Cuba Township

Cuba Township

This town lies in the southwest corner of the county, and is bounded on the north by Wauconda, on the east by Ela, on the south by Cook County, and on the west by McHenry County. It is one of those fractional townships upon the west line of the county, being one only four miles in width, and six miles in length. It is watered by Fox River and Flint Creek, and several small rivulets, besides one or two small ponds. Flint Creek takes its name from Amos Flint, one of the early settlers of this township, who settled upon the banks of this stream.

As a Congressional Township, it is numbered Township 43, North Range 4 East. The early settlers of this town were Olcott A. White, Joshua A. Harndon, John Aylesworth, V. H. Freeman, Amos Flint, L. H. Bute, Robert Conmee, Robert Bennet, Jared Comstock and Freeman Martin. Amos Flint was the first settler, and built the first house in what is now the town of Cuba, in the latter part of the year 1834, as is said. It was on Section 10, on Flint Creek, which takes its name from him, as before stated, near where the stream empties into Fox River. The route of travel for the army and those connected with the military and Indian service, from Chicago to Fort Winnebago in Wisconsin, in early days, about 1831, passed through or near the southwest portion of this town, crossing Fox River above what is now Algon¬ quin, and near what was afterward Denney's Ferry.

Mrs. J. H. Kinzie, in her book entitled Wau-bun, or the Early Day in the Northwest, gives an interesting account of a trip over this route, from Chicago to Fort Winnebago, with her husband and members of their family and guides, in the Summer of 1831. Mr. Kinzie was at this time the Government Agent of the Winnebago Indians, and was going to Fort Winnebago in discharge of his duties. In describing the journey, after crossing the Aux Plaines, she says :

44 One afternoon's ride was over a prairie stretching away to the northeast. No living creature was to be seen upon its broad expanse, but flying and circling over our heads were innumerable flocks of curlews.

44 The accelerated pace of our horses as we approached a beautiful wooded knoll warned us that this was to be our place of repose for the night. These animals seem to know by instinct a favorable encamping ground, and this was one of the most lovely imaginable.

44 The ground around was carpeted with flowers ; we could not bear to have them crushed by the felling of a tree and the pitching of our tents among them. The birds sent forth their sweetest notes in the warm, lingering sunshine ; and the opening buds of the young hickory and sassafras filled the air with perfume.

44 Nothing could be more perfect than our enjoyment of this sylvan and beau¬ tiful retreat (afterward known as Dunkley's Grove), after our ride in the glow¬ ing sun. The children were in ecstacies. They delighted to find ways of mak¬ ing themselves useful - to pile up the saddles, to break boughs for the fire, to fill the little kettles with water for Petaille and Lecuyer, the Frenchmen, who were preparing our supper.**

44 It was the work of a very short half hour to strike and pack the tent, stow away the mats and kettles, saddle the horses and mount for our journey.

44 Lieut. Foster had left us early in the morning, feeling it necessary to rejoin his command ; and, now having seen us ready to set off, with a serene sky above us, and all things 4 right and tight ' for the journey, our friend, the Sag-an-nash (4 Englishman,* Billy Caldwell, a Pottawattomie Chief), took leave of us, and retraced his steps toward Chicago.

44 We pursued our way through a lovely country of alternate glade and for¬ est, until we reached the Fox River. The current ran clear and rippling along, and as we descended the steep bank to the water, the question, so natural to a traveler in an unknown region, presented itself : 4 Is it fordable ? *

44 Petaille, to whom the ground was familiar, had not yet made his appear¬ ance. Lecuyer was quite ignorant upon the subject. The troops had evidently preceded us by this trail sure ; but they were on horseback. The difficulty was, could we get the carriage through? It must be remembered that the doubt was not about the depth of the water, but about the hardness of the bottom of the stream.

44 It was agreed that two or three of the equestrians should make the first trial. My mother, Lecuyer and myself advanced cautiously across to the opposite bank, each choosing a different point for leaving the water, in order to find the firmest spot. The bottom was hard and firm until we came near the shore, then it yielded a little. With one step, however, we were each on dry ground.

" Such were the contradictory directions given. He chose the latter, and when it wanted but one step more to the bank down sunk both horses, until little more than their backs were visible.

" The white gravel proved to be a bed of treacherous yellow clay, which, gleaming through the water, had caused so unfortunate a deception."

" Here was a predicament ! A few hours before, we had thought ourselves uncomfortable enough, because some of our horses were missing. Now, a greater evil had befallen us. The wagon was in the river, the harness cut to pieces, and what was worse, carried off in the most independent manner by Tom and his companion ; the pole was twisted to pieces, and there was not so much as a stick on that side of the river with which to replace it.

