Whiteside County, Illinois - Chapter 4, 1877 (part 1 of 2)

Chapter 4

Whiteside County was named in honor of Gen. Samuel Whiteside, a brave and distinguished officer, who participated in the Indian wars in this section of the country from 1812 until the close of the Black Hawk war. During the latter he was first Major, afterwards Colonel, then General of Volunteers. In his pursuit of Black Hawk in 1832, he passed through this section, and burned Prophet's Town. Gen. Whiteside was a native of Rutherford County, North Carolina, and came to Illinois Territory about the year 1806, and settled in what is now Madison County. Besides holding the positions severally of Captain, Major, Colonel and General Commanding of forces against the hostile Indians, he was frequently elected and appointed to civil offices of trust and honor. He died in 1861, and was buried near the home of his daughter in Christian County, Illinois. Gen. Whiteside participated actively in the affairs of this State at an early day, was a man of unsullied integrity, great sagacity, generous impulses, and was highly esteemed by the wide circle of people who knew him.

Geographical Description. Whiteside County lies in the north-western part of Illinois, and is intersected by Rock river. It is bounded on the north by Carroll and Ogle Counties, east by Ogle and Lee Counties, south by Henry and Bureau Counties, and west by the Mississippi river. It embraces sixteen entire, and five fractional, congressional townships, and contains 430,570 acres of land and 5,021 lots. Of the lands 333,616 acres are improved, and 96,954 acres unimproved; 3,002 lots are improved, and 2,013 unimproved. There are twenty-two townships in the county, organized under the township organization laws of the State, as follows: Albany, Clyde, Coloma, Erie, Fulton, Fenton, Garden Plain, Genesee, Hahnaman, Hume, Hopkins, Jordan, Lyndon, Mt. Pleasant, Montmorency, Newton, Portland, Prophetstown, Sterling, Tampico, Union Grove, Ustick. The northwestern part of the county is hilly, consisting of a succession of ridges, some of them quite sharp, rising to an elevation of more than 100 feet, separated by narrow valleys; the central part is moderately rolling, while the south-eastern part is quite level, a few sand ridges traversing the plain. Much of this part of the county comprising a part of Prophetstown, all of Tampico, Hume, Montmorency and Hahnaman, was formerly i-egarded as swamp land, sloughs and marshes covering most of the surface. It has been drained and is now mostly cultivated.

The general slope of the county is to the west and south. Its principal streams are the Rock river, Elkhorn, Sugar, Grove, Spring, Rock, Lynn, Spring (west) and Otter creeks. The Rock river - Sinnissippi of the Indians - rises in the southern part of "Wisconsin, flows south-westerly and falls into the Mississippi about four miles south of Rock Island. It is a tortuous stream obstructed by many rapids and furnishing an abundance of water power which is used at two points in the county - Sterling and Lyndon. Its course within the county is about 50 miles; its total length about 200 miles. It is too shallow for navigation except in times of floods, and the current is through most of its course very strong. Elkhorn creek rises in the east part of Carroll County and flows a generally south-westerly course falling into Rock river about seven miles south-west of Sterling. It has two branches - Sugar creek flowing from the east across Jordan township with a course of about seven miles, and Spring creek flowing from Carroll County southerly into the Elkhorn with a length of about ten miles. The Elkhorn is quite winding, has considerable fall, and furnishes some water power; it is about forty-five miles long. Grove creek is a small stream rising in the northern part of Hopkins township and flowing into the Rock river; it is about ten miles long. Rock creek rises in the eastern part of Carroll County and flows by a winding channel south-westerly into Rock . river about a mile east of Erie. It affords a tolerable water power at several points in its course. It has a length of about fifty-five miles. It has two branches of some note - Little Rock creek flowing from Carroll County south with a course of about fifteen miles, and Lynn creek rising in the south-east part of Garden Plain township and flowing south-east with a length of about twelve miles. West Spring creek rises near the center of the southern tier of sections in Garden Plain township, flows west to near the town line and then turns slightly to the north-east and falls into the Mississippi; it is about ten miles long. Otter creek is formed by a stream flowing from Carroll County and one rising in the eastern part of Ustick. It flows west into the Mississippi; length about fifteen miles.

The highest lands in the county are in the north-eastern part and probably attain an elevation of at least 800 feet above the level of the sea. The Mississippi bluffs are from 90 to 150 feet above the river.

The soil of the county is in general highly fertile, and corn, oats, rye, barley potatoes, and all kinds of vegetables are grown, and yield large crops. Wheat is raised, but the yield is not large, nor is it a certain crop. Strawberries and raspberries thrive, but apples, pears and other fruits bear irregularly and seldom produce large crops. Hogs are raised in great numbers, and much attention is given to rearing cattle and horses, some parts of the county being especially well fitted for pasturage. There are some extensive areas of sandy land, on which the soil is thin, and when it is once broken through the tract becomes a waste of drifting sand, spreading from year to year, and carrying ruin beyond its original bounds. In Fulton, Garden Plain, Albany, Newton, Erie and Prophetstown, these sandy wastes are found, their only products Euphorbia - spurge of several species, and sand burs.

The climate is very variable, the thermometer ranging from 90° to 100° Fahrenheit in the shade in summer, and to 30 ° and even 40 ° below zero in falls very irregularly, but the ground is seldom covered long at one time. Occasionally there are heavy snow storms which are usually accompanied by strong winds which drift it into huge piles rendering roads impassable and leaving a part of the surface bare. In summer there is seldom a perfect calm, that oppressive furnace-like heat and perfect stillness so often experienced farther east being almost unknown. Even in the warmest weather the evenings and mornings are cool and pleasant. The summers are usually somewhat dry after the middle of July. The annual rainfall is about 42 inches, but it is very irregularly distributed. Fierce storms occasionally sweep over the county, the region from Albany east being the favorite theater for their exhibition. The great tornado of 1860, one confined to a narrow area in Union Grove in 1869, the Tampico tornado of 1874, and the storm of June, 1877, are probably remembered by many. The climate is healthy, the death rate low, and cases of acute diseases uncommon and more generally arising from exposure and carelessness than peculiarities of climate.

Previous to 1825 the whole northern part of the State, extending for a considerable distance south of Peoria, was included in the county of Tazewell, but on the 13th day of January, 1825, an act was passed setting off Peoria County, which extended some distance south of the present city of Peoria, then known as Fort Clark, and north to the northern boundary of the State. This territory included the present large number of rich counties in Northwestern Illinois, among them Whiteside. On the 17th of February, 1827, Jo Daviess County was formed, and included within its boundaries the territory constituting the present county of Whiteside, where it remained until January 16, 1836, with the exception of that portion of the territory embraced in the present townships of Portland and l^rophetstown, which had been set off to Henry County by the Act organizing that county in 1836. That part of the act of January 16, 1836, fixing and establishing the present boundaries of Whiteside, is as follows:

" Section 6. All that tract of country within the following boundary, to-wit: commencing at the southeast corner of township numbered nineteen north of range seven east of the fourth principal meridian; thence west with the said township line to Rock river; thence down along the middle of Rock river to the middle of the Meredosia with the line of Rock Island County to the Mississippi river; thence along the middle of the main channel of the 5lississippi river to the point where the north line of township twenty-two intersects the same; thence east with said last mentioned township line to the southeast corner of township twenty-three; thence south with the line between ranges seven and eight to the point of beginning, shall constitute a county to be called Whiteside.

" Sec. 16. The county of Whiteside shall continue to form a part of the county of Jo Daviess until it shall be organized according to this act, and be attached to said county in all general elections, until otherwise provided by law, and that after the organization of Ogle County, the county of Whiteside shall be attached to said county of Ogle for all judicial and county purposes, until it shall be organized."

Ogle County was also organized under this act, and fully completed its organization in December, 1836, at which time Whiteside became attached to it for judicial and county purposes as provided by the act.

Precincts. It was our intention to have given the names and boundaries officially of the different precincts which were wholly or partly in Whiteside County after the passage of the above act, and prior to the complete organization of the county, but owing to the destruction by fire of the records in the County Clerk's office of Ogle County, we find it impossible to do so with certainty. W^e believe,

Three election districts were defined by the County Commissioners' Court of Jo Daviess County, in the spring of 1836, which included within their respective boundaries all the territory now embraced in Whiteside County, as follows:

The present township of Jordan was attached to Elkhorn Grove Precinct, which comprised several townships in Ogle, Lee and Carroll Counties. Election to be held at Humphrey's in Ogle county. John Ankeny, Isaac Chambers and S. Humphrey, appointed Judges.

Harrisburg Precinct comprised the present townships of Sterling, Coloma, Montmorency, Hahnaman, and the east half of Hopkins, Hume and Tampico. Election to be held at the house of Hezekiah Brink, in Harrisburgh, as it was then called, now Sterling, and Hezekiah Brink and Col. Wm. Kirkpatrick, appointed Judges.

Crow Creek Precinct comprised all the rest of the county. Election to be held at Wm. D. Dudley's, in Lyndon. Wm. D. Dudley, A. R. Hamilton, and Jonathan Haines, appointed Judges.

