Lee, Illinois

In 1839 Horatio G. Howlett came from Dixon, where he had been living two years, and settled at this grove. He is still on the same ground enjoying the golden autumn of a busy life. Having spoken of the insecurity of property in the first settlement of the country, an anecdote of Howlett is apposite to the subject. David A. Town was elected justice of the peace, and Mr. Howlett constable, with the understanding that neither should exact any fees in civil cases. These two men were the inspiration of vengeance in the eyes of those who set the law at defiance, and were chosen to their offices because it was well known that they would act with vigor and decision. One day Town sent Howlett a warrant for the arrest of a man named Lovelin, charged with horse-stealing. He went to Allen's house and was told that Lovelin was in tlie field plowing. Securing the horse, and putting him under guard of another, whom he instructed to take deadly aim with his rifle on Lovelin the moment he should give the order, he went to the field and read the warrant to the man. He was pointedly told by the criminal that he would not go with him. Howlett, unperturbed by this, told him that he could do as he pleased about submitting; that he supposed Lovelin was armed, while he himself was not ; but he should take the horse, saying this with much determination. Lovelin, feeling that he had been victorious thus far, promptly replied that HoM'lett w^ould have to pass over his dead body before he could touch the animal, and both started for the stable. The instant they arrived Howlett demanded his surrender, and receiving a defiant refusal ordered his man to draw a bead at his heart, and to fire when ordered ; then taking out his watch gave him barely a minute to submit to arrest. His hands began to twitch nervously in token that bravado had given place to fear, and he tamely yielded to be handcuffed. Then was taken from him a huge bowie-knife, and pistols. He was bound over, but gave bail and was released. Soon after, he further complicated his situation by stealing Allen's wife and horse. He was caught by his bondsmen, with Allen's assistance, and lodged in jail at Sycamore. He broke out, and lay in a stream of water until nearly dead, to avoid discovery, but was subsequently retaken and lodged in jail at Galena. One day when the jailor's little bo}' carried his victuals to him he succeeded in getting out of his place of confinement, and catching the child in his arms ran to the top of the clifi near by. When the sheriff started in chase he halted him below, and, holding the child between them, made a clever speech in which he conceded the right and duty of the sheriff to pursue and recapture him, but pointed out that he could have no personal motive in so doing beyond that involved in his official obligation, and added that liberty was dear to himself; that he was now free and should continue so at any cost ; and wound up with the terrible threat that if followed another step by the officer he should dash the child down the precipice upon the rocks below. Without recourse, the sheriff naturally enough desisted from the pursuit, and the desperado escaped. The only word of him ever received here was when he was in jail in St. Louis on another charge of stealing. Judges Caton and Drummond, who used to pass Allen's Grove traveling from court to court, told Mr. Howlett of this last episode. This was the first arrest of a horse-thief in Lee county.

Passage source: History of Lee County, published 1881.

The first school ever taught at Twin Groves was in a log cabin in James Thompson's dooryard, the one which he put up on his settlement there. The name of the first teacher is swallowed up in time unless, as has been suggested, it was that of the widow Stubbs, who was an early tutoress. Miss Maria A. Holton, now Mrs. B. F. Ellsworth, taught in this cabin in the summer of 1853. The Twin Groves school-house was built in 1851 by the joint efforts of a number of individuals, and in the autumn of 1857 was purchased by the district at auction. In the winter of 1863-1 it was burned down, and the present house was erected the following summer. Miss Mary J. Fisher taught the first term in the new house.

Passage source: History of Lee County, published 1881.

The Norwegian parochial school was established in 1866 as a part of the Lutheran church system, having for its object the education of the children so that they can be taught the catechism in the language of their fathers. In the beginning the sessions were held in private houses; next in school-houses during public vacations. The Lutheran community embraces parts of Alto and "Willow Creek townships, and is divided into three private districts for select school purposes. Six months' school are held each year, one half in the spring and the other in the fall. Those living in Alto, and nine families in Willow Creek near the town line, constitute the Alto district, and hold their school in Union district, No. 10. They h.ave had two and one-half months' every year since it was instituted. The third, or south district, which has occupied the school-houses in districts No. 5 and 7, has had two and a half months', leaving one month for the village of Lee, where the term is held in the public school building. The school was organized by the Rev. C. G. P. Peterson, preacher in charge, an able scholar and divine. Rasmus Rasmusson, a good old man in the congregation, took control of it for a month and until a regular teacher could be found. The first was Thomas Nelson, who has taught more or less up to the present time. The following other teachers have also been employed at various times: Hendrickson, Christopherson, J. Gossendal, Iver Fanebust, E. Teffre, S. W. Weeks, J. J. Maakkestad, and another who was a student at the time. Only one instructor is employed in the same period; he teaches first in one district and then in another. The school is maintained by subscription, and has about 100 pupils, divided among the three districts. The scholars attend the English public schools regularl}'. The south district built the present year (1881) a private school-house, 18x26, on the southeast corner of Sec. 15, at a cost of nearly $500, including furniture and fixtures, neat patent seats being among the latter. Holden Risetter donated one-half acre of ground for the building site.

Passage source: History of Lee County, published 1881.

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 Willow Creek Township - it names this place 109 more 109 times.