Village of Scales Mound Was Incorporated June 9, 1877, Being the Fifth of the Cities Or Villages in the County to Become Incorporated
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Scales Mound A Village on the movin’ Scales Mound is a very special place. This is an effort to share with readers the unique qualities that make the town and the surrounding area so distinctive. Scales Mound with a population of around 400 is in the township of the same name. It was founded in 1853 by Josiah Conlee and B.B. Provost and was incorporated on July 14, 1877. The village gets its name from Samuel Scales who was the owner of the land on which the mound is situated. Scales Mound is about one mile from the highest point in Illinois. Scales Mound has a recognized four-year high school; a Catholic and Methodist church; and a grocery store, lumber yard, three bars, a bank, appliance store and a gas station, to name of few. This volume is divided into several parts. They are the early history, mining, railroad, village government, churches, school, doctors, dentist and vet, fraternal & service organizations, fire department, sports & recreation, SMRA, Charles Mound and Railroad Park (Veteran’s Park), Tributes, prominent citizens, maps, and business ads. The information was obtained from the first, second and third history books of Scales Mound originally published in 1953 and 1978 and 1993 on the occasion of the town’s celebration. Many of pictures came from part, a portfolio of photographs by Archie Lieberman, who has been making pictures and the Scales Mound area for a quarter of a century, and from citizens, also taken from the book done in 2003. Table of Contents History of the Business 4 Town Hall 33 Mining 35 Railroad 39 US Mail 48 Village 50 Township 58 Images of the Village ~ Part one 60 Jesus Saves 69 Community Churches 70 Cemeteries 84 Doctors 86 Dentists 87 Veterinarians 87 Fire Department 88 Images of the Village ~ Part two 93 School 104 Sports and Recreation 114 SMRA 121 Charles Mound 124 Veteran Memorial Park 127 In Memory 128 Small Town Living ~ Citizens who reached the century mark 132 Special Tribute Sections 135 Fraternal Organizations 142 World Wars 148 Biography 153 Items of Interests 176 Plat Maps 180 Business Ads from the Past 190 Acknowledgements 196 Business History Just a short distance south of the highest point in Illinois and 2 miles from the Wisconsin state line, an on the main line of the Illinois Central Railroad lies the village told within this writing. This fair city, like the thousands of other American cities, has witnessed many trials and tribulations, poverty and prosperity, joy and sorrow, but through it all has come to be know as the friendliest village in the state of Illinois – it could be none other than Scales Mound. The history of Scales Mound, from its founding in 1853 until 1878, was published in the history of Jo Daviess County in March of that year by H. E. Kett and company, publishers of Chicago, Illinois. As only a few copies of this history are available to the present day residents, we find it advisable to print the following section from this book: In 1826, when the tide of immigration was drifting towards the lead mines of northwest Illinois, a party of men, consisting of two brothers, named Watson, Joshua Streeter and three sons, John Wood, Mr. Brigham, Mr. Blane and a few others, discovered the mines of the upper East Fork. They stopped there, built cabins, and mined for four or five years. These man cannot properly be considered sellers of the Scales Mound Township, as they left their families at other places, to which they would make frequent trips, they seemed to be regarding these mines as but a temporary location. In 1827, Mr. Conrad Lichtenburger came from Pennsylvania, with his family, and settled in that vicinity. In 1828, the second permanent settler, Elijah Charles, also with a family, built a house at the base of the mound. The first agricultural pursuits were followed in this township by these two pioneers. Among other early settlers were William McMath and Abel Proctor, who built cabins near Mr. Lichtenburger in 1827. Mr. Proctor was one of the prominent residents of the county for many years, holding at times the offices of County Commissioner and Justice of the Peace. He later moved to Iowa. The first child to have known to be born in this frontier settlement was Mary M. Lichtenburger, on April 4, 1828, and the first death occurred in the same family, March 29, 1831, when Harriett Lichtenburger died at the age of seventeen. In 1830, Samuel H. Scales purchased the cabin of John L. Sole who had live there nearly two years and built a public