Wyoming Township (part 4 of 5)

Mrs. Susan P. Detamore, proprietor of tlie Detamore House, Paw Paw, was a native of Pownal, Bennington county, Vermont, and the youngest child of Jedediah and Tameson Foster. Her parents came to Paw Paw Grove in 1847, but on the way out here she stopped at Eaton, Ohio, and was there through all the fearful scourge of the cholera two years later. Just as this was abating, in September, she was married to David Detamore, whose father and mother, Jacob and Sophia Detamore, and brothers and sisters had all been carried off by this terrible disease. While living here the only child they ever had, Mary E. Detamore, now the wufe of Dr. Thomas D. Palmer, was born, and when they emigrated to Paw Paw, in 1851, she was six months old. On their arrival Mr. Detamore bought the property where the Detamore H[ouse has always stood, and as there was a growing demand for hotel accommodations, they at once opened their doors to entertain the public. In a short time their business had so increased that they were compelled to enlarge their house. In 1850 Mr. Detamore sold the property and gave a bond for a deed. A long and expensive contest in the courts ensued, in the midst of which, in 1859, Mr. Detamore sickened and died. The heavy costs of this suit were paid by Mrs. Detamore from keeping boarders in a little private house. Being declared the rightful owner of the property, she returned to it in the spring of 1861. Since then, with the exception of about a year that she was east to give her daughter the benefits of school, she has remained here continually, and has succeeded in securing a competenc}", and that which she prizes as still more valuable, the respect and good-will of her large circle of acquaintances. Mention was mada to the writer by numerous citizens of the lively interest this lady had ever taken in the welfare of the place, how she had sold lots at low rates, improved buildings, and contributed generally to its growth and prosperity.

William M. Sproul, farmer, stock raiser and dairyman, Paw Paw Grove, was born in Columbia county, Pennsjdvania, August 26, 1821, and was the son of James C. and Euphemia (Marshall) Sproul. His father was from Ireland, and a saddler by trade, followed mercantile pursuits, and was prominent in business. His grandfather Marshall served as a soldier in the revolution, and his mother was of Scotch- Irish descent. William had fair educational advantages, and taught school some four winter terms. On November 18, 1844, he was married to Sarah A. McHard, and immediately settled down to farming on his father's place. Two children were the fruits of this union ; one died in 1847, the mother followed to the grave the next year, and the other child was buried in 1854. Mr. Sproul took a second wife in the person of Miss Charlotte J. Wilson, and the marriage rite was celebrated June 6, 1849. She was the danghter of Richard and Mary (Durham) Wilson. Her grandmother, Margaret Durham, was the wife of James Durham. Long years ago, when the great west, where we now live, was the hunting ground of the savages, and the middle states, some yet unsettled, were on the border, the Indians made an irruption into Pennsylvania. The Durhams were living at the forks of the Susquehanna when the settlement was invaded. As soon as the news of danger reached the people they hurried off to the fort, the women being sent in advance, and Mrs. Durham with a babe in her arms, while the men delayed a little to look after matters. The latter, when moving toward the same place, were attracted by the frantic demonstrations of the lionse-dog, and on going to the spot indicated by his intelligent manner they found Mrs. Durham lying in a shocking condition, scalped and tomahawked, apparently beyond all possible hope of recovery, though lingering signs of life might still be discovered. At length, to their surprise she called for water ; this was brought in a hat, and from this moment she clung to the last chance for life with such restoring tenacity that her recovery was finally accomplished. To add to her grief, her husband was taken prisoner by the Indians. A silver plate mended her fractured skull, and she lived to become the mother of six children. Mrs. Sproul well remembers her brave grandmother. About 1850 Mr. Sproul bought a farm in Pennsylvania; in the spring of 1857 he sold it and emigrated to Illinois, settling in Wyoming township, where he purchased 210 acres in Sec. 27. A tract of eighty acres was partially improved, the remainder was wild land. The house then on the place has a history. It was built entirely of hard wood, spiked together in the most substantial manner, and after being several times moved to different localities has probably found a permanent stopping-place in Paw Paw, where it is owned and occupied for a residence by John Briggs, being evidently improved by its itinerancy. Mr. Sproul has a neatly improved and well stocked homestead, fenced M'ith growing hedges, which contains thrifty orchards and good buildings. He is a first-class butter maker, and the products of his dairy bring the highest prices in Baltimore, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and New Orleans. He received the first premium at the Missouri state fair, held in St. Louis in 1878. He gives most careful personal attention to this business and liis abundant success is but the natural result of his industry and good judgment. By his last marriage Mr. Sproul has three children : Mary Jane, wife, of W. L. Shumaker, Euphemia E., and Sarah Margaret, now Mrs. John R. Crandall, living in Clay county, Kansas. Mr. Sproul is a democrat, and his whole family belong to the Presbyterian church.

William Moffatt and Brother, farmers, importers and breeders of stock, Paw Paw, were the sons of Joseph Moffatt, who was lost on the steamship Canadian in the straits of Belle Isle, Jnne -l, 1861. The steamer struck an iceberg and went down in forty-five minutes. William was born in Ontario county, Canada, August 24, 1837, and the mother died when he was five years old. There were three children younger than he ; Robert and Mary Jane were twins, and the latter died suddenly at the age of seventeen. After the death of the mother the family remained together and labored in unity, and in this way could help one another, making all more prosperous. The father was a thrifty, energetic man, and left a farm for each of his children. They all received a good education in the excellent common schools of their native place. These brothers have been in company since their arrival in the States, in March 1871, and have made a specialty of breeding thoroughbred stock. They resided three years in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, and in March, 1874, moved to this township, where they purchased 430 acres of land. Their farm contains a number of commodious buildings adapted to their business. We noticed a barn 100 feet long, one building 40x60, and another 36x44. The latter is enlarged by shed-roof additions. The Moffatt brothers keep an average of tliirty-five horses, seventy -five head of cattle, and a choice herd of Berkshire swine. They have imported eight horses the present season. " Johnny Ladd," four years old, imported in 1880, \veighs nineteen hundred pounds and is valued at $3,000. In 1878 they competed at Freeport against fourteen herds and received the higliest premium. Calves have been sold from their herd for $300 apiece, and their sales of horses in the last year have amounted to more than $12,000, Robert was married October 23, 1860, to Annie E. Leming, of Yorkshire, England. He is a member of Corinthian Lodge, ISo. 205, A.F. and A.M and is a republican in sentiment, but has not yet taken his naturalization papers. Robert Moffatt, the African missionary, was a cousin to his father, and a daughter of the missionary was the wife of Dr. Livingstone, the explorer.

John Buchanan, farmer. Paw Paw Grove, was born in Sterlingshire, Scotland, December 15, 1815, and was the son of William and Janet Buchanan. His father was a soldier in the English army; he enlisted about the time of the battle of Waterloo for twenty-one years, and served under Wellington, When seventeen years of his service had expired he accepted the ofter of a discharge, accompanied with a land warrant, instead of serving his full time and receiving a pension. He was an excellent scholar and bookkeeper, and could have been promoted to high positions but for the fatal habit of intemperance. The subject of this notice was reared b}'' his grandparents, and when twenty- one years old emigrated to Simcoe eonntj, Canada "West. He lived there from 1830 to 1850 leading a backwoodsman's lite in tlie main, driving ox-teams, and working with axe, auger, hoe, and chain implements. In 1850 he came to Wyoming township, accompanied by his fathei-, and his brother William ; here he bought from the government 240 acres of land in Sees. 17 and 20, and began breaking and raising crops. He still owns the same place, and all the improvements on it are the work of his own hands. As illustrating the rapid growth in value of real estate in this part of the country, and how men's wisdom has been outdone by the prodigious improvement of recent years, it may be mentioned as a curions fact that Mr, Buchanan was once offered 160 acres of land adjoining his farm for $200, but supposing it to be worthless refused to buy. The same land would now sell readily for $50 an acre. Mr. Buchanan was married to Mrs. Elizabeth Wooley September 15, 1855. Their children, four in number, are Janet, William Henry, Mary, wife of Henry Calkins, and Charlie. Janet is afflicted with total deafness, but converses readily with her mother by watching the movement of her lips. She is a read}^ writer, intelligent and interesting, and has a large correspondence. Mr. Buchanan is a democrat, and has been a Presb3'terian some twenty years. One afternoon in 1860 his brother William took his fowling-piece and started out to shoot a crane. He did not return when he ought, and a violent thunderstorm having arisen in the meantime, it was supposed he had taken shelter at a neighbor's, so no search was made. At length, however, he was found dead west of the house, and it was evident that he had been accidentally shot while getting over a wire fence. The shock was so great to his father that his feeble frame gave way and he died the same week. Mr. Buchanan was now alone without a relative in America, but being in a kind comnumity he has found the best of friends.

