, 1879-02-13

Stephen Van Rensselaer, Forbes, Quo Of the
first settlers Of Chicago and the first Sheriff Of
Cook County, died very suddenly, but peaee-
fully, At the residence ot Ills son-tn-law, Nathan
s. Peck, No. 53t West Like street, Tucsdny
evening at o'clock, at the ripe arc Of 81 years
mud s mouths. sir Forbes Ind not hecn in
Eo9 ea,i for te pat SIX ysars several para;
tits demise. lie was able to bo about previous
to his death, and had come in from tho yurd but
a moment before, md, after retnarkinE that It
5uae arse soye IN ~ s s st
room. no began to breathe laboriously,
esssv0rs es%s sa e o.,, t. him. him a cay Gy altar T. sns
hers Of the household. a physician was sent
for, bit the old pioneer quietly expired before
he arrived, having bceomc unconscious im.ncdt-
ately after hc sat down. His wifa md two
daughters nnd grandchildren gathered around
him as the last spark Of life went out. The
funeral will take place this afternoon.
Mr: Forbes was born In Wsn11lam, VT. July
Forbes acquired knowledge Of surveying,
which occupation nc followed during greater
portion 9f iis lIfc. 1le removed to Nowburgh
onth cleye'Ana, s,, e, when young mq. "a
mnrried Elvlra Hates, daughter Of Noble
Dntes, OF that town. lIc came to
Chicago about 1s29, With surveying party. and
Win u pusHcu IN do"l 10 Louisiana. In ltJu
he came here agais, that time bringing Ills Wife
| The Journey Wns made on horscbark from New
burgf. nnl was difficult AIT! tedious one. Mrs.
| For6cs who Ia now In llcf scvxpty.1ccond year,
informed hie Reporter tl!a. there wcro then but
| three white families outsiac Of Fort Dearborn.
| She remembers thu family of DR.. Wolco,t; Mr..
Miller, who Kept public house at tho "iorks
| at the riycr''; James Kinzlc, who married tho
preacher; old Mr.. Scott, and Leuts. Hunter anl
| ingalls,, at the fort. Mr.. and Mrs. Forbes took
uD their abo,lo In what was then known as tho
suffers house,-a blockhousc built In tho style
a. Tho foot Of vhat is now Michigan avenue.
| There they opened lip the first school In CHI
cago, and had but three whte children rs
pupils, two OF whom wero ststers ef Mrs. Ely-
q. .nutnber-ocing lla1t-brccds anA Indians.
task: IN 1881 tlrn Wbigs elected sIr. Forbes
tho first Sheriff Of Cook Gounty, aud ho entered
following term. alr. Forbes, like thu other
old settlers, did not tllrn believe that
the!r tt rude hou'ss ,,a, ssood upon tn, thy
guyc no a.tcntlon to accnnuiatiax town proper
tY. lie resolved to try farIntng ind prc-cn, pied
100 acres uuder tue Homestead! lay, taking The
1 npT NJ y1sIe a % G il! Ts Of ,he
the spot now occupied by the railroad doDot.
lle raiscd cattle there. nnl pursued far1ntng
generally. ansl accumulated 'nid oy buying a.tl
sc that Il It 5 Sa9 trss sf h. NJ %s T , S
there weru about sou Pottawatonius aro,,iul
them when they tlrst settled Ut RIVER
side, and they were peacsablc, but III
to lllem, Mr. Forhcs rcma,.,r.l on hla farm till
1910, when the California gold fever bruke out,
Mma au determined ta try l'is fortune IN the new
Eldorado. 1lo late Manccl Talcott WIS warm
a,rf tlrm friend Of Ms. Fu5nea at that tinc, untI
the two 1oincd party anl started Overland tot
tht land Of gold, alr. Forbes leaving bis family
on ttc fnrm. The journey was dangerous a,r
apend two tIiontlls in tbs Mormon settlement Ii
utuh, nllti were tan >, mouths reaching tos
fields. whrrs Mr. Forbes retnnllled TWO yeard
turned 10 Chicago, via NlvuraEua Mn! New Or
Leans. In tim spring Of 1853 ile soltl the furr
anti other property Ut Riverside for s2o an aert
~ tlIe late Dr. w. D. Euan, Mf. Forbes ownet
street, anA lle sold It to Dr, Foster, an oit
settler. After dtsuosing Of hts property, tl4
subject VI this sketch returned 10 New6urclI
y. with Ills tatnsly, anu resumed his oceupa
tlul rs u surveyor, rcnaiblnE there until d yen
uco, wlun lie returned tu Chlcaau with his wi
nnd youngest daughter, tn spsua his Remaining
days with fs sot.tn.la~, atr. Peck, and hi
! Mr. Forbes had tiys children. three OF whom
two daushters mud onc son-nse living: III
son, pltny +. EoEots Is NJ present In California
UNI tle daughters, Aurllia A.. q natiye OF CHI
enro aHl ,wlte Of MIR. N. 8. fcck, und pauliu
f., aie iu this city, as aboye noted.
Throughout nearly ail Of ILL long life Nj
! Forbes enjoyed remarkably good health, II
vas a a1ap ot Integrity, ind endowed with goo
stock OF common SENSE, which ho used in U
, honest and practical WY.
. Notice OF the 1uueral arrangements viii b
given uudcr the usual hradlig tn this day
TRIBUNE. The rcmaius will be buried in Grac,
land.
5 BISHOP FOLEY,