Putnam County
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1880 Chapter 30

OLD MILLS OF MAGNOLIA AND VICINITY.

 THE first mill in the neighborhood of Magnolia for grinding corn was put up by Mr. Hollenback in 1830, on Little Sandy Creek, near the village. The burrs were a species of blue granite found along the Creek, dressed by himself. The work of shaping and finishing was long and tedious, but when finished they were very creditable specimens of Mr. Hollenback's skill and patience. They were used for many years. The mill at first was run by hand power, the customer contributing his personal strength to the work while his grist was being ground.

Captain Hawes, one of the Lewis brothers and Mr. Knox once ground three bushels of corn upon it, devoting to the job nearly half a day's hard labor ! The bolting was done at home, each patron taking his grist there when ground, and the women and boys removed the bran by means of a seive.

John Dent had a small hand mill on his place in 1833, on Little Sandy.

In 1842 Amos Harney built a woolen mill in Magnolia, or else added carding machinery to a flouring mill already built. About 1843 Basore & Simonton removed the machinery from Kestor's mill on Sandy and set it up here.

In 1835 Geo. Griffith had a saw mill on Clear Creek, and in 1837 converted it into a flouring mill.

In 1839 Aaron Bascom built a saw mill on Clear Creek, half a mile from the river road.

In 1850 Mr. Gaylord set up a steam mill in Magnolia, which subsequently fell into the hands of Mr. Bowers.

Dwellers in this land of plenty can hardly realize the inconveniences to which the early settlers were subjected in the matter of food. In 1831 the stock of flour and corn-meal ran so low that an expedition was fitted out to go to "the Wabash" for flour. It consisted of five teams, the leader being Captain Hawes. They were absent four weeks, and returned loaded with provisions, to the great joy of their families.

THE FIRST ORCHARD.

The first orchard on the prairie was planted by Captain Hawes, in 1827, from seeds obtained in the American bottom. Although more than fifty years old, some of them are still standing and bear fruit. Many procured fruit trees from Peoria, and others brought them from the older States.

THE GREAT SNOW.

Innumerable are the incidents connected with the deep snow of 1830-31. Travel was suspended except in cases of necessity. Along the roads paths were beaten down, which could be traveled, but a horse or ox that got outside was apt to get fast.

One day a man came to Knox's mill, with an old crowbate horse, for a sack of meal. The beast was poor and weak, and staggering beneath its load, fell into the snow and could not be extricated. The man took the load on his back and started home for help. While gone the wolves attacked the horse and ate large pieces out of its hams; yet the animal was alive the next morning, and gave a grateful neigh of recognition.

Mr. David Stateler relates an event which to some will seem humorous, but to him had no fun to speak of. His family occupied a double cabin. In twenty-four hours a vacant room would be full of drifted snow up to the roof. All hands would "tackle" and shovel it out, but the next morning it would be full again. This had to be repeated day after day while the storm lasted.

Another memorable event was the great freeze or sudden change of December 20, 1836, when the weather is said to have changed eighty degrees in a few hours. Captain Hawes distinctly recollects the singular appearance of the sky, and says before the change his cattle, which were kept about the house, stampeded without any known cause to the timber, and could not be stopped. The following incident is related by him:

On that day three men rode up to a house at Walnut Grove and stopped. They did not dismount, nor seem to have any business, or show any reason for thus halting. The inmates came to the door, and discovering that they were nearly covered with ice, rightly divined the cause of their silence, and managed to get the unfortunate men removed from their horses. Their legs were covered with ice, and so frozen to the girths and stirrups, and their clothing to the saddles that it was necessary to cut the girths and bring men, saddles and all into the house ! The horses, too, were about to freeze, but were taken to a hay-covered stable and cared for. After several hours' work the men were "thawed out" and their lives saved, but with badly frozen feet, ears and noses.

Mr. Studyvin vouches for the fact that rats were seen that day actually frozen fast in the mud while crossing the streets. Dead rats and pigs were found in the streets and alleys, and especially the former, which seem to have perished in large numbers everywhere.

Jeremiah Strawn is authority for saying that in five minutes mud froze sufficiently hard to bear a horse.