The election of Representative to the General Assembly of the State, on the first Monday of August, 1836, resulted as follows in the above named precincts:

On the 6th of September of the same year, the County Commissioners' Court of Jo Daviess County entered the following order of record: "Ordered, that all that portion of the County of Whiteside lying south of township line between towns 19 and 20, and west of line between ranges 4 and 5, be laid oflf into an Election Precinct, to be called Burke's Precinct. Election to be held at Horace Burke's, and Joy H. Avery, Horace Burke, and Lewis D. Crandall, appointed Judges." At the Presidential Election held in November, 1836, thirty votes were cast in this precinct, embracing the present towns of Portland and Erie, of which 27 were given to Van Buren, the Democratic candidate, and 3 to Harrison, the Whig candidate. On account of the records of the election being missing it is impossible to give the number of votes cast for Presidental candidates this year in other precincts in the county.

In 1837, the authorities of Ogle County, upon petition of different parties in Whiteside County divided it into several precinct*, and these so far as we can learn, were as follows :

Van Buren Precinct included that portion of the county, now the townships of Fulton, Garden Plain, Albany, Newton, Erie and the western part of Ustick, Union Grove, and Fenton, the bluffs in Ustick, and the Cattail in Union Grove and Fenton being its eastern boundary.

Union Grove Precinct comprised that part of what is now Ustick, east of the bluffs, Union Grove, east of the Cattail, and all of Clyde and Mt. Pleasant.

Early Records

Between this date and May 6, 1839, when the county elected its first officers, and completed its organization, thereby severing its connection with Ogle County, several changes were made in precinct names and territory-, as we find in the record book of the first County Commissioners' Court, now in the office of the County Clerk, at Morrison, the names of the following precincts recorded : Albany, Elkhorn, Fulton, Genesee, Little Rock, Portland, and Union Grove.

Before proceeding farther in the direct chain of the history of Whiteside County, we take occasion to mention a few items of interest in reference to the early times when we formed a part of Jo Daviess County.

The County Commissioners' Court of that county on the 6th of March. 1835, ordered that "all hands within ten miles of the road from Plum river, to Prophetstown Village, on Rock river, perform labor on the Galena road." L. C. Melhouse was appointed Supervisor. It also caused an order to be entered ' upon the same day "that each able bodied person residing wherein there is any road district in this county, over twenty-one and under fifty years of age, shall perform five days labor on the public highways in the district in which he resides."

It was thought necessary, as early as September 7, 1832, to confine tavern keepers within reasonable bounds as to charges. The CountyCommissioners' Court, therefore, ordered that on and after that date the rates for the bonifaces should be as follows: For each meal of victuals. 25 cents; each horse feed. 25 cents; eachhorse per day and night, 50 cents; each lodging, 12^cents;eachhalf pint of brandy, wine, Jamaica spirits, or Holland gin, 25 cents; each pint of whiskey 12^ cents; each quart of cider, porter, or ale. 25 cents. On the 11th of March, 1836, these rates are somewhat changed, and tavern keepers allowed to charge for each meal of Adetuals, 37^ cents; each lodging, 12^ cents; each horse feed, 25 cents; each horse per day, 75 cents; each pint of whiskey, 12^ cents; each pint of rum, gin, brandy or wine, 25 cents; each quart of cider, beer, porter or ale, 25 cents.

On the 16th of March, 1836, the same court ordered "that a tax of onehalf per cent, be levied on the following described property for county purposes, to-wit: on slaves; indentured and registered negro or mulatto servants; pleasure and all other wheeled carriages, and sleighs; distilleries; all horses, mares, mules and asses and neat cattle above three years old; watches and appendages; clocks and household furniture, and all other property."

By this it will be see that even as late as 1836, slaves, and indentured and registered negro and mulatto servants, were recognized as personal property, and liable to tax as such, in the State of Illinois, notwithstanding the celebrated Ordinance of 1787. adopted at the time of the cession of the Northwest Territory to the United States by Virginia, prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude Avithin such Territory. This fact will be new to many at this day, and shows what a hold the system of slavery had upon the people and the laws up to 1836. and we may add for some years later.

The County Commissioners' Court in early days did almost all kinds of business, as the following record. June 22. 1835, shows: "Thomas and Polly Bruce came into court and acknowledged the execution of a deed conveying a certain tract of land lying and being in" the State of Missouri, in the county of Pike, all of which is described in said deed from said Thomas and Polly Bruce to DeWitt Bruce, of the State of Missouri, Pike county." The record shows that this was the only judicial act of the court on that day.

The first State road running through the county of Whiteside was located under an Act of the General Assembly of the State, approved March 11, 1837, although several trails had been extensively used prior to that time, the most noted of which was the Lewiston trail leading from Peoria and other southern settlements to Galena, and crossing Rock river a little above Prophetstown. Under this act A. H. Seymour, of Henry County, Asa Crook, of Whiteside County, Israel Mitchell, of Jo Daviess County, Russell Toncray, of Schuyler County, and G. A. Charles, of Kane County, were appointed Commissioners to view, mark and locate a State Road leading from Galena, in the county of Jo Daviess, by the way of WappaFs on Apple river, Savanna at the mouth of Plum river. Prophetstown on Rock river, via Henderson and Knoxville in Knox County, and Rushville in Schuyler County, to Beardstown on the Illinois river. The Commissioners met at Galena in June, 1837, and proceeded to locate the road in the manner pointed out by the act, and filed with the Clerk of the County Commissioners' Court of each county through which the road passed, a report and complete map of the road, which by the terms of the act were to be preserved, and form a part of the record of the Court. In due time the road was completed, and made a public highway.

In 1839 the General Assembly passed another act locating a State Road which runs through a part of Whiteside. Under this act Neely Withrow and Rufus Hubbard, of Henry County, and A. Slocumb, of Whiteside County, were appointed Commissioners to view, survey and locate a State Road commencing at New Albany, thence to Penny's Feri-y on Rock river, near the west side of range three east of the 4th Principal Meridian; thence taking the county road to a bridge on Green river, and from thence to intersect the State Road leading from Galena to Beardstown. The Commissioners met at Geneseo, and completed their duties under the act.

During the same year the State Road from Galena to Beardstown was re-surveyed and re-located for a short distance near Prophetstown, under the supervision of John C Pratt, John W. Stakes, and Lyman J. Rynders, Commissioners appointed for that purpose by an act of the General Assembly.

First Officers. As we hajve stated Whiteside County elected its officers, and thereby completed its organization. May 6, 1839. At that election the following officers were chosen: Nathaniel G. Reynolds, Elijah Worthington, and John B. Dodge, County Commissioners; James C. Woodburn, SheriflF; Daniel B. Young, Probate Justice; David Mitchell, County Treasurer; Charles R. Rood, County Surveyor; Augustine W. Newhall, Recorder; Ivory Colcord, Coroner; Guy Ray, Clerk of County Commissioners' Court.

The first meeting of the County Commissioners' Court was held on the IHth of May, 1839, at the house of Wm. D. Dudley, in Lyndon. Guy Ray appeared as Clerk, and upon giving bond to the satisfaction of the Commissioners, took the oath of office. The Sheriff" and Treasurer elect, appeared, and were duly qualified, the former by receiving certificate from A. R. Hamilton and C. G. Woodruff', and the latter before John B. Dodge, Justice of the I'eace.

The Commissioners met the next day at the school house near Wm. D. Dudley's, and proceeded first to lay out road districts, and appoint Supervisors, as follows:

County Commissioners' Court

Road District No. 2 to comprise that portion of the county south of Rock river, east of the west line of section 35, township 19 north, range 4 east, to line of range 5 east. Erastus G. Nichols to be Supervisor.

Road District No. 3 to comprise all the territory south of Rock river, west of section 35, township 19 north, range 4 east. James Row to be Supervisor.

Road District No. 4 to comprise all that part of Elkhorn Precinct north of township line running east and west between townships 21 and 22. Joseph Nelson to be Supervisor.

Road District No. 5 to comprise all that portion of Elkhorn Precinct lying south of the east and west line between townships 21 and 22 north. Nelson Mason to be Supervisor.

The following gentlemen were appointed Assessors of the different precincts: Union, Henry Boyer; Portland, Ebenezer Seely; Elkhorn, John W. McLemore; Genesee, "Wm. Wick; Fulton, Hosea Jacobs; Albany, Lewis Spurlock; Little Rock, Chauncey G. Woodruff.

The next meeting of the Commissioners was held June 4, 1839. John Wick was appointed Assessor in Genesee Precinct, in place of Wm. Wick who declined to serve. At this meeting the citizens of Round Grove and vicinity petitioned that an Election Precinct may be established called Round Grove, bounded on the east by Elkhorn river, on the north and west by the north and west line of township twenty-one, range six east, and the west line of township twenty, range six east to Rock river, and on the south by Rock river. Also that the elections may be held at the school house in Round Grove. The petition was signed by R. J. Jenks, Chas. C. Jenks, Wm. Pilgrim, N. P. Thompson, Joel Harvey, Caleb Plumber, Wm. H. McLemore, John Wasby, Levi Gaston, Joseph Jones, Samuel Higley, Thos. Mathews, E. A. Somers, Geo. Higley, W. Morrison, John Van Tassel, F. Simonson and C. D. Nance. The petition was granted after changing a part of the boundary so as to read '- the precinct shall be bounded by the east line of township twenty-one, range six east, and Elkhorn creek." Geo. G. Dennis was appointed Constable, and commissioned pru tern for the special purpose of serving all orders and notices issued during tlie sitting of the Count)'^ Commissioners' Court at its June term, A. D., 1839.

