Palmyra Township (part 2 of 2)

AViNTURoP Seavey (deceased), Palmyra, was born in Rye, New Hampshire, January 26, 1802, and was the son of Joshua and Betsey (Webster) Seavey. In his early manhood Mr. Seavey was engaged in the mercantile business in liis native state, and remained in that line until 1839, when he removed to Illinois, and settled in Palmyra township and became engaged in farming, which pursuit he followed until his death, which took place in the month of November 1864. He was married January 10, 1863, to Miss Elizabeth Curtis, of Washington county. New York, who died June 25, 1853. There are two children surviving this union, William W. and Gideon W., the latter of whom is engaged in business at Fort Wayne, Indiana. William W. Seavey, the eldest son, was born in Palmyra township October 18, 1840, and has ever since resided in his native town, and has for many years been engaged in farming. He was married November 17, 1870, to Miss Augusta O. Moses, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and they have but one child living, Albion M., born January 27, 1872. Mr. Seavey is a member of the republican party.

T. A. Butler, farmer. Palmyra, is a native of Huntington, Long Island, where he was born March 2, 1814, and is the son of John and Nancy (Abbott) Butler. His father was a stone-mason in his youth, but soon became a farmer and followed that calling until his death, which took place in DelaM'are county, New York, in 1836. Mr. But- ler acquired his education in Delaware county, but in 1839 removed to Illinois, and soon after located on his present farm in Palmyra township, where he has ever since resided. He was married February 14, 1850, to Miss Roxana Stewart, a native of Illinois, and they have had seven children, live of whom are still living: Lilian H., born June 7, 1854, is married to Anton Brauer, and resides in Whitesides county, Illinois; Otho J., born JNTovember 20, 1857; Perdita A., born July 10, 1860 ; Katie, born November 30, 1867, and Nora M., born May 9, 1872. In his political views Mr. Butler is entirely independent, belonging to neither of the existing parties.

Edward A. Hughes, farmer, Palmyra, was born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, on the 26th of March 1857, and is the son of El wood and Elizabeth (Hill) Hughes, who are now residents of Palmyra township. When thirteen years of age Mr. Hughes came to Lee county with his parents, and for six years was engaged in attending school and assisting his father in farming. In 1876 he commenced to farm on his own account, and still follows that vocation. He was married on the 12tli of February 1878, to Miss Vernia Champlin, then residing in Mount Pleasant township, Whitesides county, Illinois. Mr. Hughes is a republican in political sentiment, and has a well-deserved reputation for ability and enterprise, of which so young a man may justly be proud.

The present town of Nachusa was organized in 1871. The territory embraced within its limits once constituted parts of the original towns of Dixon and China.

On November 10, 1870, Col. A. P. Dysart presented to the board of supervisors a petition praying that the board create a new township, called Nachusa, comprising the W. i of T. 21, R. 10, and the W. ^ of T. 22, R. 10. At the same time a remonstrance was presented by Robert L. Irwin against the creation of said new township. Whereupon the petition and remonstrance were laid on the table until the next session of the board. On Tuesday, February 7, 1871, on motion of supervisor Yiele, the petition was ordered to be taken from the table, and the board having heard said petition and the remonstrance thereto read, and being sufficiently advised touching the same, it was, on motion, ordered that the prayer of the petition be granted and that a new town called Nachusa be created, comprising the territory before described. The name was conferred upon the township in honor of

The southern portion of the town is flat, and until a system of drainage is inaugurated it will be inferior to the surrounding country. In the central part the land is gently rolling and the soil excellent. Northward the township extends to Rock river, which describes all sorts of serpentine crooks and bends along the northern border of the county. Along its shores in this locality great masses of rock, vine-covered and green with the moss of a century's growth, pile themselves one upon the other to the height of many feet, and here and there jut far out into the water. Great grim bluffs, whose summits are crowned by lofty pines that sigh in the breath of May and roar in the blast of winter, tower skyward like huge billows on the sea. From one of these bluffs one can see far up and down the river, whose silvery sheen is visible for many miles, now gliding behind hills and now leaping into the sunshine and rippling along at your feet. Here, tradition tells us, the Indian maiden once bathed and prepared her simple toilet and saw mirrored in the crystal waters her dusky cheeks and raven hair. Here, listening to the murmuring waters, the sighing pines and mournful cooing of the turtle-dove, she waited the coming of her swarthy lover. Surely this is a charming spot, - wild, weird and

