Plainfield Township

Plainfield Township

Plainfield is beautifully located on the east bank of the Du Page River, about one mile north of the center of the township of Plainfield, and is nine miles northwest of Joliet. Chester Ingersoll is accredited with laying out the village proper, which is sometimes termed South Plainfield, while the north division was laid out by 'Squire Arnold. He was a New Yorker, and came here in 1834; laid out the village that year, and was one of the first to keep a tavern in the place. Being a little at " loggerheads " with Ingersoll, as our informant expressed it, his addition was laid ofi" a little " catering." The meaning of the latter word was gathered while taking a stroll through the village, when we found the streets of the two sections coming together at an angle of about forty-five degrees. But even with this defect, it is a very pretty little village and claims from one thousand to twelve hundred inhabitants. James Walker put up the first dwelling within the present limits long before it was laid out as a village. It was a small log house, and was occupied by Walker some time as a residence. Ingersoll built the next house, which was soon after .the one above-mentioned. Arnold put up the first house occupied purposely as a tavern, though Walker had kept a house of entertainment previously. " Uncle Fen " Aldrich also kept a tavern here. This was one of the stopping-places on the stage-route between Chicago and Ottawa, and the half-way point between the two places, hence, it was a good place for hotels. Jonathan Hagar and Samuel Sargent opened the first store in the upper story of John Bill's wagon-shop. The next year, they put up a storehouse, which has since been converted into the Congregational parsonage. Mr. Hagar continued in business here until 1861, when he retired, and is one of the wealthy men of the place. He tells the following anecdote as an example of the pernicious effects of sowing " tares :" An old lady, one of the early settlers of the village, brought with her from the East a quantity of burdockseed, declaring it to be " such an excellent yarb," that she was bound to have a crop growing. She accordingly sowed it in every available spot. That the crop did grow, the citizens of the village can bear witness, notwithstanding their utmost efibrts to the contrary.

The village was incorporated under special act of the Legislature February 23, 1861. This embraced North Plainfield only, we believe. In April, 1869, it was again incorporated by special act, including both the north and south divisions of the place, and June 30, 1877, it was incorporated under the general law of the State. The first Board of Village Trustees were as follows : J. McAllister, George N. Chittenden, Robert Webb, Jonathan Hagar and John D. Shreffler. The Board organized for business by making J. McAllister President, and George N. Chittenden, Clerk. The present " City Fathers " are: Alexander McClaskey, President; A. J. Perkins, C. E. Eraser, Joseph McCreery, George W. Flagg, P. Y. Dundore, and H. A. Tounshendeau, Clerk ; Ira Vanolinda, Police Magistrate. The business of Plainfield presents the following outlook : Two general dry goods and grocery stores, two grocery and hardware stores, two drug stores, one book and stationery store, one furniture store, one hotel, one restaurant, two livery stables, five blacksmith-shops, three wagon-shops, four practicing physicians, two cider-mills ; with barber-shops, meat-markets, harness-shops, tailor-shops, paint-shops, millinery-shops, etc.; but neither saloons nor lawyers. It has, however, a Red Ribbon Club of 382 members - John D. Shrefiler, President, and H. A. Tounshendeau,- Secretary.

The first schoolhouse was built in North Plainfield in 1837, and was rather, a small aifair. It was burned in 1846 or 1847, and the present two-story frame building erected, at a cost of f 1,500. Prof. Giden Bartholf is Principal, and Miss Amanda Dillman, teacher of the Primary Department. In 1851 the village was divided into two districts, and a good two-story frame house erected in the lower district, or South Plainfield, at a cost of $1,200. Prof John H. Stepman is Principal, and Mrs. M. C. Dresser, teacher of the Primary Department. The first post ofiice was established in Plainfield in 1833, and James Walker was the first Postmaster. This was one of the points on the stage route between Chicago and Ottawa, and, after coaches were put on the mail was brought to Plainfield over this route. The benighted citizens of Joliet used to come here for their mail, as opportunity occurred. This was in the good old times when Dr. Bowen was Postmaster there, and he would frequently carry the entire mail for Joliet in his hat. It would take several hats to contain the Joliet post office now, or even that of Plainfield. The present Postmaster of Plainfield is John Sennitt, who has been in the service of Uncle Sam in this department for the past ten years.

