Roscoe Township

Roscoe Township

Roscoe is the northeast township of the county, bounded on the north by the Wisconsin State line. The first permanent settlement was made in the fall of 1835, but some Indian traders had previously erected and occupied cabins in the grove on Section 32. The remains of the cabins and the track made by the wagon train that accompanied General Atkins in his campaign against the Black Hawk Indians in June, 1832, were still clearly defined when the first settlers came. The maple trees also showed that the Indians had tapped them for sugar- making purposes. August 3, 1835, R. J. Cross, of Coldwater, Mich., and Colonel Yon Hovenburg, with a Pottawatomie Indian for a guide, came into the township from Milwaukee. Col. Yon Hovenburg returned to Michigan; Mr. Cross bought a claim of Lavec, an employee of Stephen Mack, upon which he subsequently settled. This claim was covered by the grove in the southwest quarter of Section 32.

In September of the same year, Elijah H. Brown, James B. Lee and Wilham Mead came in from La Porte County, Indiana, and selected clainas. Brown built a house on the left bank of Rock river, a little above the mouth of the north branch of the Kinikinick, on the northeast quarter of Section 32, which was the first house built in what subsequently became Koscoe township. In the winter of 1835-6, Messrs. Brown, Lee, Cross and Logan were the only settlers in that part of the county. Mr. Cross had the only horse team in the settlement, and it was kept on the road nearly all the time when the roads were passable, hauling flour and groceries from Chicago. Mr. Reynolds, of Rolling Prairie, La Porte Count}'^, Indiana, bought Lee's claim, and was the first blacksmith to forge and hammer in that precinct, and in the winter of 1836-7 there were only eight families. Until a postoffice was established at Beloit, the settlers got their mail matter at Chicago; but in the spring of 1837, a post-office was established at Ruscoe, and R. M. P. Abell was appointed post-master. In 1887, Henry Abell and his son, Franklin, built a saw-mill, the first in the neighborhood. This mill was built at the mouth of the north branch of the Kinikinick, where they proposed to build a village, which they named Roscoe, in honor of Roscoe, aji eminent English historian, and when the names of townships were established in 1850, the name was given to the municipality. Under the new order, the first town meeting was held at the house of James K. Knowland, April 1, 1850. J. G. Prentiss was chosen Moderator; John J. Rhodes was elected Supervisor, and Nathaniel Howland, Town Clerk. Mr. Rhodes was continued in office for seven years, and until his death. At the first town meeting or election, 180 votes were polled.

Church Notes. - September, 1836, at a meeting at the house of Smith Jenks, Rev. Mr. Pillsbury, a traveling missionary, of the M. E. Church, took the names of those who wished to unite as a church society. They were: Plenry Abell, Smith Jenks, Clarissa Jenks, B.Richardson, Mary Ann Richardson, Albert Tuttle and Simeon Pettibone and wife. These were organized into a class, and for many years it was the only church society known to the settlers. It subsequently grew into prominence and wealth, as it had always been influential for good.

November 7, 1843, a preliminary meeting in the interest of the Congregational Church was held at the house of Alvan Leland. At that meeting the following named representative ministers were present: Revs. Wright, Belvidere; Ebenezer Brown, Byron; M. Benedict, Rockton; M. Hicks, agent of the American Home Missionary Society, and M. Pierson, of the New Haven Theological Seminary. November 28th, the organization was perfected and a society formed composed of the iollowing named members: Alvan Leland, John Bradley, Horace K. Leonard, Thomas R. Whipple, Eunice Bradley, Minerva J. Leonard, Delia Whipple, Edmund Bradley, Charles Kerr, John Moir, Hannah Cross, Ann Frances Kerr, E. Moir, Cora Briggs, George Kerr, Sol. W. Leland, Thankful Briggs, and Lydia Meirs - 18. Alvin Leland was chosen Deacon; Sol. W. Leland, Clerk. January 3, 1844, Rev. Ebenezer Brown was employed as minister. Of these members, Deacon Leland died Februarys, 1845; Deacon John Bradley, Roscoe, August 14, 1854; his wife Eunice Bradley, Roscoe, February 14, 1852; S. W. Leland, in Massachusetts, and Delia Whipple in Roscoe.

The first school was taught in Reynolds' old blacksmith shop. The Widow Warner was teacher. - May 14, 1840, the township was divided into six school districts. The school section was mostly sold in 1847.

