Grundy County IL Archives History - Books .....Chapter 10 1882
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Book Title: History Of Grundy County IL 1882

CHAPTER X.*
 
GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP—SURFACE—STREAMS—TIMBER—ORIGIN OF NAME—TOWNSHIP 
ORGANIZATION—GOING TO MILL—FIRST SETTLERS—INCIDENTS—WOLF AND DEER HUNTING—
ELECTIONS—OFFICERS—IMPROVEMENTS AND PROSPECTS—WHAT WE ARE TO-DAY, ETC., ETC.

Greenfield! the land of grass and flowers,
Of pleasant homes and happy hours; 
Where richest lands her treasures yield, 
To every tiller of the field.
Here hill and vale are never seen, 
But an endless plain forever green; 
No rivers here go rushing o'er 
A rocky bed with ceaseless roar.
No lakes are here extending wide, 
Inviting travelers to their side; 
But those who came could easy tell, 
That with earnest work they might do well.
Wealth was here for all who'd come, 
To till the earth and make a home; 
So here we write this story, true, 
Of what our fathers used to do.

FOR several years before the dividing of the county into townships, the 
territory, afterward called Greenfield, belonged to Mazon Precinct. In the 
year 1850, a township organization was effected, the first "town meeting" 
being held the first Tuesday in April of that year. In order of business came 
the "naming of the township." Seventeen voters were present and nearly every 
one had a name for his new home — a name dear to him because it belonged 
to "the old home in the East." Each pressed his claim with all the enthusiasm 
at command; but after a noisy canvass and several ballots, a choice was not 
made. Finally a committee of three —

*By Dr. C. M. Easton.
 
Robert Wood, Robert Finley and Milo Wilcox, was appointed to choose a name. 
Wilcox proposed "Greenfield" after Thomas R. Green, a land speculator of 
Chicago, who then owned several tracts in the township. The name was sent in 
and adopted with a hurrah!

Greenfield township occupies the southeast corner of Grundy County, and 
includes an area of six miles square. Braceville township bounds it upon the 
north, Goodfarm upon the west, Round Grove (Livingston Co.) upon the south and 
Essex (Kankakee Co.) upon the east. The surface is very level, with gentle 
undulations along the banks of creeks and sluices. The highest land is in the 
southern part with a gradual descent as you go northward. Unfortunately for 
drainage, the banks of the streams are generally a little higher than the 
lands some distance back; so in order to get rid promptly of the superfluous 
water, it is needful to cut drains through these rolls.

The soil is a rich black loam from one to two feet in depth, and with proper 
drainage and cultivation, its productiveness can not be excelled.

The timber originally consisted only of a few groves, scattered along the 
banks of the Mazon. One of these on the south line of the township, known as 
Currier's Grove, was widely known among the early settlers, receiving its name 
from a family who settled in the immediate neighborhood during the early 
years. As we go down the stream we find another fine timber lot on section 
fourteen, now the premises of L. C. Fuller. On sections one and twelve was 
another grove of considerable size, probably the largest in the township. The 
varieties were such as were indigenous to this part of the State, namely; oak, 
hickory, walnut, elm, bass wood, etc.

The Mazon Creek, the largest of our water courses, has its origin in 
Broughton, Livingston County, and running north enters Greenfield upon the 
south line, a half mile east of the center. Bearing to the northeast to the 
south line of section one, on the farm of F. O. Andrews, it turns to the 
northwest, and runs out on section two.

Cranery Creek, a stream of considerable size, draining a portion of Essex, 
comes into our town from the east and unites with the Mazon on section one. 
Another creek corning from the south, and draining a goodly portion of the 
southeast part of the town, empties into the Mazon a little farther up, near 
the residence of the late Robert Wood. Two creeks rising in Round Grove enter 
Greenfield, one near the southwest corner, the other a mile farther east, and 
running to the northeast, coalesce on section twenty-two, and on section 
fourteen, pour their united waters into the Mazon. These streams, like all 
others dependent entirely for supplies upon surface water, get very low in dry 
seasons, and, perhaps, all except the Mazon, at times go dry. Though 
insignificant at low water, when swollen with heavy rains they are very 
torrents; and in the years gone by, when bridges were not, they were sources 
of embarrassment and often danger to the inhabitants.