Enoch Dent and his son John had a like memorable experience. With a young and mettlesome span of horses they were going some distance on an errand, when the young man was thrown from the wagon and got thoroughly wet in the mud and slush. The temperature began soon after to rapidly change. A piercing wind came from the north and west, laden with fine stinging hail-stones, which blinded the horses and men. John soon realized he was in a fair way of being frozen, and becoming alarmed, his father covered him with blankets, and "let the mares out." For the next half mile the team bounded like deer over the prairies. What had a few moments before threatened young Dent's death the water in his clothing now froze into solid ice and proved his safety, forming a shield through which the Arctic blasts could not reach; but the father began to feel the premonitory symptoms of freezing. Fortunately they soon reached their destination, but were hardly able to enter the shop without help, they were so stiff and cold. They had not been inside three minutes when a man went out to put the horses under shelter, and found the wheels frozen in the tracks, and on attempting to unhitch the horses, the buckles were found to be frozen fast. Toward evening, finding they dare not drive home, they went three-fourths of a mile to Mrs. Swan's house, and in that short distance came near perishing.

A ROW OF EBONY CROWS, ETC.

Captain Hawes' place was near the Lewis house, long known as the underground railroad station of the Quaker settlement. To see wagon loads of runaway negroes going past his dwelling toward Lewis' and the happy land of freedom beyond, was a common occurrence, one of weekly and sometimes of daily happening. The Captain in his quaint way says: "It got to be a regular thing. I used to look over toward Lewis' place mornings and see niggers roosting on the fence like a row of crows!"

Sometimes pursuit was made after the escaping chattles, but there is no record of any ever having been caught in this locality. Their friends around Magnolia, Clear Creek and Ox Bow were numerous and determined, and it would have gone hard with the slave catcher or officer who dared to venture here to reclaim one of these fugitives. The friends of the slave entered heart and hand and with their very souls into the work of helping the fugitive onward.

Stephen and James Willis brought through Magnolia the first escaping slaves, in 1827 or 1828.

SOME HUNTING STORIES.

Mr. John W. Laughlin was once followed by a large timber wolf a distance of two miles, the wolf coming at times within 200 yards of the somewhat nervous pedestrian, who did not run, but admitted that he "wanted to !" The hungry lupine came up to the house, when the family dog was started after him, and both being afraid of each other, the dog would chase the wolf out upon the prairie, when the latter would turn the tables upon the dog and run him back to the house, a race that was two or three times repeated. The gun being out of order, the boys armed themselves with axes and pitchforks and came to the rescue of their faithful "Towser," when the wolf disappeared.

Some Mt. Palatine hunters remember with feelings of disgust the following incident: They once drove a deer across the prairie toward Magnolia, where a man who lived near the timber helped them to capture and kill the animal. They carried the deer to the fellow's house by his invitation, and while dressing it dinner was announced, and they were pressed to come in and partake of the meal. A four hours' chase over the prairies had given the boys good appetites, and they eagerly accepted the welcome offer. When through and about to leave, the host inquired of them "if they had not forgotten something ?" They asked, "What ?" He replied, "To settle for your dinner." "Wall," drawled he, "I guess the deer will make it all right." He took the coveted venison upon his shoulder and packed it into the house, coolly adding, "Good day !" They left in as completely a disgusted state of mind as could possibly be imagined. In 1842 a noted circular hunt came off in the vicinity of Mt. Palatine, the "winding up" point being a clump of willows two miles south-east of town. Fifteen wolves and several deer were the result. While the party were dividing the game at its conclusion, a deer dashed past the hunters, and a Mr. Headly killed it with a cooper's adze.

HOME-MADE CLOTH.

Illustrative of the inventive genius of the early settlers of this State, Mrs. John Laughlin, then Miss Jane Reed, living in Schuyler County, Ill., remembers an experiment made by her mother, which suggests altogether a novel idea in the manufacture of cloth. She took the tall stalks of wild nettles, which grew in abundance among the timber everywhere, and were three or four feet high, and putting them through the same process as was employed in the treatment of flax or hemp, made cloth of the lint or fibre ! It was coarse, strong and durable, and made a sort of towel, which combined the rubbing qualities of the washboard with the drying but not soothing effect of a modem fine crash napkin!

The men and boys in those days (1830 to 1840) wore buckskin pants. After a day's wear in the snow or rain, and dried at night, they would stand them up by the beds ready for next morning's wear. As a little girl, Mrs. Laughlin remembers these pants standing stiff and ghost-like about the room!