John Harding, lunibei- dealer and justice of the peace, Paw Paw Grove, was born in Exeter, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, August 1-1, 1831. At the age of sixteen he left home and entered a store as clerk his employer giving him $96 a year, and by close economy' he managed to attend school one term each twelvemonth. Afterward he obtained a scholarship in the Wyoming Seminary, located at Kingston, in his native state, and was in attendance there about three years. In 1851: he was at the ISTew York Conference Seminary in Schoharie county. All this time the voice of Horace Greeley was ringing in his ears, "Go west, young man, go Avest," and in 1855 he left the Empire State to seek his fortune in this section of the country. His journey terminated in Wyoming township, where he engaged in teaching school south of the grove. After a residence here of four years, he returned to the bosom of his childhood, spending there his summers on the farm with his father and mother, and his winters in pedagogy. In 1862 an ungodly rebellion was scourging the land, and a pressing demand for help came from Uncle Sam. Securing at once letters of introduction to prominent men in Washington, he proceeded there in search of a position on public works, and was attached to the engineer corps at Camp Baker and Long Bridge. After nine months in that place he returned home, and on July 21, 1864, was drafted, and on August 1 paid a commutation of $300. On the 21:th he was mustered into the United States service as recruiting officer of Pennsylvania volunteers, holding the rank of second lieutenant. He mustered in seventy-three men ; then went to Harrisburgh and was mustered first lieutenant of Co. G, 210th reg. Pa. Yols., and on September 15 he joined the 5th Corps under command of Gen. Meade. He was in battle at the South Side railroad October 28, and again February 1865, and was wounded while commanding his company at Hatcher's Pun, February 6, by a musket ball passing outward and backward through his right elbow joint. Having received a furlough, he went home, but returned to the army in time to witness the last gasp and to help close the eyes of the defunct slave-holding confederacy. His active military life ended on May 18, 1865, when he was mustered out under general order !No. 82, and special order No. 238, of the war department ; but he was present at the grand reviews of the two armies of Meade and Sherman, which occurred respectively on the 23d and the 24th. On his return from the war, being solicited by his numerous friends in Luzerne county to present himself as a candidate for assemblyman, he did so and received almost the unanimous support of the convention, and became the nominee. It was a democratic " deestrict " and he was defeated by a majority for his opponent of 221 votes. Again the silvery voice of the patriarchal Greele}^ resounded in his ears, and again his steps followed the setting sun, and brought him to Wyoming township. At the close of the war he received $1,705, which represented his savings, and on reaching Paw Paw, in October 1865, he formed a partnership with John Colvill, in the mercantile business. After about four years he sold 'to his partner, and in 1872 began dealing in coal, lime, and agricultural implements. In 1874 he bought the old store formerly used by Colvill & Harding and moved it to a lot south of the highway, with a view of fitting it up for an implement warehouse, but it was demolished by a high wind, and he was forced to replace it with a new structure, which he shortly after disposed of to W. C. Punyan. March 1, 1876, he united in a copartnership with L. Potter under the name of Potter & Harding, and carried on the lumber business until January 1, 1880, when he bought his partners interest, and since that time has continned alone to deal in Iniiiber and plastering materials. Mr. Harding stands prominently in the ranks of those who take a large interest in the welfare of tlie town, and anything necessary to its development never lags for lack of substantial encouragement from liim. He has been useful to many who were endeavoring to secure permanent homes, by selling them lumber on easy terms when they were unable to pay cash. As the result of successful industry and economy lie is the owner of considerable town property, and enjoys a good home.

E. G. Cass, editor and proprietor of " The Lee County Times," Paw Paw Grove, is a native of Illinois, having been born on a farm near Grand Detour, Ogle county, on October 14, 1858. His parents, Jeramel and Sarah Maria (Grover) Cass, were born in Maryland, Otsego county, JSTew York; the former April 28, 1817, and the latter June 26, 1822. In January, 1860, the family moved to Henrj' county, and settled at Galva, where Mr. Cass received his first schooling. In 1867 they went to Dixon, and there the subject of this notice attended the north side public school until November 20, 1870, and being a ready pupil made rapid and solid advancement. Up to this date his life had not been marked by incident, but being of an active and industrious habit and turn of mind he cherished a desire for manual as well as mental employment, and immediately went to work in the printing-office of W. M. Kenned}^, of Dixon, and continued there until September 1877. Daring the whole time he was not out of the office two weeks, except for sickness, and now steady confinement and want of recreation had so told upon his health that he was constrained to quit work altogether for several months. In January, 1878, he formed a partnership with J. 13. Gardner, and took control of " The Paw Paw Herald," then the property of its founder, P. II. Ruggles, of Mendota. Five weeks afterward the office was sold to its present proprietor, and Messrs. Cass & Gardner, on March 21, issued the first number of " The Lee Count}' Times." They also started the *' Compton Record." In May they began the publication of '' The Lee Monitor," for the village of Lee. In August Mr. Gardner retired, and Mr. Cass has since carried on the business alone. In April, ISSO, he commenced the issue of a paper for Earlville, called "The Leader." Mr. Cass was but nineteen years old when he engaged here on his own account ; and having readily worked up a large paying subscription list is evidence that he has conducted his business with ability and success. He is in high standing as a man and Mason. In 1880 he was secretary of Corinthian Lodge, No. 205; in April, 1881, he received the chapter degrees in Mendota, and was created a Sir Knight of Bethany Commandery, No. 28, in the same place.

James Fonda, blacksmith and fanner, Paw Paw Grove, was born at West Troy, New York, October 29, 1816. His parents, William and Abigail Fonda, were both taken away, and James was left an -orphan at nine years of age. His school privileges were so limited that at eighteen he could read and write only Nvitli difficulty. After four years' serving at the blacksmith's trade, he was married, in December of 1837, to Alsina Bacon, a well-educated lad}^, who greatly assisted him. She died May 1, 1852, leaving six children. His second wife was Jane E., daughter of John Hendricks, of Wayne county, !N^ew York. At the date of his first marrias'e he was eio-ht dollars in debt, but at the time of his second marriage he had saved up some $2,500. This was the result of hard work at his trade. Branchingout now he managed, besides his blacksmithing, a large fiirm and sawmill. In his heavy business he met some severe losses, but was in the main successful. In 1867 he sold out, moved to Paw Paw Grove, and bought what was known as the Christie farm, one of the oldest in this region. He still owns this farm, now well known as " Fonda's -Corner." Besides this he also owns property in the village where he now resides. Mr. Fonda had two sons in the service of his country, both in New York regiments. Fitch Fenton Fonda, the eldest son, in 1861, in the 69th New York, was under Gen. Hancock, and taken prisonera t Petersburg at the time of digging Dutch Gap canal, and, after enduring the barbarities and untold sufiering of Andersonville four and a half months, he was released from the tortures of starvation by the silent messenger death. Edwin P. Fonda, the second son, enlisted in the 147th New York, passed through a severe run of typhoid fever, was severely wounded in the battles of the Wilderness, under Warren, in Gen. Grant's campaign ; came home, but returned again after partial recovery. Being a fine penman, he was then detailed as secretary to the quartermaster, and served to the of the war. He is now an engineer on the Union Pacific railroad, with his lieadquarters at Omaha. Another son, James H., is ongineer on the same road, with his headquarters at North Platte.

Jacob Epla, farmer. Paw Paw Grove, son of John and Elizabeth {Derr) Epla, was born in Pockingham county, Virginia, January 9, 1820. His father was a soldier in the last war with Great Britain. His parents were poor, and there were no schools, except an occasional one supported by subscription, but he made the most of his meager opportunities and tolerable progress in the elementary studies, though he was not a pupil between the ages of eleven and twenty-one. The he wore in his boyhood, was all made from fiax raised by his father, and wrought into cloth by the industrious and tireless hands of his mother. He tells how in those daj's every girl had a spinning wheel and went about to do work with it at 75 cents and $1 a week. In September, 1S37, the subject of this sketch came to Champaign county, Oliio, and liired out on a farm for $7 per month. In 18-10, being vet six months in his minority, he paid his father $30 for this time, and made, as he facetious!}^ says, $5 by the speculation, which was his only capital at majority. He came with a younger brotiier on foot to Terre Haute, Indiana, on September 1, 1840, where he hired for a year to work on a farm. This was the hardest year's work he ever did. Pie and his brother picked fifteen acres of corn, cleared and fenced twenty-three acres of heavy timber and had 7,000 oak rails left, cut sixty cords of wood, and burned 200,000 brick. The two following 3^ears he worked in the same neighborhood. He was married March 2, 1841, to Catherine Farnham, daughter of James Farnham, of Edgar county, Illinois. He rented land, followed teaming, and bought forty acres in the dense woods, clearing ten and building a cabin. Tliis property he traded for a team in February 1845, and at once set out for Lee county, Illinois. He rented from Charles Pelcher that year the farm of 120 acres where the Oak Grove Creamery is situated, and also received from the government a patent for forty acres of the farm he now owns on Sec. 9, in Wyoming township. The cluster of hard maples standing in his yard were set out by him the same season. His present house was built about 1857. He enlarged his f^irm to 200 acres, but has conveyed forty of this to his son Josiah, who is occupying it. For six or seven years after coming to this county Mr. Epla was engaged in teaming much of the time. He hauled wheat to Chicago and sold it for 40 cents a bushel, and brought back goods and lumber, which he says he has " hauled all over these prairies." In an early day, about 1840, Mrs. Epla's brother started from Paris in Edgar county, this state, for Paw Paw with a load of apples, and though traced fifteen miles nothing was ever afterward heard of him. Mr. and Mrs. Epla have been the parents of five children. They have buried two, and the living ones are Sarah, wife of E. M. Babbitt; Josiah, and Mary, now Mrs. Isaac Christie, of Iowa. Mr. Epla is a republican, and past-grand of Anchor Lodge, I.O.O.F.