"HOW WE WENT TO MILL."

The winter of 1858-9 was one of those wet, open winters that has always 
wrought ruin to Illinois roads, and ruffled the sweetest tempered souls that 
tried to travel them. The streams were full and covered with ice, but not 
strong enough to bear a team. Then flour was not kept in the markets as it now 
is; but farmers grew their own wheat and got it ground as needed. In our 
neighborhood we had been borrowing one of another, waiting for a "harder 
freeze," until all were out and something must be done. D. R. Doud, still 
living four miles northwest, started to Wilmington to mill, but striking one 
of these treacherous streams, his horses broke through the ice and went down, 
wagon following. With considerable difficulty he got his horses out and 
across; carried the sacks of wheat-about fifteen—across; took off the wagon 
box, slid it across; uncoupled the running gears and tugged them over; so 
after long hours of fearful labor and exposure, he found himself again upon 
terra firma, and on his "way to mill." After reaching Wilmington he found he 
could not get his grinding done and must at last return home empty. The novel 
part of our story remains to be told. Governor Madison at that time held 
control of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, and for some reason no trains were 
run for several days, coming to Gardner. Doud secured a handcar, a dummy 
without gearing, with platform about four by five feet, and he and Allen 
Slyter, a local preacher, and the writer, got aboard. Holding aloft a couple 
of boards to catch the southwest breeze, we rattled down the track, and across 
the raging Mazon.

Here we were joined by John Booth, now in Kansas, riding a little bay mare 
owned by Doud and known as "Queen." As our story proves, Queen was one of the 
most sensible and docile of her race. The old mare was hitched to the car by a 
long rope and away "we all went to mill." To get old Queen over the cattle-
guards and bridges, all we had to do was to lay down our boards and lead her 
over. Upon the return trip to make room for grist and passengers, we laid the 
boards upon the sides of the car, stood the sacks thereon, while the 
passengers stood between the rows of bags, or perched on top. Coming home we 
had about fifteen hundred pounds of flour and bran, and two extra passengers—
one a woman who left the car at the first station. We pushed the dummy across 
the Kankakee River, and then attached our locomotive (old Queen) with plenty 
of steam and a wide "open throttle" we made good time for home.

When we reached the first cattle-guard, we were for a little time nonplussed; 
our sacks were upon the boards that had served for a bridge going over, and 
could not well be moved. Between the sacks was a space, when the "train hands" 
were off, the length of the car, some five feet in length by one foot and a 
half in width. Here was just barely room for a horse to stand, and at Doud's 
word, Queen took and was pushed over. This was repeated again and again, until 
we reached the Mazon; here we halted for a hasty council. The bridge was 280 
feet in length, and some 25 feet above low water; to undertake to cross it as 
we had the small ones seemed perilous; to swim the faithful mare through the 
stream full of running ice would be cruel indeed. Queen stepped "on board" 
with her usual promptness and was safely wheeled across the eddying mass of 
ice and waves. The old bridge long since went down under a freight train, and 
a fearful wreck was the result. Without further adventure we reached home "in 
good order," with an abundance of "stuff" to make the "staff" upon which to 
lean for many weeks.

The first to settle in this part of Mazon Precinct (two years later named 
Greenfield) were Dr. James Miller and Nelson La Force, who moved here from 
Chicago, April 8, 1848. They bought the northeast quarter of section three and 
put up a house on the north line. This was the first building on the thirty-
six square miles of which we write, and is yet standing, sheltering a tenant. 
In this house the Doctor with his family lived for many years, and here George 
Miller, now in Florida, was born, the first birth in our territory. Doctor 
Miller had a crippled leg and always went on crutches; yet during the early 
years he attended to quite an extensive practice among the pioneers besides 
overseeing the farm. After a time he moved to Gardner and kept a drug store on 
the west side; here he ministered in medicine until about four years since, 
when he closed out and moved to Florida; here, in unending summer, amid the 
orange groves and everglades, we leave him to while away his declining years. 
The old farm is now owned by J. C. Lutz, who bought it a year ago of Miller, 
paying $60 per acre.

