Fremont Township

Fremont Township

This, as a Congressional Township, is known as Township 44, north Range 10 east. It is bounded on the north by Avon, on the east by Libertyville, on the south by Ela and on the west by Wauconda.

The setlement of what is now the town of Fremont was commenced in 1835. Among the early settlers were Daniel Marsh, William Fenwick, Dr. Bryan, John G. Ragan, Hiram and Elisha Clark, Oliver and Stephen Paine, Nelson and Thomas Darling, Joseph and Samuel L. Wood, Thomas H. Payne, Oliver Booth, Charles Fletcher, P. P. Houghton and Michael Murry.

Daniel Marsh came in the Fall of 1835 and made a claim of land. Early in 1836, he built a house and brought his wife and niece, Ellen Watson, then a little girl.

Mr. Marsh's place was near where now stands the German Catholic Church, south of Fremont Center. This part of the country was, for some time there¬ after, known as Marsh's Settlement.

Other claims of land were made in this town in 1835 ; but it is not remem¬ bered that any permanent habitations were erected until early in 1836, except that of William Fenwick, who came and made a claim in 1835, and built a house on the south bank of Diamond Lake, where he continues to reside. This was the first house built in what is now the town of Fremont.

In June, 1836, the wife of Oliver Booth, who had remained at the East, joined him, bringing their daughter Helen and his wife's sister, Mrs. Hannah Tucker - Mr. Booth, with Charles Fletcher and P. P. Houghton, having come out previously. They were from the State of Vermont.

This town takes its name from Gen. John C. Fremont, who had then acquired fame in the world as a Western explorer. The matter of selecting a name was referred by the Commissioners to the inhabitants of the town. A sharp contest followed.

An election for an expression of the people was held on January 12, 1850, at the school house near E. P. Penniman's, a short distance south of the present German Catholic Church. Christopher Seeber, Charles Darling and Charles H. Bartlett acted as Judges, and William Clarke as Clerk. Fifty-five votes were cast.

The names voted for were Hale, Gilman, Fort Hill, Seneca, Tickleville and Haddam. There were for Hale, 1 vote ; for Gilman, 25 ; Fort Hill, 9 votes ; Seneca, 1 vote ; Tickleville, 2 votes, and Haddam, 17 votes. Those voting for these several names, as appears by the returns cf the election, were as follows : For Hale, I. H. Smith ; for Tickleville, T. Raymond and Isaac H. Smith ; for Seneca, Thomas H. Payne; for Fort Hill, William I. Lusk, John Strick¬ land, Joel B. Sherman, Harvey Taylor, William Austin, Robert Lyons, Daniel Grover, Justus Grover and Christopher Seeber; for Gilman, B. G. Holley, N. M. Darling, Jacob Smith, Hiram Penniman, James Millard, David Perkins, Daniel Marsh, E. Penniman, William Gould, Arthur Penniman, Christian Thomas, Henry Ames, James C. Price, Milton Schenck, J. B. Thomas, H. S. Trumbull, Levi Price, A. C. Green, Thomas Bryan, Peter C. Schenck, How¬ ard Horton, Edwin Cruver, William Beach, Charles Darling, Charles H. Bart¬ lett; for Haddam, H. Swan, J. H. Swan, James S. Clark, G. S. Brainard, Clark Jones, H. E. Swan, T. F. Swan, William Cook, Alfred Wood, Milton Schenck, R. D. Maynard, A. B. Patridge, S. C. Payne, S. Hurlbut, William Colvin, Francis Bryant, A. N. Parsons.

The returns of this election were submitted to the Commissioners having in charge the duty of dividing the county and giving names to the several towns, then in session at Waukegan, together with the following petition :

"We, whose names are underwritten, were not present at the election on Saturday, the 12th inst., and as there was no choice of a name for town¬ ship (44) forty-four, range (10) ten, would give our preference to the name of Haddam (as the name of our town) over every other voted for at said election."