June 3, 1858, the wife and seven children of Rev. Mr. lUslej, pastor of the Cono;regational Church, were killed or drowned. In building the Madison branch of the Chicago and Galena railroad, a high embankment had been thrown up at the crossing of the creek about half a mile above the village. The culvert was too small for the volume of water, and up to the afternoon of the day of the sad and awful death catastrophe, a pond two miles long, a half a mile in width, and from 25 to 30 feet in depth, had formed above the embankment. About midnight the culvert caved in, the embankment gave way and the water rushed down in one mighty torrent, carrying awav several houses in its maddened rush, among which was the brick house occupied by Mr. Illsley and family, which toppled over and buried beneath its ruins the mother and seven children. Mr. Illsley, who had lost a leg and was comparatively helpless, was carried by the flood nearly down to Rock river, where he caught in a tree and held on until he was found by L. W. Richardson, who waded in and carried him out. In the Roscoe Cemetery, near the northeast corner, the eight bodies of one family, who had not all been united for some time till the day on which their death came, were buried in one day.

The first birth in the town was B. F. Richardson, son of Benjamin and Mary Ann Richardson, May 8, 1837. The first marriage, William H. Riley and Ruth Brown. The first death, William Hale, who was drowned in Rock river, at the mouth of JSTorth creek, June 27, 1837. The first store was opened by Alvan Leland in the house of Albert Tuttle, 1838.

Village of Roscoe. - The history of the village of Roscoe is so closely interwoven that an attempted separate history would be a work of supererogation, all the pertinent and important events being recited above.

The town has about ten shops and stores, which supply the necessities of its 600 inhabitants. Mr. Wm. M. Richardson began manufacturing plows here in 1854. He is now making a sulky plow that is well thought of The Roscoe Mills began work here in 1847; James Thompson, proprietor. In 1867 he sold out t(i Roberts & Stoner. Gristing is the principal work, in which rye bears no unimportant position.

Roscoe Lodge, No. 75, A. F. and A. M. - Organized in the fall of 1849. Ofiicers: Geo. W. Smith, W. M.; A. Collier, S. W.; J. M. Rhodes, J. W.; E. H. Crandall, Treas.; A. T. Clark, Secy. JSTumber of members, 65. Meets Tuesday evening, on or before the full moon.

BRADLEY J. A. Druggist; Roscoe; born in this Co., Roscoe Tp., April 33, 18-15, owns property to the value of $4,000 ; married Miss M. E. Smith, in this Co., Roscoe Tp., in April, 1870; have four children, Clara S., Louis Bristol, Helen Mabel, Maria.

BBADL.EY W. H. Merchant; Roscoe born in this Co., Roscoe Tp., in 1850 owns property to the value of $4,000 married Miss C. M. Shaw, in this Co., Oct, 3, 1876; she was born in N. Y., in 1857; have one child, Frank.

CROSS HON. ROBERT J. (Deceased), whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Newburtr, Orange Co., N. Y., on the first day of "October, 1803, and during his years of minority resided mostly in Bethel, Sullivan Co., of that State.

When about 33 years of age, he, with a younger brother, decided to emigrate to the then far West, and going to Detroit, purchased a farm in Tecumseh, Lenawe Co., Mich., where he remained until 1830. He and his brother then sold out and removed to Coldwater, Mich., where they remained until June, 1835, when he came to his present residence in Winnebago Co., Illinois, where he continually resided until his death. The next year he married Miss Hannah Benedict, of Monroe Co., N. Y., who still survives him. At the time

Mr. Cross came to Roscoe, no land was in market and he was forced to purchase a squatter's right to his present t'ariii, and as some of tlie hind in Wisconsin was subject to entry in tlie Green Bay laud district, he selected some along the Rock river from Janesville to Beloit, and on foot and alone he made his way to Green Bay, through an unbroken wilderness, and bought his land in Wisconsin. From thence via the lakes he returned to Detroit and Coldwater, and in the fall of that year became the occupant of the present homestead. Mr. Cross was essentially a pioneer - a man of strong frame of bodj^ of unyieldmg tenacity for the right; even in boyhood the champion of the feeble, or those he deemed oppressed.

He was a stalwart oak, on whom could ever lean the feeble and the frail - as Minister E. B. Washburne declared, a "Noble Old Roman." A farmer all his life, and yet a firm, reliable business man, as a life constantly occupied in public affairs proved him to be. Yet he was ever as tender in heart as a little child, and his sympathy was even larger than his frame, or his purse ; and truly was it said of him, "those who knew him best, loved him most."

During his residence of 36 years in this County, Mr. Cross was closely and intimatelj^ identified with its development, politically, socially and materially, never being backward in anything that would aid in its moral or religious advancement. A warm friend of education, he always lent a willing hand to aid in building school houses and establishing schools.

Mr. Cross assisted at the organization of the county, being a member of the election board for the first election ever held in it, August, 1836. He was elected by the County Commissioners in 1836, at their first meeting, County Treasurer, which position he held for three years, in 1846, he was elected by the Whigs as a Representative to the General Assembly for this county, and in 1847, hy them as the colleague of Hon. Selden M. Church, a delegate to revise the Constitution of the State. In 1863, he was an independent candidate for the position of delegate to the Convention to again revise the Constitution, but was defeated by a small plurality. In 1869 he was unanimously nominated by the Republicans for member of the Convention that formed our present constitution, and was elected without opiiosition. Later he was nominated by the Republicans and elected one of the three members from Winnebago and Boone Counties to the General Assembly. In all these legislative bodies he has borne an honorable and conspicuous part.