Nelson La Force was born in New Jersey and drifted to New York city in his 
youth, from there to Chicago, which was then only a small town without a 
railroad. Stopping there for a couple of years he concluded the quickest way 
to fortune would be over some "government land," and so persuaded Dr. Miller 
to come onto this prairie with him; when the quarter section was divided he 
(La Force) took the south half. He went back to New York and was married in 
1852; a year later returned with his wife and settled down on the little farm 
in the west. Here was their home until a year ago when he sold to Taylor 
Williams of Sterling, and moved to Gardner. Here, fixed in a pleasant home, 
although bearing down the "shadowy side of life," they are enjoying well the 
fruits of their labor.

Taylor Bradfield built the second house in our precinct in the spring of 1849, 
near the northeast corner of section ten, for many years the home of Robert 
Glass. He came here from Trumbull County, Ohio, remained here a few years on 
section ten, sold out to Joseph Robinson and built a new house on the farm now 
owned by F. O. Andrews, on the Mazon. The house was afterward moved to 
Gardner, Jackson street, and is known as the Blake place. Bradfield moved from 
here to Iowa.

Robert Glass moved here from Guernsey Co., Ohio, in April, 1849, and bought 
the northwest quarter of Sec. ten, and erected a cabin on the west line, 
opposite the Fielder place. He afterward bought the northeast quarter of the 
same section, built a good house and continued to reside there until the 
spring of the present year (1882) when he sold to Mr. Taylor Williams and 
moved to Sedgwick County, Kansas, where he now lives. Mr. Glass sojourned here 
for a third of a century, and through all these years he enjoyed the full 
confidence and esteem of all who knew him. A son, Frank Glass, is at this 
writing, a resident of Braceville. The old farm has this summer been tested 
for coal and is found to be underlaid with a valuable vein of the dusky 
diamonds, varying in thickness from two feet ten inches to six feet. Three 
drillings gave each three feet and a half.

Robert Finley, another of the pioneers, came here from Guernsey Co., Ohio, in 
June, 1849, and settled upon the northeast quarter of section nine, having a 
land warrant. The tract cost him $134. A little later he bought the northwest 
quarter for $175. During the building of the Chicago & Alton railway, in 1854, 
one of the teamsters employed jestingly told Mr. Finley that his "land would 
some day be worth $200 per acre." Since that Gardner village has spread over 
quite a proportion of the original purchase, and he has lived to see small 
lots of less than one-fourth acre sell for more than the money named. Mr. 
Finley built his first cabin a little west of where Mrs. Purvis now lives, on 
Jackson street. It was constructed of slabs cut at a horse saw-mill, on the 
West Mazon. Later, he put up a frame house on the site where John Allison now 
lives. The old farm (N. E. qr.) has long since been divided— the north half 
laid off into town lots and decked with comfortable dwellings, while here and 
there a residence of costly and elaborate finish varies the scene. Father 
Finley is now in his eighty-sixth year, and is living near where he built his 
first rude cabin, thirty-three years ago. Sickness and financial reverses have 
years since robbed the pioneer of his broad fields, and forever blighted the 
hopes of his early manhood; but, for bread he wanteth not, till the last inn 
is reached, where all must lie down and forever sleep. Daniel Fuller came from 
the State of New York in 1849, and first located on the northeast quarter of 
section six. After a little time he moved onto the southwest quarter of 
section eight, now owned by Mike Bookwalter. He sold out here in 1854 and 
moved to Iowa, from there to Nebraska. He is represented as being a shrewd 
fellow and a skilled hunter; that the timid deer, which were then plenty upon 
the prairies, fell before his unerring rifle at long range.