Early Settlements

The first permanent settlers in what is now Nachusa township were Messrs. Bennet and Brown, who came from New England and located on Sec. 1-i. Xext came the Eldrige brothers, who entered claims on Sec. 19. About the same time Squire Chamberlain located on the same section ; Mr. Hollingshead came soon after and also located on Sec. 19. In 1835 Hon. Joseph Crawford came and lived one year with Mr. Hollingshead and then located in Dixon township. In the summer of that year Mrs. Hollingshead came from Louisville, Kentucky, and joined her husband in his frontier home. Having been raised amid the luxuries of civilization, one may easily imagine her feelings on being suddenly ushered into the wild life of the pioneer. She had never done any washing or performed any household labor, but Mr. Crawford states that she entered cheerfully upon her duties and seemed quite contented in her rude home. Solomon Shelhamer was also one of the early settlers of Nachusa. He first located in the town of Dixon in 1837, and after remaining a short time removed to what is now Nachusa.

In 1836 John Chamberlain bought Mr. Hollingshead's farm. In the same year Mr. Fisk came from Pennsylvania, bringing with him a stock of goods, with which he began business in the house formerly owned by Mr. Hollingshead. This building is still standing, a relic of early times. At that time all goods and supplies were drawn by ox teams from Hennepin, on the Illinois river. Barclay Smith came in 1836, and bought what was known as the lower ferry farm, on Sec. 14. Mr. Crandall, Jerry Murphy and Josiah Moores also came at an early day.

The first settler in the southern part of the township was Mr. Jones, who located on Sec. 20. Dr. Charles Gardner located on the same section. Rev. Erastus Dewolf came from Rhode Island as an Episcopalian minister. He bought Jones' claim, which he extended to such proportions that after being surveyed it was found to comprise several sections. He evidently desired to become " monarch of all he surveyed." Alvah Hale came at an early day, and entered a claim on Sec. 33. In 1839 John Leake came from England, and located on Sec. 28. In 1811 his brother Daniel came, bringing both families.

Mr. Crawford states that the early settlers did not turn as much of their attention to religious matters as people of the present day, but that they worshiped God without a creed. Their religion did not consist in rearing costly churches with lofty spires, but in doing right by their fellow men, in imitating the "meek and lowly Nazarene" in word and in deed. Mr. Crawford states that during the years of 1839-40 malarial and bilious fevers were quite prevalent among the inhabitants of this portion of the county. This was supposed to result from the poisonous vapors arising from the newly-broken i^i'airies.

The modes of traveling in early da3^s were quite different from those of the present. Then if a man wished to go to Chicago he paid his fare on the stage and took up his march behind that vehicle, carrying a rail on his shoulder to aid in extricating it from gulleys and mud-holes, with which the prairies then abounded.

Previous to the establishment of a cemetery the settlers buried their dead on their farms. About the first public cemetery in the township was on the farm of John Hetler on Sec. 22. This, however, was soon abandoned and the present one established on land given for the purpose by Josiah Moores. This one is located on the S.E. ^ Sec. 23. The remains of Mr. Moores were the first laid to rest in this " quiet city of the dead."

Mr. Brierton states that he once packed 4,500 pounds of pork, out of which he realized nothing; what was not consumed by the family was fed to the dogs. The price of meat was too low to pay for transporting it to market. It might be well to mention here the difSculties incident to transporting produce to market. An incident related by Mr. Brierton may give the reader an idea of hardships encountered by the early pioneers. In July, 1845, he and a neighbor named Brandon started for Chicago, each with a two-horse wagon loaded with wheat and oats. After traveling two days they arrived at Johnston's Grove, thirty-five miles distant from their starting-point. In traveling that distance they "doubled teams" nineteen times in order to get across mud-holes. On the second night a terrible storm of rain set in, which was so severe they knew it would be impossible for them to reach their destination, and they accordingly abandoned the trip, sold their loads and started homeward across the prairie, which was almost a sheet of water, sometimes reaching their wagon-boxes. At one place they saw parties with eleven yoke of oxen hitched to one wagon, and even then were unable to extricate it. In making these trips to Chicago it was no unfrequent occurrence for the settlers (they always went in parties) to form a bridge across a stream with their wagons, in order to get their grain across. This was accomplished by unloading them and placing one after the other until the stream was spanned. This done, they would take out all the end boards and carry the produce across to the other side ; after which the wagons were drawn out, reloaded, and the party again resumed its laborious journey only to repeat the operation at the next stream.