Lester Harding, former, Paw Paw Grove, was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, February 24, 1815. He traveled through this section of country and visited friends here in 1836 and again in 1839. April 28, 1842, he was married to Miss Jcrusha Plall, daughter of Jonathan Hall, of his native county. In 1846 he moved from there with his family, and was thirty-six days performing the journey. In passing over nearly the same route since, by the improved means of travel, which consumed only thirty-six hours, he could not refrain from noticing the striking contrast, and reflecting on the wonders of the age in which we live. Mr. Harding's father, Isaac Harding, settled here a year prior to his arrival, and purchased from the government 160 acres in Sec. 9, Wyoming township. Sixty acres lying in the northwest quarter he conveyed to our subject when he came, and this he still owns and occupies. He built his house in 1848, hauling his lumber from Chicago. Mr. Harding and his father both promptly acquired high places in local influence and public confidence. The latter had been here but a short time when he was elected to the responsible office of county commissioner, and was a member of the court and assisted to divide the county into townships, when that system of local goverimient was adopted. Mr. Harding himself was the second sujiervisor of Wyoming township, and held that trust five years. Besides his services in that position he has filled every other township oflice. In 1858 he was elected sherifi:' of Lee county, and discharged the duties of that position three years. Politically Mr. Harding is a democrat, and it is a fact worthy of remark that he and Judge Charters are the only men of that persuasion who have been elected to a county office in Lee county in twenty-two j-ears. In 1861 Mr. Harding went to Colorado, and from thence in the spring of 1863 to Montana. In the spring of 1865 he visited British Columbia, and arrived home in October after journeying sixty days. A mine which he sold for tBl^OOO, in three months after the sale yielded $8,000. Mr. and Mrs. Harding have had five children ; three are living and have their homes in Nebraska. One son and a son-in-law are engineers on the Union Pacific railroad, and live at North Platte. The recently deceased wife of John Colvill was a sister to the subject of this notice. A brother of his is Garrick M. Harding, president judge of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. Daniel M. Harris, farmer and stock raiser, Paw Paw Grove, M^as born in Cayuga county, New York, July 9, 1825. His parents were Daniel and Miriam (Page) Harris. In September, 1816, Mr. Harris came to this township, and bought the farm he has since occupied, as well as a part of the farm opposite, the two pieces being in Sees. 5 and 8, making 120 acres altogether. He returned to his father's place in New York, and on November 18, 1818, was married to Christee Ann Adeline Carmer, of Auburn. In the following spring they came to their prairie home in the west, and the same season built the small part of the house now owned by the Potter heirs, known as the " red roofed house." About 1851 they erected the small part of the house they now occupy. Two stages passed their place daily. In wet seasons it was not uncommon for Mr. Harris to have to get up at night and hitch to the stage with his ox-team, while the passengers with rails in hand lifted at the wheels, when a lift and a pull together would bring the stalled coach out to firm footing. In those times, says Mr.

Harris, his family rode to clinrch at South Paw Paw beliind yoked oxen, they not yet having begun to keep horses. These excellent people are the parents of three children : William Arthur, Evart M., living in Marshall county, Kansas, and Dale E., at home. Mr. Harris has been commissioner of highways several years, and is now school trustee. He was deacon in the Baptist church of Paw Paw nine or ten years, and is a republican in politics. Mr. Harris is held in high esteem by all who know him.

W. A. CoNANT, farmer, Paw Paw Grove, was born in Chenango county, July 2-i, 1832, and the son of Elihu and Jeanette E. (Johnson) Conant. His school advantages were quite fair, and included two terms at Glens Falls. He never had any difficulty in keeping at the head of his classes. He came to Wyoming township in the spring of 1849, was married to Charlotte L. Erwin, of Shabbona, and settled on Sec. 27. He bought 200 acres, and has since added to it till now^ he owns 640 acres. They have three children living: Sarah Jeanette, Mary Elizabeth, and William Terry. Sarah is Mrs. Simon Mann, of the Chicago Stove Works. Mr Conant has one of the largest and best farms in the county. Mr. Conant enlisted in Co. Iv, 75th reg. 111. Inf., and did three years' faithful service. He was in the engagements at Perryville, Stone River, Lookout Mountain, Mission Pidge, Ringgold Gap, and the Atlanta campaign. He was wounded at Perryville. At the reunion of Co. K, September 27, 1881, when a permanent organization was formed, J. C. Howlett was elected president. William A. Conant vice-president, and James H. Thompson secretary and treasurer. Anotlier item of Mr. Conant's history is given elsewhere in this work. To that the writer gave careful investigation, and has given the facts. These speak for themselves.

Isaac B. Berry, farmer and stock raiser. Paw Paw Grove, son of James W. and Margaret (Baldwin) Berry, was born in Onondaga county, iSTew York, March 24, 1813. He was raised on his father's farm, and at the age of fifteen moved with his parents to Oswego county, where he left home four years later to learn the carpenter and joiner trade in the city of Oswego. In the fall of 1836 he came to^ Ottawa, Illinois, worked at his trade a few months, and then went to Chicago, where he remained till the next autumn. From there he went to Warrenville, then in Cook but now in Du Page county, took a claim and improved it, and lived twenty-five years. He was married in that place to Mary Louise Ward, who survived only tw^o years. In 1856 he celebrated his second marriage, with Harriet E. Rogers, of Naperville, His two children are L. Louise, and Mary E., now Mrs. W. A. Pratt. In 1862 Mr. Berry came to Lee county and bought 314 acres of land lying in Sees. 4 and 5, in Wyoming township, and

Source changes here: from History of Lee County, Illinois, by Stevens, Frank Everett, published 1914; 16,039 words in this source stream.

Wyoming Township

This township prohably contained more Indians in the year 1834, when the whites began to penetrate Lee connty, than any other township in the connty. Of course then there were no townships. I speak of the six mile area, which subsequently constituted the Government township.

When the treaty of Prairie du Chien was negotiated July 29, 1829, by Gen. John McNeil, Col. Pierre Menard and Caleb Atwater, with the Pottawatomie Indians, a considerable portion of the lands granted were located in and near Wyoming township. First of coiirse comes our old friend, Shabbona, called in the treaty, Shabeh-nay. He was given two sections "at his village near the Pawpaw Grove." This grant was over the county line into DeKalb county, just a little ways.

Madeline Ogee, wife of Joseph Ogee, was given "one section west of and adjoining the tract herein granted to Pierre Leclerc, at the Paw-paw Grove." The Leclerc tract granted was, "To Pierre Leclerc, one section at tlie village of the As-sim-in-eh-Kon, or Paw-paw Grove." Thus we get therein the Indian name for the grove. By some misconception the grant always has been called the LeClere or LeClair section. The statutes from Avhich I quote, i^laiuly enough spell the name several times "Leclerc."

By reason of its early association with Indians, particularly Shabbona, Paw Paw, in the eye of the author always has possess(Kl a sort of romantic life. His boyhood associations, just over the line into DeKalb county, in Paw Paw township, too, have tended to

At the organization of the county, Wyoming was in Inlet precinct. Paw Paw Grove attracted the settlers. The native forests of giant oaks in this township jn'esented to the eye of the settler a never ending sui)ijly ut fuel. With tlie beginning of townships in 1850, it was named Paw Paw. and so it should ha^e remained, but owing to the imaginary confusion, which was feared would result from the adjoining town in DeKall^ county, bearing the same name, it was changed to Wyoming. Tradition says lots were drawn to see which town should have it.

Over east, partly in Lee county and partly in DeKall) county, there was erected tlie village of East Paw Paw, once the most promising and prosperous place between Dixon and Chicago. In Wyoming township, the present village, west of the grove, was called Paw Paw Grove or West Paw Paw, and on Aug. 1, 1871, it was platted as Paw Paw Grove.

One other village, in section 24 on the DeKalb county line, sprang up, designated South Paw Paw or LeClair Postoffice, though it never was platted. Thus it will be seen that a nndtiplicity of Paw Paws had sprung up. To simplify the matter, James Goble, of that township, subsequently sheriff, suggested that because so many of the early settlers came from the Wyoming valle}^ in Pennsylvania, that Wyoming be adopted as the name. Accordingly, Isaac Harding, Warren Badger and Lorenzo Wood, constituting the county commissioners court, changed the name to Wyoming, and on May 14, 1851, the board of supervisors officially ordered that "the township formerly called Paw Paw, shall hereafter be called Wyoming."

The paw paw grew luxuriantly here in early 3^ears. This tract of timber covered over two thousand acres then. Much like Palmyra township, the grove contained thousands of black walnut trees, hard maple oak, hickory, cottonwood, butternut and sycamore, plums, blackberries and gooseberries grew plentifully. On the east side not far from the county line, was a beautiful sjiring of rare water. At the northwest corner was another. This latter fed Paw Paw creek which I'uns from the northwest corner in a southeasterly direction and joins Indian creek, which flows on into the Illinois river.

When later David A. Town came along in the fall of 1834, he went down to see Kelsey about the claim. Mrs. Kelsey came out in Sei^tember, 1834, and she has related many stories about the Indians.

The Indians induced Griggs to cut many trees with the expectation of finding honey. "When after many failures he declined to continue, they tried to induce ]Mr. Kelsey, Ijut he declined i^eremptorily. For his decision., he was dubbed "good she-mo-ka man," while Griggs was called '-she-mo-ka man, ishnoba," no good. Kelsey came before Griggs, but they built the house together. The two were partners and by a subsequent look at Kelsey 's diary, it has been found that he located there Jan. 20, 1834.

Tracy Reeve of Princeton, in ^lay, ISiU, went to the grove with three other men, to locate claims, but believing it all to be included in the reservations, they slept in Indian huts over night, during which a fearful storm raged. Next day they went to Troy Grove, the nearest settlement. This part}' did not meet a solitary person, red or white, at Paw Paw Grove.

