The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-07-31
"reminiscences of the Settlement of the
Rock River Valley.
DY A PIONEER.

ROCK River valley.
by PIONEER.
/ The first civil organization in the north
ern part of Illinois, was .Jo Daviess county.
Its jurisdiction extended completely across
the State, from the Mississippi TO Lake
! Michigan. But in the year 1884. at the
time our narrative begins, the counties of
Lasalle and Cook had been formed, reach
ing up to the State line. Jo Daviess then
embraced what now composes the counties
of Stephenson, WiDnebago, Ogle, Carroll,
Whiteside and Lee Moses Hallet was
then Sheriff. man Of very remarkable col
loquIal powers, and SO far as know, an ef-
ficient officer.
1t was, think, at the session Of the Le-
gislature in 1861, that Ogle county was
formed having under its jurisdiction the
present counties Of Lee and Whiteside. -
Much excitement and strife ensued respect
! ing the location of the county seat. At the
first organization of the county, the Com
nissioners elected were favorable 10 Dixon,
and held their sessions there. The circuit
court was also held there But, at the cleo
tion in 1888, the Oregon party succeeded in
electing their candidates, Reynolds, Will
| linms and Perry, and Immediately the buSi-
ness Of the county was transferred to Ore
gon. These commissioners very soon put
under contract the courthouse, anA thus
fred the county seat. The court house
was erected in the summer of l840. The
fist Sheriff of Ogle county was MIR. Wales,
of Buffalo Grove--a very diIigent and faith
, full officer.
In the spring Of 1889, the first circuit
court was held at Oregon, Judge Ford pre-
siding.
hal ttx,o I<o.
rnanently established at Oregon, than the
people of Dixon began to agitate the ones
| ton of dividing the county. They could
nQt very well brook rhe idea Of gong to a
neighboring village to transact the county
business. Besides it was rather humiIiat-
! ing to succunb to their rival. The leading
/ spirit of the Dixon party was Smith Gil
braith- Esq., man Of remarkable shrewd-
ness and penetration, and not over scrupul-
Gus with regard 10 the means used to ac-
complish his ends. Not much opposition
was made TO the division Of the county, and
! in the winter of '9S and 80, Lee county
was set off and Dixon became the county
seat. Since that time but little diSSatiSfac-
ton has been manifested with regard to the
county lines. or county
! In 1884, when came TO til country, the
whole northern part Of the State was en-
hraced IN one representative district, and
/ Col. James Stephenson, of Ga!ena, was the
member who represented this district in the
State Legislature. Our repre- sentative TO
Congress was John r. Stuart, Of Spring.
! field, the whole State being entitled but to
two members. We are probably now en-
titled 10 two Congressman in the same ter
ritory, which then sent one member to the
State Legislature.
| But | will pursue these political matters
no farther at present. Some of the difficult
ties encountered by the early settlers, may
be gathered from the foregoing narrative of
the contest concerning counties and county
seats. The locating Of roads was another
source Of troujle and contention. great
share, however, of neighborhood quarrels,
of lawsuits md of permanent controversies
grew out of the ''claiul" system. The land
not coming into market for several years af-
ter the settlement of the country, frequent
disputes arose respecting the title TO
"ciaims." And not very seldom, personal
violence was resorted to in the defence of
real or pretended claims. I, my self, have
heard loud threats and horrid oaths, and
have seen guns carried auI axes raised in
mrnacing manner, but have never witnessed
any actual collision OF parties.
/ Ii was no trIfiing matter in those early
days to procure provisions. For tlonr and
meal we sent to Fox river, and sometimes
! to what we then called Fort Clark-now
| Peoria. And the roads then were none of
the best, for the sloughs were most Of them
/ IN a state of nature-wile and almost bot
,onless. Until vegetables could be raised,
bread and meat constituted the sole food -
| We bad, however, one spice or seasoning
which gave a relish to even the coarsest fare
that was an appetite that would almost
snap at tenrenny nails.
/ The first crops that were raised were con-
siderably diminished bv the deprcdationS of
the Indians, who were quite numerous
They were principally Of the Pottawatone
and Winnebago tribes. 1t was not uncom-
mon for them to pitch their wigwams not
far from the log cabin Of the white man,
and then indian, squaw and papuose were
unceasing in their entreaties for something
to eat. They were an inIolent set, filthy in
their habits and degraded in character, ex-
hibting very few of those traits for which
the North American Indians has Teen eulo-
giZed. Their intercourse with the whites
may have had some effect in degenerating
them, but ! am more than half inclined to
the opinion, that the noble qualities of these
aborigines have been very much overrated.
= Mt. Morris Gaz.