Freeport, Illinois

From 1840 until 1846, indeed up to the building of railroads, the growth of the county, as compared with earlier years, was slow. Other portions of the West were sought by settlers, particularly the lead mines, and received accessions more rapidly. One cause of this was the absence of markets. The population was engaged almost exclusively in agriculture, and after farms were opened there was but a moderate sale of their products for this reason. Settlers have been known to take a load of pork to Mineral Point, where it was disposed of with difficulty at $1.25 per hundred weight, and occasional shipments of grain were made down the Mississippi from Savannah, which practice continued up to the very period, when railroads were operated in the country. These flatboats were laden with produce and floated down the river to New Orleans, unless a market was found en route, and disposed of. The cargo being disposed of, the flat was sold for the lumber it contained, when the merchant who had shipped the venture, together with his supercargo or clerk and laborers, began his wearisome journey homeward. A partial market was found in the lead region, but as productions increased that market became overstocked, and prices decreased so that the transportation of commodities thither could not be made to pay. The same can be said of the Chicago market, though for a difi'erent reason - the distance. Chicago was at that early day beginning to be an important factor in the building up of the West. It was the point at which settlers procured their final outfits, and the market to which farmers transported their grain for sale. The means of conveyance was a lumber wagon drawn by four or five yoke of oxen, the driver pasturing his cattle at night by the wayside, himself camping out and cooking his meals. If he succeeded in progressing over horrible roads, or surviving the crossing of seemingly impassable sloughs and reaching his long journey's end, he was extremely fortunate. Not more so, however, if he was able to find a customer to whom a sale of the grain could be eff"ected at 50 cents per bushel. Whenever he was able to control their patronage, he returned with a load of merchandise for the merchants of Freeport, for which he received a nominal consideration of store goods. Occasionally he found a family of emigrants, who, having reached Chicago by "way of the lake, were waiting for the means of conveyance to continue their trip. In such cases the household goods of this "'lucky find," together with the emigrant and his wife and little ones, were laden on the wagon for the return trip. Such a cargo was a bonanza to the teamster, for passage was invariably cash. With such difficulties to encounter, and the low prices paid for commodities, together with the extravagant charge made for many of the necessaries of life, it is not surprising that wealth was not rapidly amassed. As a compensation for these disadvantages, land was cheap. The broad prairies, which proved to be the finest farming land in the State, were held at a price within reach of the most impecunious. The suggestion is frequently ma^e to some who came at an early day and are yet comparatively the reverse of independent, as to the reason why they failed to invest and wait for a rise ;

Passage source: The History of Stephenson County, Illinois : Containing ... Biographical Sketches ... War Record ... Statistics ... Portraits of Early Settlers ... History of the Northwest, History of Illinois, &c. .., published 1880.

Thus protected, the Mormons began in Illinois a career of missionary work which has attracted thousands to their fold at the sacrifice of every sentiment of self-respect and the regard of all mankind. The emissaries of the sect were distributed throughout Illinois and States contiguous thereto, with results that were made apparent by the annual increase of population in Nauvoo. The proselytes were by no means the ignorant classes represented as the converted of late years, but educated, reasoning men, with their families. The meetings, it is said, held in Stephenson County, were quite respectable, but conversion was accomplished by means entirely dissimilar to those adopted by other denominations. There was little public speaking, the missionaries having recourse te private interviews and personal solicitation to accomplish their miracles. The result of their labors was not, if report in that behalf is predicated upon fact, proportioned to the means used or the diligence and energy exercised. The saint& were thick as lice in Egypt, according to report, but were unable to perform miracles as was Moses, and departed from Stephenson County, wise in their experience, but impoverished as to results. True, there were some who accompanied them, notably Hector C. Haight, of Jefferson Township, and a settler named Shumway, residing in the northern part of the county.

Passage source: The History of Stephenson County, Illinois : Containing ... Biographical Sketches ... War Record ... Statistics ... Portraits of Early Settlers ... History of the Northwest, History of Illinois, &c. .., published 1880.

In this year the town of Oneco, in Oneco Township, was laid out under the direction of John K. Brewster, and Orangeville, within sight of Oneco, was also surveyed about this period by John M. Curtis, though its platting and building up were delayed until 1846, when John Bowers came in and established the place.

Passage source: The History of Stephenson County, Illinois : Containing ... Biographical Sketches ... War Record ... Statistics ... Portraits of Early Settlers ... History of the Northwest, History of Illinois, &c. .., published 1880.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Freeport Township - it names this place 470 more 470 times.