I sujipose some little detail of past history about these two, Kelsey and Reeve, might l)e interesting especially about Kelsey. His wife wrote that Mr. Kelsey came west in the fall of 1828. He peddled clocks in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and other southern states. During his travels he was taken sick many times. Once at Alexandria, a man in bed beside him died. He went on to St. Louis, where he was quite ill all winter. At Palmyra, Illinois, he studied with a physician. Gravitating back to St. Louis he found himself in miserable health when the cholera bi'oke out in 1832. When well enough, he took a peddler's pack and started to peddle Yankee notions for a St. Louis firm. He was in that emplo^inent when he entered Paw Paw Grove and became its first squatter.

On the retui'n of Reeve, he attemi:)ted to cross a creek swollen by the floods. In this effort his wagon tipped over and he turned a somersault over the dashboard.

Next morning when desiring to pay his tavern I till he found his money, about eight dollai's in. silver, had disappeared. Retracing his course, he foimd it and was about to return to Ti'oy Grove when a band of about thirty Indians overtook him.

with a hearty laugh, permitted his departure in peace. They told him in expecting to scare him, the.y had anticij)ated a rare treat. But he did not scare, and that ended his effort at settlement in Lee county.

In characterizing a person as the first settler of a community, actual and continuous settlement should be considered. The man who enters a country first and tarries a lirief period and then leaves, miglit be called moi-e properly, a discoverer or visitor.

To Daniel A. Town belongs the distinction of beconung the first settler of Paw Paw Grove ; it was in tlie autmmi of 1834. He built his log house on the southeast side of the grove ; a 16x18 affair, with the door in the east end, a six-light window in the west end and a big chimney and fireplace in the north end. The chimney like all the first ones was built on the outside, of split sticks, laid cob fashion, jilastered between and lined inside with mud or clay.

There was a floo]' in this cabin, made of l)(jards split from logs and dressed by a broad-axe. The roof was made of shakes, split, about three feet long and four or five inches wide and laid double. Poles laid lengthwise held them up, and poles outside held them down. O. P. Johnson, later of Brooklyn, helped make this house and he says he and three others built it in a day and a half.

Later he bought part of the Ogee section of Mrs. Alcott in the manner set foi'th in the chapter devoted to Ogee. On this claim, he built his second house at the north end of the grove.

With Mr. Town came his wife, and four children: George, Maltha, David A., Jr., and Sarah. It is said of him that when applied to for the sale of seed grain at a high price, he would refuse, saying, "You are al>l(' to l)uy elsewhere; 1 have needy neighbors to whom I must give this."

Once a stranger came to him to ask the direction to a certain place. Given him, the stranger took the opposite direction. This Mr. Town did not like; so he overtook the stranger, wormed the story oiit of him that he was a coiinterf eiter ; took away his dies, and got him sent to the penitentiary..

David A. Town was the terror to liorse thieves and the banditti, and for that more than any other reason, early Paw Paw was not luiicli disturlied. Inlet to the west and East Paw Paw to the east

Very soon the Harris, Butterfield, Ploss and Wilcox people came along, all related or intermarried. They came in one colony from Michigan with Rev. Benoni Plarris, then over seventy, as its head. Eight adult childi'en of the latter came too.

The dwelling occupied by those colonists, was a double log cabin, built t)n their arrival. Later, Mr. Harris built the first frame house at the grove. Mrs. Harris was the first to die in this new settlement.

In the spring of 1835, Edward Butterfield, who married one of Mr. Harris' daughters, came to the west end of the grove and made a claim on the southeast of 10 and thereon he built a cabin, on the south side of the Chicago road. It was the first house on the west side; it was located on the first claim; it was the home of the first married C(»ui)le ; it was the first store and it was the first house to be burned.

John Ploss, another son-in-law of Reverend Harris, made the first settlement on the south side of the grove ; but he did not remain long. In the autiuun, he returned to Michigan. His settlement was called Routli Paw Paw.

The hrst stage house and tavern was built on the Chicago road, about midway between the two Paw Paws, east and west, by Isaac or Asahel Balding. This man S( »ld it t( - William Rogers ; he to Dick Allen ; he to John Simms, who UKjrtgaged it for $400 to get out of the Chicago jail, his son John, who was held there for passing bogus money.

At this point the Ogee and Leclerc sections may as well be noticed and then passed up. In 1836 Job Alcott located and built his cabin on the south side of the Chicago road not far from East Paw Paw. After his marriage with Madeline Ogee, he sold the west half of the section to David A. Town for $1,000 in silver, and later he sold the east half to William Rogers. After great trouble, William Mc^NIahan found the witness trees marked OG and forthwith he platted the land. Before that time Willard Hastings had platted it, but because it had not been recorded, no end of trouble was encountered.

tlian any of the others. He lived here until about 1850. He opened a tavern in his house wliich was located next west of Alcott's place. Alcott by the way, was from Ohio. After Alcott had remained a few years he sold his place to a man named Musselman, who built the famous Hallow House on the premises, noted for 3'ears, for its dancing house and bar.

By a letter dated Sept. 19, 1913, signed by the commissioner of Indian Affairs, I am told concerning Alcott's deeds, "One of the deeds conveying pai't of this resei've, w^as signed by Job Alcott, as the husband of Madeline. In the other two deeds, he signs by mark as Job P. Alcott, the husband of Madeline. These three deeds which were all approved Ainil 17, 184:4, conveyed 620 acres."

Thus after long research, I have solved the Ogee-Alcott mysteries. Ogee was alive in 1838 at Dixon's Perr,y. He died soon after and was buried, first near the corner of First street and Peoria avenue (southeast corner) ; then many years afterwards when his bones were discovered, they were interred in Oakwood cemetery.

But I must not conclude without giving what the Lee county records show. Jol) P. Alcott and Madeline his wife, conveyed by warranty deed to William Rogers, "A certain tract or parcel of land known and described as the northeast corner of a certain tract of land given to said Madeline, a Pottawatomie woman, then the wife of Joseph Ogee, luider the 4th article of the treaty of Prairie du Chien, of the 29th of July, A. T>. 1829, containing eighty acres. This deed was dated Nov. 14, 1842; the consideration was $800; it was acknowledged Nov. 14, 1842, liefore Noah Leabo, a justice of tlie jieace in and for Holt county, Missouri.

A modern description woidd read, the " Fast half of the northeast quarter." On the same date. Alcott and wife conveyed to the same party fV>r $1,250, "the east half of said grant of one section of land, under said treaty exclusive of a lot of eighty acres of said half section of land alreadv in ]iossession of said "William Rogers and this day hv us conveyed to him, it being the intention of the said Job and Madeline Alcott. to convey to said Rogers 220 acres more or less of said east half of said land." 80 and 220 made 300 aci'es.

Town bonglit the other half. To repeat his conveyance would be tiresome. I simply give these dates to show that in 1S42, Alcott had left Lee county and that at best he could not have lived more than six years in Lee county. But I think 1 have got the dates down still closer; Mr. David Smith who came to Willow Creek when six years old in the year 1837 says by letter dated Oct. 8, 1913, that in that year of 1837, Alcott was living on his claim neai' Paw Paw^ That he believes Alcott and Morgan lived in the sauie house, and that Alcott 's wife was an Indian woman. Mr. Smith also has the impi-ession that Alcott and Morgan were related. Further than this, Mr. Smith is positive that Alcott left the next spring of 1838.

Mr. Smith never has made a mistake in his statements of early Lee county history, so that we may put it down that between 1836 and 1838 Alcott was Madeline's husband, and that in 1838 he left the country with his wife and w^as living with her so late as 1814. in Holt coimty, Missouri.

The Leclerc section was surveyed in 1813 Iiv Wheeler Hedges and the plat was recorded at once. Samuel J. Best and August Wiley are said to have purchased the LeClair or Leclerc section, at $2.25 per acre.

On July 4, 1836, Samuel McDowell was married to Miss Delilah Harris. This was the first wedding and Shabboua, the Indian chief, was one of the invited guests. After the wedding the men went into the grove and cut a lil^erty pole and carrying it back, fastened a flag to it and erected it, the first fuuction of the kind I^erformed in Lee county.

The second wedding was that of George Town and Fidelia Sawyer, Dec. 13, 1836. Some histories claim this was the first wadding celebrated in Wyouiing: that the othei' was over the line.

Wareham or Wiram Gates, dubbed "Bogus" Gates, frequented this Morgan tavern. What was called the box game was played there extensively. T<i quote an authority, "Supposing bogus money could he bought at a lil)eral discount, and an applicant would come for it. A sample box of the 'stuff,' wdnch w^as good money, in layers of sand, would be sho-mi, with the remark that the negotiation could be arranged and the price paid, but delivery of the base coiu woxild only be made by being placed at the foot of a certain tree at 10 o 'clock at night ; but when the buyer came to the rendezvous in the darkness, confederates of the other party would cry out, 'Here he is ; now we'll fix him!' and discharges of firearms and other alarms would cause the person who came, to flee in terror, wdthout getting what he bargained for. ' '

Bogus Gates protested his innocence always, but some of the bad coin was found dangerously close to his house and too, two horse thieves, with the property in their possession, were caught at his premises.

In this township there are four cemeteries. Willard Hastings donated the ground for the tirst one. The Presbyterians own another called Cottage Hill. The Baptists at South Paw Paw own another, and near the old Lester Harding jjlace is another. It is a sad commentary to notice the disaster time has wrought with many of the markers over the graves, although latterly, efforts have been made to repair them.