To this petition were subscribed the following names : H. Payne, Thomas P. Harrington, Alfred Payne, L. Abbot, Whiting S. Shepherd, Edward S. Chapman, Charles Stebbings, S. B. Madole, Duning Gibbons, William Cauphlan, Robert Granger, Gideon Wenbon, W. W. Bement, George Wells, Daniel Harvey, A. B. Cook, James Wade, Jarlin Wisner, Samuel H. Swan, A. M. Wisner.

Christopher Seeber, one of the Judges of the election and a prominent citi¬ zen of the town at that time, in transmitting to the Commissioners the returns of the election, submitted the following well- written and candid communication :

" Gentlemen - By referring to the 4 poll book ' herewith inclosed, you will perceive that 4 Gilmer ' has the greatest number of votes, but not a majority over all the rest. An attempt was made early in the day of election to unite on a name, but it was soon found to be impossible. The election was held one and a half miles south of the center of the town, and in the very heart of the neigh¬ borhood of the friends to the name of 4 Gilmer/ and still they failed to carry the name over all the rest. The name of 4 Haddam/ which you will perceive is the next highest, was not introduced until after 1 o'clock, and still it received seventeen votes. After the polls were closed, an attempt was made to unite upon a name, but without effect.

44 If either of the names running highest are adopted, the majority of our voters will be dissatisfied ; and under the existing circumstances, permit me to suggest a new name which, in my opinion, will be satisfactory to all. I will suggest the name of 4 Herkimer / and beg you to take it under your most serious 4 advisement .*

44 And I recommend that the place of holding our caucus (if you act on it) be at the house of John Strickland, it being the most central, taking the actual settlement into consideration. Your most obedient servant,

A post office had been established in the township in 1844, called Gilmer, and John G. Ragan appointed Postmaster. It was so named in honor of Thomas W. Gilmer, Secretary of the Navy under. President Tyler, who was killed by the bursting of a gun on board of the United States Steamer Princeton, February 28, 1844. Mr. Ragan, as might well be supposed, became greatly attached to this name, and urged it with much earnestness.

Mr. Clark was a native of Haddam, in the State of Connecticut, as were many of his neighbors. This induced his wishes in that direction and gave strength to that name.

But for reasons disclosed by Mr. Seeber's communication, the Commission¬ ers were not inclined to adopt either of the names thus presented, not being able to determine from the proceedings what were the wishes of the inhabitants.

At that time, the name of Fremont was on everybody's lips as the great Western explorer, and to fall upon such a name was an easy matter. This name was suggested by some one present, whereupon a compromise was effected and this was adopted as the name of the town.

That elevation of ground, or considerable sized mound, known as Fort Hill, which rises in the prairie in the northern part of the town, is a matter justly worthy of a passing notice. Thomas H. Payne, Joseph Wood and Joel H. Johnson were probably the first white persons who ever set foot upon this spot of ground, which was in the month of January, 1837, when they gave to it, at the suggestion of Mr. Payne, the name of Fort Hill, in consequence of its com¬ manding position over the surrounding country.

The settlement which they commenced in the Spring following, in the vicinity of this mound, was for a long time thereafter known as the " Fort Hill Settlement." In the Spring of 1838, a post office was established, by the name of Fort Hill, about a mile southwest from the hill, at the house of Joseph Wood, who was appointed Postmaster.

As has already been stated in this history, under the head of the county at large, before township organization, under the subdivision of the county into precincts, there was a precinct or election district, comprising this part of the county, called Fort Hill Precinct. It became known as the Fort Hill country. Its superior advantages, after they became known, attracted general attention, and settlers came in very rapidly.

The following communication, in the columns of a paper published in Chi¬ cago in 1844, in June of that year, called the Gem of the Prairie , under the head of "Fort Hill," seems to give us a pretty fair idea of this portion of country at that date and the progress it was making. The writer, one of the early settlers, says :

" This is the name of a beautiful and fertile tract of country situated in the vrestern part of Lake County, Ill., containing about sixty-four square miles.

