Ohio in a carriage, to examine the new country of which Samuel M. Hitt, a brother, had written such a favorable description. Mr. Hitt was a Methodist minister, and had in view the continuance of that work. On arrival here, in September, Mr. Hitt went into the house which Martin Reynolds, a brother-in-law, was then completing, on the site of Professor Pinckney's present residence. Mr. Hitt soon purchased a claim of 1,000 acres, 100 of which were broken, for $2,500, of a Mr. Painter, two and a half miles south. He, however, soon moved to the claim which his brother, Samuel, had reserved for him, and where he lived until his death, September 23, 1872. Mrs. Emily Hitt now resides on the same farm, a portion of which is included in the village.

In the following Spring, John Wallace, Sr., built a cabin on his claim, a mile north of Mr. Reynolds'. Messrs. Reynolds and Wallace married sisters of the Hitts, and came from Ohio, stopping for a time at Ottawa. Mr. Worden returned to New York, his former home, after a few years, and Mr. Reynolds also removed to La Salle County, Illinois. Mr. Wallace lived a half mile north of town until the time of his death.

In the Spring of 1838, at the solicitation of "'Squire" Samuel Hitt and "Captain" Nathaniel Swingley, who had returned for their families, a large number of families, known as the Maryland Colony, came to this vicinity. They soon separated, some going to Carroll County and other places. Among these families were the Hers, Etnyres, Sprechers, Michael Bovey, John Smith.

May 24, 1838, A. Q. Allen, Philip Sprecher and John S. Miller arrived, overland in a carriage, from Maryland. Others came in 1838 and later, and many of their names cannot now be recalled. Among them came John Coffman and family, Henry Artz, Michael Brantner, Solomon Nalley and family, Henry Sharer and others. Mr. and Mrs. Philip Sprecher are still living in Mount Morris, upward of eighty years of age ; Mr. Coffman still resides within two miles southwest of the village, on his old farm ; Mr. Artz resides three and a half m iles southeast of the village ; Mr. Brantner lives four miles west of town ; Mr. Nalley lives five miles north of town.

John Ankeny, who had settled at Elkhorn Grove soon after the Blackhawk war, moved here in order to educate his children, and built a house in town.

As one old settler expressed it, "The Maryland people have never ceased coming." In 1842, A. Q. Allen returned with his newly-married wife, together with Henry A. Neff, Bartholomew and Benjamin McNutt and Jacob Heistand, with their families and the mother and sister of the latter. In 1845, came Frank Hamilton, Benjamin Swingley, Messrs. Sharer, Snively and others.

The Village

D. Fletcher Hitt, now of Ottawa, then a young man, came out with his brother Samuel in 1838, as surveyor, and laid off many claims and the seminary appropriation. He surveyed a portion of the village plat in 1839. It was afterward discovered that, in making the survey, he had used a chain which was eight-tenths of a foot too long, and the corporate authorities ordered a resurvey of the town, which was made by A. Q. Allen, February 22, 1875, to correspond with the one made by Fletcher Hitt.

The "Railroad Addition" to Mount Morris was made by Robert R. Hitt, M. Emory Hitt and Emily Hitt, April 17, 1872; of " Stroh's Addition," ih^ date was not recorded on the plat. Three quarter-sections had been donated for the use of the Seminary, as shown in the history of that institution in another portion of this work, and the Board of Trustees of that institution on the 29th day of December, 1840, voted that lots be donated to all applicants applying until the 1st of June following, "who shall build a house of stone, brick or frame, not less than 16 by 24 feet, IJ stories high, to be fit for occupancy 1st of January, 1842, or sooner, J. Clark and T. S. Hitt to designate the lots donated and specify the terms." The time during which such donations might be made was afterward extended. By this liberal action of the Trustees, any man who desired a village lot could have it " without money and without price," provided he would build a house on it and, presumably, occupy the premises. Messrs. Clark and Hitt ruled that every alternate lot might be thus donated.

In the Spring of 1839, James B. McCoy came from Maryland to the Maryland settlement with a view to contracting for the erection of the Seminary, and, having obtained the contract, erected the old seminary building in 1839-40. In April, 1841, he married Mrs. Elizabeth Ankeny. Mrs. Ankeny 's two children, Nathaniel A. Ankeny and Ann M., now Mrs. William Watts, still reside in this vicinity.