Plainfield is sometimes called the "Village of Churches,' and, for a place of its size, is well supplied with temples of worship. This is one of the first spots in Will County where the sound of the Gospel was heard. Here, Father Walker established an Indian Mission, it is said, in 1826, and here, ih 1829, he formed a class composed of the following members : Jesse Walker and wife, James Walker and wife, Mr. Fish and wife, Timothy B. Claike and wife, and Mr. Weed and wife. Father Beggs, in his book, several times referred to in this work, and from which this information is taken, thinks that this was the first class formed within the bounds of the Rock River Conference, and states, further, that when the Mission* was abandoned the class was given up. In the Fall of 1832, Rev. Mr. Beggs succeeded to the charge here, with Father Walker as Presiding Elder. The first church edifice built at Plainfield was by the Methodists, and was erected in 1836. It was a rather small, plain affair, compared to the elegant stone church of the present time. In 1854, Lockport and Plainfield were united, and so remained for a number of years, until the strength of each church became sufficient to admit of their being formed into stations. The fine stone church of the Methodists was erected in 1868, and dedicated by Bishop Simpson. It is built of Plainfield stone, and cost about $22,000. The Church numbers upon her records more than three hundred members, with Rev. J. A. Phelps as Pastor, and John D. Shreffler, Superintendent of the Sunday school.

The Baptist society was organized October 16, 1834, on the principle of total abstinence, and Rev. J. E. Ambrose was the first Pastor. The original members were : Leonard Moore, Elizabeth Moore, Rebecca Carmon, Thomas Rickey, Jane Rickey and Alfred B. Hubbard, six in all. It was one of the four churches that entered into what was called the Northern Baptist Association. The Church at Plainfield is the only one of these that has not changed its place of meeting. In the Fall of 1836, the first church-house was built, at a cost of $2,500 ; was 26x36 feet, and is now used as a blacksmith-shop. In giving place to the following anecdote, in this connection, we intend no sacrilege or disrespect toward this venerable Church : Soon after the completion of their church-building, a Baptist minister of the name of Edwards made his appearance in the village and announced his purpose of holding revival meetings. The new church was accordingly placed at his disposal, and he entered upon his work. For an entire week did he labor with that "wicked and rebellious people." Day after day, he went about among them praying and exhorting ; night after night, he held up to them the joy of the redeemed, or portrayed in glowing words the anguish of the lost. But neither the gentle voice of persuasion nor the terrible thunders of Sinai had the desired effect, and on the last night of his labors, after an impassioned appeal, in which he vainly implored them to "flee from the wrath to come," he declared that they had "sinned away the day of grace:" that "Ephraim was joined to his idols," and that all that remained for him was to " shake off the dust from off his feet." Taking his handkerchief from his pocket, he proceeded to literally carry out the Scripture injunction by wiping the dust from his feet in their presence, strode out of the house, and was seen no more in that neighborhood. The present church edifice was erected in 185-7, and cost between $4,500 and $5,000; dedicated by Rev. Charles Button. Rev. A. D. Freeman was the first Pastor, now residing at Downer's Grove. The present membership is 131, and Rev. H. C. First is Pastor, a position he has held for the past four years. Mrs. H. C. First is Superintendent of the Sunday school, which has an average attendance, of seventy children. There have been 536 admissions to the Church, by baptism and otherwise, since its organization.

The Congregational Church was organized in September, 1834, by Rev. N. C. Clarke, who had been preaching in the vicinity as early as 1832 and 1838. The original members were James Mathers and wife. Deacon Ezra Goodhue and wife, Andrew Carrier and wife, and Oliver Goss and wife. The first regular Pastor of the Church, was Rev. Alfred Greenwood, mentioned elsewhere as the first preacher in Lockport Township. He remained with the Church but a year or two. A resolution appears upon the Church records at an early date, requiring members "to abstain from drinking ardent spirits, manufacturing, trafficking in it, or otherwise using it, except for medicine." The first case of discipline was that of a brother, reported as having sold whisky to the Indians. During the first two years the Church did little more than maintain its existence. It suffered much from trouble among its members, growing out of land claims. A council was finally called to aid in settling the difficulties. As the course most likely to bring peace and harmony, and agreeably to the advice of the council, the Church disbanded, and out of its elements a Presbyterian Church was formed in 1836, by Rev. Mr. Gould. This organization continued about seven years, when the form of government was changed, and it again became a Congregational Church, with Rev. E. W. Champlin, Pastor. The Rev. Daniel Chapman succeeded him, and through his energetic efforts the present church edifice was erected in 1850, at a cost of $2,200, exclusive of the foundation, and was dedicated in June, 1851. The present membership of the Church is near eighty, and since August, 1878, at which time the Rev. Mr. Ebbs closed his pastoral labors, it has been without a regular minister. The Sunday school was organized about 1843, with Jonathan Hagar as Superintendent. About sixty scholars are in attendance, and Mr. Hagar is still Superintendent.