MOUNT PALATINE.

To the eastward of the line of timber bordering the Illinois River, and running outward along its tributaries between Magnolia and Granville, there lies a stretch of prairie extending to the Vermilion River, in La Salle County. This, for beauty, richness of soil and perfection of farm improvements has no superior in the State. At the dividing line between La Salle and Putnam Counties, about six miles from Tonica, is situated the little village of Mt. Palatine. It was laid out June 23, 1849, by Christopher Winters, and is at the north-east corner of Magnolia Township.

Winters had bought a large body of land here in 1830, and re-sold it mostly to settlers from Massachusetts, designing to start on his land "a live Yankee town." He also designed the establishment of an educational institution, which when first built was called a seminary, but afterward its ambitious projector and patron succeeded in having it elevated, in name at least, to the dignity of " Judson College."

In 1842 the first house in the town was built by "Deacon" Woodbury, and afterward occupied by Elder Thomas Powell. Otis Fisher, of Granville, became the first preacher in the settlement, in 1841. He had a small frame dwelling erected just outside the limits of the town, and lived in it for a year.

Dr. Larned Davis first visited Mt. Palatine in July, 1841, and began making improvements, and therefore may be considered the first settler, though he did not make that place his permanent abode until 1843. Mr. Winters' residence was built in 1839, and stands a few rods north of the village. He preferred not to reside within the limits of his projected town, but in a suburb thereof. There were two or three other houses built on the prairie near and around the town in 1842. One was put up near the meridian line, close to the town, by Mr. Winters, for Orrin Whitcomb, of Magnolia, who, however, failed to occupy it. Another, which was built in the spring and had been blown down, was re-raised in July, 1841, in which labor the few settlers of the country for several miles around took part, mustering not over a dozen men and boys. The only house within twenty-five miles in a south-easterly direction from Mt. Palatine was that of William Johnson, which was a mile away. Since then the country has completely filled up with thriving and industrious farmers.

The town being an "inland" place, made some growth, but its nearest connection with the world being Tonica, on the Illinois Central Railroad, six miles away, its prospects for future growth are not very flattering.

The probability of Mt. Palatine becoming a place of any considerable importance consisted of a scheme to make it a seat of learning. An academy was therefore erected, which was paid for by subscriptions from the settlers in the neighborhood. The building, which was begun in the fall of 1841, was plain and substantial, built of brick. Rev. Otis Fisher, who had done much toward the building up of the academy at Granville, was induced to come to this new field of labor as superintendent, which he entered in the winter of 1842. For fifteen years the Academy flourished and the village grew in proportion, but the completion of the Illinois Central Railroad caused the building up of the rival town of Tonica, six miles distant, when the local trade and business, which had been the life of Mt. Palatine, ceased, and its further growth was not only stopped, but its rapid decline began. The Academy, too, ceased to be attractive, and it gradually subsided from its previous flourishing condition, and becoming unprofitable, was sold in 1860 to the Catholic people of the vicinity. A condition of the sale made between the two parties was to the effect that the buyers should maintain a permanent school in the building, which they have thus far done. A provision made in the transfer papers was to the effect that in the event of a failure to maintain such school, the title of the property should revert to the original owners. The building is used by the Catholics not only for school purposes, but as a church.

Among the pupils who attended this Academy at different times were the Hon. Thomas Shaw and his sisters, now of Lacon, and Mr. Whittaker, who has since been a distinguished missionary to Burmah.

This educational institution began at first under a charter as an Academy, but during the days of Mt. Palatine's brightest prosperity, looking forward to a higher position as an establishment of learning, the trustees obtained from the Legislature a charter as a College. Their building originally cost about $3,000.

During the career of this institution there were several distinguished persons connected with it, among whom at one time was the poet Coates Kenney, author of "Rain on the Roof,” who officiated there as a teacher.

In 1879 there were in Mt. Palatine three churches, a good district school, two general stores, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, postoffice, one physician, about twenty-five dwellings scattered over sixty acres of ground, and a population of about one hundred people. Among its public institutions are a good village Literary Club and a Red Ribbon Society. The first hotel (built in 1852) was owned and run by Samuel Puffer, a good brick house, which is now occupied as a residence by John W. Laughlin.