Robert Wood, one of our first settlers, was born in Wayne Co., N. Y., moved 
from there to Quincy, Michigan, from there to Illinois; came here in 1849, or 
the early part of 1850, and located on the southwest quarter of section 22, 
now owned by Thos. Crooks. He lived here five or six years, and sold out to C. 
K. Snyder and his brother, and moved to Missouri; soon tiring of that country, 
he came back and bought out John Kelso, on the east bank of the Mazon, section 
12. Here he resided until three years since, when, ripe in years, rich in 
experience, his brow furrowed with many cares, his hair whitened by the frosts 
of seventy winters, he lay down "to sleep with the Eternal."

Another to anchor upon this prairie in the early years was George Willis. He 
arrived here from Guernsey Co., Ohio, May 10th, 1850, and bought the southwest 
quarter of section four, built a cabin out of split logs on the site where J. 
W. Hull now lives, on Main street. He lived in the little house the first 
summer without a floor; in the fall he went to the timber and split out slabs 
and put one down. Mr. Willis lived here about ten years, when he sold out and 
moved back to Morrow Co., Ohio. From there he went to Lynn Co., Kansas, where 
he now lives. S. V. Hartley, a well-to-do farmer living a mile west of 
Gardner, came here with George Willis in 1850. He (Hartley) was then a lad of 
eleven summers. (See biography.) The east half of Mr. Willis' old farm has 
been divided and subdivided, and now a score of village lots have taken the 
place of the old wide fields. The west half still serves the purposes for 
which intended, and is owned and cultivated by A. M. Bookwalter.

Franklin Morgan came here from the State of New York in April, 1849, and 
bought the southeast quarter of section five, now owned and cultivated by B. 
D. Parker, and the northeast quarter of section eight, now owned by Mrs. 
Arnold, west half, and A. Easton, east half. Mr. Morgan built his house—
probably the second one in our territory—upon the place where Mrs. Arnold now 
lives, but just on the east side of the sluice. He remained here until 1854, 
when he sold out, and after several moves brought up at Plymouth, Indiana, 
where he now lives. Mr. Morgan was quite a scholarly fellow, and much given to 
putting up jokes upon his neighbors.

Joseph Elliot came to Illinois from near Boston, Mass., and for a time stopped 
in Du Page County. He came to Mazon Precinct, and in 1849, took up a quarter 
section—one eighty on section 24, and the adjoining eighty on section 23. He 
lived for awhile in a rough shanty upon the farm now owned by Mrs. Henrietta 
Dodge. His shanty experience was unpleasant; the winter was exceedingly cold, 
and the bleak unbroken winds of the prairie whistled through every crevice of 
the rude dwelling, making a music for the benumbed occupants not at all 
inviting. He afterward built a house upon his own premises, where he lived for 
about twenty-five years, when he sold out and moved with his son—Henry Elliot—
to California. Two years since he contracted small pox and died, and his 
sacred dust forever sleeps on the slope beyond the mountains. Henry Leach now 
owns and cultivates "the old farm" and it is one of the best kept places in 
Greenfield. Upon an unlucky day some four years since, the humble cottage, for 
a quarter century the home of "Uncle Joe" Elliot, went up in flame and smoke, 
and the imposing farm house of Mr. Leach now marks the spot.

John Kelso, one of the early settlers, came here from Indiana in 1849, and 
located on the east bank of the Mazon—on section 12. After a few years he sold 
to the late Robert Wood and moved to Southeastern Kansas, where he died some 
ten years ago. The farm was sold a year since to James Mix, a speculator in 
coal lands from Kankakee.

Milo Wilcox came to this county at an early date, and for a few years lived 
near the West Mazon; in 1849 he took up the southeast quarter of section 15, 
and put up a little house on the bank of the creek. He lived here but a short 
time when he sold to Charles Roe, a Methodist preacher. Mr. Wilcox finally 
moved down onto the northeast quarter of section 12, now a part of the Wilson 
estate, where he died. George Wilcox, a son, is now a well-to-do farmer in 
Pilot township, Kankakee County. Myron, another son, was married three years 
since in Chicago, to quite a noted woman, and taking his wife he went to China 
as a Methodist missionary. With all that vital force begotten by early life 
and training upon these Western prairies, he now pours salvation into the 
untutored ears of the "heathen Chinee."