Johtt Leake, sr., was also among the early settlers, having come in a very early day. For many years his only conveyance was an ox team and a lumber wagon. With this outfit he drew his produce to market and also took his pleasure rides in it. In the fall of 1847 his entire family were prostrated with the chills and fever.

In 1842 there was a settlement started on what is .now called the Franklin Grove road. Ludlum Ayers, Levi Green, Thomas Hopkins, William Parker, William Richardson, James Goddard and Don Cooper took up claims and e'rected rude huts, the palace of the emigrant of that day.

They mostly belonged to that class of people who are best at home among the society that follows closely upon the footprints of the red man. Most of them disposed of their claims in a few years, immigrating farther west to bear further hardships in opening and developing some newer country, glorying in the name of the hardy pioneer.

In the year 1845 quite a number located lands near the present village of Nachusa and some at the west end of Franklin Grove. At the latter place Joseph Emmert, from Maryland, bought the claim of Don Cooper.

in that and in the succeeding year a two-story dwelling and a large barn ; the latter was said to have been the first erected in Lee county. In the year 1850 he erected quite a large flonring-mill on Franklin creek at a very heavy expense, it being the first one of the kind built in the northern portion, and said to be the first in the county. It stands yet as a monument to energy and enterprise. About the same year he erected what is known as the Dunkard church, he being a minister of the gospel of that persuasion. This building was occupied for several years as a school-house as well as a church. Since that time it has given place to a more stately edifice.

Like all surrounding towns, the facilities for opening up and improving the country was necessarily slow, and the outlet for its surplus cereals being so far to reach they were almost valueless. The dawn of the day of its prosperity had to await public improvements.

In the year 1851 the Chicago & Korthwestern railway (formerly the Dixon Air-line) was completed, passing through nearly the center of the township north and south, and having located a depot at first named Taylor and since named JSTachusa. At that time all the freighting for Grand Detour was done there.

"What can be said of the early settlements of the greater part of the state can be said of JSTachusa ; a greater portion of the emigrants were from the eastern part of the states where timber was abundant. It was natural for them to select for their homes places as convenient to timber as possible, and very many of them had doubts at that time that they would ever live to see the day when this broad and almost treeless expanse, which lay off from the timber, would be dotted all over with the rural homes of the husbandmen. And the planted forests that loom up, turned in any direction, demonstrates it as a fact that it is easier to raise a forest than to remove one.

Source changes here: from History of Lee County, Illinois, by Stevens, Frank Everett, published 1914; 3,437 words in this source stream.

Palmyra Township

The proximity of this towuship to Dixou and the warm social aud poHtical friendships always existiug for Dixon, makes the towuship almost a eonmion t-onnnnnity with Dixon, and to speak of Dixon one seems in dnty Ixunid to inclnde this large and wealthy and patriotic township of Palmyra. To this day Dixon contains more sons and daughters of Palmyra than she holds of her own children. The home loving tendency always has been strong with the old settler there and with his children. Few of the old settlers ever moved westward. They set their stakes in Palmyra and there nine-tenths of them remained mitil loving friends followed them to their tinal resting place in the ))eautiftd cemetery near by.

The drainage towards Rock river, which is Palmyra's south boundary, could not l^e ordered lietter. Its numerous park-like groves furnished timber in abundance to the early settler. Its first settlers were sturdy homeseekers, able and more than willing to meet the struggle with frontier hardships. Sugar Grove, covering over two thousand acres, in the n(n-thwest pai't of the township, was the largest of the groves. In partial compensation, those settlers found fish in the river, and game in the timber and on the prairies in abundance. Maple sugar was easily supplied; nuts for the winter, berries for the summer and for winter preserves were supplied lavishly ; and in the roar of crackling winter fires, in the glow of great fireplaces, the pioneer of Palmyra enjoyed all the creature comforts man could honestly crave. And who shall say the showier civilization of today affords a greater enjoyment ?

Like the sister settlements of Inlet and j\Ieln gin's Grove, those of Palmyra began in 1834. ]\[emliers of the Morgan family, John and Harvey, the father, and Benjamin Stewart, with them, came first.