The next day, June 5th, it was ordered that the first Circuit Court in Whiteside County be held at Dr. Stickles house in Lyndon. The same day the first rates of toll for a ferry in Whiteside County, Avere fixed - the ferry being across Eock river, and were as follows: one person, 12^ cents; wagon or carriage drawn by two horses, 75 cents; for every additional ox or horse, 12^ cents; wagon drawn by one horse, 37^ cents; cart drawn by oxen or horses, 50 cents; cattle, hogs and goats each, 6^ cents; sheep, each 3 cents. The ferry was to be free for all citizens of Whiteside County. It was afterwards ordered that the county pay William Knox $40 for the ferriage of citizens of Whiteside County during the season.

At the adjourned Commissioners' Court, held July 2, 1839, a number of road petitions were presented, the first being for a road from Albany and Kingsbury to CrandalFs ferry, L. D. Crandall guaranteeing that the viewers should locate the road without expense to the county. Grilbert Buckingham, James Early and James Hamilton were appointed viewers. The second petition asked for a road from Fulton to Lyndon via Delhi. John Baker. C. G. Woodruff and Wm. Farrington were appointed viewers; and the third asked for a road from Fulton to Genesee Mills. John Baker, Hugh Hollinshead and John Wick were appointed viewers. Several other petitions were presented, and accepted on the condition that the viewers perform their duties gratis.

The Court ordered that the county taxes for 1839 be laid at fifty cents on every hundred dollars assessed upon the property in the county, and that twenty cents be levied upon the assessment for State taxes. John W. McLemore was appointed collector of taxes for the year 1839. At the next day's session Augustine W. Newhall appeared and took the oath of office as Recorder of Whiteside County.

The following are the names of the petit jurors drawn to serve at the first Circuit Court of Whiteside County, to be held at Lyndon on the second Monday of September, 1839: Isaac H. Albertson. Jacob Whipple, Luther Bush, Geo. W. Woodburn, Daniel Brooks, Nathaniel Norton, Horace Burke, Marvin Frary, Reuben Amidon, Samuel Johnson, C. S. Deming, Wm. L. Clark, James Coburn, Henry Boyer, James J. Thomas, H. H. Holbrook, Anthony Hollinshead, Joel Harvey, Duty Buck, Lewis Spurlock, Robert Booth, Wm. Ross, John W. Baker, P. Bachus Besse.

The Grand Jurors drawn to serve at the same term of court, were: Jason Hopkins, Wiatt Cantrall, Henry Burlingame, Jacob Sells, James Talbot, Jeremiah Johnson, James Row, Hiram Harmon, Jabez Warner, W. F. Van Norman, A. W. Newhall, Brainard Orton, John C. Pratt, Jonathan Haines, D. B. Young, Wm. Wick, J. H. Carr, Nehemiah Rice, P. B. Vannest, David Mitchell, Hosea Jacobs, Daniel Reed, p]dmund Cowdrey, C. G. Woodruff".

The County Commissioners, Clerk of Commissioners' Court, Treasurer, Recorder, Coroner, Probate Justice and Surveyor, elected at the first election held in the county, May, 6th, 1839, .served only until the regular county election in August of that year, when the following officers were elected: Hosea Jacobs, Elijah Worthington, Hiram Harmon, County Commissioners; Guy Ray, Clerk of Commissioners' Court; David Mitchell, Treasurer; W. W. Gilbert, Recorder; Ivory Colcord, Coroner; Daniel B. Young, Probate Justice, and Charles R. Rood, Surveyor. We append the returns of this election that the people may contrast the vote of 1839, with that of the present time:

At the term of the Commissioners' Court, held December 3, 1839, orders were entered of record as follows: "that the Clerk call on Jonathan Haines by letter, to make a seal for the court of copper, if no copper, of brass, if no brass, then to make it of silver;"' "that Augustine Smith be paid $5 for the use of his house to hold court in;"' "that the county pay Simon S. Page $30, and Edward P. Gage $65, for the use of ferry for the season past, and Wm. Knox $20 in addition to what was agreed to be paid to him for use of ferry;" "that Edward S.G-age pay the county $10 for ferry license;" "that the Collector remit the money he received of persons having paid on mill property on government lands,^^ and that the same be allowed him in the settlement with him at the June term;" "that each and every person who by law, is subject to road labor, shall work upon the highways three days in each year." The first public house license in the county was granted at that term of court, to Caleb Clark, to keep a public house in Fulton, the fee being $25, to be paid into the Clerk's office.

The following bills rendered to the Court show the expense of assessing property in 1839; John W. McLemore, for five days service assessing in Elkhorn Precinct, $10; Henry Boyer, three days in Union Precinct, $6; John Wick, three and three-fourths days in Genesee Precinct, $7.50; Ebenezer Seely, five days in Portland Precinct, $10; Hosea Jacobs, four days in Fulton Precinct, $8; C. G. Woodruff, four and a half days in Lyndon Precinct, $9; Samuel Mitchell, two and a half days in Albany Precinct, $5.

The first movement against granting license for the sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink, was inaugurated by some of the citizens of Fulton in 1839, by a petition to the County Commissioners' Court, praying that no license for that purpose be granted in that Precinct. The petition is ' set forth in full, in -the history of Fulton township.

On the 22d of February, 1840, a special election was held, for the purpose of electing a County Commissioner to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Elijah Worthington. As the result of the canvass of the votes, William Sampson was declared elected, Sterling not having reported her vote when the canvass was made. The right of Mr. Sampson to hold the office was contested by Simeon M. Coe. At their first meeting the Commissioners drew for terms of office, as follows: Hosea Jacobs for the term to expire August Ist, 1840; Wm. Sampson for the term to expire 1st, 1841; and Hiram Harmon tor the term to expire August 1st, 1842.

was directed to be presented to Van J. Adams, Daniel Brooks and A. C Jackson, Justices of the Peace. The Justices decided in favor of Mr. Coe, and Mr. Guy Ray. the Clerk of the Court, was ordered to issue a certificate of election to him. Mr. Coe thereupon took his seat, his term of oflSce being the same as that drawn by Mr. Sampson.

On the 2d of March, 1840, the Commissioners granted a license to Caleb Clark to run a ferry across the Mississippi river at the town of Fulton, the fee being ten dollars. The rates of toll were fixed at 25 cents for each footman; man and horse, 75 cents; cattle, 25 cents per head; two wheel carriages, $1.; yoke of oxen and wagon loaded, $1.50; additional ox or horse, 25 cents; hogs and sheep per head, 12^ cents; one horse and wagon, $1. L. D. and J. Crandall were licensed to run a ferry across Rock river, on section 19, township 19, range 4 east.

The following financial exhibit of the county was presented to the Commissioners' Court, on the 4th of March, 1840: To amount of orders issued, and orders due at this date, $985,87. By taxes assessed in 1839, $585,49, and by cash received for licenses for ferries, groceries, etc., $93.00 - total $678.49. Indebtedness of the county, March 4, 1840, $307-.38.

The bounty on wolf scalps was placed at this term, at fifty cents each, and the first payments made to C. E. Walker, Charles Wright, and Peter Shuler.

N. Gr. Reynolds was appointed Marshal to take the census of the county, but afterwards resigned, and Augustine Smith appointed to fill the vacancy.

At the June session of the Court, James McCoy entered a complaint against Daniel Reed, A. M. Wing, and Caleb Clark, for neglect in keeping a ferry boat running across the Mississippi river, at Fulton. On appearance before the Commissioners' Court, the defendants' counsel made a motion to quash for variance between the summons and complaint. The motion was overruled, but after a hearing the case was dismissed. The tax levy, at this term of court, was fixed at fifty cents on each hundred dollars of property assessed in the county. Hiram Harmon was granted a license to run a ferry across Rock river at the Rock River Company's Mills, and D. B. Young was appointed School Commissioner of the county for the year. This appointment made Mr. Young the first School Commissioner of Whiteside county.

At the December session Portland Precinct was ordered to be divided into three Precincts, as follows: All the territory south of Rock river in Whiteside county, and east of the line north and south through the center of township six, east of the fourth principal meridian, to be known as Rapids Precinct, the place of holding elections to be at the house of Edward Atkins; all the territory south of Rock river and west of Rapids Precinct, lying east of the center of a certain slough, between Hiram Ilnderhill's and Richard Potter's, on the south line of the county, thence northeasterly along the center of said slough and its outlet into Rock river, to be known as Prophetstown Precinct, and the place of holding elections to be at the house of Asa Crook; and all the territory west of Prophetstown Precinct, and south of Rock river, to remain as Portland Precinct, the place of holding elections to be at the house Ebenezer Seely. Wm. W. Durant, Daniel Brooks and L. H. Woodworth, were appointed judges of election of Rapids Precinct; Asa Crook, Jabez Warner, and N. G. Reynolds, of Prophetstown Precinct; and Daniel Blasdell, Wm. S. Crane, and Simeon Fuller, of Portland Precinct.

Guy Ray, Clerk of the Court, was allowed $7.80 for returning votes of August election for Representative to Jo Daviess county. On the same day Lyndon township was authorized to organize into a school district, and Edward S. Gage licensed to run a ferry across Rock river at Prophetstown.

At the March session a writ of ad quad damnum was issued upon application of Jason Hopkins, Esq., of Como, for calling a jury on Elkhorn creek, at Como, " to appraise the damage that may be sustained by all persons owning lands that may be flowed by the erection of a dam on said creek at Como." The tax levy for 1841, was fixed at fifty cents on each hundred dollars worth of property assessed. It was also ordered that each man liable to road labor be taxed one day's labor, and that a property tax of ten cents be assessed for road purposes on each hundred dollars assessed in the county. John Scott was licensed to run a ferry across Rock river at Como.