George F. Spencer came from Monroe County, New York, and located upon the 
southeast quarter of section one, putting up a house on the east bank of 
Cranery Creek, where he still lives.

Mr. Spencer brought with him from the East a good constitution and good 
habits; these were his stock in trade, and these have won him a competency. He 
had another quality and a virtue too, a contented mind. Of the sixteen tax 
payers that were here when Mr. Spencer came, he is the only one now residing 
upon the original purchase, and one of three, to remain in the township. Mr. 
Spencer has made himself a fine home, large orchard, fine shade and ornamental 
trees, good fences, good buildings and all that belong to a well-ordered farm. 
He has lived here through thirty-two eventful years; thriving villages have 
sprung up around him, railroads have been built on every side. The rank 
grasses of the early years have given way to golden grain; where the wild deer 
roamed unalarmed and the wolf dug his hole unscared, he sees a harvest of 
ripening corn. The lonely hut of the pioneer has been replaced with homes of 
luxury and splendor, and Lazarus with his rags has made room for Dives in his 
golden armor. School-houses have been built around him, and the children of 
education are pressing back the tribes of the ignorant.
 
Nelson Clapp came here in 1849, and built a little house on the bank of the 
sluice, on the northwest quarter of Sec. 22. He lived there a short time when 
he sold out and moved out on Grand Prairie. About ten years ago, when on his 
way home from Gardner, he was taken suddenly ill—we think with cholera morbus, 
and stopped at C. K. Snyder's, where he died.

Benjamin Banister came the same year as Clapp and built on the east line of 
section fifteen. The place is now the north half of Wm. Kewin's farm.

Thos. McCartney came here from Ohio about the same time, and lived a half mile 
north of Banister's, late the home of Frank Glass.

We have now briefly noticed about all that were here at the time of township 
organization, April, 1850. Prominent among those who came a little later, were 
Alexander and Kennedy Brown, J. W. Hull and Robert Atkinson. Brown sold out 
several years since and moved away. Hull and Atkinson are both citizens of 
Gardner, the latter a dealer in grain and coal.

We are under obligations to Nelson La Force, J. W. Hull and Robert Atkinson 
for most of the facts connected with the first settlement of Greenfield.


ROADS AND BRIDGES.

The Greenfield highways are generally laid out upon the section lines; there 
are a few exceptions, to wit: the road running south from Snyder's mill in 
Gardner to the Livingston County line—five miles, passes through the center of 
five sections, and the road running south from the iron bridge, known as 
Nason's, passes through sections 14 and 53, eighty rods from the east line.
 
During the early years, while travelers could keep upon the native prairie 
sod, but little attention was paid to roads; but as the years went by and 
travel increased and was concentrated by the fencing of the farms, throwing up 
grades and opening ditches became a necessity. Although considerable work had 
been done and quite a sum of money expended, our roads, where much traveled, 
were in wretched condition. Three years ago James Cook bought a grading 
machine and began operation upon our highways, and the work has been kept up 
since, until now nearly all our roads are well graded. Under the thorough work 
of our highway commissioners for three years, our roads have steadily 
improved; but in wet seasons they continue the bane of this otherwise 
delightful country. It is a fact, well demonstrated, that prairie muck is a 
poor material for constructing roads. Macadamized roads are expensive, but 
something of the kind must be made before we can have good roads in wet 
seasons.

The first bridge to span the Mazon in Greenfield, was a wooden structure at 
Nason's ("three mile house"), built by John F. Peek, of Gardner, in the winter 
of 1867-8. It was 200 feet in length and 20 feet above low water; this bridge 
stood the ravages of flood and time until 1878, when it was condemned by the 
commissioners, and replaced by an iron bridge 150 feet in length. There were 
two spans of 75 feet each, supported by stone butments with a middle pier. The 
structure of stone and iron, looking as permanent as the stream itself, was 
taken from its moorings by a cyclone the following summer, and the present 
one, of heavier iron, put in its place. Bridges were built across the creeks 
at Goodson's and Snyder's on "Snyder's Lane," some time before the first 
bridge at Mason's; both of these were wood; the latter was replaced a year 
since ('81) by stone butments and iron superstructure; the former at this 
writing (September, 1882), is being torn down to make room for stone and iron. 
An iron bridge—stone butments—was put in across the creek, four miles south of 
town on the "mill road" last year, and this year one is going in at Andrews of 
the same material. Many of the bridges over the smaller streams being "worn 
out in the service," are being replaced this year by iron. The Greenfield 
highway commissioners will expend this season, five thousand dollars for iron 
bridges.