The first schoolhouse built of poles, in 1836, on what later became the Meade farm, not more than 12x12, was taught by Emily Giles from Fox river. She received $1 per week and boarded round. Tuition was paid for by subscription. Mrs. Andrew Breese also taught there. This schoolhouse was located on the north side of the road. The hrst school, however, was held in a log house on the north side of the Dixon road. One of the teachers was a traveling Irishman who had been highly educated. He had a remarkable memory and could (juote the poets ad libitum. But the poor fellow drank heavily like so many of the hrst itinerant schoolmasters.

Vacated cabins aud private houses were used at one time and another, too, in which to hold schools. Among the early teachers were Rolxn't Walker, Adams, Willard Hastings, Deacon Boardman, Walter Hyde, Basswood. Mary Harding, Mrs. Amasa Harringfon, Elisha A. Stanton, and Mrs. Andrew Breese, before her marriage. Walker who came licrc with May and Breese in 1841, taught in the Comstoek lilacksuiith shop imtil about the year 184G.

The first frame school ))uil(ling was built as early as 181G near the location of the creamery sul)sequently, in Paw Paw. About 1848 the country was divided into districts and about 18()0, district No. 1 was graded.

Bcnoni Harris preached at diffei-ent times as early as the winter of ]8:U-:ir), in his son's cal)in. In 18:)9 the venerable Father Morris preached around in some of tlie different cal)ins. About the same time, the circuit preachers came along ; among tlie iirst were Peter Cartwright, Elders White, Limiery, lUoiizo Carter, and Batchelder, all Methodists ; and Elders Carpenter, Charles Harding, and Norman Warriner, who were Baptists. The appearance of the average circuit rider was about once in three months.

The Iirst postmaster was William Rogers. The mail was carried along this route as early as 1834, but in 1837 a star route was established. Before an office was opened here, Somonauk, fifteen miles to the east, was the common postofiice for the settlers. Isaac Robinson was 2)ostmaster along about 1838 or 1839. In 18-11, Willard Hastings was postmaster. He kept a store and tavern and carried the mail from Paw Paw to Princeton via the Four Mile grove. By reason of the junction of the roads at Paw Paw, the place enjoyed a considerable boom for many years. J. D. Rogers was another mail carrier. Among some of the other early postmasters were Hiram Wood, William H. Robinson, James Simons and Jolm Colvill.

Wyoming was organized in 1850, like so many other townships, under the name of Paw^ Paw. The first town meeting to elect officers was held at schoolhouse number 5, at which 113 votes were cast. David A. Town was selected supervisor and John Colvill was elected town clerk. As already stated the name soon was changed to W^yoming.

George Town 's house was built of hewn logs and was the second one to be built on the town site of Paw Paw, in 1837. Edward ButterfiekLs, built in 1835, was the first.

In 1811 the little grocery burned down and for a considerable period thereafter there was no store in Paw Paw. Peddlers during this period did a thriving business. 8o late as the spring of 1847, the place contained but half a dozen families and its business interests all were comprised in the smithy and a shingle mill. But beginning with this year the settlei's came in rapidly and the place showed rapid improvement. The peddlers began to look elsewhere, although the peddler performed a useful mission in those days. One of them, William H. Field, traveled that territory from 1843. Among the first business men to locate in Paw Paw were John Colvill and Jacob Rogers, ''Prairie," who ran the shingle mill. Dr. J. C. Heath, from Somonauk, was the first physician to locate there, sometime between 184(i and 1849. In the last named year,

Field and Robinson put up a building and began merchandising in the fall of ] 848. In a year or so they dissolved and Field erected a building of his own and went into 1>usiness.

As early as 1841, Charles Pelcher Inirned brick at the east end of the grove and Mr. Hastings was the first to build a brick house from the product.

Mechanics moved in. Here as in all other places, the blacksmith was the prosperous man. Aiuong the earlies were the Walton brothers. Sylvester Smith was a shoemaker and Eri Butler was an early wagon maker. In 1849 Isaac Moriis began his career as shoemaker. John Allen was an early carpenter. Alouzo Osborn and James S}TTiouds built places and did a flourishing business in the manufacture of wagons and plows. As many as five fires were kept liurning all the time. William Cole, Thomas Webster, Bmiker, Leonard Bell and Major Morse all worked over the anvil there in early times. Bxit L. H. Flagg was the most distinguished. His voice was a deep bass, very sweet and he was a famous singer. For almost a lifetime he continued as justice of the peace in Paw Paw and between him and John Colvill all the legal papers of the countryside were made by them. After 1850 John Colvill was an active merchant. He built several buildings.

Andrew Breese opened a dry-goods store here in 1852. Of^ course there were manv others coming and going, but those ali'eady namecl were the first ones and about the only ones history has to do with.

1877, R. H. Ruggles issued the first lunnber of the Herald. In Januar}', 1878, Ezra C Cass and J. B. Clardner, took it over, but on February 22, W. M. Geddes took charge of it, and on March 21,

1878, Messrs. Cass and Gardner issued the first number of the Lcc Couiifji Times. At about the same time these gentlemen started the Lee Monitor and the Coiiiptoii Feeord. In August Gai'dnei' dropped out of the partnership and INlr. Cass continued. In Ai)ril, 1880, he started the Earl r ill e Leader.

Ezra Cass was a remarkable man in many ways. When he started the papei'S in Paw Paw he was l)ut nineteen years old. Not very long aftei' his Earlville venture he died of consiunption. Many have said he worked himself to death to win success.

The Baptist Church Avas ui'gauized at the house of Deacon Oi'laudo Boardniau, at South Paw Paw, in February, 1841. Tliere were present at the meeting. Elder Burton Carpenter, from Dixon ; Elder Thomas Powell from Vermilion, and Elder Eladle}' from LaMoille. Elder Carpenter preached the organization sermon and Elder Powell i)reached the second sermon. Thirteen members composed that lirst organization meeting. Elder Carpenter preached alxmt two months and he was succeeded bv Elder Charles Harding, who was the first regularly installed preacher. He resided at Indian Creek and sup}»lied the pidpits at Paw Paw, Ottawa, Dayton, Indian Creek and Paw Paw. Rev. Norman Warriner was the second minister, and he continued for twenty years. In South Paw Paw. a house of worship was ei'ected duiiug the pastorate of Mr. Warriner, 24x36. Deacon Orlando Boarcbuan contributed most of the cost. ToAvards the close of Mr. Warriner's pastorate another church Ijuilding, 36x60 was built in 1864 and in 1873 it was moved to Paw Paw and remodeled.

About 1870 the Presl)yterian worshipers began holding meetings in the sehoolhouse and Rev. Alexander S. Peck preached for them regularly every two weeks. In May, 1873, the society was duly organized and in 1875 their new church at a cost of $1,900 was built.

In 1869 the ^lethodists met at the sehoolhouse where Elder Lazenliy preached. Tn the year 1875 imder the work of Reverend Pomeroy, their church was built. In 1857 the Cottage Hill or Wyoming Presbyterian Society was organized. In 1858 a building, 20x40 was l)uilt. Tn 1863 to care for the increased numbei's, this building was sold and a larger church Iniilding 36x60 with a steeide eighty feet high, was built at a cost of $2,000.

The first Sunday school at the grove was instituted I)y the Rev. Benoni Harris in the little Mead sehoolhouse; the second one at the Robert Walker sehoolhouse and the third in the frame schoolhouse near the big spring. The fii'st Sunday school picnic was held abont the time of the organization of this last one and was attended with much ]>omp. James Goble was marshal of the day, and Elder O. W. Bryant orator.

The settlers of Wyoming were very much like the settlei's of the other settlements and many are the yai'ns which have been spun about them. To repeat them all woidtl take several volumes.

Jacob D. Rogers came fi'om Pennsylvania and settled at Paw Paw in 1837. He was a powerful man. On one of his trips to Chicago, the merchant of whom he had bouuTit a barrel of salt excused liiniself from assistiug to lift it iuto the wagon. To show his disgust, Rogers lifted the l^arrel up aud tossed it iuto the wagon. He was a member of the vigilance coimuittee and no member of the banditti ever attempted to become familiar with liim or his property.

At another time he desired his hired men to throw five three- ))ushel sacks of oats into the wagon. They suggested that the wagon might be driven to the l)aru for the purpose. Mr. Rogers threw one sack on one shoulder ; another sack on the other shoulder and then had the men add a sack more to each shoulder, and then the fifth was put up as a rider, making a dead weight of 480 pounds. To emphasize his disgust, he remarked, "If either one of you men is too lazy to walk across the road, I will carry him on top, if the other has ambition enough to put him there."

He maintained an underground station for the escape of slaves. In those days most of the school teachers were drunken fellows. Mr. Rogers disliked them so cordially that he l^uilt a log schoolhouse, hired a teacher aud joined with others to fill it.

During this early period the Indians were very friendly. Waubausie, a noted chief, and a great friend to Shabbona, was located at the grove when the settlers I)egan to arrive. He was not so susceptible to ci\'ilizing infiueuees as 81ialjboua, neither w^as he so intelligent. At one time, earlier, he was regarded as a bloodthirsty enemy of the whites and during the Indian Creek massacre of 1832, he midonbtedly kuew^ all aljout the plan aud urged its enactment. But with the conclusion of the war, he was what might be called a good Indian.

At oue thiie when those Indians had been started on their migration to their new reservation, 1,000 of them camjjed around the big spring. They were quiet and made no effort to disturb the settlers. So soou as they had been paid olf the}' resumed their journey westward.