" In the Spring of 1836, while seeking a location in the western country upon which to spend the remainder of my days, I was by chance led upon the tract in question. I immediately saw the numerous advantages which it pos¬ sessed over the surrounding country, having about an equal quantity of prairie and timber, and both of the best quality, being also well watered by streams and small lakes, so that nearly every farm could be accommodated by living water ; and knowing that my neighbors, if civilization should ever reach me, would possess equal advantages with myself, as far as location of a farm was con¬ cerned, I resolved to settle myself here and go no further. The country was at this time but a wilderness, and not a mark of civilization was to be found within the distance of several miles, and many an immigrant passed on to Big Foot, Rock River and other places of note, thinking and making it as an objec¬ tion that this part of the country would always be in the background. And another reason why immigrants passed was that this was not a part of the country which they had ever heard of before, and imagined, therefore, that if it were superior to other parts around it, its name would certainly have gone abroad.

u Let us now take a view of the country at the present date - but mark the change ! The progress of eight years has wrought a change which I had not expected to see short of the space of twenty. The country has become thickly populated, nearly as much so as the Eastern States, from which most of the settlers have immigrated. Public roads have been established in every direc¬ tion and well improved. The prairies are in a high state of cultivation and covered with fields of grain; and, in short, Fort Hill is now acknowledged to be the richest and most flourishing part of the country.

" A town, which bids fair to be a place of importance, has been commenced upon Lake Michigan, which is about twelve miles distant, where our farmers are taking most of their produce. There are many who, seven years ago, shunned this part of the country and settled fifty miles to the west, who are now returning and paying from three to five dollars per acre for wild land, for the purpose of settling nearer to a market."

The first post office established in this township was in 1839, on the road from Half Day to McHenry, about a mile or so north of the town line, called Darlington, and Charles Darling appointed Postmaster. It existed about three years, when it was discontinued. It was succeeded by the establishment of Gilmer, in 1844, as before related. The original name suggested for the Gil¬ man post office, when petitioned for, was Wentworth, in honor of John Went¬ worth, then a Representative in Congress from the district in which Lake County was comprised. The petition was sent to Mr. Wentworth, at Wash¬ ington, for his aid in procuring the office. Fearing that he might not succeed, and desiring to serve his friends in that neighborhood - of which Mr. Ragan was the acknowledged leader - Mr. Wentworth erased his own name from the peti¬ tion and inserted that of Gilmer, knowing that the Postmaster General had been much attached to Mr. Gilmer, late Secretary of the Navy, whose sad fate had cast a gloom over the whole country.

There was afterward a post office established near the center of the town, called Fremont Center, and subsequently another, on Section 23, called Dean's Corners. A small village has grown up at the latter place, and it has become quite a center of trade for the surrounding country. The name of the place has recently been changed to Ivanhoe.

The first road laid out in what is now the town of Fremont was a road running from Bangs' Lake (now Wauconda), to Half Day. This part of the country being at that time attached to Cook County, for judicial purposes and management of county affairs, the petition was granted by the County Com¬ missioners of Cook County, who appointed John Gridley, Seth Washburn and Daniel Marsh, Viewers.

The old Yankee Tavern was built on this road, by Erastus Houghton, who came in the Fall of 1836, of which mention has been made in the history of the town of Ela. This was in the Fall of 1836.

The next road laid out was from the Milwaukee road* near Buffalo Grove, to McHenry, on Fox River, and became known as the McHenry and Chicago road. This road also passed by the Yankee Tavern. The Viewers to locate the road were John G. Ragan, Joseph Wood and Mr. Goodnow. They were by the County Commissioners' Court of McHenry County, by Authority of which the road was established. It was surveyed by John A. Mills, Surveyor, and laid out and established in 1837.

The first marriage occurring in the township is said to have been that of John G. Ragan with Miss Hannah Tucker, January 9, 1839. They were married by Hiram Kennicott, a Justice of the Peace.

The first death which occurred in what is now the town of Fremont was Oliver Booth, who died in the Spring of 1840. He was buried at Bangs' Lake. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Samuel Hurlbut, father of Henry Hurlbut, now living in the town at Ivanhoe.