FIRST BIRTH, DEATH AND MARRIAGE.

Greenfield's first birth was George Miller, born in spring of 1850, to Dr. and 
Mrs. James Miller. George grew to maturity, worked some on the farm, clerked 
in his father's drug store in Gardner; was married four years since and moved 
to Florida, where he now resides.

The first death, was that of George Beal, who came here from Guernsey County, 
Ohio, with Robert Finley's family in the spring of 1849. He was a young man 
yet in his "teens"—full of hope and promise; but a hot season, undue exposure, 
and surface water, brought on dysentery, from which he died before the first 
summer in the west had ended. The obsequies were conducted in Mr. Finley's log 
cabin, where he had died. A neighbor offered a prayer, three or four chanted a 
mournful hymn, and two or three rude wagons followed the remains to Wheeler 
burying ground, where they were interred; there still he sleeps, the first of 
our "sacred dust."

The  first marriage was that of Henry Brown to Amanda (we have failed to get 
the whole name), a sister-in-law of Daniel Fuller, the officiating justice. 
The marriage was solemnized at Fuller's house, now owned by M. Bookwalter, and 
known as the "Bachman farm."

The date of this, the first nuptial tie was June or July, 1851. The magic 
words which made the twain one, are said to have been these: "Henry do you 
love Amanda? 'Yes.' Amanda do you love Henry? 'Yes.' Then I pronounce yon man 
and wife by God."


EARLY ELECTIONS AND OFFICERS.

In another place we have noticed the organization of township and origin of 
name. This was at first "town meeting" held at the house of Milo Wilcox, where 
Calvin Cotton now lives, first Tuesday in April, 1850.

At this meeting seventeen votes were polled, and the following officers 
elected: Supervisor, Franklin Morgan; town clerk, Nelson La Force; assessor, 
Robert Glass; overseer of poor, Taylor Bradfield; collector, Nelson La Force; 
highway commissioners, Robert Finley, Robert Wood, and John Kelso; constables, 
Thomas McCartney and Jachin Banister; justice of the peace, Daniel Fuller; 
path-master, Taylor Bradfield. At the next town meeting, April 1, 1851, the 
same officers were re-elected, except Robert Finley, highway commissioner, who 
was replaced by Daniel Fuller, and Thomas McCartney, constable, by Daniel 
Otis. Two path-masters were elected: Taylor Bradfield and Joseph Elliot. 
Twenty-three votes were polled at this election. During this year La Force 
concluded to go back to New York—thinking, no doubt, that the pleasure that a 
wife could give was preferable to the honors of office. Oliver Williams was 
appointed his successor and held both offices (clerk and collector) until 
April, 1853. A. J. Brown was elected clerk to succeed Williams, but failing to 
qualify, James W. Snyder was appointed. In addition to those mentioned who 
officiated during the early years, were Dr. James Miller, supervisor and, 
later, justice of the peace; William B. Royal, supervisor; Chester K. Snyder, 
town clerk; Milo Wilcox, justice of the peace; D. B. La Force, assessor. The 
present town officers are: Louis Germain, supervisor; John H. Coles, town 
clerk; Henry Leach, assessor; H. K. Lovejoy, collector; C. K. Snyder, G. W. 
Melbourn, and A. W. Root, commissioners of highways; Isaac B. McGinnis and J. 
H. Coles, justices of the peace; Isaac C. Persels and Fred. G. Thompson, 
constables; J. H. Coles, B. D. Parker and Wm. Kewin, school trustees. From 
seventeen voters in 1850, we have increased to about 325 in 1882. At the last 
Presidential election we cast 305 votes. Politically Greenfield is most 
emphatically Republican—at the election of thelamented Garfield the "tally-
sheet" showed 39 Greenback tickets, 41 Democratic and 225 Republican.