In 1839, Mr. McCoy built the first house within the limits of Mt. Morris, in which to board his laborers. This, in 1841, he moved south, near the pressent site of Mrs. McCoy's brick residence. The building was again moved, and is at present the fourth house south of Mrs. McCoy's, and is occupied by William Foulke. Mr. McCoy died at his residence January 14, 1871.

The second building (except the Seminary) was erected by Rev. John Sharp, in 1840, as a barn ; but as living room was in great demand, it was partitioned into two rooms and occupied by Rev. Philo Judson and family, in one half, while Frederick Petrie lived in the other portion. This was afterward finished up and moved to Front street, due east of and on the same block ' with the store of Lookabaugh & Middour, and has been transformed into the residence of M. T. Rohrer.

In 1841, a post office was established at Mount Morris, and Rev. John Sharp was appointed Postmaster. Previous to this date, the nearest post office was at Oregon. Mr. Sharp was succeeded by his son-in-law, Frederick G. Petrie. After him, followed, for a short time, Hiram Beard; then John Ankeny for many years ; he was succeeded by B. Gr. Stevens, followed by Edward Davis, and then Frederick B. Bray ton, who has held that position for seventeen years, and is the present Postmaster.

John Martin built the third house, in 1840, after which the houses sprang up so rapidly that it is impossible to name them in the order of their erection. Mr. Martin's residence was situated on the lot now occupied by Andrew Newcomer's store room, in the northeastern part of town.

The state of the village on January 1, 1842, has already been given by the quotations from the Rock River Register, from which it appears that at that time there were twenty-one houses in the town. The second number of that paper invited its patrons to furnish occasional "original communications," saying :

We have among our patrons here, as we have already been informed, in the brief space of our residence in Ogle County, writers who are capable of Hitt-mg off " matters and things in general," in such an interesting manner as to please "all manner" of readers; that we may expect evidence of some very Sharp pens, and that the n'ecessary Artz will not fail us in our efforts to treat our readers handsomely. Upon the whole, we Judge that we can a,f-Ford our readers complete satisfaction.

The Register had an agent in Washington County, Maryland. S. Cumins, Esq., of Grand Detour, was announced as its agent at that place. Another item among those of the first few numbers which have been preserved by Mr. Knodle's brother, Samuel, is interesting now, when a living deer would be a curiosity in this region :

The extent to which David Mumma, of this neighborhood, shoots down our deer, strikes us as being pretty alarmingly exhausting. While his extraordinary Nimrodian exploits render David our boast, yet we must fear that he is playing havoc with our game.

He has killed seventy deer this season. He has sold deer skins to the amount of $30, besides which he has taken and sold otters' skins and other peltry. He is now taking a load of venison (hind quarters) to Chicago. Here marke his joro-PENCE-City. Besides all this, he has feasted on the fore quarters, and treated his neighbors bountifully to the same luxury.

In one of his hunts, he sent a bullet through the vitals of three deer at once - laying them all low. Who has ever equaled this shot ? We ask who ?

An item from Col. Wentworth's paper, the Chicago Democrat, speaking of Mount Morris as " one of the most delightful places on earth," is copied in the Register, with extended comments of approval. Another paragraph is as follows :

On the night of January 19 (1842), two miles north of Peru, the mail coach, mail, baggage, four horses and all were lost, except the passengers and driver, in attempting to cross the Little Vermilion River.

The copies of the Register from which we quote are probably the only ones now in existence. The issue dated February 5, 1842, speaks of the Rockford Pilot as its nearest neighbor.

The paper dated February 26, 1842, is the last one preserved. It speaks of the severe illness of the editor, and requests some one to send some sage " for the indisposed, sick late Editor of the Register','' and No. 12, issued in April, announced his death.

Mr. Emanuel Knodle, the first editor of the first paper in this town and county, was a young man of excellent character, highly esteemed by a large circle of friends. His brief editorial career gave promise of a brilliant future, had he lived.

Corporation Organization

Prior to 1848, Mount Morris was a precinct of Ogle County. The following notice was the initiatory step toward the organization of the corporation of Mount Morris : of the inhabitants of the Town of Mount Morris will he held at the Chapel of said Town on Saturday, the 8th of January (1848), at 2 o'clock, for the purpose of determining whether we will incorporate said town,

Ogle County, j 'I, Daniel Brayton, of Mt. Morris, Ogle County, 111., do solemnly swear that there was over two hundred inhabitants residing in the town of Mt. Morris, Ogle County, and State of Illinois, on the 28th day of December, 1847, and that on the same day I posted up three notices in three of the most public places in said town. The above notice, signed " Many Citizens," is a true copy of said notice.

