% /4r i OUNTJES, in*! Soait Af'count of Br - -ua a «iark ((Hiiiiies. ifE3i?s Special Collections l!' . i||IJ 1 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AT CARBONDALE Morris Library 't^/<^ f s50-S 3 tc> , ^: k Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive in 2010 witli funding from CARLI: Consortium of Academic and Researcli Libraries in Illinois http://www.archive.org/details/historyofputna3742ford ? ; THE HISTORY OF PUTNAM AND MARSHALL COINTIES Embracing an Account of the Sstt'ensnt. Early Progress, and Formation of HJuteau ani S^tarltVtiutttie.^; WITH AN APPENDIX, OF THE ANTIQUITIES CONTAINING NOTICES OF OLD SETTLERS AND OF (.-FICEKS OF EACH, OF PCTNAM AND MAHSaALL. MSIS ' ' TO TUS ( I »->H r;> ON OOUNTY FltOM,!/ * » W iXT ':-%-?.'AV 1881 H lv.iK;iffRY-.A- Fofipf CORRESPONDING member' oTTTWCfilCifiO OISTORICAL SOCIBTT. -^ — Jlli3ff^ -^ ^ I LVCOX, ILL.: PUHLISIIEU oii 1(1 E A'JrnOR. 1830. '^fl XUJ'jli-^ Qli ^ ' f\ t^ '^ AAZ^ Entered accoHin« to Act of Congress in *»'« r^f^y. the District {.^^^^^/fLourl oi HENUY A FORD, in tl.e Clerk's othce of Northern District ol Illinois. the United States for the PRINTED AT THE GAZETTE OFFICE, LACOX, ILL. K < — ——•• CONTENTS. CHAP. I. — EUROPEAN DISCOVERY IN THE WEST. Florida discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon —Narvaez and Do Vaca— Discovery of the Mississippi —De Soto—Results of Span- ish exploratirn— Discovery of the St. Lawrence —New France— Raymbault and Jognes in the North-west— Mesmircl, Allouez, Dablon, Marquette, Perrot—Marquette's expedition to the "Land of the Groat River" — His impressions of Illinois— La Salle in the West—Hennepin's expedition—Louisiana, .... Page 1. CHAP. IL—HISTORY or Illinois 1690—1825. French colonization — D'Iberville Governor — D'Artaguetto Governor— (iirant to Crozut —Company of the West — Hlinois in 17.">0 — French war—Clarke'sConquest of Illinois Illinois County -—North-west Tt'i-ritory — Indian troubles—Indiana Territory Illinois Teriiiory— Massacre at Chicago in 1.S12 — Illinois admit- ted into the UiJion—Slavery Agitation —Legislature of 1 324-5— New counties fo:mid, Page 14. C I A P. III.—THE OLD COUNTY OF PUTNAM. Northern Illinois in lS2o— Tlie Military Bounty Land Tract— Pike Cornty — Division of the Military Tract into counties —Leg- islative pioccedings— Formation of "<31d Putnam," . Pyge 25. CHAP. IV.—HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY. Northern I! i i>»is in 1S81 —Formation of later Putnam—Loca- tion of county sea*, — First elcctio!] — First Circuit Court— Inci- dents thereof —bust County Commissioners' Court— Early poll lists— Townsl.if) organization—Jails built— Putnam inlSoo—The county divided— Defalcation of the County Treasurer, Page 31. CHAP. V.—THE BLACK HAWK WAR. The Indian treaty of lSi04— First invasion of Black Hawk Campaign of ISol-^Black Hawk's second invasion—Terrors of — —— < TV CONTENTS. Forts white settle-8— Mustcrinjj of ranaers in Putnam counir— and block h »usfs erected —Incide its of the war in Putnam— Stilhnau's deteal Murder ot" I'hillips in the Bu.e ui r^ettltment— Page 48. war, . —Massocre on Indian Crewk— ». h)se of the CHAP. VI.—EARLY HISTOUT OF BUREAU AND STARK COUNTIES. The pioneers of Bureau— Founding; of Princeton—Towns of Wii;dsur, Kin-r* r-wiod. Coictid, tiroi rfie d, Fairmount, Liv- incston, and Providence, laid olf— Fo niat:o!i of liureau County Tiie first ciectioii—lvu-lv sL-f tleinenl of 8tark— Wyominir, Osce- ola. Mcnilton, M. ssillon.'and l,;if,i\e!te, laid ott'— Cotfee Conntv— Caiiviiss fur Repicseiilalive— Pieiiuiinarj meetings— Formation of Stark cuuiity, I'lXge 6i, CFI.\P. VII.— HISTOIiY OP MARSHALL COUNTY. Soutlioi-:i Putnam in 18;3'.>--Movenient.'* f«M division—E^ablish- tnent of Mar?h 111 County — Addition of range on..*—^Location of county seat— Fii-.si election— Fii>t C>«unty C'ourt— First Circuit Couit -(J<'urt houses built -Jails built— Township orgai.izatiou — Absconding of Schov)! Commissioner Page 76. CHAP. VIII. —HISTORY OF TnS TOWNS OF PUTNAM COUNTY. Hennepin- West Henn« pin — Magnolia - Cranville—Mt. Pala- tine—Caledonia— Florid —Putnam —Suachwine, . Page 85. CHAP. IX. —COUNTRY SLTTLEMtNTS IN PUTNAM. Union Grore —Ox Bow Prairie-- Narrative of the Strawn rob- btry—Suachwine Settlement, Page 97. Cn.VP. X— HISTORY OF THE TOWNS OF MARSHALL COUNTY. Co'umbia— Lacon —Henry—Wenona—New Rutland — Wash- burn —Spailand Patt(>usbiir<r— Webster — Lyons — Dorchester Bristol^Auburn — Centreville —Troy City — Chambersburg, 1 05. CIIAP. XI. —COUNTRY S!£TTLKM»NTS IN MARSHALL. R.iund Prairie—Shaw's Point - Roberls' Point— Belle Plaine — Half Moon Prairie— Crow Creek Si-ttlement—Narratives of exciting events thereabjuts — Henry Prairie— Narrative of tha Rec'ves afiair—High Piairie—Camping (irove—Lawn Kidge Yankee Street Pagel2fi. CHAP. XII. — CONCLUSION. Failure to receive census returns— Glance at Putnam County in laOJ— Glance at Marshall County in 1s6j, . Page 143. AI'l'E.XDIX. Lis" of ofricer.