The first store opened in Mt. Palatine was that of Boardman Fulsom, where was sold drugs, groceries and dry goods. He began business here soon after the town was laid out, and retired from business in 1850.

MT. PALATINE BAPTIST CHURCH.

The people of this religious faith living at Mt. Palatine and vicinity were formally organized into a Society in 1845, and Elder Thomas Powell was the first pastor.

The original members were: Thomas Powell, Elizabeth Powell, Barbara Powell, Otis Fisher, Harriet N. D. Fisher, Nathan Kingsbury, Syrena Kingsbury, James Curtis, Mary J. Curtis, Isaac Woodbury, Eunice O. Woodbury, Jerusha Woodbury, Mary W. Boutwell, Eunice Graves, Nathaniel Graves, Daniel Reniff, Rhoda Reniff, Nancy Reniff, August Reniff, Ruth Stephens, Mary Reese, Wm. Johnson, Hepsibeth Johnson, Peter Howe, Arvilla Howe, Larned Davis, Mary Davis, Hiram Larned, Abbey Larned, Orrin Whitcomb, Artemas O. Woodbury and Lydia S. Woodbury.

The meetings of this sect were held at first at the school house, until the Academy building was erected, when they occupied that edifice until the dissolution of the Society, which was in 1865, about the time the building named was sold to the Catholics.

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

January 3, 1869, a business meeting of those favoring the formation of a Congregational Society was called, which met, and a committee consisting of John W. Laughlin, Robert Gallaher, A. L. Harrington, John Larned and John Morrison was appointed to obtain the names of such as were willing to enter into the proposed movement. The committee reported at an adjourned meeting held January 10, and again at a meeting held January 17. It was then decided to invite the Baptist and Methodist Societies of Tonica and the Cumberland Church Society to join with them for general conference, with a view to the organization of a "broad gauge" church. The invitation was accepted, and the Council assembled February 6, George Gurnea being chosen as Moderator. After transacting the general business before the Council, the Congregationalists proceeded to effect their church organization, which they did by the election of A. L. Harrington, John Morrison and George Gurnea as Ruling Elders, John W. Laughlin, John Morrison and Andrew Powell as Trustees, James G. Laughlin Secretary, and John W. Laughlin, Treasurer.

The next day, February 7, the Council again met at the school house at Mt. Palatine, the following delegates being present from other church organizations: Thomas Ware and Rev. H. V. Warren, from Granville Congregational Church; J. C. Hayward and Rev. J. W. West, from the Congregational Church at Tonica; Rev. N. W. Curtis, of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Tonica; Rev. J. H. Burris, A. P. Dysart, N. B. Fulsom and R. W. Moore, of the Presbyterian Church at Granville; and Rev. J. E. Roy, D. D., agent of the Home Missionary Society.

This organization was composed of the following named members: John W. Laughlin and wife, James G. Laughlin, K. J. Davis, Margaret McNab, Caroline Lawrence, John Morrison and wife, A. L. Harrington and wife, George Gurnea and wife and Stephen W. Gallaher.

During the six years preceding 1879, Dr. E. R. Robinson officiated as pastor for this Congregational Society, but resigned his holy calling, resumed the practice of medicine, and is now a leading physician in Mt. Palatine.

The Congregational Church edifice, a substantial building capable of seating 300 persons, and costing with its organ $3,500, is an ornament to that section of the country.

PROSPECT HOUSE.

For years an exceedingly pretentious building stood upon the prairie, near the county line, which was known as the Prospect House. It was erected in 1836 by Thomas Patterson, as a hotel or half way house on the Ottawa road, and was properly named, being located upon a high knoll or rise in the prairie. From the balconies of this house a most magnificent view of the country for many miles in every direction could be obtained. The central point of the grand wolf hunt of November 11, 1842, elsewhere described, was at a small willow grove near Prospect House.

THE PREDESTINARIAN BAPTIST CHURCH.

This Society, one of the earliest religious denominations in the County of Putnam, was organized at Caledonia, Septembers, 1836. The first pastor was Elder James B. Chenowith, who began his ministrations October 1, 1836. The charter members were Wm. E. Larkins, Rachel Larkins, John Brumsey, Joseph Ash, Elizabeth Ash, Joel Corbell, Miriam Graves, I. D. Glenn and Sarah Glenn. Their present house of worship was built in 1855.

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS.