At the meeting called as above on the 8th day of January, 1848, of the owners of freehold property, and those of lawful age resident in the town six months previous to that date, Daniel Brayton was elected President and F. G. Petrie, Clerk, to whom the following oath was administered :

I, Daniel Brayton, as President, and I, F. G. Petrie, as Clerk, do solemnly swear by the ever living God that we will faithfully discharge the trust reposed in us as President and Clerk of this meeting.

The meeting then proceeded to vote ^' viva voce'' whether they would be incorporated or not, and there were nineteen in favor and none against.

The Clerk, F. G. Petrie, called a meeting at the chapel of the Rock River Seminary on the 15th day of January, 1848, for the purpose of electing, viva voce, five Trustees. At that meeting, Daniel Brayton presided, F. G. Petrie was clerk and Aaron C. Marston, Andrew Newcomer, James J. Beatty, Jonathan Knodle and William McCune were elected Trustees.

The records do not show the organization of the Board, but A. C. Marston was Clerk at its first meeting, January 22, 1848, when the limits of the corporation were defined by ordinance, as follows : " Commencing at a stake set at the southwest corner of the land owned by the R. R. Seminary, thence on a

The Trustees, at their meeting, prohibited the sale of spirituous or malt liquors in the town, under penalty of five dollars ; but provided that the contraband articles might be sold for medical and mechanical purposes, under permit from the Board. " Gambling and drunkenness, of whatever class," were declared "a nuisance," and all persons guilty of these vices were to be fined five dollars for each offense. All shows, circuses, theaters or exhibitions of that class not having license under the seal of the President were strictly forbidden, under penalty of twenty-five dollars; also, all "quarreling, fighting, disturbing the quiet and peace of the citizens," under the same penalty. Horse racing, shooting at marks or firing of guns were declared " a nuisance," and a fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars was imposed for each off'ense.

At this meeting, various town ordinances were passed, providing for '- work on the roads," etc. ; that all trials shall be before the President of the Board, to be conducted "as they are before a Justice; " and forms for legal processes were prescribed.

This was the first and last meeting of the Board of Record. No corporation officers were appointed, and for several years nothing further appears to have been done, at least there are no records of any elections until January 1, 1856, when " F. G. Petrie, Clerk," issued a notice of an election to be held at the house of W. S. Blair on the 15th of January, 1856, for the purpose of electing five Trustees.

At that meeting, Jacob Coffman, F. B. Brayton and D. A. Potter were appointed Judges of Election, to whom were administered the following oath by James M. Webb, Justice of the Peace :

January 19, 1856, this Board organized, by choice of D. A. Potter, President, and William Schultz, Clerk. Jacob Coffman was elected Treasurer and Peter Knodle, Jr., Constable.

February 1, 1856, a tax of fifty cents on the one hundred dollars was levied for the purpose of making sidewalks and improvements of wards, streets and .alleys, and* the ordinances passed by the Trustees in 1848 were adopted. Peter Knodle, Jr., was appointed Corporation Collector.

February 22, 1856, another tax of fifty cents on the one hundred dollars on real estate was levied for the use of the corporation, and a special tax of threefourths of the cost of building sidewalks was also levied. The Collector was directed to proceed to the collection of the general tax in ten days, and the following resoltion was adopted :

March 7, 1856, Jacob Coffman was appointed Street Commissioner. April 11th. the Trustees estimated the cost of building a sidewalk for a lot of QQ feet, at $13.34. April 28th, Jacob Coffman was "allowed to provide a pound for the useof the coroporation." June 13th all "huckstering" was forbidden in the Seminary Square and streets surrounding the same ; also, the sale or firing of fire crackers.

April 22d, 1857, William Schultz was appointed Assessor and his compensation fixed at $1.50 per day. William L. Coho was appointed Constable and Pound Master.

March 1, 1858, an election was held at the house of W. S. Blair, Jacob Coffman, D. A. Potter and William Schultz, Judges. Forty-five voters were present, and Elias Baker, C. A. Potter, J. B. McCoy, William Schultz and John McC. Miller were electen Trustees.