Guy Ray tendered his resignation as Clerk of the Court, at the April session, which was reluctantly accepted, and Theodore Winn appointed Clerk pro tern. Mr. Winn qualified the next day, April 9th, before Benj. Coburn, Justice of the Peace.

The first session of the County Commissioners' Court, at Sterling, commenced June 8, 1841, with Simeon M. Coe and Hosea Jacobs present as Commissioners. The greater part of this session, as had been the case with those of several of the previous ones, was taken up with county seat matters. Royal Jacobs was allowed three additional months to complete the horse ferry boats in progress of construction, at Fulton, and Nelson Mason allowed $38 for serving notices on grand and petit jurors, and for five day's attendance at Circuit Court.

Hosea Jacobs and Daniel Blasdell were the Commissioners present at the September session of the Court, Mr. Blasdell having been elected at the August election. Mr. John Roy presented his oath of office, with recjuired bond, and assumed the position as Clerk of the Court. The Commissioners appointed Jacob Whipple, Porter L. Chapman and Van J. Adams, trustees of school lands in township twenty-one, range seven east fourth principal meridian, and Watson Parish, Ezra B. Hewitt, and Ivory Colcord, trustees of school lands in township twenty-two north, range 6 east of the fourth principal meridian.

At the December session A. R. Thomas, P. M. Dodge and James Knox were appointed trustees of school lands in township twenty-one, range five east of the fourth principal meridian; D. B. Young. J. T. Atkinson and Alfred Brown in township twenty-four, range four east; S. M. Kilgour, David Parker and Isaac Crosby, in township twenty-one west, range three east; Samuel Mitchell, Stephen B. Slocumb and Gr. Buckingham in township twenty-one west, range two east; Robert Booth, J. Humphrey and James McCoy, in township twentytwo west, range three east, and Allan Graves, Jesse Johnson and W. E. Graham, in township twenty-two west, range four east. J. McLemore was allowed $3 for shackles, and $12.50 for boarding a prisoner named Dolan and his guard from Lee County. Col. Johnson was licensed to keep a grocery in Sterling upon payment of $25 and giving proper bond. At the same session it was ascertained that Chas. R. Rood, County Surveyor, had been absent from the State a sufficient length of time to make him a non-resident. The office of Surveyor was, therefore, declared vacant, and a new election ordered. The Clerk was authorized to issue grocery licenses in conformity with law to any person requesting them until next session of Court.

At the March session in 1842, an order was made changing the place of holding elections in Union Precinct, from the house of Jonathan Haines to the school house in Unionville. The first bill for medical attendance on pauper, was allowed at this session. Dr. John Bates being the happy recipient of $4 for visits, medicine and attendance on Stephen O'Connell, a pauper.

The September session allowed a writ to summons twelve men to appraise ^{images that any persoii might susttvin by the erectioq of a luill dam, pn

Johnson's creek, full account of which will be found in the history of Fulton township. Wm. Nevitt, School Commissioner, was allowed $20 for ten days time taken in going to. and returning from Springfield, for school funds. Constables were allowed one dollar per day for attendance at court. An order was also made "that the next December term of the County Commissioners' Court and the next May term of the Circuit Court, be holden at Lyndon, and all future courts until otherwise ordered.'

The December session was accordingly held at Lyndon, commencing December 7. 1842, with Daniel Blasdell, David Mitchell and Henry Boyer, Commissioners, present, county seat matters as usual occupying most of the time of the court. The County Treasurer was instructed to demand of R. L. Wilson. Clerk of the Circuit Court, the docket and jury fees, according to an act in the session laws of 1835. The County Collector, J. W. McLemore, presented the Treasurers receipt for$505, in full forthe taxes collected for 1841.

The sessions of the court during 1843 were almost wholly devoted to matters pertaining to the county seat, and county buildings. On the first day of the August session in 1844, the clerk was directed to notify the Clerk of the Circuit Court that an office was prepared for him at Lyndon, but two days thereafter an order was entered "that the terms of the Circuit Court be holdeu hereafter at the county building in Sterling, until otherwise ordered, and that the Clerk and Sheriff be notified of the same." At this session James A. Sweet was credited with $638,22 for taxes collected.

At the December session, 1844, a new precinct was ordered to be formed from Lvndon and Albany Precincts, to be called Erie Precinct, and bounded as follows: commencing at the southeast corner of section 34, in township 20. range 4 east of the 4th principal meridian, running thence north to the northeast corner of section 15; thence Avest to the northwest corner of section 14, township 20, range 4 east; thence south to the town line; thence west to the county line; thence on said county line to Roek river, and thence up Rock river to the place of beginning.

A special session of the court was held at Lyndon in February, 1845, for the purpose of appointing a School Commissioner to serve until the following August election. Charles S. Deming was appointed. At the regular March term, 1845, it was ordered that a poor tax of five cents on every $100 worth of taxable property be assessed. It was also ordered: "that the clerk send to the Auditor of Public Accounts for the portion of money to which the county is entitled under the 15th .provision of the 18th section of an act to establish and maintain a general .system of internal improvements of the State of Illinois, in force February, 1837."

In April, 1845, the court ordered that four mills on every dollar's worth of property assessed, be levied for county revenue, and 7^ mills levied upon every dollar's worth of personal property assessed in the precincts of Sterling, Rapids, Round Grove, Lyndon, Prophetstown and Portland, for the purpose of improving the navigation of Rock river. At that time it was confidently believed that Rock river could be made navigable to a point a considerable distance above Sterling, by means of improving the channel of the river, and where that could not be done to a sufficient extent, by canal around the shallow parts. The effort, however, proved futile, and the stream is noA\ used to drive the great wheels which furnish motive power to the manufactories that line its banks, a much better purpose than being navigated by boats.

At the June session John Roy, Clerk of the Court, was instructed to correspond with Judge Logan, of Springfield, as to the prospect of getting the proportion due the county of the $200,000- set apart by the Legislature of thQ

State to the several counties which were not benefitted by the internal improvement system of the State, and if in his opinion the money could be obtained, he was authorized to prosecute its collection in the name of the county.

At the March term, 1846, the tax to be levied upon property assessed, was made the same as in 1845. It was also ordered that one-half mill be assessed for the support of the poor. In 1848 Henry Ustick was allowed $138 for assessing the property of the county. In 1849 the Court appointed Commissioners to divide the county into townships.

The County Commissioners held their last meeting in Decembei-, 1849, when the County Court transacted county business until the Board of Supervisors took control in September, 1852. The first meeting of the County Court to transact county business was held in Mai'ch, 1850, with N. Gr. Reynolds County Judge and W. S. Wilkinson and Thos. Brewer associate justices, present. W. S. Wilkinson resigned in 1851, and J. B. Harding filled the vacancy.

On the 9th of February, 1850, Henry Ustick, P. Bacchus Besse andW.W. Gilbert, Commissioners appointed by the Court to divide the county of Whiteside into townships in pursuance of an act of the Greneral Assembly of the State of Illinois, entitled an act to provide for township and county organization, etc., made the following report:

Salem township to include all of township 22 north, range 4 east of the 4th principal meridian; Fulton, all of fractional township 22 north, range 3 east; Garden Plain., all of fractional township 21 north, range 3 east; Alhanij, all of fractional township 21 north, range 2 east, and all of township 20 north, range 2 east, in Whiteside County; Greenfield., all of township 20 north, range 3 east; Eden., all of township 20 north, range 4 east, lying north of Rock river, also part of township 19 north, range 4 east, lying north of Rock river in the northeast corner of said township, and all of said township 19 north, range 5 east, north of Rock river, lying within the southeast corner of said township, is attached to the township of Eden for judicial purposes; Union Grove., all of township 21 north, range 4 east; Mt. Pleasant, all of township 21 north, range 5 east; Genesee, all of township 22 north, range 6 east; Water Jord, all of township 22 north, range 5 east; Jordan, all of township 22 north, range 7 east; Sterling, all the part of township 21 north, range 7 east, lying north and west of Rock river, commencing on the east side of said township where the river enters it, thence down the channel of said river so as to include Cantrail's Island, and all the islands in said township, thence down the north channel of said river to where it enters township 21 north, range 6 east; Rapids, all of that part of township 21 north, range 7 east, south and east of Rock river, commencing where the river enters said township on the east side, thence down the south channel of said river to the lower end of Cantrall's Island, thence down the north channel of said river to where it enters township 21 north, range 6 east, including all islands in the river below Cantrall's Island in said county; Montmorency, all of township 20 north, range 7 east, the township to be attached to Rapids for the time being; Hahnaman, all of township 19 north, range 7 east; Jackson, all of township 20 north, range 6 east, lying south of Rock river; Tampico, all of township 19 north, range 6 east; Hopkins, all of township 21 north, range 6 east, the township of Hahnaman, and the east half of Tampico to be attached to Hopkins for judicial purposes for the time being; Ilomrr. all of township 20 north, range 6 east, north of Rock river, divided on the north and south line of half section line of section 4 of said township of Homer, the east half to be attached to Hopkins for judicial purposes, and all west of said line to be attached to Lyndon for judicial purposes for the time being; Lyndon, all of township 20 north, range 5 east, north of Rock river; Prophctstoion, all of township 20 north, range 5 east, north of Rock river; Washington, all of township 19 north, range 5 east, south of Rock river, the town of Washington, west half of Tampico, and M'est half of Jackson to be attached to Pi-ophetstown for judicial purposes for the time being; Jefferson, all of township 19 north, range 4 east, south of Rock river, also all of township 19 north, range 3 east, south of Rock river, and all of township 20 north, range 4 east, south of Rock river; Erie, all of township 19 north, range 4 east, north of Rock river, also all of township 19 north, range 3 east, north of Rock river.