Tln' Winnebago ludiaus from the Preeport and ProplietstowB villages were nuniei'ons. but fiiendly. On the south side of Sugar Crrove, the Morgans and Stewart settled. In November of 1834 John H. Page and wife and Stephen Fellows ; in the spiing of 1835 a large number of settlers came ahmg and took up claims in Palmj'ra. The iunid)er included Smith Clilbraith. Wright, Tomlin, Capt. Oliver Hidibard, James Power and sons. Thomas and Jephtha; Michael Felhjws, Al)salom Fender with his large family, William W. Bethea, Daniel Christ, Anson Thnnmiel, Jefferson Hari'is, Keplinger, Nathan Moi'ehouse, Sales, Thomas and his sons, Enoch and Noah; Sandy (William T.) Bush, Elkanah B. Bush, Martin Richardson, William W. Tilton. Other early settlers were : Hiram P. Parks, William Miller, 1841 ; Walter L^ Rogers, 1839; Oliver A. Hubbard, 1836; Franklin Wilson, 1856; Simeon T. Martin, 1837; Harvey E. Johnson, 1845; Charles Lawton, 1854: Charles A. Guyot, 1852; David A. Holly, settled in Chinatown in 1835 and in Palmyra, 1845; Eben H. Johnson, 1838; Charles A. Martin, 1836; Aiiios Goodwin, 1852; Jacob Martin, 1836; Matthias Schick, 1842; John L. Lord, 1838 in Dixon, and 1841, Palmyra; Charles A. Becker, 1839 in Dixon, then in Palmyra in '40s;"Williani Myers, 1836; George L. Klostermau, 1845;" John Tharp Law^rence and cousin, Alexander Campbell, Aug. 9, 1839; Charles B. Thummel, 1845; Anson E. Thmnmel, 1841; ^Alfred A. Beede, 1836; Anton Harms, 1848; Ralph E. Johnson, 1847, born there; Henry Miller, 1838; Becker Miller, 1838; Winthrop Seavey, 1839; T. A. Butler, 1839; John Mor.se, 1838; Daniel Beardsley, sy 1835; John C. Oliver; Al)ijah Powers; Henry Coe, 1836; Walter Rogers; Reuben Eastwood; Timothy Butler; Hugh Graham; John Lawrence; Abner Moon; John, father of John L. Lord; Jarvin N. Flolly; James, Jacol) and Tyler Martin; Capt. Jonas M. Johnson; William Y. and Morris Johnson; Joshua Seavey and sons, Jesse and Wintlirop; .Josima Mai'den and son, William; Albert and John Jenness; Harvey E. .lolmson ; < 'hai'les and Dana Columbia; Tjcvi I>riggs and father; Thomas Monk; AVilliam and John Benjamin; Truxton and Lenniel Sweeney; John and Joseph Thom}).S(»n; John Norris; William and Lockwood Harris; William Burgei'; AA'illiani Stack])ole; Rev. William Gates; James Gates; William and Thomas Ayi-es; L. and E. Devo; C(d. Lemau Mason and sons, Sterne, Volney and Rodney; Moses Warner and sons, Henry, JNIoses and Geoi'ge; Major Sterling; Henry and Gustavus Sartorius; Nehemiah, William, Fletcher and jNlorris Hutton ; Abi'am Obi'ist; Mnitiu Hlair; \\'esle\' Atkinson; Thomas and

Moses Scalliou; Juliu C'arley; Hardiu; Beach; Beujainm Gates; Charles A. Becker; Becker Miller; Curtis; Martin and William Braiier ami William Miller.

It was AV. W. Betliea who remarketl that he was attracted to these parts because Johu Bixuu was reputed to be the uidy mau who had auy moue\' and Avho always gave employment to liim who asked for it. The lirst dollar earued iu Lee couuty by Mr. Bethea was his wage from Mr. Uixou.

Mrs. Hubbard did the lirst teaching in I'almyra in her own house. A private school taught at the Fender place by William Y. Johnson in 18J:1, was next. At Prairie \ille in the upper room of a house Levi Gaston taught a private school. A r(jugh building half way between Gap Grove and the old Fender homestead was used during winter mouths for two winters for school purposes. William W. Bethea was the teacher. But if I am correctly informed the true historic Ijuilding was the old log schoolhouse standing on the southwest corner of John H. Page's field: it was neai- the forks of the road and was surrounded by a locust grove. This old school iu 184:5 numbered fifty pupils. Among the teachers were William Y. Johnson in 1844, subsequently an EpiscoiJal clergyman; John Norris ; Emeline Dodd, subsequently his wife ; Aljigail Norris, a sister, who married Noah Thomas; t^^arah Badger, a sister of the Ainboy Badgers, and Calista Mason, daughter uf Col. Lemau Mason, and subsequently wife of Morris Johnst)n.