March 19th, the Board organized by the election of D. A. Potter, President; William Schultz, Clerk; J. B. McCoy was elected Treasurer; H. N. Ryan, Corporation Attorney ; J. S. Nye, Constable and Pound Master ; J. McC. Miller, Street Commissioner; William Schultz, Assessor. On the 9th of April, Mr. Miller was elected Collector, and Peter Knodle, Jr., Assessor.

March 7, 1859. - At the annual election, there were eighty-eight votes recorded. Elias Baker, James B. McCoy, Henry Neff, Samuel Knodle and Andrew Newcomer were elected Trustees. The Board organized March 14th. Elias Baker, President ; Samuel Knodle, Clerk ; H. A. Naeff, Treasurer.

1860. - James B. McCoy, Andrew Newcomer, Samuel Knodle, Henry A. Naeff, James M. Webb, Trustees. Andrew Newcomer, President ; Samuel Knodle, Clerk ; H. A. Naeff, Treasurer.

December 7th of this year, the citizens petitioned the Board of Trustees to call a public meeting or take some means for the suppression of the sale of beer, etc. in the village. The petition was signed by R. S. Hitt and twenty-five others. The Board called a town meeting in the Methodist Church, Wednesday evening, December 11th, but no record of its action appears.

1868. - Forty-seven votes recorded. Trustees, Elias Williams, Samuel Knodle, Morris Gaffin, John Sprecher, Henry Middlekauff. There is no record that these gentlemen took the oath of office.

This board, on the 27th of April, passed a stringent ordinance " relating to the sale and traffic in wine, rum, gin, brandy, whisky, beer, cider and other intoxicating liquors."

February 26, 1875, a petition to the Board of Trustees, signed by H. I. Little and thirty-seven others, asking that a meeting be called for an election to vote for or against village organization under the general law, was received ; the Board ordered an election to be held on the 27th day of March, 1875, and appointed H. I. Little, Elijah Lott and John Sharer, Judges, and Peter Householder and A. W. Little, Clerks of the election. At that meeting, 35 ballots were cast, 34 for organization and one against.

Village Organization

1875. - One hundred and ten votes recorded. Trustees, A. Newcomer, President; Isaac H. Allen, Henry I. Little, H. H. Clevidence, Peter Householder, J. M. Piper ; Village Clerk, M. T. Rohrer ; Police Magistrate, M. T. Rohrer.

This township was organized in 1850. With the valuable assistance of Martin T. Rohrer, Esq., the following list of Supervisors and Clerks is compiled :

SCHOOLS. The First School. - The Maryland colonists who first settled at Mount Morris were determined that their children should not want for educational privileges, and a school house was as necessary as a "cabin." When Samuel M.

* Samuel Garber, who was elected, was a Dunkard preacher; his church was unwilling that he should serve in any civil capacity, and he resigned on the spot and Henry Heistand was appointed to fill vacancy.

Hitt and Nathaniel Swingley returned from Maryland with their families, in 1838, accompanied by a number of others who desired to become members of their new colony in the Far West, they engaged Mr. A. Quimby Allen to ac- company them as a teacher, and soon after their arrival he opened a school in a small log cabin then standing in the grove about 80 rods southwest of Prof D. J. Pinckney's present residence and about a mile southwest of the Seminary. This pioneer school house has since been removed to the roadside about a mile west of the town, where it still remains, an interesting monument of - the olden time, when old men and women of the present day attended school within its rough walls, while their parents built their first cabins on the beautiful prairie in the neighborhood. This was the first school in this section of the country. It was named "The Pine Creek Grammar School," and under this somewhat pretentious title it was the first step leading to the foundation of the Rock River Seminary within a year from that time.

