Teeple Barn

The village of Dundee is finely located upon both banks of Fox river, forty-seven miles northwest by rail from Chicago, and five miles north of the city of Elgin. The place was first settled in 1834 by Joseph Russell and J. H. Newman. Russell built a log cabin on the east side of the river, in the south part of the town, and Newman built one on the bluff in the north part of the town, and west of the river. The village was surveyed and platted on the west side in 1836, by the Oatmans, Deweese and Shields. M. W. Fletcher, surveyor. The east side was laid out by Thomas Deweese some years later.

Passage source: History of Kane County, Ill., published 1908.

One of Russell's sons early married one of Newman's daughters. Jesse Oatman came soon after, and during his life said of the Indians who lived here, that they were located "about eighty rods below the brickyard'' in six huts, or wigwams, and in all comprised about twenty-five persons. The Black Hawk war had opened the eyes of easterners to northern Illinois, and they came in flocks after 1834. A. R. Dempster came in May, 1835. and "staked" on the east side; the farm afterward belonging to George Giddings. He later published in the Dundee Record an account of early experiences. He stated that at the time he came in the settlers were Russell and Newman, John Jackson, Dr. Parker, a Mr. Moore, Burbank and George Taylor, mostly along the west side of the river. On the east side were Benjamin Miller, Irick Van Asdell, Jesse Miller and the Hawley family. Soon after this came Thomas Deweese and General George McClure, afterward well-known in Elgin, where he died. This Deweese claimed all land not appropriated, and was the cause of much trouble. On another page of this book appears a judgment rendered against him in a controversy he had with James C. Hanks over land southeast of Dundee. He also had a contest with Eaton Walker, wlio located just southeast of Dundee about 1838. Walker went on land that was part of Deweese's "universal" claim and began building a cabin. :\Ieantinie Deweese had sold to David Hammer (whose son still owns property in the same vicinity). Threats not prevailing, some of Deweese's men appeared. Walker went to Elgin, and securing John Lovell, constable, returned. The result was a general fight in which clubs were freelv used and heads bruised. Walker in the end drove Deweese out and held the land. Most of the land controversies were peaceably adjusted before the justices of the peace. Dr. Goodnow or T. H. Thompson. Captain T. H. Thompson came to Dundee in 1835 and located on the west side. He was long prominent as county commissioner, and was the first supervisor and the first justice of the peace.

Passage source: History of Kane County, Ill., published 1908.

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 Dundee Township - 4,451 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.