« ot Putnam County — List of officers of Marshall County— Notices of old settleis — Indians of Putnam and Mar- shah—-Antiquities in llie two counties, Page 147- This little work makes no pretension to a thor- ough and exhaustive treatment of any one of its topics. The limits of the volume, the difficulty of procuring accurate information upon a great variety of subjects, and the brief time allotted the author for preparation and publication, alike forbade this. The utmost claimed for the present work is that it marks the first movement in the right direction — namely, a full development and permanent record of our local annals. The author trusts that, by news- paper contributions, public correspondence and meetings of old settlers, the formation of historical societies, and future issues in pamphlet or book form, the errors of this preliminary essay may be corrected, and its deficiencies supplied. He believes ? VI PREFACE. that the history of localities, however meagre or brief it m ly be, is richly worth preserving, and will attain in time a value far transcending its apparent and present importance. Under this conviction the work now offered has been projected and executed. Endeavor has been made to base every state- moiit ho:-e;n upon reliable authority. To this end libraries have been ransacked, rare works consulted,, many tiles of serial publications and official records careiully examined, a wide correspondence carried on, and numerous conversations held with those who are perst n.illy co;jnizant of facts stated. It would be too much, howevci*, to j^i'csumc that no errors have e capc.l notice; though 't is believed that the work will be found in the main correct. It was expec-tc J that several local views and por- traits of old settlers should embellish the vrork. But its probable limited circulation, and the cost of en- graving, induced the reluctant abandonment of this intcnlion. Should another and cnlara;ed edition ever be called for, they may be added. It has been found adv' sable to depart in some particulars from the announcements of the prospectus, and also to prefix «hapt3rs on European discovery and Illinois history. PREFACE. Vll In the prosecution of his researches, the author has been placed under obligations to a large number of individuals, for their incidental or direct assis- and he desires to make public acknowledg- tance ; ment of their several favors to the o^icer.-; o? the Chicago Historical Society, especially to (he accom- plished Secretary, Dr. Wm. Barry ; to the clerks of the Treasury Department, at Washing' on ; to the librarians of the Eureka College, Peoria City, Henry Public, and Magnolia Public Libraries ; to Judges Bangs and Ramsey, of Lacon ; to the vc'cran edi- tor, Hooper Warren, Esq., of Henry ; to Dr. B. Clarke Lundy, of Magnolia, Rev. J. P. Hayfs, of Hennepin, David Walker, Esq, of Ottawa, the editors of the local papers, the county officers of Put- nam and M irshall, and many others. With the e explanations and • ckn iw'edgmenfcs, this h im')'.e efFj;t is submittei to th3 pablic. Gazette Ojjice, Lacou, Aujui^t, 186Q. ERRATA. On page 17. 7th line from top, read "French" fir "English." The fort was rebuilt a few vears before the J n^ i>h became masters of the country. On page 4i', Bth line from top, read " 1855" for '' 1^5 1." The first Board of Supervisors, however, does not appear to b*ve been elected until 1857. On page 47, It'th line from fop, read "2d" for "8d." On page 57, 15th line from top, read " of" for " off'." On page 87, Uth line from top, read " 18 '.3" for ISSS." In the note to page 11*2, read "so named " for "done." Th9 town was Fiot laid off at the sugges ion of Mr. Warrea, as might be inferred from the language of the note. — CHAPTER I. EUROPEAN DISCOVERY IN THE WEST. On an Easter Sunday, in the twentieth year after Columbus first moored his earavals on the shores of the New World, his old comrade, Juan Ponce de Le- on, in search of the ''Fountain of Youth" fablod to •exist far within the recesses of American forests, and also in quest of gold to gratify the insatiable passion t)f the age, landed in the beautiful peninsula of the South, and named the new-discovered country Flor- ida—"the land of flowers.'' The gold procured in this region by subsequent adventurers stimulated a desire to penetrate the interior, in hope of finding the boundless wealth believed to be hidden ther«. But a few years passed before European discovery in the great Valley of the West was begun by the Span- iah under Parnphilo de Narvacz, who pcritihed in the ^ a HI.STORY OF PUTyAJf wilderness before lie reached the ''Great River."— His treasurer, Cabeza de Vaca, assuming the com- mand of the expedition, pushed the perilous eater- prise forTrard; and in September, 1534, they, "first of men from the Old World," crossed the Mississippi as far north as Tennessee.