The school numbered twenty-six pupils, and a record of their names, so far as they are now remembered by Mr. Allen, will be interesting to their descendants in the present and in the future. Among this little group were Margaret C. Hitt (now Mrs. D. J. Pinckney), John W. Hitt (now an influential citizen of Mount Morris, and for several years past Supervisor of the town), George Hitt (since dead), Andrew M. Hitt, Joseph Hitt, John Hitt (now Deputy Collector of Customs, Chicago), Robert S. Hitt (of Chicago), Robert R. Hitt (now Secretary of Legation at Paris), Martin R. M. Wallace (Judge Wallace of Chicago), Elizabeth Reynolds, Caroline M. Reynolds, Ann E. Swingley (Mrs. Phelps), Urilla Swingley, John H. Swingley, Upton Swingley, Nathaniel A. Ankeny, Augustus H. Ankeny (afterward a leading citizen of Clinton, Iowa), Ann M. Ankeny (Mrs. Wm. Watts), Clinton Helm (an eminent physician at Rockford), James C. T. Phelps (now of Rochelle on the farm his father made), James Reynolds, Peter Householder, the Worden boys, and Richard McClain's children. Rock River Seminary was located here in the Spring of 1839, under the auspices of the Methodist Church, and the first term commenced in November, 1840. A more extended sketch of this important institution will be found on page 468. Mr. Allen taught school in the school house above mentioned during that Spring and Summer.

In the Summer of 1840, before the seminary building was ready for occupation. Prof. Joseph N. Waggoner, its first Principal, taught school in the log school house occupied by Mr. Allen in 1838-9. He was employed by the Trustees of the Seminary.

In the Spring of 1841, the town school was conducted under the management of the Rock River Seminary, as the Primary Department of the Institution, and was in charge of Mrs. Fanny Russell. This department was discontinued in 1843, and private schools continued in several residences. In the Winter of 1845-6, A. Q. Allen taught a select school in the house now occupied by Mrs. Cross, on Short street, west of Seminary Square.

In 1851-2, Mr. Allen again taught in the new district school building, which had been erected on the corner of Main and Clark streets. This was a long frame building, having two rooms. In this taught at various times A. Q. Allen, Mr. Streeter, Mr. Shultnee, Mr. Cross, John Page, with Miss Hannah Cheney (who subsequently married Mr. Page) as Assistant, Holly Allen, Enoch Coffman, James Allen, Francis Hoverland (now Mrs. Crawford), with her sister Florence (now Mrs. B. G. Stevens) as Assistant. Miss Sybil Sammis (now Mrs. Andrew Hitt, of Chicago) was, also, at one time an Assistant in this school. During the term the Misses Hoverland were in charge of the school,

The school house is located on Block 5 of the Botanical Addition to Mount Morris, fronting on Short street. It was built in 1868, at a cost of $10,000, and has four school departments.

Miss Hoverland was followed by J. M. Piper, as Principal, who, in turn, was succeeded, in 1876, by the present Principal, Horace G. Kauffmann. The other teachers at present are, grammar room, Holly C. Clark; intermediate room, Mrs. Becca B. Kauffman ; primary. Miss Lottie E. Waggoner. There are now two hundred pupils enrolled. There is a high scl;iool course of but one year, as facilities for higher education are better afforded in the Seminary.

Religious

Methodist Episcopal Ohurch. - The first Sabbath after his arrival. Rev. Thomas S. Hitt preached at a small school house in Oregon. Thereafter he preached occasionally ; joined the Illinois Conference, and was appointed Agent of the Seminary.

The first regular pastor who was established here was Kev. Barton Cartwright, in 1838. He preached two successive days in the primitive school house in which Mr. Allen taught school. Families came from about twenty miles, and were entertained at the house of Rev. Mr. Hitt. Among those remembered were Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, of Franklin Grove ; Mr. and Mrs. John Ankeny, of Elkhorn Grove ; Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Juneval, of Byron ; Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Petrie, of Leaf River. Rev. Mr. Worthington succeeded Mr. Cartwright for one year.

In the Fall of 1838, Rev. Mr. Cartwright came over from Washington Grove to the residence of Rev. Thomas S. Hitt, and requested him to accompany him to that grove and assist in settling a question of claims. Mr. Hitt considered that somewhat foreign to his line of business until he was informed that the claim was that of marriage between Rev. Cartwright and Miss Chloe Bennett. Mr. and Mrs. Hitt accompanied Mr. Cartwright, and the pioneer of Methodism in Ogle County was wedded on that evening, after the usual religious services.

When the seminary was completed, the north portion of the basement was finished for religious purposes. Methodist services were held here until the erection of the new Seminary, when the east end of the two lower stories of that building was fitted up as a chapel. This was then considered to be a very elegant church room for a Western village. It was dedicated by Rev. J. V. Watson, assisted by Rev. Mr. Hinman.

