Nachusa Township (part 2 of 2)

"So it came about that in less than a year he was riding all about the county, over the trackless prairies, fording streams, or getting 'sloughed,' in a practice far more extended and difficult than that of the city had been. Sometimes in a sickly season he got scarcely any rest, except in his buggy, and his faithful horse learned to go from place to place with the reins lying loose on Ms back or to find his wa}^ home in storms with imerring fidelity, when, as father said, he could not 'see his own hands, or tell which way they were going. '

"He often had to be not only physician, l)ut nurse, cook, surgeon, dentist, law.yer, oi' even housemaid when he foimd families all sick and needing these varied services. The enduring regard of the friends of those days proves beyond question that he filled all the offices acceptably, though his rewards were often of a very unsul)stautial character.

"Mother often supplemented his work, going with him, or taking liis place in milder cases oi' on alternate days, but sometimes she had to sacrifice personal comfort or even more that he might minister to those in greater need."

lie went northward as far as Buffalo Grove and to the east into DcKalb county; going, coming, nights and days, without meals and almost always without pay for his services. Such a man was Di-. Charleys Gardner, the old pioneer physician of

Nachusa township. Many years he has been gone. The old homestead has changed hands but I doubt if the solitary thoughtful person ever passes the old homestead but he says to himself, "There is the old Doctor Gardner place." Children are taught to reverence it and I verily believe that so long as memories of the glories of the old Chicago road shall endure, so long shall memories of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Gardner endure.

Among the children who attended Sunday school at the home of Mrs. DeWolf were the Leake children and we are told that Sunday school drew children from many miles of circuit.

The handsome brick house on the Chicago road which to this day is the admiration of the countryside, was built by Daniel Leake. The other members of the Leake family already named but not nicknamed were Butcher John Leake, Miller John Leake, and John Leake, Jr. ; all Johns. Then there was Daniel and his children.

1 have just learned that ]Miss Nancy Teal was one of the very early teachers of the stone school buOt by Mr. Cyrus Chamberlain. She was sixteen years old at the time. She was fortunate in her salary, receiving one dollar and fifty cents a week instead of the current stipend, one dollar and twenty-five cents. Mr. Chamberlain gave her a tin horn and requested her to blow it whenever she required assistance. One day the horn was blown and Mr. Chamberlain resjjonded promptly. An unruly pupil was sent home. His irate father returned to school at once prepared and resolved to thrash the teacher. But a few well timed remarks from Mr. Chamberlain sent him back home and not very long afterwards the pupil apologized. Mr. Chamberlain was always doing services for others ; many of them of great value, and if not too late I should like to add that over in Grand Detour he built in 1852 a Methodist church costing $2, .500 and donated it to the society. About 1850 the "Red" schoolhouse w^as built substantially on the county line.

Elias Teal came to this neighborhood in 3836. He was a Government siu'veyor. He bTiilt a log hoi;se and lived on the place the rest of his long life. His place is known today as Teal's corner.

On the northeast quarter of section 19 and over into the south half of section 18, the old trading house of LaSallier and the big Indian l)ui"ying grounds were located and there in 1822 as will be found in another chapter, a large business was done with the Indians in furs. Only a little distance from there was the big ludiau village in wliicli Andrew Mack dwelt iu the very early days and there too was l)uilt the fui' press used iu pressing furs for the Indians and the traders indiscriminately. So far as is laiown Nachusa township contained the tirst settlements or at least the first white settlers that ever set foot iu Lee county. Traces uf the LaSallier cal)iu, the fur press and of the Indian ^'illage are to be found easily at the present day.

The LaSallier place was on the farm of Eugene Harrington, whose father Avas another of the very oldest of the old pioneer settlei's of Nachusa. In Naehnsa too is located the Kingdom, known far and wide almost from the ):»eginuing of things. Just now the lirst part of the name has been forgotten by the present generation. But it is a fact that because that section of the river country was so naughty iu the early day, it was called "The Devil's Kingdom."

All is changed now. Within its confines will be found the very best w^e have of citi^^enship. Beaiitifid homes; substantial outbuildings, macadam roads, automobiles; verily a land flowing A\i.th milk and hone^^

The German Baptist (or Dunkard) church on section 5 was organized by Rev. Jacob Euuuert and the church was built about the year 1850. This structure was superseded by the later one, 34x54, with basement and kitchen and sleeping room above the audience room. The society organized with about twenty members, among who were Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Lahman; Mr. and Mrs. Jacol> Riddlesbarger ; Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Riddlesbarger; Oliver Edmonds and wife; Benjamin Kesler and family, with others.

The name of the first preaclu'r who can ))e recalled, was Benjamin. He i»reaclied around at the different houses. Another minister named Reed, an Englishman, i)i'eached to the early settlers at the stone schoolhouse near Joseph Briertou's.

James A. Ilcatou, came to this townsliip in 1844; Jonathan Depuy arrived iu this township June 2, 1842; William W. Darker came in 1845; Sanmel Crawford, 1848; William H. Fiscel, 1848; John P. Brubaker, 1849; th(> Keslers iu 1850; Col. A. P. Dysart locatt'd in 1845 and settled permanently in 1847; John Leake landed at Dixon's Ferry with Isaac Means and William Moody; Daniel Leake, and Thomas Leake, sons of John Leake, brought the rest of tlie I^enke family iu 1841, and John C. Leake came with the last named in 1841 ; Daniel Leake who came in 1841; Calvin Burkett. 1819: John M. Crawford. 1849; John R. INIerrill, 1839; Wil- liam Garrison, 1845 ; the Hansen family, 1840 ; George Palmer, 1846; Jacob Wertman, 1838; Benjamin F. Brandon, 1837; Jacob Emniert, 1841 ; Marshall McNeel, 1847 ; Jacob Hittle, 1841 ; Cliester Harrington or as sometimes spelled Herrington, came to the Kingdom in 3837. He married Miss Zerina, danghter of Gyrus Chamberlain. It is on his farm that the old LaSallier trading station was located. John Garrison came in 1845 ; Alexander Depny came in 184(J.

This closes the chapter of Nachnsa, the first settled township of the connty according to its present boundaries. Of course for some time it was in Dixon precinct. But most of the time it was a part of China toA\aiship and while the Harrington farm during that period was in China township, China then might claim the right to be styled the oldest town in the county. We are dealing with the year 1914 however. Nachnsa in this year, contains the Harrington farm; consequent!}" in dealing with things as they are today, Nachnsa is the oldest township in point of settlement by a white man in Lee county.