house near the base of the mound which was known by his name. This tavern was on the historical “Sucker Trail” which, afterwards past to the Chicago and Galena stage line, it was kept, and succession, by Scales Moffett, Cowgill and Maupin. For many years after the village Scales Mound was built, on the railroad nearly a mile from the old tavern, the mound was generally distinguished by the name of “Maupin’s Mound. The name of Jesse W Shull was prominent in the record of this county. He came to the mining regions in 1819, and roamed with the Indians for many years. In 1831, Mr. Shull settled on a farm near the mound and continued to live there, raising a large family of boys. Though he had for years been on the most intimate terms with the Indians, he proved a true friend to his white brethren when the settlement was obliged to seek protection in the fort, during the Black Hawk War. As already noted, Scales Mound Township received its name from Samuel Scales, and among the first settlers of the township were S T Napper, Josiah Conlee, F.C. Maupin, and John Woods. The village of Scales Mound was incorporated June 9, 1877, being the fifth of the cities or villages in the county to become incorporated. Within the borders of the township are valuable mines. The first post office ever established within the bounds of the township was called Baltimore, and Fleming C. Maupin was the first postmaster. The inhabitants of the Township of Scales Mound were an intelligent, thrifty and prosperous people, and on an average were among the wealthiest citizens of the county. Before the adoption of the township system, the precinct elections were held at the house of F.C. Maupin. When the township system came into operation the voting place was changed to the village. Maupin Mound –(site of first settlers of Scales Mound) farm is now owned by J.T. Rowe, A. Temperious, Al Bilgri and Ken & Jolleen Peart. In the fall of 1852, the people of Jo Daviess voted to adopt the township system. At a subsequent session of the county court, Mr. Charles Bennett, G.N. Townsend, and David T. Barr, were appointed commissioners, for this purpose of dividing the county into townships and defining their several boundaries lines. At a meeting in of the Board of Supervisors, in1855, some alteration were made in certain boundary lines, and a new township was created, called Scales Mound, in honor of Samuel H. Scales, who was an enterprising and influential citizen, and died in the Fall of 1877. The boundaries of this township were defined as follows; Commencing on the state line at the northeast corner of section 13, town 29 range 2 east, thence west along the state line four miles to the northwest corner of section 14, thence due south on the section line, to the southwest corner of section 36, thence due north to the state line, or place of beginning to be called Scales Mound. Business places Early history of Scales Mound reveals that after the railroad came through in 1854 and a man by the name of Sherman Eddy established a store half a block west of Franklin Street on South Railroad Street. This general store provided necessities for the railroad employees, minors, and farmers. Joseph Tangye later purchased this in 1873, which in turn sold it to Benjamin Skewis, and then it was sold to E.J. Martin and W.W. Hicks. In 1898, Mr. Hicks sold to his partner who operated it until 1903 when it burned down. Mr. Martin then went on the north side of the railroad and opened the store in a building where the Schultz Appliance now stands. Mr. Will Knuckey and Dr. H.M. Fowler having built this building in 1884. Here, Mr. Knuckey operated a general store in the east side of the building, and Dr. H.M. Fowler had a doctors office, drugstore and the post office on the west side. Later, Joseph Kneebone and Lewellyn Rowe, who operated a store until the General Store~ Dr. Fowler's first office & drugstore time they sold to E.J. Martin, purchased the building. After this transaction, Dr. Fowler moved his office and drugstore to a building in which was later owned by the American Legion Post #1058. E.J. Martin later sold the store building to W. W. Hicks. Mr. Hicks in turn sold the building to Edward S. Bray, who at the time had a store in Veta Grande. In 1918, during the World War I, Mr. Bray was appointed to postmaster to succeed William G. Edge, who was acting postmaster for James Carr. Martin's General Store Mr. Bray moved his general store merchandise from Veta Grande where he had operated the store for many years, to his newly acquired building. He was a genial storekeeper, and friend to rich and poor alike, never refusing credit to anyone in need.