As no records can be obtained regarding the succeeding Pastors of this charge, it is impossible to give a complete list in their proper order. The following, however, were among them : Revs. McMurtry, Jonathan Snow, Leander S. Walker, Wager, Nathan Jewett, Philo Judson, J. L. Stuff, Sanford, Cone, Winslow, Wm. Keegan, J. C. Stoughton, W. A. Smith, Milton Haney, John H. Vincent, Blanchard L. Anderson, J. B. Strout, Cornelius Ford, J. H. Moore, S. H. Adams, Lewis Kurtz, Edward Battis, E. W. Adams, concluding with the present Pastor, Rev. A. T. Needham.

For many years, the headquarters of the Rock River District were located here, and, consequently. Revs. John Clark, Philo Judson, Hooper Crews and others resided here.

In 1877, the present Methodist Church was erected on the corner of Front street and Wesley avenue, at a cost of $8,000. It is a beautiful edifice, having a large audience room, with gallery and lecture room attached. It was dedicated in July, 1877, by Bishop Harris, during the pastorate of Rev. E. W. Adams. The present parsonage' was erected during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Jewett, in 1851 or 1852. The present membership is 140.

The Lutheran Church. - In the Fall of 1845, Rev. N. J. Stroh came to Oregon, from Pennsylvania, and began the organization of churches of the Lutheran denomination at that place, at Adeline, Brook ville and Mt. Morris. After eighteen months' residence at Oregon, he moved to a farm near Mt. Morris, and, in the absence of a suitable place of worship there, he preached regularly in a school house near the residence of Joshua Thomas, at Phelps' Grove.

When the school house was built in Mt. Morris, the services were held at that place, and Rev. John Nicholas Burket was appointed as regular pastor.

Mrs. McCoy, Mr. Philip Sprecher and wife and Mrs. Samuel Newcomer, still residents of Mt. Morris, were amonor the members of the church at the time of its organization.

The brick church on the southwest corner of the intersection of Ogle and Centre streets was erected in 1845. At that time. Rev. George A. Bowers was Pastor. The sermon of dedication was preached by Rev. Simeon W. Harkey, in May, 1856. Mr. Bowers was followed in succession by Revs. C. Riemenschneider, Daniel Schindler, Ephraim Miller, Rufus Smith, R. B. Whitehill, A. C. Frick, and the present Pastor, Rev. Luther L. Lipe.

In September, 1877, the erection of a new church edifice was begun, on the southwest corner of the crossing of Main and Short streets. It is a frame building, with a basement for Sabbath school use ; has a steeple of one hundred feet in height on the north side, and, when complete, will present a very neat architectural appearance. Its cost is estimated at $7,000. A Sabbath school has always been held in connection with the church and is at present superintended by Rev. Mr. Lipe.

Elysian Lodge, No. 56, I. 0. 0. F., was organized under a charter granted by the Grand Lodge of Illinois, dated July 25, 1849, with the following charter members : George W. Fouke, John F. Grosh, James N. Martin, Daniel Highbarger, Walter Wilson and Emanuel W. Myers.

In 1850-52, many members removed to California and elsewhere, weakening the society so that, in 1853, the charter was surrendered to the Grand Lodge. November 4, 1874, the Lodge was re-organized, and the same charter and books were returned to it. The charter members and gentlemen who procured this re-organization were Henry Sharer, B. G. Stephens, Elijah Lott, G. W. Fouke and W. J. Fouke.

The society is now out of debt and has a well-furnished hall in the front second story of Sprecher & Clevidence's block. The membership, at present, is thirty -eight, and its officers are : W. H. Miller, N. G. ; John T. Stewart, V. G. ; A. M. Newcomer, Secretary ; B. G. Stephens, Treasurer.

^Samuel H. Davis Lodge, No. 96, A. F. ^ A. M., was organized before 1850, and worked under a dispensation for several years. The date of their first organization does not appear on the records of the society. The Bible belonging to the Lodge was presented by the ladies of Mount Morris, and bears the date June 24, 1851.

The Lodge was organized under a charter October 6, 1851, with Isaiah Wilcoxen, W. M. ; James Clark, S. W. ; Wm. Little, J. W. Araong the first members after the charter was obtained were: Ansel Streeter, Benjamin K. Shryock, H. I. Little, Jonathan Knodle, Peter Knodle, Francis A. McNeill, Isaac Rice, Wm. A. Plantz, Nathaniel A. Ankeny, Elbridge W. Little, W. T. Harlow, Joseph Hale, Thomas Winston, Joseph S. Nye, S. H. Clems, John Donaldson, D. B. Turney, Abraham Pope, Edward Knock, James H. Fouke, Daniel Highbarger, John Stanger, Benjamin Swingley, W. S. Pope, James M. Webb.