I have had occasion to mention the frequency of the taverns along the highways, great and small. Being the great artery connecting the two ijrincipal towns in Northern Illinois, the Chicago road was dotted along with taverns and it seems at this time as tlioiigh the Paw Paws liad nioic than their share.

Over in East Paw Paw a trn\elei' sto]jped at the Jacob Wirick tavern. AA'hen the woman UMxdv the beds next morning, she found there a sack or portmanteau of mone}'. It was not disturbed and when the guest left, of course he took his muue}' with him. lie had l)eeii shot as I have been told and a woman came and tended him. Later she left, and then the man. In fact my mother, conversant with the facts, has said so. Subsequent to this the guest was arrested for horse stealing, lie sent for his wife and told her he had buried the money near a fence and marked the spot with a notched stick. She tried very hard to locate the money but failed. Of course the affair got noised about and man}- a search was instituted.

By an accident, almost incredible, Harris Breese noticed a notched stick near a fence one day, and he broke it off and stai'ted for the village. ]\Ieeting Robert Hampton, he told the latter of his find and asked him to join in digging. Incredtdously they began, ])ut soon they dug up the sack which contained in Spanish doubloons, the equivalent of .^900. This was divided equally and it became the foundation of Mr. Hampton's ample fortune.

The dates of early Wyoming settlements have been put down in other books so many times that it would seem iminteresting to repeat them here. But so long as the books are not accessible, I must set them down without allusion to subsequent careers.

Levi Kelsey, Joel Griggs, David A. Town, Tracy Reeve, the visitor, Oliver P. Johnson, D. A. Town's family (Mrs. Town was Aunt Roxy), Rev. Benoni Harris and wife, and eight children, six of whom were married, Edward Butterfield, John Ploss and John Wilcox, the last three of wdiom were sons-in-law; these all came in 1834.

Butterfield was another Black Hawk war veteran, who, attracted here by the beauty of the country, was instnunental in bringing out the colony.

Isaac or Asahel Balding, Russell Town and five children, Hosea, Harriet, David, Zerah and Elizabeth ; a Mr. Alger, whose grave is said to have been the first made in the grove, all came in 1835.

Job Alcott came in 1836. It is the general impression that he married Madeline Ogee before settling there; when or where nobody can tell. I have written evei'v county clerk in the north half of Illinois, but no mai'riage license was issued from any of the comities. Charles Morgan came in 1836 ; so did William Rogers, the first postmaster. He was the man who had charge of the removal of the Indians in 1837 to Council Bluffs, and it is more than likely that 1836 or 1837 is the date he bought his half of the

Ogee section. He could not have bought it before because he came here iu the year 1836. Subsequently he became an officer in the Mexican war and still later sheriii* of the county iu which Sacramento, California, is situated.

Henry and Medad Comstoek came in 1836 ; they were brothers and blacksmiths. Both were drowned in 1839 while hunting ducks in Iowa. Samuel McDowell, 1836 ; his marriage with Delilah Harris, July -i, 1836, was the first wedding in the grove; Levi Carter came iu 1836 and his marriage with Mrs. Gillette was the third.

Jacob D. Rogers came in 1837 from Pennsylvania. James Goble, later came iu 1837; William Jenkins and family, 1837; John Sims, 1837, opened a tavern west of David A. Town 's.

In 1838 came Rev. Caleb Morris and family, including his daughter, Mrs. Nancy Rol)iuson, a widow, and her seven children, six sons and one daughter. These located south of the grove. Mr. Mead, too, came this year, purchased a claim south of the road of Benjamin Harris, and Ijuilt on it. Mr. Dunbar, who died soon after, settled at Four Mile Grove in 1838, just over in LaSalle county.

Deacon Orlando Boardman came in 1840, from Pennsylvania and settled on a claim Ijought from El)er St. John. It is said of Charles Morgan that he told Deacon Boardman, "whether I am an abolitionist or not, my best mares are."

Deacon Hallock also came in 1840, and he is authority for the statement that then eighteen families encircled Paw Paw Grove, thii'tcen of whom were in Wyoming township, besides one White and French Pete, who was Pierre (Peter) Leelerc or LeClair. I must be pardoned in my orthography of this word ; it appears in every conceivable form.

Bailey Breese came the same season and bought a claim from William Rogers, which included a good portion of the land on which East Paw Paw is sitiuated. This Mr. Breese was a man highly educated; public spirited, and commanded great influence in the community.

Peter May came in 1841, May 5th, and bought from George Town nearly all the laud on which the town or village of Paw Paw now stands. About the year 1851 he disappeared mysteriously and beyond any question he was murdered. In 1879, when remoAdng an old fence which surrounded his premises, the l)ones of a human being were found buried l)cneath it. Undoubtedly they were Peter's bones. The supposition was that in a di'iuiken brawl he

In 1863, a i)eculiar tragedy was enacted. The city marshal of Meudota, accompanied by Daniel Mizenbaugh, William Mizenbaugh and another man called up John Brittou, during the night with the request for his assistance in overhauling a couple of horse thieves, named Horton and Raymond, Avho then were dri^'ing towards Paw Paw. Britt«»n and his two sons, John and William, joined in the piu'suit. Near the then Hosea Town place the thieves were overhauled and the marshal, Mizenbaugh and the older Britton faced the fleeing thieves and demanded a surrender. Horton 's reply was a fusillade of shots at Britton, one ball passing through his hat. At the Four Corners, the robbers' route was lost. The Paw Paw road was selected and at the bridge near the creamery the team was overtaken; it had run astride a sapling. Horton had been hit and was dying. His companion escaped. Immediately Britton and his son, AVilliam, sui-rendei'ed themselves to Scpiire Colvill at Paw Paw who discharged them.

The horses later, were claimed by a woman from Wisconsin, calling herself Hames. Mr. Britton, the senior, at the next terra of court asked the grand jury to indict him for the act, but that body declined. While at the home of a friend, he was taken ill and died.

The Conant case was one of the most exciting criminal cases of the day, 1866. In the fall, a furious rough and tumble fight occurred between William A. Conant. his father, Elihu C. Conant, and William Barber, his wife, and Christopher Srygley and Roderick Kavanaugh. As a matter of fact about all the older Conant did was to look on and do a little bossing while poor William, his son, single-handed, fought the field, and when nearly over])owered and exhausted, he shot Bai'Vter, Avho died nine days later. It was a fearful fight and regarding the trial from this distance it was noth- ing short of disgraceful to find liim guilty and sentence him to eight years' imprisonment and the father to six years. True, pardons came, one to William in two years and nine months and one to the father in four years and four months. But pray, what compensation is a pardon after a man has been ruined ?

The story is a long one ; condensed it was thus : E. G. Conant bought a farm the previous spring and sold the south half to William, and rented him the other on which were located the buildings. Later, notwithstanding the transactions, the old man, against the protestations of the son, rented the premises to a widow named Kavanaugh. At the son's legitimate objections, the old man flew into a rage. Like a decent sort of a son, he confined his protestations to Mrs. Kavanaugh. Barber asked to rent the eighty on which the liuildings were located. Conant Sr., jjromised to lease it to him if he did not dispose of it. Meanwhile Barber and his wife went to board with Mrs. KaA'anaugh.

Old man Conant went to O. W. Bryant, a justice, to make the lease to Barber agreeably with his promise, but Barber did not appear and so the deal with the sou was consununated.

Without right Barber began fall plowing; he was looking for trouble. William ordered him off, and he in turn put two teams to work and Barber ordered them off. On Nov. 13th, the deeds and papers between the Conants were executed formally at Paw Paw. On the 14th old man Conant served on the widow a notice to vacate. Barber and wife were absent. On the 19th Mi's. Barber was present, and wdien Conant, Jr., appeared to serve the notice on Barber, she hurled a volley of billingsgate at the young man.

While awaiting the appearance of his father the son began picking up odds and ends and piling them up. Mrs. Barber then came at him, ordered him off, tried to j)usli him off and then tried to remove the pitchfork from his hands. Failing, she started to the woods for her husband.

Knowing him to be reckless, Conant crossed to his house, got a revolver and resolved to stand his ground. To see that it was ready, he fired one chamber. The two hired men, Gordon Sanford and Frank Adams, were called from their teams to hear the conversation as witnesses.

Presently Mrs. Barber and Srygley came without Barber and the hired men were sent back to work. Then old Conant arrived, but the son, desiiing to remove him from a scene of possible excitement, sent him to haul away the stuff he had piled up.

Presently Barber and Roderick Kavanangh, the widow's son, appeared, running their horses. Barber attempted to ride over William. William grabbed the bridle and prevented it, at the same time, displaying his pistol.

Conant, Si'., Mrs. Barber and Srygley all appeared, the woman with a club with which she struck the elder Conant a blow, at the same time saying she would kill him.

When the old man demanded that she be taken away, as he did not want to fight a woman, Srygley drew her away and Barber sent her into the house. Old Conant, talking excitedly, approached. Barber turned on him, pressed him against a wagon wheel and was about to strike when the son drew and threatened to shoot. Barber paused. In the words following, Mrs. Barber stole up behind and struck William's j)istol hand, at the same instant Barber sprang on his back. Kavanaugh joined him and the next instant Srygley jumped onto William's head and shoulders. A thousand things happened in an instant. In the midst of it, Avith three men murdero^^sly pounding him, William's pistol went oft' and Barber was shot. Besides iminisonment, the widow got a judgment for $5,000. A change of venue was taken to Whiteside county.

On March 12, 1879, William E. Rosette, over at East Paw Paw, insanely jealous, made a murderous assaxilt on his wife with a potato fork. When the poor woman fell, the husband fled and dro'VATied himself.