At the March session, 1850, M. S. Henry, attorney for the county, was directed to sue for and recover from W. W. Fuller or his representatives, or the Rock River Commissioners, or in whose hands the same may be, the sum or sums of money, or other property, to which the county was entitled by virtue of the improvement act. It was also ordered that the court room be occupied alternately on Sundays for regular preaching by the Presbyterian and Methodist societies. L. D. Crandall, Collector of Revenue for the county for 1849, made his report at this session as follows:

Credit

$1,845.88 At the September session, 1850, M. S. Henry, attorney for the county, reported $94.34 as collected for the county from the Rock River Commissioners, and $10 to be collected from Wm. Pollock, he owing that amount to the Rock River Commissioners. The precinct formerly called Round Grove was changed to Como. At the December session $18 was ordered to be placed in the hands of N. J. Nichols to be sold for the purpose of raising $13.50 in par money to purchase a record book. The county tax for 1851 was fixed at four mills on the dollar, road tax at three-fourths of a mill on the dollar, and poor tax at one-fourth of a mill on the dollar.

The next ses.sion of the County Commissioners' Court of Whiteside County, was held in June, 1851, when $150 was ordered to be paid to W. C Snyder, John A. Robertson, A. C. Jackson, D. Kier and Henry Boycr, to build a bridge across Rock creek, near Robertson's mill. The whole cost of the bridge ($236) was ordered to be raised by assessment in the county!

Township Organization. An election was held in 1849 in the difi"erent precincts of the county for the purpose of allowing the electors to vote for or against township organization. The vote cast was largely in favor of it, and townships were laid off as previously mentioned. But it was soon ascertained that there was some illegality in the matter which rendered the action taken void. In June, 1851, another election was ordered for the same purpose, which was held November 4, 1851, and resulted as follows:

Board Of Supervisors

L. D. Crandall, L. H. Woodworth, and Wm. Pollock were appointed commissioners to divide the county into townships, and to give each its name and boundaries, under the township organization law which had been adopted at the election of November 4, 1851.

On the 24th of February, 1852, the commissioners reported the following townships: Fulton, Ustick, Clyde, Genesee, Jordan, Sterling, Montmorency, Coloma, Hahnaman, Hume, (formerly Jackson) Como, (formerly Homer) Hopkins, Tampico, Volney, (formerly Washington, Prophetstown, Portland, Erie, Fenton, (formerly Eden) Lyndon, Mt. Pleasant, Union Grove, Garden Plain, Albany, and Newton (formerly Greenfield), twenty-four in all. Como and Volney were afterwards dropped, the territory of the former being added to Hopkins, and the latter to Prophetstown.

Board of Supervisors. The first town meeting under the township organization law, was held on the first Tuesday of April, 1852, in the following towns: Albany, Coloma, Clyde, Erie, Fenton, Fulton, Garden Plain, Genesee, Hopkins, Jordan, Lyndon, Mt. Pleasant, Newton, Prophetstown, Portland, Sterling, Union Grove, and Ustick. Election was not held in Montmorency, Hahanaman, Hume, and Tampico, as they were not fully organized at the time. Through the kindness of Dr. W. C. Snyder, now of Fulton, Avho was the first Supervisor from Union Grove, we are enabled to add the ages, occupations, and places of birth, to the names of the first Supervisors elected. These were taken by Dr. Snyder personally at the first meeting of the Board; the table is as follows:

The first annual meeting of the Board was held at Sterling, September 13, 1852. On the ballot for Chairman W. S. Barnes received 9 votes, Simeon Sampson 3, and S. C. Kilgour 1. Mr. Barnes was declared duly elected Chairman of the Board. Messrs W. C. Snyder, R. G Clendenin, and S. Sampson were appointed a committee to ascertain the indebtedness of the county.

At the June term, 1853, Messrs W. Y. Wetzell, J. M. Pratt, and AV. C. Snyder were appointed a committee to enquire into the expediency of purchasing a farm, and erecting suitable buidings thereon, for the purpose of aiding and maintaining the county paupers.

At the September term, 1853, the Board ordered that all orders issued by the county prior to 18-16, must be presented before September 1, 1854, otherwise they would not be received for taxes. The proceedings of the Board were first ordered to be published at the February term, 1855, the Sterling Times, and the Whiteside Investigator being made the ofiicial papers.

W. Pollock was appointed Drainage Commissioner at the March term of the Board. 1855, and the prices of swamp lands fixed as follows: For first quality, §3 per acre; second quality, $1.50 per acre, and third quality, 50 cents per acre. At the same meeting it was resolved that all the swamp lands lying north and west of Rock river, all of township 21 north, of range 7 east, and also of township 20 north, of range 7 east, be oft'ered for sale on the second Monday of October, 1855. The terms of sale were as follows: 1st, 25 per cent, cash on all sales; 2d, a credit of one year to be given on all sales under $100. with personal security; 3d, a credit of five years to be given on all sales over $100, the security to be real estate mortgage; and 4th, the rate of interest to be ten per cent, per annum, payable in advance. The Board also passed a resolution ordering the Drainage Commissioner to pay over to the School Commissioner of the county, all moneys arising from the sale of swamp lands, after defraying all necessary expenses, the moneys so paid to the School Commissioner to be loaned by him, and the interest applied as other school funds. At this meeting the indebtedness of the county for 1854 was reported to the Board to be $1,829.24.

At the December term, 1855, the SheriflF was authorized "to make a diligent search, and bring to justice all felons, murderers, and other convicts, and pursue them asfar as his judgment shall dictate," and present his bill for such services to the Board of Supervisors. The School Commissioner was instructed to loan the school fund to citizens of the county, in amounts not to exceed $500.

In 1856 the Board of Supervisors of Ogle county was asked to grant leave for the withdrawal of the records and plats of roads, and to obtain certified copies of deeds and conveyances in the Recorder's office of that county, belonging to Whiteside. The Committee on Poor Farm reported that owing to the cfHistruction of a line of public works through the county, the pauper population was large and on the increase. Under the present system, they said, the cost of the paupers to the county was from $1,000 to $2,000 per annum, but that by the purchase of a farm, and erecting suitable buildings, these persons could be cared for in a better, more systematic, and cheaper manner. They further reported that after viewing the location of swamp lands belonging to the county, and noticing their manifest disadvantages in point of location, etc., they had come to the conclusion to select a farm in Union Grove township, consisting of 240 acres, of which 120 acres were enclosed and under tillage. On the farm were a good stone house, barn and out buildings, never failing springs, etc. The land was prairie, with the exception of 30 acres of savanna, and 7 or 8 acres of pas.sable timber. The price was $25 per acre, the payments to be one-half cash, and the balance in equal payments at one and two years time, interest at the rate of ten per cent, per annum. The Board appointed a committee to purchase the farm on the terms stated in the report, the farm to be known when purchased as the "County Poor Farm."

At the September term, 1857, Wm. Prothrow, Chas. Wright, and Justus Rew, a committee appointed to procure a loan to be applied in redeeming the county bonds, reported that owing to the extreme scarcity of money, they had been unable to procure the funds in the county, and had therefore sent Mr. Prothrow to Chicago, where he had met with much difficulty for several reasons, and among them, the stringency in the money market, and the fact that the county had allowed the first bonds to mature and go by without making adequate provision for their payment. This distrust placed the county paper in the second class. The agent, therefore, owing to the urgent demand for money, coupled with the fact that the county was paying three per cent, a month on matured bondSj sold the paper at a discount of eighteen per cent. The committee stated it as their opinion that it was the only course left to save the county, and prevent further repudiation, believing the latter to be more costly than the sacrifice they had been compelled to make. At the same session the Drainage Commissioner was ordered to pay in the proceeds of the swamp land sales to assist in defraying the indebtedness of the county, the latter to give bonds to the School Commissioner for the amount, to be paid in five years, with interest at ten per cent, per annum, payable semi-annually in advance. The proceedings of the Board of Supervisors in this and succeeding years in relation to matters pertaining to the county buildings, etc., will be found under the head of "County Buildings."

The Board at the January meeting in 1858, resolved to sustain the town collectors and the County Treasurer, in receiving good Illinois and' Wisconsin currency in payment of taxes. A committee was appointed at the same session to establish, if practicable, the title of Whiteside County to certain swamp lands lying near the original line between Rock Island and Whiteside Counties, at the Meredocia, the lands being originally within Whiteside County, but owing to the establishment of a new line placed in Rock Island County. The committee decided that if the original line could be defined the land would be found belonging to Whiteside County, but if not it would be bad policy to prosecute the matter with Rock Island. M. S. Henry, Esq., attorney for the county being present, stated that he believed the lands to belong to Whiteside. He also stated that Whiteside County was entitled to receive from the general government the purchase money received by it for so much of the swamp lands under the act of Congress, and which can be proved as such, that were entered at the land office, and paid for in money. Also, that the county is entitled to receive from the general government, land warrants for so much of said swamp lands as were entered by land warrants from the general government. Mr. Henry made the following proposition: "I will promise to recover, and collect or prosecute the claim this county has against the general government or State, such moneys, land warrants or certificates, and pay all expenses of prosecuting, recovering and collecting said money and land warrants, the county agreeing to permit me to retain fifty per cent, of the amount of land warrants and money secured or recovered as aforesaid, I to give bond with security for the performance of my part of the agreement, and the payment to the county of its share of the moneys and land warrants." The proposition was accepted, and the bond placed at $20,000.