Afterwards, a frame school Ijuilding \vas l)uilt at (ia}) Grove, across the road from ^Irs. Hutton's house. The hiugar Grove frame buildi]}g was built about 181:7, near the site of the later church and school building. Following is a description of it : "It was severely plain, unpainted, imfenced and destitute of shade. Simplicity also reigned within. The high-backed benches, with their imgainly desks, separated 1)}' aisles, were elevated from one to two feet or more above the fioor, sloping down an inclined plane, and were marvels of ugliness. Not a map adorned the walls, nor was any apparatus fui'nished, with the exception of a Idacklxuird. There was not even a bell to sununon the pupils from their play, the teacher having to ra}) on a window with a book or ferrule. In the year 1857-58, a brick cluu'ch, with l)asement for school purposes was built near the old site. ' '

A phonetic school was taught at Gap Grove in early days by Rev. A. B. Pickard, a Methodist minister from Mount Morris. His sou taught the same system at the same time in the little log schoolhouse standing near John Lord's residence.

Another school was taught by the Judd brothers in the old town hall at Gap Urove. Advanced students only were taught; many from a distance attended.

Not to be lacking in variety, Gap and Sugar Groves each had a singing school taught by a party named Durgeon. Spelling schools, too, were a source of winter pleasures and prolit. These contests excited township-wide interest. Families were expected to furnish tallow di])S, whicli were arrami,(Ml in sockets at intervals upon the walls, and many times their drippings would drop below on the head of some imlucky speller. In !1857 illuminating lamps for school use at Sugar Grove, first appeared. Campheue was the fluid i;sed in them.

Anuxial Sunday school celebrations were held, generally on Jul_y 4th, and at the Gap. Sometimes the Palmyra people united wdth the BTift'alo Grove people and to the latter place they went in a gi'and procession ; many times with banners and flying streamers.

Travel through Palmyra township w^as almost continuous during the early da_ys, and hand in hand with blacksmith shops the taTerns for men and women and stables for horses were a necessity. Consequently along the big highwa,v, taverns were scattered.

Parmei's generally foinid it necessary to make three or four trips to Chicago yearly. Pr(^visions were taken along many times for man to eat, and horse feed, always. Tripp's tavern at Inlet was a favorite stopping place. It w^as the first stop.

After loading for the return voyage, it was found generally that there were waiting many horseless people in Chicago, wanting to come out into Lee county, and never was there a load so great or so heavy Init that a trunk and a passenger or two coidd be accommodated.

The first church in Palmyra was built jointly by the Methodists and Congregationalists and occupied by them on alternate Smidays. It was located on the present site of the Gap Grove schoolhouse. Its dimensions were 24xo(): painted white without and within. A wood stove heated it ; tall-liacked benches provided seating capacity; tin sockets f(u- candles were arranged on the walls, with reflectors on the back. Congregational singing w^as the vogue and John IT. Page and his timing fork provided the momen-

The fii'st church services were hekl in the liome of Caj^t. Stephen Fellows and later at a little log schoolhouse standing near the present Horace Gilbert home at Gap Grove. In 1839, Mrs. Martha Parks and her husband attended church there and at their first service listened to Rev. Arrion Gaston. This Mrs. Parks was the last survivor of the old Dixon and Buffalo Cirove Baptist church.

While speaking of Mrs. Parks, I should state that her daughter, Mrs. Thomas Ayres, was named b}^ ' ' Mother ' ' Dixon after herself, Rebecca Dixon Parks, and for a name present gave the child a deed for a lot in Dixon. Mr. Parks never thought it woidd amount to anything and never got the deed recorded. The lot today is covered by the building of the E. N. Howell Hardware Company.

On Nov. 18, 1838, Mr. and Mrs. Eben H. Johnson wrote letters back to York state. Therein Mr. Johnson says, "wheat is worth $L25 per bushel and corn 50 cents."