" At this moment, a whoop from the opposite bank, echoed by two or three hearty ones from our party, announced the reappearance of Petaille Grignon. He dismounted, and took charge of the horses, who were resting themselves after their fatigues under a shady tree, and by this time Lecuyer had crossed the river and now joined him in bringing back the delinquents.

" The first thing was to cut a new pole for the wagon ; and for this, master and men must recross the river and choose an iron tire out of the forest."

" So great had been the delay occasioned by all those untoward circum¬ stances, that our afternoon's ride was but a short one, bringing us no further than the shores of a beautiful sheet of water, now known as Crystal Lake. Its clear surface was covered with loons and ponies d'eau , a species of rail, with which at certain seasons, this region abounds."

The points mentioned, and circumstances detailed in this narrative, tend to show that the route between Chicago and Fort Winnebago, at that day, must have passed over, or at least near the southwestern part of wnat is now the town of Cuba. This conclusion is reached from the fact that the point of cross¬ ing Fox River would, as a natural consequence, be in or somewhere near the line between Dunkley's Grove and Crystal Lake. The circumstance mentioned of the west bank of the river being clear of timber, while the east bank was wooded - the party having to return to the east side to obtain a suitable stick for a wagon pole - shows that the place of crossing the river must have been at a point above the present site of the village of Algonquin. Indicating the route traveled to be as before mentioned, the point of crossing the river may be further identified from the asteep bank on the east side mentioned in the nar¬ rative.

The original name given to this town by the Commissioners having in charge the matter of dividing the county into towns was Troy ; but on report to the State Auditor, it being found that there was another town in the State of that name - the law not allowing two towns in the State of the same name - the Board of Supervisors of the county were requested to give the town some other name. At their meeting, in 1851, the Board gave to the town the name of Cuba.

This was about the time of an insurrection in the Island of Cuba which at¬ tracted much attention in the United States, partly from the fact that many prominent persons engaged in it proved to be citizens of this country, which contributed to inspire quite general sympathy here in favor of the insurgents. The name of Cuba was upon everybody's lips. This suggested the name of this town.

About the year 1844, a log building was erected near Thos. W. White's place, on Section 26, to be occupied both for a public school and for religious worship. The first school taught in this building was at the time of its com¬ pletion, by Edward Wheedon. This is said to have been the first school taught in the town.

About the year 1844, a Post Office was established in this town, on Section 10, called Flint Creek, which was discontinued some time since. There is now no Post Office in the town.

In early days there was a saw-mill in this town, on Flint Creek, near where it empties into Fox River, known as Freeman's mill. It was abandoned many years ago. A branch of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway passes through the southwestern portion of this town, formerly known as the Chicago & Fond du Lac Railroad. It was completed through the town about the year 1854, and a station established at the point where this railroad crosses the line between Cook and Lake Counties - partly in the town of Cuba in Lake County, and Barrington, Cook County, called Barrington Station. Soon after, a town plat was cut out at this station, in the town of Cuba, by Willard Stevens. Another plat was laid out adjoining this, on the south side of the county line in Cook County, so that the village of Barrington lies in both counties. The village of Barrington became organized as a corporation in 1864. The first Trustees were Homer Wilmarth, N. R. Burlingham, Wm. Howorth, John Sennott and G. Hermandinger.

The first town meeting in this town was held on the first Tuesday in April, 1850, at the house of Noble R. Hayes. John J. Bullock was chosen Moderator and Noble R. Hayes, Clerk. The first set of town officers was as follows : Supervisor, Philetus Beverly ; Town Clerk, Noble R. Hayes ; Assessor, Jacob

McGilvra ; Collector, Rob. Conmee ; Overseer of the Poor, Francis Kelsey » Commissioners of Highways, James Jones, Lewis H. Bute, Harvey Lambert ; Constables, Chester Bennett and Wallace Bennett , Justices of the Peace, Innis Hollister and Robert Bennett.

The total valuation of property in this town for 1850, including both real and personal was $44,750.00. The amount of tax computed thereon was $672.73.

Among the early settlers of this town surviving, and still a resident, is Lewis H. Bute. He is an attorney at law and resides in the village of Barrington. He was elected Supervisor of the town in 1852, and has been re-elected from time to time on many occasions since. He has been Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and holds the office of Supervisor of the town at the present time.

About the year 1844, a class of the Methodist Episcopal Church was organ¬ ized at the house of O. A. White, then being on Section 23, under the direction of Rev. Nathan Jewett. During the same Fall, as has been before stated, the members of the class moved in the matter of building a house for public worship, and arranged for combining a house for school purposes as well as religious worship.