Our township residents of to-day are, as regards place of birth and 
nationality, thoroughly mixed. The "Scully prairie" in the southwest, 
embracing over two thousand acres, owned by Wm. Scully in Ireland, is 
cultivated almost entirely by Danes and Norwegians. The northern and central 
parts are generally settled with people from the New England and Middle States.
 
In the southeast are quite a number of well-to-do Irish families. Every State 
east of us to the Atlantic has sons and daughters upon the prairie. They have 
come from the classic towns of Massachusetts and the "back woods" of Ohio, 
from the malarious bottoms of the Wabash and the Dominion across the lakes, 
from the White mountains of New Hampshire and the fruitful gardens of little 
Jersey, from the green hills of Vermont and the historic valley of the Mohawk. 
Nor is this all; many countries across the sea are represented here. Out of 
Scandinavian snows they have come, and from the shores of the Baltic; from the 
busy marts of old England, and Scotland's Grampian hills; from the bogs of the 
Emerald Isle and the slopes beyond the Rhine. These are the people that are 
here to-day. They came with little means—poor in purse but rich in hope. In 
the bosom of our virgin soil they plowed deep furrows and scattered good seed, 
and the yield has been "an hundred fold."

In the settlement of every new country there is commonly more or less of 
the "eventful;" some "wonderful adventures" and "hair-breadth escapes" that 
enter into the warp and woof of its history, that give spice and aroma to what 
must otherwise be a dry and insipid literature. Unfortunately for the writer, 
and for the reader who has a taste for tragedy, our chronicles reach not back 
to the remote past. Our first settlements are within the memory of the middle 
aged. The cruel wars with the Black Hawk chief and his allies had years been 
over. The death song of the relentless savage and the wail of his helpless 
victim were forever hushed. The smoke of peace had curled up to heaven, and 
quiet reigned throughout the border. The council fires had gone out upon the 
shores; the cabins of the red men were in the dust, and their war-cry had 
faded away in the untrodden West.

The prairie wolves were here, and while no one was ever injured by them, many 
a belated traveler was badly scared. They howled in the darkness along the 
lonely pathways, and men of good courage were startled by their unwelcome 
nearness, and were only too glad to reach home and shut back their noisy 
company. Plenty of deer were here in the early years, and venison at the 
farmer's board frequently figured largely in the bill of fare. In those days a 
drove of a dozen were sometimes seen in close proximity to the settler's 
cottage. At night in winter they would seek the groves along the creeks for 
shelter. C. K. Snyder relates how he and his cousin, a young Wood, hunted them 
one cold winter's night. A drove was known to come every night to a certain 
clump of trees for shelter. Wood having had more experience was master of 
ceremonies. He proposed that each climb a tree, a little distance apart, and 
keep breathlessly still until the wild ruminants should seek their accustomed 
retreat, when they would fire upon them from their elevated positions. Snyder 
climbed his tree, fixed himself astride a limb, and Wood passed up his gun, 
telling him under no consideration must he speak, but if likely to freeze he 
might whistle. S. found his perch a desperate cold one, but being "gamey" and 
after game he proposed to wait.

The night being bitter cold and his position such that he could not move, he 
was soon chilled to the bone and thought to whistle; but he could not, his 
mouth would not pucker! his lips were mute. His tongue, however, loosened 
lively! Wood came to his rescue. The deer that were afar off heard his voice 
and stood well aloof. Mr. S. was often afterward reminded of his tree top 
experience, and the little episode is still fresh in his memory.

The first mowing machine ever used in Greenfield was made in Ottawa, and was 
brought by Alexander and Kennedy Brown in the fall of 1852.

