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EARLY RECOLLECTIONS.[ves, 1 ofigonand'er.3ephyes-»anyain.dis-1 aver-llot■les-romailyrva-• of iafl fall, so last isit the mg rith ate.andonOn or about the 17th of July, 1833, the sail vessel “Amaranth” anchored in Lake Michigan, nearly opposite Fort Dearborn, Chicago, after a voyage of three weeks out from Buffalo, N. Y., and having on board about seventy-five souls, and among them was the writer, then a boy about ten years old. The vessel was relieved of her cargo by means of small boats, and the passengers, after being taken on shore, were entertained as best Ihcy could he, , “in and around” thn residence of Heman Bond, which was built of logs and sods and was located near the foot of Monroe street. Chicago then consisted of the Fort at the mouth of the river, the house of John Kinzie and some French shanties on the north side, the hotel kept by Ingersoll at the forks, a store at Wolf Point, the intersection of Lake and South Water streets, the frame of what was after wards was called the Mansion Bousi on the north side of Lake betweei Dearborn and State streets, a few other shanties, and the “the palatia residence” of our host.After “taking in” Chicago thlt; next day, three of the eeveral fami lies who had journeyed togethei thus far, chartered some “prairi* schooners” and “set sail” for theii destination, what is now the towm ol Homer, Will county. This colony was composed of’the families ol Capt. Jireh Rowley, John Lane and Charles M. Gray, the latter now and tor many years past freight agent ol the Michigan Southern Railroad at Chicago. We made our way as we could through the tall rosin weeds with very little track to Lawton’s (now Riverside), and thence to Flag Creek. Here we found the body of a log cabin and the owner, Mr. E. Wentworth, whose place, in alter years, became quite a noted stage station. We fought the mosquitot until morning and after partaking c our frugal meal we launched out uj on the prairie and at noon we halte at the Big Spring near Lillicas Grove, and upon what is now th farm of Thomas J. Sprague. Afte refreshments we moved on,, crossinj the Desplaines River at what wsknown as Butterfield’s Ford, opp,O X UIU, uppisite the present town of Lockpor and near nightfall we arrived at oi destination, all weary and sad. Ca vin Rowley, (now of Rockford,) wli came on prior to the Sac war, ws here and had erected a log cabin in th timber about a mile and a half eas of the river. Here we stayed unt other and better places could be prc vided. On looking around we fourn already here Selah Lanfear, Luthe Chamberlin, Holder Sisson, Captaii Fuller, Armstead Runyon, Edwari Poor, .Tames Ritchey, John Black stone, John Stitt and a lew other settled in what was afterwards callelt; Yankee Settlement About this time a postoffice wai established on Hickory Creek anc William Gougar appointed postmas ter, the mail being brought from Chicago on horseback, and right glad were the Yankees to pay their quarters (which was then the postage,) for a letter from the old home. A saw mill had been built by Col. Sayers opposite where the Red Mill now stands, about two miles east of Joliet. Here a little lumber was procured with which to construct some of the shanties, and others were built y — — w-v.u »» viv. UUHt Vlogs, chinked and mudded betwee the logs, with stick chimneys “turueout doors.”The first school was taught b Miss Sallie Warren .and the seconK.r T* n .1_____.______ 1
Newspaper Details
Joliet Weekly Sun
Joliet, Illinois, US
Thu, Feb 01, 1877
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 21 Aug 2023
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