Samuel H. Davis Lodge, No. 96, of Mount Morris, and Forreston Lodge, No. 413, were consolidated November 17, 1876, under the former name, with O. H. Swingley, W. M. ; D. Rine, S. W., and J. H. Nye, J. W. The Lodge is in a prosperous condition, and has a large and well-arranged hall over Sprecher & Clevidence's store, of which they have a lease for ninety-nine years. Their membership is about fifty. The present officers are : J. H. Nye, W. M.; Peter Householder, S. W. ; Charles Smith, J. W. ; T. C. Williams, Secretary; Samuel Lookabaugh, Treasurer.

Business Interests

In October, 1841, the first store was opened in Mt. Morris, by Daniel Brayton & Son, in an addition to the west side of a small frame house, which they had built that Summer, located on Main, midway between Short and Seminary streets. Mr. Daniel Brayton had been a Methodist minister and preached occasionally in the Seminary chapel. He was a practical and intellectual gentleman who held a high place in the esteem of his acquaintances. The firm was afterward Brayton & Judson, and, in 1850, when Daniel Brayton died, it was continued by F. B. Brayton & Baker. Since 1850, Mr. Brayton has continued in the drug and book department only, and has been Postmaster since 1861.

The second store was opened a couple of years after that of Mr. Brayton, by Samuel Bents, in a small brick building on the northeast corner of Front and Seminary streets, where Lookabaugh & Middour's store now stands. Mr. Bents sold to S. M. Hitt and F. G. Petrie, the latter now of Oregon, who had previously been engaged in the manufacture of brick northeast of town. Mr. Enoch Wood, now of Chicago, soon became associated with Mr. Petrie, under the firm name of Wood & Petrie, and this firm continued for many years.

In 1844, Baker, Pitzer & McCoy built a one-story brick machine-shop, on the corner where the Methodist church now stands, and began the manufacture of traveling threshing machines. This they continued until 1849, and their machines, which threshed grain by being loaded-up and driven around in a circle, were then quite popular.

About the same time the above enterprise commenced, Hitt (Samuel N.) & Coffman built a grist-mill on Pine Creek, southwest of the town, and soon after the same firm opened the third store in Mt. Morris. This was managed by Prof. D. J. Pinckney, until a year later it was purchased by F. B. Brayton.

About 1853, Brayton, Baker & Petrie rented an old saw-mill on Pine Creek, about a mile below the grist-mill site, which had been operated from an early day, by John Stewart. This the above firm fitted up for use, temporarily, for the manufacture of linseed oil. As the facilities were not very favorable, the business was only carried on there for about two years, at the rate of two barrels of oil per day. They then erected a large two-story frame mill, with stone basement, near the southwest corner of the town, and operated the machinery by steam. With this they connected a saw-mill.

A son of F. B. Bray ton, Earnest W., ten years of age, was killed by the saw in this mill, and Mr. F. G. Petrie lost his right hand by a similar accident.

The mill was operated under the charge of Jacob Hilger, with success, for about four years, but was then discontinued on account of a scarcity of flaxseed.

The building then passed into the ownership of Petrie & Sheets, who transformed it into a flouring-mill, but as this proved unprofitable it was taken down and removed to the Rock River, opposite Oregon, where it is now in operation as a flouring-mill.

Martin Heller afterward purchased the mill site on Pine Creek, and erected a large stone and frame grist-mill on the old location. This is now operated by Abner Newcomer & Co.

The village made gradual progress until 1855, when it became a prominent trading point and bade fair to be the largest village of Ogle County, but at that time the Illinois Central Railroad passed near Buffalo Grove, and the trade was attracted to the new town of Polo.

Orville N. Adams, of Galena, opened a general store here about 1850, of which, eighteen months later, Prof. D. J. Pinckney became a partner. They also managed the grist-mill on Pine Creek for about one year. At that time, the partnership was dissolved, and the mill was burned down shortly after. Mr. Adams soon after removed to La Salle.