The first Justice of the Peace acting in this township was John G. Ragan. He was elected when this county formed a part of McHenry County, and com¬ missioned by Gov. Duncan, August 5th, 1837. He joined in marriage James M. Washburn and Hannah Hubbard, on the 6th of August, 1837. This was the first marriage in this county after it became a part of McHenry County.

On the 4th of July, 1842, a celebration of the day was held on Fort Hill, being the first occurrence of the kind in the township. The arrangements for the occasion were very complete and extensive, and a large congregation were as- sembled. People came from all parts of the county; a celebration of this kind at such a place, away off on the prairie, being considered a novel affair. The oration was delivered by George Thompson. During the day, an accident occurred, which cast a gloom over the occasion, and soon brought the proceed¬ ings to a close. A son of Elisha Clark, of Mechanics' Grove, was accidentally shot by a pistol in his own hands, and died soon after being removed home.

The first town meeting for this township under township organization was held at the house of Peter C. Schenck, on the first Tuesday in April, 1850. A. B. Partridge was chosen Moderator, and Christopher Seeber Clerk. The following persons were elected town officers : Hurlbut Swan, Supervisor ; Christopher Seeber, Town Clerk ; Justices of the Peace, Sheldon Wood and Henry Ames; Commissioners of Highways, William Colvin, Joel B. Sherman and Thomas H. Payne ; Constables, E. P. Pennaman and D. Gibbons ; Over¬ seer of the Poor, A. B. Partridge ; Collector, D. Gibbons.

The eastern portion of the township is mostly prairie, while the western portion is mostly woodland and oak openings. There is, however, a fair share of woodland in proportion to the prairie. A portion of Diamond Lake is in the southwest comer of this town, on Section 36. On Section 17 is another small lake or pond, called Grass Lake, from which Squaw Creek takes its rise, and runs northwestward into Fox River.

The inhabitants are mostly from the Eastern States, with a small share of Germans. The neat and tasty appearance of the farms in this township affords the best evidence of the perseverance and industry of its citizens.

The fruit nursery of Thomas H. Payne, Esq., is a matter worthy of a mo¬ ment's attention, and one which reflects much credit upon the flourishing town of Fremont. It contains about 100,000 trees of different kinds and varieties. He has also about thirty acres of orcharding, composed of bearing trees and of the choicest varieties of grafted fruit. He has about ninety varieties of apples, sixteen of plums, thirty of cherries, forty of pears, fifteen of grapes and five of apricots.

The valuation of property of this town for 1850, including both real and personal, was $73,150. The amount of tax computed thereon was $920.41.

Hurlbut Swan is a prominent citizen of this township, and identified with its early history. He is a thrifty farmer in the north part of the town, and has held several public positions of honor and trust. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of Illinois, in 1847. He was the first Supervisor of the town and was for two terms a Representative for Lake County in the State Legislature.

Thomas H. Payne, whose name has been mentioned a3 one of the early settlers of this township, has from an early day been a prominent citizen of the county. He was one of the County Commissioners, at the time of the removal of the county seat from LibertyviUe to Little Fort. It was his vote in the

Board that decided the question in favor of Little Fort - the efforts of the people of the county at that day being to contribute all in their power toward building up the latter place, to make it a market place and point for shipment on the lake, it being before the days of railroads and before it was supposed that a railroad could be built and made successful from a point east of the lakes to this country. Mr. Payne has always been a man of great public spirit, earnest and zealous in whatever he undertakes, both in his own business affairs as well as in matters of public concern. He was the pioneer in this part of the country in the nursery and fruit business, and in this regard his labors have been of much value to the county. He is a brother of Henry B. Payne, of Cleveland, Ohio, and recently a member of Congress from that State.

John 6. Ragan, whose name is also mentioned as among the earliest settlers of this town, who is so closely identified with its early history, and who has been styled the Patriarch of Fremont, has long been a prominent citizen of this township. He was elected County Commissioner in 1844, and was after¬ ward Sheriff of the county.