He was also township School Fund Trustee for over thirty consecutive years, during which time the township never suflered loss from the funds being loaned on insufiicient securities, as was the case in most townships.

He had five children, John, Margaret Louisa, William Henry, Marie Antoinette (deceased), and Lewis. The estimation in which he was held was manifest by delegations of the early settlers of the county, members of the Board of Supervisors and from the State Legislature, in attendance at his funeral.

Curtiss Harry B. machinist ; Roscoe. Curtiss John, physician ; Roscoe. Curtiss Wilbur A., Roscoe. Cushman A. laborer; Sec. 14; P. O. Beloit, Wis.

GRISWOLD FRAIfCIS, Farmer; Sec.21 ; P.O. Roscoe ; born in Ontario Co.,]S[. Y., June 17, 1825 ; came to this Co. in 1854 ; owns 84 acres land; married Miss Cynthia Emeline Warner, in Lake Co., O. ; she was born in Madison, O., Dec. 2, 1827 ; have seven children: Amie Eliza, Harriet, Warren, Ida, Anna, Melissa, Charles.

HARWOOD B. F. Retired Farmer; Roscoe; born m Herkimer Co., N. Y., Jan. 3, 1813; came to this Co. in_1843; owns 100 acres land ; first wife was Miss Melissa Stone; pi'esent wife was Lydia Ostrander ; she was born in Canada, May 1, 1815.

IvATHROF SAMIIEJL, Proprietor of the Farmers Hotel, Roscoe,Ill. ; born in Rutland Co., Vermont, Feb. 28, 1815; went from there to St. Thomas, Canada; lived there three years; from there he went to Ohio, where he married Miss Margaret Hays, Jan. 13, 1846; she was born in Penn., Oct. 6, 1821 ; they came to this Co. in 1840 ; have five children : Mary A. (now Mrs. Cheent^y), born Dec. 1, 1847; Esther Alice (now Mrs. Van Antwerp), Aug. 29, 1851; George W., Nov. 24, 1853; Annie Luela, Aug. 19, 1861; Fred. Delos, June 5, 1864. liOVESEB WJH. Farmer; Sec. 25; P. O. Roscoe; born in Berkshire, Eng., Aug. 8, 1818; came to this Co. in 1836; owns 160 acres land; married Miss Harriet Blackington, in Beloit, Wis., Aug. 27, 1847 ; she was born in Ohio, June 29, 1828 ; have seven children. Homer, Harriet, William, Emma, Collins, Ida, Edith.

aicAFFEE j:SfO. Farmer; Sec. 28; P. O. Roscoe; born in Northumberland Co., Penn., in March, 1810; came to this Co. in 1838; owns 112 acres land; has held office of Supervisor two years; married Miss Adeline Alden, in Ogle Co., this State, in 1844; she was born in Bradford Co., Penn.

RAlBfDAl^L. E. H. Dealer in Boots and Shoes ; Roscoe ; born in N. Y. in 1851 ; came to this Co. in 1871 ; commenced business here in Roscoe in 1873 ; owns property to the value of $2,000; has held office of Town Clerk one term.

RHODES^ J. M. Farmer; Sec. 33; P. O. Roscoe; born in this Co., Roscoe Tp., Aug. 25. 1840; owns 107 acres land; has been Supervisor three terms; Justice of the Peace two terms; is Supervisor and Justice of the Peace at present writing; married Miss Louisa Love, in this Co., Aug. 25, 1864; she was born in this Co., in 1843 ; Mr. Rhodes enlisted in 15th Regt. I. V. I., Co. B., May 24, 1861 ; was in battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Siege of Vicksburg, and numerous other engagements.

Roscoe; born in Montgomery Co., N. Y., Jan. 17, 1828; came to this Co. in 1854; owns property to the v;due of $10,000; is Inventor of the Diamond Plow, manufactured by N. C. Thomson, Rockford; married Miss Maria L. Jones, in Mass., Nov. 7, 1854; she was born in Cheshire Co., N. H., Oct. 26, 1834.

value of $3,000; served three years in late war; was in battles of Bulls Run, Petersburg, and numerous other engagements; was honorably discharged in 1865; married Lydia J. Cox, in Beloit, Wis., Dec. 9, 1875 ; she was born in England, March 18, 1841.

WELCH A. H. Painter; Roscoe; born in this Co., Roscoe Tp., Feb. 13, 1850; married Miss Elizabeth Spurlin, in Grundy Co., la.. May 10, 1875; she was born in Ohio.

WILSOX ER:SfEST H. Clerk; Roscoe; Itorn in this Co., Roscoe Tp., Sept. 27, 1856; is Town Clerk, and S( cietary of Roscoe Silver Cornet Band.