The first tile draining was done last year by C. K. Snyder, upon the Nason 
farm S. E. 1/4, Sec. 7, and by J. C. Lutz on N. W. 1/4, same section. Mr. Lutz 
has laid this season over three miles of drain and will add to it as fast as 
tile can be procured. George Goodson will put in two car loads upon his farm 
this year; J. S. Small one car load and Dr. Taxis one car load each. This is 
the extent of underdraining in Greenfield up to date; so far as tested it has 
proven eminently satisfactory; so much so that doubtless hundreds of miles 
will be laid in the near future. For these lowlands, by nature so poorly 
drained, stigmatized "frog ponds" and "mortar beds," despised by many and 
forsaken by few, tile draining is our hope. No enterprise in which our farmers 
can engage promises so well. With this well done, we have nothing to wish, 
nothing to fear, no country can bear our laurels. Our fields will blossom like 
the rose, and our granaries will be the pride of our commonwealth.

A wolf hunt in which one of the best of our early settlers very nearly lost 
his life, will be of sufficient interest to warrant its publication here. 
Although our hero was a little outside of our precinct, we are in possession 
of the facts which will not likely reach the ears of the other historians, and 
hence we take the liberty to write them. John Wheeler, with his  family, came 
to Mazon Precinct from Pennsylvania in 1846 and located in what was, four 
years later, named Goodfarm, — northeast quarter, section two, now Goodrich 
estate. At the time of which we write his place was upon the outskirts of the  
settlement. To the south there was not a mark of civilization short of the 
Vermillion River, a distance of twenty-five miles. In December,'47, there 
having been a fall of snow, Mr. Wheeler and one or two others started out to 
hunt wolves which were  plenty. Being well mounted they struck out boldly to 
the south, across the snowy plain. After going quite a distance they struck a 
wolf track which they continued to follow for several miles, when all but 
Wheeler were tired of the chase and  turned about and rode home. He, being 
more determined than the others, rode on in pursuit of his game, but by this 
time snow was falling thickly, the tracks were obscured and he, too, thought 
to return. He was now many miles from home, the winds were sweeping wildly 
about him and cheerless darkness was coming on apace. Chilled by the cold and 
storm he alighted from his horse, thinking to warm a little by walking. The 
horse was startled at something, and with a bound pulled the rein through 
Wheeler's benumbed fingers, and sped away like an arrow through the storm. The 
unfortunate man following the tracks of his steed, pressed on as fast as he 
could through the heavy drifts. However it was to no purpose; soon every 
footprint was obliterated; night closed in around him her sable pall, and in a 
desert of shifting snows, he was alone. Through the pitiless storm he plodded 
his weary way, knowing not whither he was tending. On and on, breasting the 
huge drifts, until his very vitals seemed frozen within him. Exhausted with 
ceaseless effort he sank down in the snow. Digging for himself a little pit in 
the drift, he found the cold was less severe, and getting a little rest he 
raised himself up and made another struggle for home. Again his chilled and 
weary limbs succumbed; again he pitted his body in the drift. This process was 
repeated eight or nine times; as the night wore on the cold increased; at last 
he could not stand. He planted his rifle in the drift, pressing the snow about 
it, that it might stand erect, and serve as a guide to those who might come in 
search. His very blood seemed frozen in his veins, the last ray of hope had 
fled his breast, and with a prayer for wife and babes upon his mute lips he 
lay down to die. He did not die; with the morning light he spied the cabin of 
John Brown, and began crawling toward it. Mrs. Brown was the first to see him; 
his clothes frozen and covered with snow alarmed her. Mr. B. helped him to the 
house and when sufficiently recovered, to his own home, about five miles west. 
Brown lived where H. Jackman does now—center sec. 33, Braceville.

Additional Comments:
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY ILLINOIS; Containing a History from the earliest 
settlement to the present time, embracing its topographical, geological, 
physical and climatic features; its agricultural, railroad interests, etc.; 
giving an account of its aboriginal inhabitants, early settlement by the 
whites, pioneer incidents, its growth, its improvements, organization of the 
County, the judicial history, the business and industries, churches, schools, 
etc.; Biographical Sketches; Portraits of some of the Early Settlers, 
Prominent Men, etc.; ILLUSTRATED. CHICAGO: O. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL 
PUBLISHERS, Lakeside Building. 1882.


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