No. 38, Vol. 1, of the Mount Morris Grazette, dated Thursday, January 23, 1851, a copy of which is preserved by Mr. Samuel Knodle, who has been interested in several newspaper enterprises in Mount Morris, furnishes some interesting items in relation to the business of the town at that day. In an editorial, the editor. Prof. Pinckney, anticipates that " the Great Central Railroad will, no doubt, be built in six or eight years."

At that time. Mount Morris was one of the great business centers of Ogle County, as a glance at the columns of the Grazette fully shows, and is a scrap of Mount Morris history of an interesting character.

The first in order is a notice of the Amphycton Society, announcing that the following resolution will be discussed: ^' Resolved^ That the political and intellectual condition of Europe is improving." This notice is signed A. N. Odel, Secretary. Mount Morris Division Sons of Temperance announce meetings every Tuesday evening at their hall, on Center street. B. G. Stephens, R. S. Wood, Bryant & Petrie, October, 1850, advertise their hardware business. Wood & Petrie (October 4, 1850) advertise dry goods, groceries, crockery, glassware, paints, books and stationery. Brayton & Baker advertise general merchandise. Wm. Little & Son inform the public, May 1, 1850, that they are prepared with lots of seasoned lumber to manufacture, extensively, wagons, etc., and do all kinds of blacksmithing. George Brayton advertises, June 12,. 1850, to do all kinds of tailoring, with neatness and dispatch. John Ankeny announces the discontinuance of his business, December 13, 1850. T. C. Ankeny speaks of his cheap auction store. B. G. Stephens, M. D., and Dr E. W. Myers publish their professional cards. Wm. Hedges advertises, Septembember 19, 1850, to do all kinds of coopering. S. N. Beaubein advertises, October 16, 1850, to manufacture harness, saddles, etc., and trim carriages. Shop in house formerly occupied by W. S. Blair.

About 1854, Jonathan Mumma opened a store in the storeroom west of his hotel, and in 1858, when J. M. Webb purchased the hotel, the store was sold to Potter & Webb. In 1856, the old firm of Wood & Petrie had become Petrie k Sheets, and this soon after became Coffman Bros., a firm which still exists. In

Mt. Morris

1856, Atchison & Clems had a clothing store in the village and E. Davis dispensed confectioiiery to the students and others. In 1857, Brayton & Baker sold the tinshop and hardware portion of their business to Joseph S. Nye, who erected the brick building on the northeast corner of Seminary and Center streets, where he continued that business for about ten years. In 1866, Mr. Briggs carried on here a branch of Mr. John Etnyre's store, of Oregon. In March of that year, Lookabaugh & Middour established their business in Mount Morris.

Hotels. - From the time of opening his store, Mr. Brayton kept a public house. About thfee years after his coming, James Clark built the first tavern - the brick building on the corner of the crossing of Main and Seminary streets. After running this for a short time, under the name of the " New York House," he returned to his farm in Washington Grove and rented his tavern to Mr. Brayton. In 1851, W. S. Blair opened " Blair's Hotel " on the southwest corner of the crossing of Bangs street and Wesley avenue. This has been continued by Mr. Blair, with the exception of about two years, until the present time, through all the fortunes and vicissitudes of the village. In 1854, Jacob Mumma built the hotel on the southwest corner of the crossing of Seminary and Center streets. This he called the " Eldorado House," and kept boarders - students principally - until 1858, when it was purchased by J. M. Webb, and after 1860, continued to the present day as " Webb's Hotel." Since the death of Mr. Webb, the house has been enlarged, and is now well managed by Mrs. C. J. Webb.

L. C. Price commenced making a few harrows and farming tools for his neighbors at least twenty years ago. He gradually enlarged his facilities for manufacturing agricultural implements, and has now quite an extensive manufactory of wagons, carriages, harrows, etc., on his farm, two and a half miles south of Mount Morris.

Thomas Mumma and John W. Hitt have begun the erection of a large building, just south of town, in which to establish the Mount Morris Creamery, with a capacity of 1,000 cows, for the manufacture of butter and cheese. This enterprise will be a valuable addition to the business interests of Mount Morris.

It is somewhat remarkable that Mount Morris contains not a single lawyer. The first and only bank in this village was established by Charles Newcomer and Isaac Rice, August 1, 1877, and is now in operation.

Seibert Block is a two-story brick business block, having a hall above and three business rooms below. It is situated on the northeast corner of Seminary and Front streets, was commenced in 1873, and completed in March. 1874.