Civil Wae

Wyoming township was generous with its sons during the Civil war. Company K, ScA-enty-fifth IlliiKjis Volunteers, was reciaiited almost exclusively from AVyoming, largely through the instrumentality of Col. George Ryon and -Tames H. Thompson. In the list of Lee county soldiers, Company K will be foiuid in fidl.

Storms And Floods

On Aug. 19, 1851, rain began to fall and continued without cessation for three days and nights. The frenzied clouds ablaze with lightning led the superstitious to fear that the day of judgment had come. X(.>body left his house. Provisions ran out. John Britton's invitation to "help yourself to my potato patch," was accepted later. Crops were destroyed. Stocks were a total loss. Creeks were swollen inordinately and became roaring torrents. Fields were submerged for miles and great suffering followed.

Cyclone Of 1890

"The first account of this frightful visitation is from a point twelve to fifteen miles, a little south of west from the village of Sublette, at what is known as the Blackburn Herd, where a number of cattle were killed; from there it took an easterly direction, a little north in a zig-zag course, from twenty to forty rods wide, mowing everytlung before it.

"Among the buildings destroyed are those of William Shaw, Daniel Haley, William Reeves, William R. Long and John R. Hatch, leading farmers in that section west of the Illinois Central track. No fatalities reported from that section.

"The tempest crossed the Illinois Central at Sul)lette, tearing down and destroying eight or ten l)uildings on the outskirts of that village. One old lady, Mrs. Bittner, was killed and fifteen to twenty people wqvq more or less injured.

"From here the course pursued was a little north of east. Some l)uihlings four miles south of West Brooklyn were crushed into kindling wood. Frank Schmitz lost everything in the way of buildings ; his family took refuge in the cellar ; but three of the children were Idown out of the cellar and tossed aboiit in the whirl ; they wei'e considera])ly injured, but will recover. The buildings on Valentine Bieser's place near Schmitz were also totally destroyed. The family went into the cellar and escaped imharmed.

"In Brooklyn township about four miles south of Compton, John Faulk and Daniel Miller lost each a barn. Leonard Blass' house and barn were both destroyed; Fred Bachman's orchard was completely demolished, l)ut his house escaped with a few shingles torn off. The coairse of the storm from Faulk's to Bachman's was northeast, but it then went due east nearly two miles following the road. John Palitsche's farm was the first reached; here the force seemed concentrated, and utter destruction followed; tile large house and l)arn are gone, with only here and there a splinter to tell the tale. Mr. Palitsclie saw the approaching wratli and with his family went into the cellar. He says the house raised up, moved north and was lost to sight; he did not see it go to ])ieces; for the moment, there was so much debris flying that he did not dare move from the wall. ISTone of the fam- ily were injured. East of the Palitsclie house on the same road stood a schoolhouse; all that remains of its wreck are a half dozen flooring boards; school had been dismissed a few minutes and the building was empty ; on the same road, east of the schoolhouse, stood the buildings of George Palitsche; they were as comi^letely destroyed and scattered as were his brother John's buildings ; but here the imnates of the house did not escape. Miss Rice, the teacher of the school, with several px;pils, were near this house when the storm overtook them and entered for shelter; in a moment they were scattered in every direction, and everyone more or less injured, some seriously - one, a child of Mr. Palitsche, died that night, and Mrs. Palitsche is thought to be fatally injured; one of Peter Eich's children had his jaw broken, and was otherwise badly bruised and cut ; it is feared that he will die. Miss Rice was not seriously injured, and went to work at once to find and assist the wounded children. A rider went swiftly to Compton for aid and it was not long till a number of citizens were present, earing for the hurt. They were all taken to the house of Philip Schlessinger, and a coimt showed fourteen 1«idly wounded. Doctor Chandler was with the Compton people, and put in the night with the inj;ired. jNIr. Palitsche was in Comi)ton during the storm and was notified by the messenger that went there for lielp. East of Palitsche 's, on the south side of the road, Louis Knauer's house, occupied jjy Henry Arndt, was destroyed; no serious injury to any of the family - further east Henry Englehart's barn and orchard were demolished; next G. W. Keen, east of Englehart's was visited ; his orchard was torn up, but his buildings escaped with but little damage.

''The cyclone now moved in a northeasterly direction, and reached the premises of James Blee. Mr. Blee and Henry Potter saw the funnel coming; Blee started for the house, and Potter dropped to the groiuid by the side of a large doul)le corn crib. Blee with his family took refuge in the cellar; the large house was removed and smashed into kindling. Mrs. Blee received injuries which are quite serious ; his mother who was visiting him, was unhurt. Potter escaped injury; the coi'n crib was not blown away; his team, hitched to a wagon, was in the driveway of the crib, but became frightened, g(^t out and started to run away: they became entangled in a wire fence which held them, and Potter found the rig in this condition after the storm. The next home invaded was that of Xewton Woods, about two and one-quarter miles northeast. Here the house was torn to pieces and swept away, with the exception of one room, a sitting room, occupied by the family; the covering of the room was remoA'ed, and nothing but the sides remained ; the family escaped without injury. About thirty rods north of Woods stood what was known as the Field's schoolhouse; this seems to have stood direetl}' in the path of the howling demon of destruction and here occurred the most distressing and appalling calamity, and one that for dire havoc and desti^iction of life is unparalleled in the history of death-dealing storms.

"Miss Maggie McJJride, of this place, was teaching here; school had been dismissed - it was about 4:30 P. M. As it was raining but few of the pupils had left the house. Some parents had sent for their children, and one or two had started out in the storm; seven remained with the teacher, awaiting an abatement of the rain ; they must ha"\'e heard the hissing and howling of the tempest as it approached. Undoubtedly they saw the whirling, snorting, snaking demon as it bounded over the fields towards them, and huddled about their devoted teacher who attempted to quiet their fears - but one moment of this awful suspense, and eight souls were hurled into eternity. Anxious, agonizing parents, who lived near the line of the storm and in sight of the schoolhouse, whose hearts yearned for the safety of their little ones, hurried towards the scene the moment the tornado had passed; but alas! the schoolhouse was not to l)c seen, and their dear ones answered not to their distracted cries.

"The grim destroyer did not pause a moment to witness the devastation wrought, but hurried on across the fields; the road running south from Paw Paw was crossed just south of Frank McBride's, whose barn, east of his house, was shattered; the east and west road to South Paw Paw was crossed between Jack Reams' and the bridge over the railroad. The Reams house seems to have been on the extreme western edge of the storm's track ; an addition on the east side of the house was wrecked, and the main l)nilding moved six to eight feet south; further east stood the George Kelly house, occupied l)y B. T. Searcy's family; this was smashed, the family escaping injury save Mr. Searcy's mother, wlio had a fractured limb and two broken ribs.

"The gvi'ating terror next entered the grove; its path here was from twenty to forty rods wide, in which trees were twisted off, puHed u]) and strewn about. Seventy to eighty rods from the J. R. & N. railroad, and about tV)rty rods in the grove, stood the house of Peter Reams; it was no barrier to the progi'css of the storm, and was left a shapeless wreck. The storm passed on through the grove about one mile and a half, when it apparentl}' became exhausted near James Harper's place, after tearing down his orchard. Mr. Reams and his wife were in their house; she in the second storj'. As he observed the storm's approach, he called to his wife to come down stairs at once, as a terrible storm was upon them; she hastened to get down, but cannot remend^cr that she had taken more than a stei> or two down when she found herself on the lower floor, amidst the ruins of the house. News of the fiightful disastei' reached Paw Paw in a few minutes, and niuubers of citizens hastened to the scene. Mrs. Peter Reams was found uninjured, groping in a dazed manner about the pile of wreckage; it was thought that her husband was l)uried in the debris. This was explored enough to ascertain that he was not there. A search was then made in the grove, Avhere he was found about ten rods northeast of the house lying face down, under the boughs of a fallen tree, dead. It is thought that he was not killed by the branches that were ov^n- him as they were too small. A cat was found uuder his head.

"The Searc.y's were looked after b}' others, and the greater number went directly to the site of the schoolhouse. The scene here was hurrible beyond description and the excitement intense ; parents whose children were in the fatal schoolhouse were frantic with grief. The little brook near the schoolhouse was swollen by the heavy rain into a creek, and the water was two to four feet in depth. ^Men plunged into the stream and searched for the victims. One by one, their mxitilated forms were discovered, until all were found. The spectacle was shocking in the extreme. The bodies were nearly nude. What clothing remained on them was torn into shreds. A number of them were found in the water. The,y were cut and l)ruised and broken in almost every conceivable manner. The names of the dead are as follows : Miss Maggie McBride, teacher. Edna Hunt. Jennie Radley, Minnie Berry, Ada Rudolph, Lena Prentice. Robbie Oderkirk, Cany White, Jr., children of William Hunt, Arviu Radley, Isaac J. Berry, Jacoli Rudolph. Asahel Prentice, Seaman Oderkirk and Carry J. White. The dead were removed to their homes as fast as found and ]>repared for Inu'ial. Five were Iniried Saturday, and f(jur, including Peter Reams, Sunday. The schoolhouse stood two ndles south of this i>lace and the Reams and Searcy places about (tue mile southeast. The excitement in this neighborhood was intense; all business was suspended Saturday, and nothing was talked of but the storm. Owiug to the exaggerated reports iu the Saturday morning Chicago papers, people came from miles around to view the scene. All day Saturday, Sunday and Monday the track of the cyclone was thronged with visitors from the surrounding country. An excursion train came from Rochelle, Sunday.

