The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-11-01

but frail footing at the
embankment's edge the last reminders OF
thriving and populous place will
4 have been swept away
Almost seventy years ago the hamlet
4 OF st. John founded by a man named
Hetlinger and few OF his followers N
The site chosen commanding one
on the BLUM overlooking the lake and
onehalf mile east of the point where the north.
western depot at the Village OF Highwood now
stands. The great clay bank with the stretch of
sand beach which shelves away to the waters edge
at its foot looks II it strong enough and
far enough removed from the breakers to be safe
against the angriest northeaster that ever blew
! The men who built their houses upon the plain
surmounting the embankment thought their foun.
cations were as sure as though founded on the
traditional rock. They did take the precaution
however to limit their building operations on the
east by line drawn fifty yards from the edge of
the blum That line has long since been buried In
tae sand under the waves and with it are the
houses and the shops of the early settlers
In the year 1s45 the Village of St John was the
rival OF Waukegan which then called Little
Fort. Both were prosperous and both were grow
ing. i1ghwood tradition hath it that people pass.
ing through the two places from Chicago declared
that st. John showed the ear marks OF success and
mat II was destined to be big city. Other people
beside the Chicagoans thought So too and they
nocked to the place and built substantial houses
and shops Tie two apple trees which alone re-
main of all that pertained to the Village OF St
John grew in the yard of Sebastian Richards
whose house farther removed from the
lake than any other in the village The apple
trees were back OF the residence. Not long ago
the foundation OF bricks. which was all that
was left OF Richards dwelling slid down the
BLUM into the lake during the height of win
ter storm. The roots OF OF the apple trees
are even now extending into the air through the
side OF the embankment. One good strong push
would send 1t hurtng the beach 100 feet
below.
Among the of the builders OF St John
in addition to those of Hettinger and Sebastian
richards, the only that the Oldest High
wood inhabitants remember. are Frank
Mitch. Peter Baker and George Shepard Mitch
was a shoemaker and it is said that he is still
following the trade in town in the far north
AS far as is known he is the only survivor of
the men who founded the Village of St John
In the year 1s47 there several stores a
blacksmith shop tavern and a postofice in the
Village OF ST John, which then held popula-
ton Of about 200 people. In that day there was
stage coach line between Chicago and Mil
waukee The tavern at st. John was relay
station for the stage. Henry Mowers. who re-
members the village in its latter days, says
that the tavern was noted for its table. and its
liquor. and that people frequently took the stage
Journey from Chicago for the sole purpose of
getting good dinner and good glass
1t a who intended becoming a resi-,
dent of st. John that afterward founded the
Village Of Half Day. He had looked the
lakeside village. and then had declared that he
would establish that would last longer and
had more people in it. The automobsts who
every Sunday pass through Half Day on their
runs to Waukegan and return may look the
half-dozen houses there assembled, and know
that the who turned his back on St. John
has kept his word.
When the Chicago and Milwaukee railroad was
built the surveyed line one-half mile west
Of the Village OF St. John. An adequate idea
OF the Importance Of place of which now bare
ly vestige remains may be had when It Is
known that the railroad authorities built a spur
line running to the south edge of the town
Some Of the practical residents of the place had
discovered that excellent quality of brick
could be made from the clay which found
In a pit short distance south Of the blacksmith
shop. As matter OF fact, the presence Of this
brickyard of the chief reasons that the
branch line of the railroad built When
Uncle Sam accepted from the Commercial Club
OF Chicago the land to the north OF the city
a military reservation the soldiers drew hum
dreds Of carloads Of both good brick and broken
brick from the site OF the old brickyard and
used the material for temporary road-making
and for the filling in of swamp spots. The fore
thought of the st. John people in leaving be-
hind them specimens OF their handiwork saved
the United States government a great many
dollars.
1t is possible to trace today with no difficulty
all the embankment upon which the branch
line of the railroad to the brckyard and to
the now lost Village of st. John In size and
outline 1t looks like military redoubt. and 1t
would perfectly answer the purpose Of The
embanknaent was leveed at its western end
when stores were erected in the Village OF High
wood. It starts from point almost direct
~ back OF the little Methodist church. and
eastward, broken only by roads which have been
dug through 1t.
1t less than ten years after the founding
OF st. John that tho people awakened TO a posi-
be danger to their homes by the encroachment
Of the waves OF the lake. It u true that they