At the September term, 1859, Hahnaman and Tampico were granted each a separate organization under the township organization law. In 1860, the Board ordered that any sherifi", constable, or other officer arresting a horse thief should receive a reward of fifty dollars, upon the conviction of the offender. From 1861 to 1866 inclusive, the most important proceedings of the Board were in relation to the war, and the erection of the county buildings at Morrison. The sketch of these proceedings can be found under the heads of -' The Civil War" and "County Buildings."

At the April term, 1865, George C. Wilson was appointed Commissioner to take the census of the county for 1865, and at the September term the assessment of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company for 1865 was raised fifty per cent, above the valuation fixed by them for the year.

In December, 1865, the County Clerk was ordered to convey to Nelson Mason the interest of the county in block 57, west of Broadway, in Sterling, being the laud donated by citizens of that city for county purposes, by quit claim deed. At the same term the committee of the Board on Railroad Freight to whom was referred the resolution in reference to freight and transportation reported, that by reason of the want of shipping facilities heretofore afforded to the people of the county, and the extortionate price of freight demanded by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company, nearly amounting to a prohibition of sending the products of the county to market by rail, they would recommend that the citizens of the county interested in securing a reasonable freight in sending their products to market, meet at Sterling on the third of January, and at Morrison on the eighteenth day of January, 1865, to take into consideration the improvement of the rapids of the Mississippi river, the construction of slack water navigation on Rock river, and the connection of the Mississippi river with Lake Michigan by a ship canal from Rock river to the lake by way of the Illinois and Michigan canal.

At the April term, 1866, the County Clerk was directed to draw an order on the Treasurer for $800, that being the amount apportioned to Whiteside to aid in the survey of Rock river with a view of making a water communication between Grreen Bay, Wisconsin, and the Mississippi river by way of the former river. In September, 1857, the fifty dollar bounty for conviction of horse thieves was rescinded, and another adopted to pay $300 to the person or persons securing the arrest and conviction of any one stealing a horse from a citizen of Whiteside County. At the same term Hon. W. W. Heaton, Judge of the 22d Judicial Circuit, was ordered to be paid $100 for each term of the Circuit Court held in Whiteside County, so long as he remains Judge of the Whiteside County Circuit Court, unless otherwise ordered.

At the December term, 1868, the Board adopted a resolution requesting the Representative from the district of which Whiteside formed a part, to procure the passage of an enabling act allowing Whiteside County to donate $20,000 to the Illinois Soldiers' College at Fulton, as an endowment fund. A resolution was also adopted requesting the same Representative to secure the repeal of the act of the General Assembly, of 1854, approving and confirming the report of the single Commissioner, who, under the act of 1853, had the boundary line between Rock Island and Whiteside surveyed and located, whereby Whiteside lost several thousand acres of land, and which caused great inconvenience as to schools, and the rights of franchise of citizens of Whiteside County.

Whereas, The subject of the removal of the National Capital to the valley of the Mississippi is being agitated by the people of the United States, and Whereas, that great river of the West with its navigable tributaries touches nearly every Southern and Western State, and washes the western boundary of our county, and Whereas, the great central route from the New England and Middle States by rail to the West and Pacific

County Seat Affairs

Resolved, By the Supervisors of Whiteside County, that said Board by and with the leave of the State of Illinois, do hereby offer and agree to cede to the Federal Government all authority of law held or exercised by said Board of Supervisors in or over said county of Whiteside, provided said Federal Government locate said Federal Capital within said county.

A copy of the resohition was ordered to be sent to the Hon. John A. Logan, Member of Congress at Large, Hon. H. C. Burchard, Member of Congress from this District, and Hon. James McCoy, Member of the Constitutional Convention then in session at Springfield.

Mr. Kilgour also oflFered the following resolution, which was adopted: Resolved, That the Board take this occasion to express to Hon. W. S. Wilkinson, the respected retiring Clerk of this Board, their high appreciation of his distinguished services during his long continuance in office, rendered the more so by the fact that he retires voluntarily to give room to one who, through misfortune in war, is incapacitated for the hardest physical labor, and while we shall miss his genial face, able counsel and thorough experience in the transaction of the business of the Board, we can but wish him happiness and success in whatever line of life, private or public, he may see fit to pursue, or be called upon to fulfil.

At the January term in 1872, the bounty for the arrest and conviction of horse thieves, was reduced to $100, but in the April term following it was again raised to $300, and each town in the county requested to form a society for the prevention of horse thieving, and the arrest and conviction of all offenders. At the July term of the same year the Supervisor of each town in the county was appointed a Commissioner to use due diligence and dispatch in securing the destruction of Canada thistles. In December, 1874, the resolution of the Board authorizing the payment of $300 for the arrest and conviction of horse thieves was rescinded, to take effect on and after January 1, 1875.

The first act of the" General Assembly of the State in relation to a county seat in Whiteside County was approved February 21, 1839, by the Hon. Thos. Carlin, the then Governor.

The act provided that the legal voters of Whiteside County should meet at the respective places of holding elections, on the first Monday in May, 1839, and vote for the permanent point or points for the seat of justice. In the event of more than one place receiving votes, another election should be held on the Monday four weeks next following, and on Monday of each succeeding four weeks, until some one place should receive a majority of all the votes cast at any one election. Under the act any individual of the county could offer donations in land whereon to locate the seat of justice, which offers or proposals, after being posted up at three public places in each precinct, should become binding on the individual making the same, and the person or persons offering such donation at the place selected by the legal voters, execute a good and sufiicient deed to the County Commissioners of the county within four weeks after a selection of the location. The act also provided that the County Commissioners cause public buildings to be erected w^ithout unnecessary delay.

In pursuance of this act an election was .held on the first Monday of May, 1839, in the different precincts in the county, to locate the county seat, but no place having received a majority of the votes, another election was held on Monday four weeks following, the result being the same. Four more elections were held, when finally at the one held on the 23d of September, 1839, Lyndon received a majority of all the votes cast, and was declared duly elected the permanent seat of justice of Whiteside County, by C. G. Woodruff and Adam R. Hamilton, the Justices of the Peace named in the act for that purpose. Lyndon was to all intents the county seat prior to that time, as the County Commissioners' Court had held its sessions there since May 16, 1839. On the 11th of February, 1840, a contract was entered into between John Roy and Augustine Smith, on the part of the people of Lyndon, and Thomas C. Gould, by which the latter agreed to construct a good and substantial building, 26 feet long, 17 feet wide, and one and a half stories high, on lot 51, in block 10, in the town of Lyndon, to be used for holding courts, and other public purposes. The building was erected, and used for county and court purposes whenever required, until June 1841 when the county seat was moved to Sterling.

It appears that the proprietors of the town of Sterling had, on the 3rd of May, 1839, under the provisions of the act of February 21,1839, offered donations in land whereon to locate the seat of justice, consisting of eighty acres of land bounded as follows: "Beginning at a point on Broadway and Fourth street, being the center of the town; thence west 50 rods; thence north 120 rods; thence east 90 rods; thence south 120 rods; thence west 30 rods to the place of beginning, containing sixty acres, and the balance, being twenty acres, lying partly between the said sixty acres and the river, and to be bounded by streets and alleys, and extending to the river, the 60 acres to be deeded to the County Commissioners by the proprietors of the town formerly known as Harrisburg, and the 20 acres by those of the town formerly known as "Chatham." Besides the donation of these lands the proprietors of the above places agreed to pay to the County Commissioners $1,000 each for county purposes, in equal payments in five, six, nine and twelve months from the date of the location of the county seat, provided the public buildings for the county be placed on block 58, west of Broadway, that being a central position in the town.

It was not, however, until 1840 that Sterling made any public movement toward securing the location of the county seat. Then application was made to the County Commissioners' Court for a re-canvass of the vote cast at the election of September 23, 1839, and the application was granted. At that election the i-egularly appointed judges of one of the precincts of the county refused to serve, and other judges were appointed in their places who received, counted, and returned the votes cast. The returns from this precinct were rejected by C. G. Woodruff and A. R. Hamilton, the Justices of the Peace named in the act of February 21, 1839, to canvass the votes, as irregular, and this rejection gave Lyndon a majority of the votes for the county seat. The election of a County Commissioner on the 22d of February, 1840, however, gave Sterling a majority of the members of the Commissioners' Court, and as we have stated a recanvass was ordered, at which the votes of the rejected precinct was counted, making the result in the county stand, 264 votes for Sterling, 253 for Lyndon, and 4 for Windsor.

Upon this result being ascertained, the County Commissioners' Court, on the 8th of April, 1841, caused the following order to be entered of record:

"Whereas, by virtue of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, passed on the 21st day of February, 1839, providing for the location of the county seat, or seat of justice of Whiteside County and State aforesaid, to the end therefore, we the County Commissioners in and for said county, from a fair and impartial examination of the poll books, now in the Clerk's office of the County Commissioners' Court, do verily believe that the pe(»ple of said county have placed the county seat at the town of Sterling, in said county, do therefore order the Circuit and County Commissioners' Courts to be holden in and 0,t the town of Sterling, in said county, and do direct this order to be put on the record of this court, and that a copy of this order be served on the Sheriff of this county, and also on the clerk of the Circuit Court. Passed and ordered by the court. Theo. Winn, Clerk, April 8, 1841."