"It is impossilile to give all the details. Eye witnesses differ iu their evidence. No two agree in their accounts, and yet all may be truthful. A liberal allowance must be made for the excitement of the moment, and then it must be remembered that a cyclone cloud with its swift forward movement and rapid rotary motion, charged with trees, boards, timbers, and all manner of debris, chui'ning, grinding and I'evolving in one gigantic swirl, does not present the same spectacle two conseciitive moments. Again, eye witnesses from the north and south and in front, or at different places along the line, cannot dispute such others' evidence, for it is iin])(issi))le for au\' two of them to see any portion of the flying mixture in the same position.

"There are a thousand and one stories in circulation, most of them more or less exaggerated, l)ut all, no doubt, containing more or less truth. The report that the schoolhouse was seen intact three hundi'ed, two hundred or one hundred feet in the air, rolling and tiunl^ling aljout, is jirol^ably a mistake. Tliere is no doubt that as a nde, l)uildings in the centei' of such a storm are raised from the foundation and moved (»ff. This view is supported by the fact tliat in almost every instance where i)eople have taken refuge in cellars, they have escaped death and injury. It is also su]>]»orted by the declaration of persons who were in cellars, to avoid the storm. Their evidence is, that the building raised up and moved off, though none of them saw any building break in pieces. While this no dou1)t is true, it seems impossiljle that any building could retain its form ten seconds in a storm of such power as this one was. The appearance about the schoolhouse grounds, the location of different portions of the wreck, and the positions of the victims, all indicate that tlie hoi;se was crushed near the ground, not far from the foundation.

"The rei^ort that the persons in Ueorge Palitsche's house were l)lown 140 rods into a pond, is initrue. Most of the victims were foiuid in the vicinity of the pond, but the distance from the location of the house does not exceed ten rods. The trail of the storm i)resents many curious features. Trees were ]ndled up by the roots; some are twisted iu two, leaving the stmnps in the ground. Others have the bark pulled off. Osage hedges are torn up. Chickeus aud other fowl are found entirely denuded of tlieir feathers. Dead cats, rats, dogs, hogs, horses aud cattle, in various places. Articles of clothing, sheets and other things seen hanging in trees ; boards, sticks, splinters and timber, sticking into the gi'ouud, hurled from the passing cyclone. AVhcrc ])uildiugs were destroyed everything was lost. Furniture was broken up ; hardly a whole piece of furniture could be found anywhere.

"The trail varies from ten to forty rods in width - probably averages twenty rods. Preceding the tornado was an electric stoitn, with considerable rainfall. Immediately following was a tremendous downpour. On either side of the track a heavy rain with thunder and lightning, prevailed. The rain and mist were so thick that it was impossible to detect the savage character of the storm, one mile away. Some persons that distance off, and some a greater distance, heard what appeared like a nmffled roar.

"William McMahan, whose house stands within sixty rods of the northwest line of destruction watched its approach and passage. It was of the funnel shape, whirling and bounding along with a hissing or buzzing soiuid, swooping the earth and bounding from it alternately. He saw no manifestations of electricity in the rolling, lioiling, steaming cloud. The portion nearest the earth was very dark ; the upper portion lighter. He could see sticks and other articles on the outer side, flying about and dropping to the ground.

"Mr. James Blee, whose house was destroyed, saw the storm at some distance, l)ut could not make out its character. He was satisfied that it was dangerous, and sent his family to the cellar. He remained in the cellar door which faced the coming demon, and anxiously watched its approach. So full of rain and fog was the atmosphere, not till within ten rods of him could he distinguish its outlines aud true character. At that distance it enveloped some trees and apparently broke open, giving him a view of the inside. "While the outside had the appearance of steam aud smoke escaping from the engine, the opening showed great electric disturbance, which was indicated by a constant emission of sparks and flashes. Henry P()ttei', who remained outside near the corn crib, corroborates Mr. Blee's statement. There was a strong sulphurous odor during and some time after the cyclone. It is a curious feature, that nowhere along the track is the grass or grain removed, nor do they at any place have the appearance of having been burned or scorched. Another strange feature is the fact that on neither side of the storm was there perceptible any

"It will be many a long year before the scenes of death and destruction in the wake of this terrifying phenomenon will be effaced from the memor_y of those who suifered from its frightful devastation, or those who assisted in the work of recovering the dead. But two sentiments seem to prevail in the community : mourning for the dead, and sympathy for the living. James Blee prol:)al)ly took a closer of the cyclone than any other person on the line. He thinks there was a space four to four and onehalf feet in diameter in the center of the funnel, a vacuum, around which the cloud revolved. In and across this pipe as it were, occurred the electric display. After the cloud had passed, he followed its path to ascertain if what appeared to be a fact was really true. He could trace in the center of the damage the distinct mark of the suction pipe, where a hedge was crossed, and in many places on the ground. In some places the ground was torn up and in others the grass and grain were nipped off close to the center where the most energy was displayed, showed a width as above stated. He noticed, or thought he did, while the cloud was approaching, that everything in this center was going up, while around it everything was revolving. From this apparent condition, he concluded that the vacuum as above described acted as a suction pipe, and was the point of greatest energy and destruction. His examination of the gromid afterward seemed to verify this theory."

Tornado Of 1898

About 6 o'clock Wednesda_y evening, when a heavy shower had passed to the northward, and the western horizon was free from low clouds, a tornado was seen approaching from the west. The view was unobstructed, and the action of the tornado could be seen in all its peculiar gyrations.

The onlookers saw a heavy, nimbus cloud hovering along the course, torn by tm^moil and ti'aveling like a swift bird of prey. When first sighted b_v our excited citizens, the tornado was a little south of west, and for several minutes seemed to be making but slow progress, though it was afterwards learned that its movements were very swift. Being sighted at such a distance, and com- ing almost directlj' eastward, made the appearance of slowness deceptive. The tornado seemed to he transported by the heavy cloud mentioned. The action of the twisting tornado was very peculiar. At one time nothing would be seen but the terrific disturbance in the cloud, and immediately the tornado would drop with screwlike motion and sweep the earth for various distances, stirring up the earth in clouds of dust. The lowering and raising of the tornado looked like the tentacle of an octopus, reaching out for sometliing to destroy. It would dart from the clouds towards the earth with lightning rapidity, sometimes reaching only part way down and at others making the whole distance. At the time these observations were made, not much damage was being done, as the tornado was not toviching where buildings were located. Near West Brooklyn the direction was changed to a northeasterly course, and then it became apparent that the forward motion was very swift, and it went on with greater speed than an express train. When it had passed to a vicinity about northwest of trnvn, the best observation was noted. Here the heavy, dark, menacing cloud spiraled to the earth and assmned the form of a cylindrical ti;be and showed plaiidy Ijy the aijpearanee of dust and distur])ance in its wake that much damage was resulting. It was at its greatest strength at this view. The appearance of the tornado at this place could best be compared to an elephant's probosis, reaching al)out the ground for delicacies. The lower end switched about the ground like the cracker of a cattle whip.

At times the commotion was tremendous, the dark mass taking on a look like a fiercely l)oiling eauldrrm, scattering itself as if torn by an explosion, and then gathering to ])ass on for more destruction. When at a point almost directly north of town, the grand finale seemed to Juivc taken place. It was a sight to inspire aAve in any belioldei'. The same form had been maintained to the point mentioned, when, of a sudden, the tornado severed its connection with th.e ovei'luinging cloud and in a fierce swoop, descended to the earth like a flash, pounding the ground it seemed, in one last supreme effort. The force developed in this striking action must have been equal to thousands of tons of pressure.

It has been asked, "Who can paint a rainbow?" It might be asked with equal futility. "Who can describe the tornado?" Description fails signally in portraying the awfulness of such a phenomenon. It is quite ]>rol)al)]e that a l)etter view of a tornado was never Avitnessed than that seen l)y the people in this section of Lee county. The c<:)nditions for (Observation were perfect, and the watchers saw its peculiar actions for about thirty minutes. It is calculated that the dissolution took place at a point in WiUow Creek, for it was not seen afterwards by Lee county people, though Byron and Stillman Valley were visited and deaths occurred at both places, and points in Wisconsin were damaged. The scientific observances have always found that tornadoes in the Mississippi valley move in a northeasterly trend, and in case the one which passed here did the damage at Byron and Stillman Valley, its course would have been changed directly northwest. Such a trend has not been known before and it is improbable in this instance. The presmnption is, that in this great cyclonic storm, local tornadoes originated in different portions of its diameter.

It is generally understood that a death-dealing storm of the nature described, is a cyclone. But this is a mistake. A cyclone is a great storm of from one hundred to five hundred miles diameter, the accompanying winds circulate in one direction in the northern part of the storm and in a reverse direction in the southern part, which causes a disturljauce throughout the cyclone and accounts for the shifting of the wind before and after the storm has passed. During the presence of such a cyclone storm, tornadoes are apt to develop. The condition of the weather had not been sultry or of a nature which would lead one to expect the presence of a tornado. A heavy breeze was blowing all day from the south, but the atmosphere was not oppressive.

In The Wake

The evidence of the tornado's power was traced from a point west of Sxiblette to the home of the widow Peterson, in Willow Creek, and the direction was generally northeast, though at times, it bore almost directly cast. There is some difference in opinions, as to the jioiut where the storm crossed the C. B. and Q. tracks, but it w^as between Ambo}' and Shaws. From there it came eastward for several miles until near West Brooklvn, where it veered to the northeast.