Onarga, Illinois

Onarga was laid out in the fall of 1854, by David A. Keal, vicepresident of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. He was a resident of Salem, Massachusetts. Since then there have been ten additions laid out, and the plat on Sec. 19, T. 26, R. 11 E., and the east part of Sec. 24, T. 26, R. 10 E., comprises about 300 acres. The village is on a comparatively high ridge, nearly one hundred feet above the lake at Chicago, twenty-three feet above Gilman, three and a half miles north, and over forty feet above the creek bed the same distance south.

Passage source: History of Iroquois County, Together with Historic Notes on the Northwest, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, Private and Official Correspondence, and Other Authentic, Though, for the Most Part, Out-of-the-way Sources, published 1880.

Early in the spring of 1854 W. P. Pierson commenced the first business in the place. His stock was less than a car-load of lumber. He and his wife boarded at Judge Pangborn's, over a mile from the depot, till they moved into Lockwood's cabin. The next spring he had completed his dwelling, office and business house combined, a structure 12x16 feet. Right here and in this room was commenced one of the early institutions of the town. Mrs. Mary Pierson commenced a Sabbath-school, with four or five scholars, as soon as they moved into their home. As families were constantly moving in, this school increased rapidly in numbers and efficiency until, in the period of about two years, it numbered some eighty scholars. It overflowed from the residence of Mr. Pierson to his warerooms, and from thence to the new school-house on the hill. All this time it was eminently a union school, and embraced all the children of the village. As the different churches were organized from time to time each drew from this school its scholars, until it was superseded by the different denominational Sabbath-schools of the place. It continued in its original form some six years, and in its day did a good work in forming a nucleus of good influences among the children. It is common to hear persons who are now men and women refer to this school with a smile of pleasure on their faces. They are proud to say, "I was one of Mrs. Pierson's Sabbath-school scholars." Early in the same spring that Pierson commenced business William C. Moore and James Miles erected the very first business house in the place, a structure 18 X 28 feet, now standing opposite the hotel. They opened a general line of goods, and did a good business. Miles sold to Dr. A. N. Crawford early in 1856. In 185T Crawford sold to Moore, and started a drug store. Moore continued the business for some years at the old stand, when it finally fell into the hands of Richard A. Hungerford. Onarga never had a more precise, accurate and thorough business man than William C. Moore. A little while after Moore & Miles built their store D. B. Peck built the second store building, a few rods farther south and nearly opposite the depot. His small stock of goods was brought from Del Rey, and business began in a small shanty before his store was completed, and before Moore & Miles opened out. On July 4 of the same year Oliver L. Clark plastered his house, built where A. K. Doe lives. Soon after this James D. Kelly built a house near the residence of Mrs. C. Venmens, and sold it to T. A. JSTorvell, and built a second on the northwest corner of the seminary lot, and sold that in the early part of 1855 to Townsend B. Gardner. Norvell kept a hotel in 1855. About the time D. B. Peck opened his store, Henry Peck opened a saloon just south of it. Dr. A. N". Crawford settled here in 1854, boarded at Judge Pangborn's, and in 1855 built an office where Durham's bank now is. This office of the doctor is the east room of Isaac Amermaii's residence. Crawford was a well read man, and one of the best physicians ever in the county. He sold out to Dr. John L. Parmalee, who came from Ohio with his family in January, 1856. The same month John C. Culver built his dwelling and moved here from Del Rey. The fall before, he, in partnership with Dr. Lemuel Boyd, opened a lumber yard. In about a year Boyd sold his interest to William H. Skeels. M. H. Messer opened a surveyor's office and general land agency in their lumber office. In October, 1855, John W., James and Abram Owen came from Jacksonville, this state, and while building the house now occupied by J. "W. Owen lived in a cabin of Joshua Evans', over a mile from town. A blacksmith shop was opened, and the next year David Weaver, who for them, and afterward for himself, carried on the business several years, was employed. He built the house where Winslow Woods resides. At this time whisky was sold in at least two places. March, 1856, Culver erected the building now his residence, and Chancellor L. Richardson and Isaac McCourtie opened a dry-goods store below, and the three secret societies had the upper room for their hall. In about a year McCourtie sold his interest to Richardson and soon built a warehouse, and in 1859 Lewis Russ was his partner in the grain, lumber and agricultural implement business, and finally they opened a hardware and furniture store, which they prosecuted to a success, both parties making a fortune. Russ bought McCourtie out, January, 1872, took his son, Lewis D. Russ, as a partner, built the north warehouse the same year, and held the grain business till January 1, 1880, when B. H. Durham bought them out. Russ & Son sold their hardware and furniture store to Elkanah Doolittle in 1875, who ran the business about two years, when it fell into the hands of his son, Milton Doolittle.

Passage source: History of Iroquois County, Together with Historic Notes on the Northwest, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, Private and Official Correspondence, and Other Authentic, Though, for the Most Part, Out-of-the-way Sources, published 1880.

Warren H. Doolittle, who sold out to Benjaman H. Durham, April, 1871, and who still continues thejbusiness. Thomas Ward came in 1857, and worked at tailoring for Knight & Thomas. He soon commenced business for himself, and his success has grown into a large dry-goods and grocery trade, employing three clerks. Eliphalet R. Knight and Joseph Thomas rented the store built by D. B. Peck, in 1856, and opened the largest and best stock of goods in the county at that time. Their trade was very large, and extended into every kind of merchandise the new settlers called for. Thomas died March 24, 1858. This event threw the whole responsibility on Knight, who made a strong effort to carry the business alone. In settling the estate of Mr. Thomas his capital was withdrawn, greatly crippling the business. For relief a partner was found in Seely Hetfield, a man of energy and considerable means. For a time the business was prosperous, and a large room was rented of W. P. Pierson. The excessive hard times immediately following, with a large amount of outstanding debts, and bills becoming due, determined Hetfield to withdraw, leaving Knight in possession of the business. In a short time the firm took the form of Knight & Rice, and finally closed up in about 1860 or 1861, with Rice as receiver. Knight raised a company and entered the army, and at the close of the war remained in the south, till his death in 1879. He was a man of untiring energy, extravagant in his habit and plans, rich to-day and poor to-morrow, but never giving up. For a short time after the war he was a member of the educational board of the state of Arkansas. Joseph Thomas, his first partner in business in Onarga, had lived in the county for many years. He was a member of the legislature in 1854. He was a part owner of tlie town of Gilman, and had much influence in procuring individual contribution for the east and west railroad through the county. His energy made him a desirable partner for Mr. Knight ; had he lived, misfortune would not have come to the business he had helped to organize so soon.

Passage source: History of Iroquois County, Together with Historic Notes on the Northwest, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, Private and Official Correspondence, and Other Authentic, Though, for the Most Part, Out-of-the-way Sources, published 1880.

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

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