Charles H. Bartlett, who has been before referred to as one of the first County Commissioners of McHenry County and one of the oldest citizens of the county, is likewise a resident of this township, living near Diamond Lake. Mr. Bartlett, as has also been before stated, was one of the first County Com¬ missioners of Lake County, after it was set off from McHenry. He resided at that time near Libertyville, and the interest of those he more immediately rep¬ resented led him in the matter of the removal of the county seat to support the cause of Libertyville. His course, however, was characterized by candor, and he preserved the respect of the people.

The name of a citizen of this town, now nearly forgotten, may be mentioned in this connection to show an instance of personal integrity seldom equaled. A man by the name of Bates once lived in the central part of this town, who be¬ came partially insane. He had married a second wife, who had a family of children. After his insanity, he left his wife, sold his property and disap¬ peared for some time. He went to Chicago, and there called to see Philo Car¬ penter, a well known citizen there, who had been an old friend and acquaint¬ ance of his. He informed Mr. Carpenter that he had $800 that he wished him to take and keep until he called for it. Mr. Carpenter stated that he did not desire to take it on such terms ; that the church to which he belonged was then building a house of worship, and could use the money for a time and al¬ low him interest on it ; that he would take his money for the use of the church, and repay it at a time named, with interest. Bates accordingly handed him the money, refusing to take any note or evidence of the transaction whatever. Bates thereupon went away. The time for payment of the money arrived, but Mr. Carpenter heard nothing of Bates, neither did be know where he lived or had gone. Time rolled on, and finally Mr. Carpenter heard by accident that

Bates was dead, and had left a widow in Lake County, in the town of Fremont. He at once communicated to the widow the fact that her husband had some years before left with him a sum of money, which awaited the order of his legal representatives. His administrator called on Mr. Carpenter and received the money, with interest. The name of Philo Carpenter is familiar to every one in the city of Chicago as a man of property and influence. He came to Chi¬ cago at an early day, and was very successful in business.

The first school house in this town was built in the Marsh settlement, on Section 33, about 1839. The first school taught was about the same time, in this house, by Laura B. Sprague, of Half Hay.

The first church organization in this town occurred at the house of Alfred Payne, February 20, 1838, at which Rev. Mr. Blachford acted as Moderator, the church being Presbyterian in form of government. The following were the first members of the church : Elisha Clark, Cornelia Clark, Hiram Clark, Melinda Clark, Matthew Hoffman, Lucy Hoffman, Ira Harden, Phoebe Harden, Oliver L. Payne, Mary Payne, Mercy Payne, Alfred Payne, Nancy Gridleyr Paulina Norton, Emeline A. Schenck, Sarah Harden - in all, sixteen members.

The church was changed to Congregational in form of government in 1844. The first minister of the church, by some, is said to have been Rev. Joseph Payne; by others, Rev. Elbridge G. Howe. A house of worship for the church was first built at Libertyville in 1845. This building was finally aban¬ doned, and a church building was built in 1856 at Dean's Corners. Rev. A. R. Fox is the present minister. St. John's Church, Roman Catholic, was organized in 1841, and a church building was erected the same year, in the southwest part of the township, on Section 30, on land owned by John Murry. The first priest was John Guigan ; the present priest is Patrick O'Neil. The first members of the church were John Murry, Michael Murry, Hugh Devlin, Felix Givens, Robert Conmee, Michael Senott, John Roney, William Simmons, John Ryan.

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Diamond Lake was organized in this town in 1858. A church building was erected the same year. The first min¬ ister was Rev. H. S. Trumbull ; the present minister is W. A. Adrian. The first members of this church were as follows : William Wenban, Charles Whit¬ ney, Mrs. Daniel Cruver, Gideon Wenban, Samuel Hulbert, Mrs. Stephen Bennett. The present Trustees of the church are Alexander Bolinski, Fayette Butterfield, John Allison, Salem Cruver, C. G. Wenban. The Weslyan Meth¬ odists in this vicinity worship in the church building aforesaid.

The St. Mary's German Roman Catholic Church, of this town, was organ¬ ized some twenty-five years ago. Their house of worship, which was built many years ago, is on Section 21.