The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-10-23
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
MRS. LOREN DELANO, AFTERWARDS
MRS. LEAvENS.


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The subject of this sketch 10 Mrs. Loron
Delano, afterwards Mrs. Judge Leavens, well
known among the pioneer settlers Of Otta-
wa, still hale and hearty old lady, whose
eyes have scarcely been dimmed by the light
Of seventy-seven years, whose step is still
sprigAtly and her form scarcely bent, but only
commencing to show the burdens of long
and active life: with memory yet clear, mind
vigorous, and temper cheerful; who relishes
kindly joke rs eagerly as in her childhood
days; lives in her comfortable and modest
home, not far from the Fox River house, in
this city. She enjoyed an extensive acquain-
lance with the settlers in early days, within
not only days but weeks ride from OF
tawa.
Her maiden name was Sarah Hardaway
She was bern in Albany, N Y, in 1903. Her
father, Moore Hardaway, and mother, Sarah
Harmon, were born in Cork, Ireland, and
married when arriving in this country about
the beginning of 1900.
Miss Sarah was united in marriage with
Mr.. Loren Delano at Utica, N. T., and lived
there a couple Of years. Then, the western
fever breaking out, the youthful couple
started for Illinois.
THEIR TRIP WEST.
They came from Cleveland to Detroit by
lake, the route Of all western Immigration in
those days At Detroit they packed up their
household goods and wearing apparel in a
small light wagon and started through the
woods, over hills, across unbridged streams,
around such swamps as were supposed to be
bottomless, through the southern end of the
then territory of Michigan, and deviatlng
southwark, worked their tedious way around
the southern end of Lake Michigan, and
thence onward. Their guides from the;start
were such Indian trails as appeared to lead
towards the setting sun.
There were houses scattered at long inter
walls through this vast wilderness Of woods
and or either edge of the stretches of prai-
RES and, every house was "tavern!" At
these stopping places the horseman and his
beast could find some sort of homey enter
tainment. The table was supplied with corn
bread, hominy and pork, and the beds often
nothing more than "shake DOWNS" near the
big fire place in cool weather-any where in
the warn season, and always plenty of
something strong to drink. Temperance
societies were unknown, and prohibition in
those days would have been laughed to
scorn. Thus they logged along for
weeks The weather for the most Iart was
that most delightful of all seasons, India
Summer, made mellow by the soft haze of
the atmosphere caused by the smoke of
prairie fires, toning down the outlines Of
distant hills and far of trees, the leaves
painted by autumn's cumming hand with all
the beauteous shades of green, red, purple,
brown and yellow, the air pure, cool, deli
cious, the scene suggestive of happy dreams,
melodious music, and poetic sentiment
While human habitatiOns were very few and
far apart, and the whole country was unset
tied by white people yet wild animals were
plentiful in the wooded regions, which COW
cred most of the way. The cries of many
kinds of birds, the garrulous gatherings of
saucy little squirrels ev cry where busy gath
ering in their winters stores; the noisy
wild geese, ducks and brandt, abundant upon
the creeks, sloughs and smaller lakes, were
life and company for the travellers by day,
and at night the solemn owl hooted his sere.
made and the merry crickets and cicada kept
up the chorus, aided by the dover ending
dispute of " Katy.dids;" so that the travel
ers were never lonely. Besides, there came
the excitement of looking for bears tina
never came, and hearing the savage bowls of
packs of wolves, and now and then starting
drove of beautiful deer and seeing them
bound gracefully over the thicket "free and
far and anon scamper out upon the plain
and stand watching the wsgon till it arrived
within gunshot, and then they would hoist
their white flags and bound away till lost in
the blue line Of the horizon Thus they
logged on and on, spending long and of.
ten a most delightful journey, day after day
till at length, in the fall of 1888 they ar
rived in the region of the Indian war the
previous year. The settlers at each stopping
place had some account to give of
INDIAN oUTRAGEs.
The red warril r, had visited the cabins of
every early settler, and acted in brutal
manner towards the old and feeble and sick,
and made it point to scare the "pale faced
squaws," as they called the settlers wives
They would watch their opportunity to make
descent upon the settlers when the husbands
was away, or thought himself the most Sc.
cure. To terribly frighten the women and
children was fun for the copper,hued horse
hair-headed "bravee," as they called them
selves. To steslthily surround cabin, make
the woman cook big meal, or carry away
every eatable thing; to break the clock, pur.