The donations offered by Sterling were changed several times, but at the December term, 1841, of the County Commissioners' Court, it was ordered "that the county house and other county buildings be erected on the center of block 57, west of Broadway, or within forty feet of said center." The court house building was ordered to be of the following dimensions: forty feet square, the lower story nine feet high in the clear, with a passage ten feet wide, and the upper story twelve feet high in the clear, the whole to be divided into suitable rooms. The building was completed sufficiently to allow courts to be held in it in 1844, butwas not wholly finished until later.

The first term of the County Commissioners' Court held at Sterling, after the order placing the County Seat at that town, commenced June 8, 1841, and the succeeding terms were also held there up to and including the September term, 1842, when Lyndon having secured a majority in the Board of Commissioners, an order was entered removing the County Seat back to that place, and the Commissioners accordingly met and held their court there at the December term, 1842. -

So uncertain, however, was the tenure by which either place could expect to hold the coveted location, that the passage of an act was procured at the session of the General Assembly in 1843, appointing Gr. W. Harrison and John McDonald, of Jo Daviess County, Joshua Harper, of Henry County, Leonard Andrus, of Ogle County, and R. H. Spicer, of Mercer County, Commissioners to locate the County Seat of Whiteside. The act was approved February 28, 1843, and provided that the Commissioners, or a majority of them, should meet at the town of Albany on the first Monday in May, 1843, or within thirty days thereafter, and locate the County Seat at the place which would most conduce to the public good of Whiteside County, and proceed to examine such parts of the county as they might think proper to so locate it, and when the location should be made, make out and return to the Clerk of the County Commissioners' Court, a certificate of such location. The act provided that the Commissioners should in no case locate the County Seat at a place where a donation of not less than thirty acres of land for county purposes, could not be obtained. It also provided that the County Commissioners should as soon as convenient after the location of the County Seat by the State Commissioners, cause to be erected a suitable court house, and other necessaiy buildings for public use, and all the public officers required by law to keep their offices at the county seat were to be notified to remove their offices to that location.

In accordance with this act, three of the Commissioners, Joshua Harper, Leonard Andrus, and R. H. Spicer, met at Albany at the specified time, and then proceeded to examine different locations in the county. They finally agreed upon Lyndon, and on the 27th of May made the following report:

"We, the undersigned. Commissioners appointed by an act of the Legislature of the State of Illinois, passed at its last session to locate the seat of justice of Whiteside County, in said State, do hereby certify that we have performed the duty enjoined upon us by said act, (having been first duly sworn as the law requires) and have located the said seat of justice of Whiteside County upon the south half of the southeast quarter of section 16, in township 20, north of the base line of range 5 east of the 4th principal meridian, believing the location most conducive to the public good of said county. Given under our hands and seals this 27th day of May, A. D., 1843."

location for- the County Seat. Lyndon donated forty acres of land adjoining the old town to the county for public purposes, being described as the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 16, township 20, north of range 5 east of the 4th principal meridian; but no county buildings were erected upon it, the courts and county officers being provided for in buildings situated in the village. Matters rested in this manner until April 1-4, 18-1:6, when the County Commissioners entered an order that the grand and petit jurors elected at their March term to attend the May term of the Circuit Court to be held at Lyndon, be summoned to attend at Sterling instead of Lyndon, at the May term of that Court. This order was made by reason of Sterling claiming that under the order of the County Commissioners' Court county buildings had been erected and finished at that place, and had been accepted by the Commissioners, and that therefore the seat of justice should be removed there. It was also claimed that suitable buildings for county business had not been erected at Lyndon, upon ground donated to the county. After this the terms of the Circuit Court were held at Sterling, although the County Commissioners continued to hold their sessions at Lyndon.

Lyndon, however, was determined not to yield to the order of the Commissioners without a struggle, and after the Circuit Court had been moved to Sterting under the order just mentioned, applied through Thomas W. Trumbull and Augustine Smith, two of her citizens, for a mandamus compelling the Commissioners to make an order removing the Circuit Court back to the old location. The principal grounds upon which the mandamus was asked, were that the seat of justice had been permanently located at Lyndon by Commissioners appointed under an act of the Legislature of the State, and that there were suitable buildings at that place for holding courts, and for county purposes. The Court, upon hearing the case, refused to grant the writ, holding from the facts shown, that the buildings used for county purposes at Lyndon were not upon the ground donated by it to the county as was required by the statute.

At the session of the Fifteenth General Assembly an act was passed entitled '- An act declaring the town of Sterling the County Seat of Whiteside County for a time, and under the conditions therein mentioned," which was approved by the Governor, February 16, 1847. One of the conditions, and the principal one mentioned in this act, was that the County Seat should be located at Sterling until such time as the county paid a sum sufficient to compensate the donors of lands and money in that town, for county purposes. This sum amounted to several thousand dollars, which the people of the county felt illy able to pay at that time. No steps were, therefore, taken to raise the amount.

Under this act the County Commissioners at their June term in 1847, ordered the removal of the County Seat to Sterling, and held their next session there on the 7th of September. The Court House had been finished and properly fitted up for county offices, and for holding the courts, in the meantime, so that comfortable and convenient quarters were afi'orded to all having connection with court and county business.

It was now Lyndon's turn to obtain an act from the Legislature looking towards a re-location of the County Seat at that place, and the eff"orts put forward to this end secured the passage of an act entitled ''An act permanently to locate the seat of justice of Whiteside County," approved February 6, 1849. The first section of the act recites "that in pursuance of the fifth section of the seventh article of the constitution, the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 16, in township 24, of range 5 east of the 4th principal meridian, in the county of Whiteside, is hereby fixed as the place to which it is proposed by this act to remove the seat of justice of sfiid county, as hereinafter provided; and the said place so fixed upon is hereby called and named Lyndon." The second section provided that the legal voters of the county should meet at their respective places of holding elections, on the first Tuesday in April, 1849, and proceed to vote according to law, as in other cases of elections, to permanently locate the seat of justice of the county, either at Lyndon or at Sterling, the latter place being the then temporary seat of justice, and whichever place should receive a majority of the legal votes given at the election, should thereafter be the seat of justice of the county. It was also provided in the act that any person capable of contracting, might make a written offer or offers of land, money or other property at the March term of the County Commissioners' Court, in 1849, to aid in the erection of public buildings in the county, and that the offers should be entered of record, and be binding upon the person or persons making the same, in case Lyndon should be selected as the permanent seat of justice. The act also repealed the act entitled " An act declaring the town of Sterling the County Seat of Whiteside County for a time, under the conditions therein mentioned," approved February 16, 1847, and revived and continued in force the third and fourth sections of an act entitled "An act to permanently locate the seat of justice of the county of Whiteside," approved February 28, 1843, provided, that the first act should not be repealed unless the seat of justice should be removed to Lyndon, under the provisions of this act.

In accordance with the provisions of this act James M. Pratt offered to donate 13 64-100 acres of land, and Augustine Smith 36 36-100 acres, in Lyndon, making together fifty acres, upon which to erect county buildings, and the citizens of Lyndon $1,432 in aid of the same purpose, and these offers were ordered spread upon their records by the County Commissioners at their March term, in 1849.

This vote settled the location of the county seat at Sterling until 1857. During the session of the General Assembly of the State that year an act was passed entitled "An act for the removal of the seat of Justice of Whiteside county," which was approved by the Governor on the 7th of February. The act provided that an election should be held in the several townships of the county, at the time of holding the general election in November, 1857, at which time the legal voters of the county qualified to vote for Representatives in the General Assembly, should vote for or against the removal of the seat of justice from Sterling to Morrison, in section 18 of township 21, range 5, and the returns made to the Clqrk of the County Court in the manner provided by law for the election of Justices of the Peace. In case a majority of the votes cast were in favor of the removal, the seat of justice would then be declared located in said section 18, in Morrison, provided, however, that the removal should not take place unless a good and sufficient deed should be made conveying in fee simple, free from all incumbrance, to the county, a certain tract of land not less than three hundred feet square in section 18, the deed to be executed and delivered within a time to be fixed by the Board of Supervisors after they had selected a site for the county buildings, and provided further that the proprietors of the town of Morrison pay to the county the sum of $3,000 to be applied towards the payment of the county buildings. The selection was not to be confined to the village plat of Morrison, but might be made upon any part of section 18.

At the November term, 1857, of the Board of Supervisors, Messrs. W. S. Barnes, A. Hurd, H. C. Fellows, P. B. Besse and D. 0. Coe, were appointed commissioners to examine and select the ground, at Morrison, upon which to erect the county buildings, and procure the deeds for the same, and also to receive the $3,000 donated by the citizens of Morrison.

The Commissioners reported at the next meeting of the Board that they had selected a tract of land in section 18, township 21 north, of range 5 east, upon which to erect the county buildings, bounded as follows : beginning at a stake bearing north 24 degrees east, two hundred and fourteen feet distant from the northwest corner of block 1 of the town of Morrison, within section 18; thence south 160 feet; thence south 66 degrees east, 300 feet parallel with the north line of said block one ; thence at right angles, north 24 degrees east, 300 feet ; thence at right angles, north 66 degrees west, 364 feet ; thence at right angles, south 24 degrees west, 152 feet to the place of beginning, being the same land upon which the county buildings now stand. The Committee also reported that they had received a deed for the land made and executed according to the provisions of the act of the General Assembly, together with the three thousand dollars donated by the citizens of Mon-ison.

The county offices were moved to Morrison on the 3d of May, 1858, and occupied temporary places until the present buildings were erected. The County Seat since that time has remained fixed at Morrison.