Six years later he wrote and stated that Chicago and St. Louis, with sometimes the Galena mines were their markets. St. Louis was reached by Rock and the Mississippi rivers. Wheat then was 75 cents to $1 i^er bushel, 80 cents at Galena ; corn, 25 cents ; oats, 20 and 25 cents ; butter, 12 to 18 cents ; cheese, 6 to 8 cents; dressed pork, $3 to $4 ; horses, $100 to $150 a span ; cows, $8 to $12 ; sheep, $] .50 to $2 ; wool, 31 cents ; timber laud, $10 to $12 ]3er acre ; prairie land, one mile and further from timber, $1.25 per acre. Wooden axle wagons were sold from $60 to $70 each. In the same letter Mr. Johnson declares money was plenty. Mr. Johnson when he wrote the letter, was a good Palmyra booster.

Rev. Stephen N. Fellows, S(m of Stei)hen Fellows, in a lengthy letter has done much for preserving Palmyra history to us, l)y writing it down for "Recollections of the Pioneers." His father, with his family, settled in Sugar GroA^e, in Xovember, 1834; they moved into a 14x14 log cabin in the Grove, just west of the ^Nlyers place, and fourteen people made it their home. In the spring of 1835, he built a log house on the "old place," later Peck farm. In 1836 an addition of two stories was built, with a room between. The upper story was used for a school room and for church ]:)urposes. Until 1837, it was the only place used for meetings. Sometimes quarterly meetings were held here. In 1839 Stephen Fel- lows, William Martin and Ambrose Hubbard united and with such help as could be gut, they built the old Gap Grove church, 24x36. Stephen Fellows died I'eb. 8, 1840, and was the tirst to be buried from that church. Mr. E'ellows thinks his sister Margaret and his brother Samuel were the hrst teachers in the township. Samuel taught in the house in the wdnter of 1835-36. The tirst Sunday school was held in the tirst schuolhouse mentioned, and William Martin was superintendent and only teacher.

Death claimed man}' in the early day. Uau Beardsley, 1839; W. W. Bethea's wife and three children; Capt. Stephen Fellows' two daughters, Margaret and Mrs. Allen, wdio died in 1836; a Mr. McGee.

Private cemeteries prevailed here as in all new settlements. There were two graves on the Powers place at Gap Grove, the second one being that of a stranger who came from Kentucky and his malady was supposed to be asiatic cholera. He died on the night of his arrival.

The first public burying ground was npon the Capt. Stephen Fellows place, on the north side of the road, on the hill east of the barn. But when in 1840 the Gap Grove cemetery was located, most of the scattered bodies were re-interred in it. The tirst burial in the new cemetery was that of Captain Fellows, Feb. 8, 1840.

In a connnunity exclusively rural, one woidd expect to find no manufacturing or mechanical industries. Xo early day contrariety worked so boldly as this exception right here in Palmyra. Beginning with the trapper and huntei'. Sales, of Sales' Spring, the milling industry of Lee county made its appearance. He landed there with nothing but a collection of mouths, stretched wide open, like young robins. But he was not afi^aid to work. If he would split one hmidred rails, his wage was one bushel of corn. The corn he carried home, bored a hole down the center of a log, OA-er which he fastened a slender pole with an iron wedge inserted in its end. Working this ])ole u]) and down, ho ])ulverized the corn ; then sifting it, ho used the finer "[larticles for meal; the coarser for hominy. With fish and water and woodfowl and berries and sugar from the maples, the family of good appetite reveled in good living.

In the early days Wilson's mills had a reputation foi- turning out tine flour which spread all over northern Illinois, and he was a Pahnyi'a man. It saved the northwestern part of the state future hni'dsliiiis of triiis to Cliicnuo.

Joseph Wilson, an old Brandywine miller, and a Quaker, settled on Elkhorn creek, operated his mill on that creek excepting at those times when the creek was dry, then Aurora on Fox river was their milling town. Tliis mill was constructed by the neighbors who turned out in a body and luiilt it, a rough log affair. Winter wheat generally was ground.

After the death by drowning in Elkhorn creek, of Daniel Obrist, while seining, his brother, Aliram, built a vei-y much needed sawmill on Elkhorn creek and here flooring, timbers, door and window frames and siding were sawed out, thus saving the farmers tremendous labor. The first siding from this mill was used to build the first frame barn in the toAvnship, on the Ben Stewart place. Barn raisings were very comnmn in those days. The entire neighborhood turned out invariably; plenty to eat was provided by the women; plenty of Fred Butcher's corn whiskey was provided by the men; and when completed, the barn was "baptized" by breaking another bottle over the plate either by Reuben Eastwood or Abner Moon, whose vigorous hmg power had provided them with voices to echo the proper speech.