In 1850, John McWilliams, a respectable citizen of Caledonia, hung himself. He arose from his bed at the usual hour on the fatal morning, built a fire and went out. His wife prepared breakfast, but her husband not returning in proper time, she supposed he might be busy in the stable. She went there to summon him to breakfast, when she was horrified to discover him hanging by the neck. His life had taken its everlasting flight. No cause was ever assigned for the rash act.

In 1853, David Trone, a blacksmith, was killed by a remarkable accident. He had constructed a contrivance propelled by horse power, by which to grind and polish plows. He had started it up on the day in question, and was making satisfactory progress, when the grindstone burst and a piece of it struck him in the breast, killing him almost instantly.

In 1855 a man named Parsons, who had not been long married, living near the head of the prairie, went to the timber for a load of wood. He told his wife he would return about noon. That hour came and passed, as did several others, and at about four o'clock she became very uneasy, and tried to induce some of the neighbors to go in search of him; but entertaining none of the anxious young wife's fears for his safety, no one went. When night came and her husband failed to make his appearance, the poor woman persuaded a few of her neighbors to accompany her. In this search, which was continued several hours into the night, they were unsuccessful, and the unhappy and disconsolate woman went weeping to her couch.

The next morning the almost crazed woman set out alone in search of her husband, and as soon as she reached the timber she was struck dumb with the sight that greeted her eyes. She found the object of her long and painful search lying by the side of his sled, stiff and cold in death. He had been crushed by a large log which, in attempting to load upon his sled, had slipped and fallen upon him. There he had lain alive for several hours, as the snow within reach of his feet and hands showed the unmistakable evidence of his vain struggles to free himself. The horses had remained all night by the side of their dead master. After Mrs. Parsons found the corpse, being unable to extricate it, she returned and told the dreadful story, and soon willing hands and sympathizing friends hurried to the scene, returning with their mangled and ghastly burden. It was a sad case, and excited deep sympathy for the poor young wife.

MRS. GILLA COWAN.

This estimable lady was a daughter of Mr. John E. Dent, and an aunt of Hon. John O. Dent, now a resident of Wenona. Her husband, Mr. William Cowan, visited Illinois in 1829, with a view to selecting a location for a settlement. He returned to his home in the East, but early in 1831 came back, bringing his wife and family, and for many years resided about a mile from Magnolia, at which place he died in 1864.

Mrs. Cowan once had an amusing experience with a party of Indians, which she took pleasure in relating. On one occasion a half dozen warriors came to her house and asked for food, explaining that they were hungry. She immediately prepared a meal for them, placing it upon a table with the usual accompaniment of dishes, knives and forks, and placed her copper-colored guests in position to enjoy the bountiful repast which she had prepared. They imagined the plates were placed before them to catch the juices that dripped from, their mouths as they tore their food; but they examined the knives and forks curiously, and after debating the matter, the bright idea struck one of them to dip his hand in the dish, sieze pieces of meat, stick them on the points of the knife and fork before him and hold them there, taking the meat from them with his fingers for conveyance to his mouth. The idea seemed a feasible one, and was immediately followed by each of the others.

PIGEON ROOST.

In 1857-8 this country literally swarmed with wild pigeons. Never before in the memory of the oldest inhabitant were these birds so plentiful, and never since has there been any such visitation. They filled the woods everywhere between Union Grove and Crow Creek, but, as is the habit with this peculiar variety of the feathered tribe, they flocked together and formed an immense "roost" in the woods near Jeremiah Strawn's house. Here they gathered in large numbers, coming in such clouds as at times to darken the sky. They would make a noise when disturbed in daytime like the rushing of a mighty wind storm. Their roost covered a space of about three-fourths of a mile in one direction and nearly double that in the other. They lodged upon trees until they broke off large limbs, and bent the tops of the saplings and undergrowth to the ground. At nights they were at the mercy of hunters, who, provided with flaming torches which blinded the birds, could shoot and slaughter at leisure. Persons came from considerable distances to obtain them as an article of food, and they generally returned loaded down with game. One evening Joshua Bush and his son Isaac killed 750 birds, and on another occasion Isaac brought down eighty-eight of them by discharging both barrels of his shot gun, firing promiscuously at a tree full of them.

Extracted 27 May 2017 by Norma Hass from Records of the Olden Time, 1880, by Spencer Ellsworth, pages 252-265.


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