County Buildings. The removal of the county seat from Sterling to Morrison in 1858 necessitated the erection of new county buildings throughout, and the Board of Supervisors set themselves at work with commendable energy to secure the construction of adequate edifices at the earliest possible period, having in view constantly the three great objects, beauty, safety, and durability. Previous to the erection of the proper buildings the coui-ts and county offices were provided for at different places in the city.

Court House, The contract for building the court house was awarded to John A. McKay, of Springfield, the work to be done under the superintendence of a committee composed of E. B. Warner, R. G. Clendenin, and "W. S. Wilkinson. The contract was let on the 26th of December, 1863, and the structure was to be completed by the first of January, 1865,. at a coat of $14,000. The bidding for the work was quite spirited, four of the bidders residing outside of the county. In size the court house is eighty-five feet in length and fifty-five feet in width. The court room is a circle fifty-five feet in diameter, with a gallery on the second floor. On the first floor in the south wing is the Sheriff's office, the main entrance hall, and stairs leading to the second story. Tn the second story of this wing is the grand jury room, fitted up with necessary tables and seats, in which the Board of Supervisors also hold their meetings. On the first floor of the north wing is the law library, which is also used when required as a consultation room for counsel and clients, and on the second floor of this wing is the petit jury room. The heighth of the court room to the ceiling is twentythree feet. Height to the top of the observatory, seventy feet. The walls of the building are of brick, with corners of cut stone. The structure occupies a position on beautifully elevated grounds, and from the dome can be seen for many miles around, one of the finest and most luxuriant agricultural sections of the State. The diagrams and specifications of the building were drawn by Mr. B. S. Foreman, Architect, of Morrison. The building was completed in the spring of 1866, and at the April term of the Board of Supervisors of that year the Committee on Public Buildings reported that John McKay, the contractor, had been paid the sum of $14,000, being the contract price for furnishing materials and labor, and erecting the structure, and that the work had been done substantially in accordance with the plans and specifications. Mr. McKay was also paid a further sum of $668.80 for extra labor and materials, making the whole cost of the court house $14,668.80.

At the April term of the Board of Supervisors in 1862 an appropriation of $1,200 was made for erecting a building for County Clerk's, Treasurer's and Circuit Clerk's and Recorder's offices, the work to be done under the supervision of E. B. Warner, R. G. Clendenin, and A. Farrington. The building is of stone with iron shutters, fire proof, and divided into three i-ooms so as to accommodate the different county officers who occupy it. It is situated on the western part of the county grounds, on the same eminence with the court house, and was completed during the year.

County Jail. The first resolution to erect a county jail was passed by the Board of Supervisors at their January term in 1858, and the contract let to Charles Neilson at the March term following, for $10,100. Thefirstcost of the jail was limited to $6,000, but that sum was found insufficient to erect an adequate building for the need of the county. The additional sum of $4,100 became necessary to construct it, and add to it the jailor's residence. Supervisors W. S. Barnes, H. C. Fellows and A. C. Jackson were appointed a committee to receive bids, award the contract, and also superintend the construction of the building. The structure was fully completed under the contract in the winter of 1858 and '59. For several years the building answered the purpose as originally constructed, but in 1876 it became apparent that improvements should be made to it, and at the September session of the Board of Supervisors in that year, an appropriation of $4,900 was ordered for the purpose of repairing and rebuilding the inside, the work to be done under the superintendence of Supervisors Besse, Pennington, Milnes, Spafford, and Wallace. The committee let the contract to P. J. Pauley & Bro., of St Louis, who at once commenced work, and in December of the same year it was completed and accepted by the county. The improvements consisted in the substitution of eight iron cells, capable of accommodating four prisoners each, in place of the illy ventilated stone cells. The new cells are ten feet deep, six and one-fourth feet wide, and seven feet high, with a steel corridor five feet wide and twenty-six feet long in front. The jailors residence is a fine two story brick building, with basement, on the south front of, and connected with the jail.

Goxmty Poor House and Farm. At the June term of the Board of Supervisors, in 1853, a committee consisting of W. C. Snyder, Wm. Y. Wetzell and James M. Pratt, was appointed to enquire into the expediency of purchasing a farm and erecting suitable buildings for the purpose of helping and maintaining the county paupers, who afterwards reported that they had selected a farm in Union Grove township consisting of two hundred and forty acres, of which one hundred and twenty acres were enclosed and under cultivation. The farm was reported to be prairie with the exception of thirty acres of savanna, and about eight acres of passable wood land, and was watered by never failing springs. The buildings consisted of a good stone house, barn and outbuildings of wood. The cost of the farm was $25 per acre, and the payments to be one half cash, and the balance in one and two years' time with interest at ten per cent, per annum. The report was accepted, and a committee appointed to purchase the farm at the terms reported, the farm to be known as the " County Poor Farm." This farm was used for the purposes for which it was purchased, until 1869, when it was sold, the right of occupation being, however, reserved until April 1, 1870.

At the April term in 1869, the Board of Supervisors appointed James M. Pratt, L. S. Pennington and H. R. Sampson a committee to select another and more suitable location for a poor farm, which should be near a railroad, the committee also being authorized to erect upon it suitable buildings of stone or brick. At the July term the committee reported that they had selected a farm containing one hundred and eight acres belonging to Wm. Knox, on the Sterling and Morrison road, just north of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, and situated in section 23, township 21 north, range 5 east, the price to be $45 per acre. Upon the presentation of the report the committee were directed to purchase the farm of Mr. Knox, and proceed to the erection of buildings, the cost of the latter not to exceed $15,000. Bids for the construction of the Poor House upon the plan adopted by the committee were at once advertised for, and at the September term, 1869, the contract awarded to Switzer & Kennedy, of Morrison, for $11,600. They were also to receive an additional sum of $400 for stone caps to doors and windows, and for grouting the bottom of the basement, as their bid did not include these additions. The heating furnace, cisterns and outbuildings were not included in the contract. The Poor House building and the barn were completed in the summer of 1870, and at the September term of the Board the committee reported that they had paid Switzer & Kennedy $11,- 900 for the construction of the former, and $1,548 for the latter, as provided in the contract.

The Poor House is 72 by 50 feet in size and three stories high with basement. On the ground floor are the family kitchen, paupers' kitchen and dining room, cellar, furnace room, two bath rooms, two pantries and the store rooms. The first floor contains a large sitting room in the center of the building and two bed rooms in the rear. On either side of the sitting room is a vestibule, which on one side connects with an office, and on the other with a parlor. Back of the parlor and ofl[ice are four sleeping rooms, and two cells. The second floor is divided into twelve apartments, in four of which are capacious closets. The building is divided into two distinct portions, one intended for the use of male, and the other of female inmates. In the front of the house are fine stone steps with iron railings leading to an extensive porch, surmounted by an elaborately finished portico. The general architecture of the exterior, as well as the interior of the house froAi the basement to the attic, shows that the whole work was done by master hands. The farm lies on both sides of the road, the land being slightly rolling, and admirably adapted for agricultural purposes. There is a fine apple orchard on the place, besides a great variety of small fruits such as grapes, raspberries, plums, currants, etc. Taken altogether the County Poor Farm affords a home which equals that of many outside of its precincts, who scorn the name of pauper, and the fact that a liberal and ample provision is thus made for the poor of the county, reflects great credit upon the generosity and humanity of its inhabitants.

It soon appeared after the County Poor House became occupied that better and more ample accommodation was necessary for the care and protection of the insane poor. The people of the county determined early that this unfortunate class of the population should have the best care that could be given them, and hence had assigned to them proper rooms in the old as well as the new County Poor House. With the increase of population came an increase of the number of these persons, demanding more full accommodation which could only be properly effected by the construction of a separate building. At the September term of the Board of Supervisors, in IST-t, it was therefore recommended that an appropriation be made for the erection of a building for this purpose on the County Poor Farm. The committee on paupers, of the Board, was at the same time appointed a special building committee to procure the necessary plans and specifications, and report them, with an estimate of the entire expense of erecting the structure, at a special meeting of the Board to be held as soon as the report could be prepared. The special meeting was held in December, 1874, when the following plan of the building was adopted. The building to be 32 by 44 feet, to stand detached from the main county building at a distance of eighteen or twenty feet, running north and south, and to consist of a stone basement ten feet in height, and two stories of brick each ten feet high, containing sixteen cells, with ample hall and room on each floor for recreation and exercise. The contract for constructing the building was let to J. A. & A. McKay, of Morrison, at a cost of $5,995, to which $100 was afterwards added for flues. James B. Mason was appointed Superintendent of the work, and Mr. Piatt, of Sterling, as arbitrator to whom all matter of changes as to prices should be referred. On the 29th of November, 1875, the committee reported to the Board of Supervisors that they had on that day accepted the Insane Building as completed, and settled with the contractors, J. A. & A. McKay, the total cost of the building being $7,429,47.

Circuit Court. The first Circuit Court for the couuty of Whiteside was ordered to be held on the second Monday of September, 1839, at Lyndon, but for some reason was not held until the Thursday after the third 3Ionday in April, 1840. At that term there were present, Hon. Dan. Stone, Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Erastus G. Nichols, Clerk, Shelton L. Hall, Circuit Attorney, and James C. Woodburn, Sheriff. The following attorneys were also present: Harvey k Woodruff, Edward Southwick, Hugh Wallace, J. M. Goodhue, James McCoy, Knox & Drury, Isaiah H. Marshall, Isaac Hopkins, L. B. Knowlton, Mr. Fraser, Mr. Evans, Mr. Davidson and Mr- Kellogg.