Blacksmith shops were luunerous the country over, especially along the Chicago road which passed through this township. A man named Smith opened the fii'st shop. James Carley followed soon afterwards. The latter 's shop stood a little west of Mrs. John Lawrence's house. A very talented but besotted man named Beach was his assistant. John Lord's shop, a little way out from the milk factory, was started in 1841. Twelve years later his son, John L. Lord, succeeded to the business and for years Lord's wagons were scattered all over northern Illinois. Matthias Schick's establishment followed in 1843, at Prairieville. On the north side of the grove Charles Cohunbia operated one in a log house just opposite Rei;ben Eastwood's home. This subsequently was moved across Sugar creek to the Columbia farm and was carried on by Dana Columbia, a brother, for many years. Four early shoe shops found their way into Palmyra.

Before passing the subject of manufacturing, I must copy a few words which tell of the man Beach who assisted James Carley: "This Beach belonged to a highly respectable family in the East, and had received an excellent business education. He kept Carley 's books, which were models of neatness. He also blew the bellows and fetched the whiskey f r( )m Dixon. Old settlers will ever remember this mass of rags and pimples, his head crowned with a dilapi-

The early manufacturing efforts made in Palmyra must not be dismissed without reverting to E. B. Bush's efforts. He was the most impractical man in the world. He built a saw mill. Had he paused there, all might have been well, but he proposed too much. He also built an oil mill for the manufacture of castor and linseed oil. To obtain grist for the latter he induced the farmers to raise large areas of castor-oil beans and flaxseed, promising a dollar a bushel for them. The crop was tremendous. There was not money enough in the county to pay for it. The then manner of threshing was not adapted for flax. When the horses were put on to trample the straw, the seed was crushed and spoiled and the straw invariably coiled itself into ropes and tethered the horses into a stationary position. Thus the flax and oil branch of the business failed utterly. When the bean crop came on. Bush had no money and the crop rotted. Thus early the manufacturing languished. Subsequently Bush sold a claim, invested his money in medical books; tried to become a doctor, killed most of his patients and disappeared.

Cxeorge H. Page was born May 16, 1836, in Palmyra township. Soon after the outbreak of the war he obtained a clerkship in the War Department at Washingion. Charles A. Page was born in Palmyra, May 22, 183S. He attained a clerkship in the Fifth Auditor's office. Later in the war he became the New York Tribune's wai- correspondent. In 1866, George H., Charles A. and David S. Page went to Switzerland and established a condensed milk factory. They profited enormously. Later George H. returned to Dixon, bought the beautiful Governor Charters estate of Hazelwood, the Doctor Everett, Big Elm farm and the Wood- I'uff farm up the river. Through his instrumentality a system of good roads was built. He liuilt the immense Anglo-Swiss condensed milk factory, now the Borden's, and arranged all his affairs to live again in Dixon, where all the scenes of his childhood were enacted. But while in New York city he caught a bad cold ; pneumonia set in and he died. Over in the old Palm3a'a cemetery beside the graves of father and mother and all his brothers, he was laid to rest close to those childhood scenes which he had hoped to enjoy so much. His plans for the future of Dixon were many. His

While not a Palmyra "boy," yet Charles H. Hughes came from Palmyra, aud Charles H. Hughes was one of the biggest men ever produced in Lee county. While mayor of Dixon, the system of public improvements was commenced which are going forward to this day almost as he wt»uld have made them. He bought the Hazelwood estate and while it Avas his, he brought it to a very high degree of beauty. Later he was made a Representative in the Legislature ; then a Senator, and that position he held at his death. He was a man of conunanding ability. His plans for civic improvement were comprehensive and practical. He conceived big things ; he accomplished big things, and he became the biggest man among men. After a day 's work nothing refreshed him so much as to retire for the evening to his log cabin on beautiful Hazelwood and by the blazing knot fire plan out something more for Hazelwood and Dixon. Now he, too, is a neighbor of the Page boys in the same cemetery over in Palmyra.

Solomon Hicks Bethea, son of William W. Bethea, became a lawyer, a legislator in the Illinois General Assembly, a United States attorney and a judge of the United States District Court for Chicago.