Grundy County IL Archives History - Books .....Chapter 12 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 4, 2006, 2:50 am Book Title: History Of Grundy County IL 1882 CHAPTER XII.* NETTLE CREEK TOWNSHIP—FIRST SETTLERS——LIFE IN A PRAIRIE COUNTRY—SCHOOLS, ETC. NETTLE CREEK is the name applied by the settlers to the principal stream in this township, and from the stream the precinct takes its name. The Indians named the stream Little Mazon, from the number of nettles which were found growing luxuriantly upon the rich bottoms. The township which bears this name, forms the northwest corner of Grundy County, and originally consisted almost entirely of level prairie land. Along the creek from the eastern line of the township to the western line of Section 23, there was a considerable growth of oak and black walnut, but the rest was open prairie. A number of prairie runs, tributary to the main stream, cross the township in a southeasterly direction, but they have no valleys, and farmers till the land right up to the margin of the streams. The population is quite cosmopolitan in its character, Scotland, England, Ireland and Norway, of the European States, being represented, while no State of the Union can claim great preponderance in the number of her sons and daughters here. The first pioneer was William Hoge. He was of Scotch descent, but was born in Loudoun County, Virginia; married in 1826. He found himself with a family to support and the prospect of acquiring a home in his native State very poor indeed. He re- *By J. H. Battle. solved on a trip to the West in 1829, and attracted to this region of the country by the canal lands, bought 960 acres in that year. He returned to Virginia, and two years later, with his family and goods in a Winchester wagon, made the tedious journey over hill and stream to what is now Nettle Creek township. His first cabin, which is still pointed out, was a log structure situated within a few rods of his present residence, which was erected in 1845. Here he lived with his family, consisting of his wife and three children, with but one other family in what is now Grundy County. The nearest village was Ottawa. Here he got his mail and bought such supplies as could not be dispensed with and the country did not afford. When the insurrection of Black Hawk's band occurred, alarmed for the safety of his family, Mr. Hoge fled to Pleasant Grove, opposite the present village of Pekin. Happily the Indian trouble was soon over, and in August of 1832 the family returned to their frontier home. Samuel Hoge had come West in 1829 and started a store in Belmont County in company with his brother-in-law, Hendley Gregg, but after the Black Hawk war, selling out to his partner, he joined his brother in Nettle Creek in 1833. William Hoge located his land on Section 25, and later, as he was able, bought Section 24 and other land until he now owns something over 3,000 acres of land. Samuel first took up a claim in Erienna, but in 1835 came into Nettle Creek and bought Sections 21 and 22 and lands adjoining until he died in possession of something over 3,000 acres. In the fall of 1837 John Gray, a Scotchman, and George Brouse, an Englishman, came into Nettle Creek together, the former locating on Section 20 and the latter on Section 17, their lands joining. Gray came on to his land in the following season and began his improvements, but Brouse, who was a bachelor and never married, did not come on for a year or two. In 1837 William Stephen came. He was a young unmarried man, and a native of Scotland. He had known Gray in the old country, and it was through him that he was led to take up his home in Nettle Creek. He was led to emigrate to America, however, by the glowing descriptions of the country, given by a Mr. Smith, Chicago's pioneer banker. Smith had gone to Scotland, his native land, to enlist capital in the formation of a stock company to invest in Illinois land, but while prosecuting this scheme the panic of 1837 was precipitated, and he was hurriedly called back to look after his affairs here. Mr. Stephen had intended to accompany Smith on his return, but the latter was obliged to leave so early that Mr. Stephen was obliged to make the trip later and alone. He came to Chicago, but found the banker absent on business, and being free to go where the inclination of the moment prompted, sought out his old friend Gray in Nettle Creek. He took up some land and stayed about one year, when, disgusted with the peculiar disadvantages of the place, he went into Kendall County. He came right from the civilization of the city to a frontier community without the semblance of a village, and after breaking sod for a day or two, gave up the business here in disgust. He finally bought and improved a fine farm in Kendall County, but has been most of his time identified with Grundy County. About this time George Bullis came from New York and settled on Section 8, where he lived until about 1870, when he moved to Ford County, leaving no descendants here. About 1840, a Mr. Coup came to Nettle Creek. He had bought a quarter section of land near Chicago, for which he had given his notes. He found it a hard matter to raise the money to make his payments, and his creditors seizing upon some property left on the place, took possession of his land. Giving up hope of prospering in that region he came to this township, entered into contract with Brouse to dig a division ditch, about a quarter section of land for another quarter section. To the fulfillment of this contract he brought an untiring energy, digging when the season permitted until far into the night, and in the meanwhile living in a sod house and practicing all sorts of economy. He achieved his task and started in the nursery business, with a fair prospect of success, but his old time creditors still holding his notes, learned he had got some property here, were about to levy on his land to satisfy his notes, and he was obliged to sell out to one of his neighbors to save anything out of his hard won property. In 1841 or '2, Thomas Loughhead came in from Mercer County, Pennsylvania. He was born of Scotch parents, in the north of Ireland, and emigrated to Canada during the Napoleonic wars. The vessel in which he embarked fell in with a French privateer and barely escaped capture, losing his chest of clothes and the hat from his head. He soon afterward met Mary Donley and married her, a little later coming to Pennsylvania. His wife was the daughter of a lady, the daughter of an Irish nobleman, who had eloped to this country with an Irish teacher. In the war of 1812, Mr. Loughhead was drafted, and served throughout the struggle as a private. His wife died before his coming into Illinois, but he brought a family of two boys and four girls, none of whom were then married. For three or four years he rented the farm of George Brouse, which he bought in 1847. The boys subsequently bought farms near by, and the girls engaged in teaching school. They enjoyed the advantages of liberal study, having attended the seminary at Hudson, Ohio. Another son, James, came to Nettle Creek subsequently, and stayed there about two years, buying the interest of the other heirs in the paternal estate, and finally selling it to a Mr. Moody. A year or two later, James P. Thompson, who had married one of the Loughhead daughters, followed his father-in-law to Illinois, and settled on the northeast quarter of section 19. The head of the Loughhead family died about 1855, and the different members have one by one gone to different parts of the country, leaving no descendants here. Oliver Dix came here in 1844, from Oneida County, New York, and settled on section 8, and about the same time came Minard Waterman from the same State and settled on land which his father bought of Mr. Stephen, on section twenty. In the following year the Mossmans came into the township, William settling on the southeast quarter of section 17, and Hugh on the northeast quarter of section nine. About the same time came Simon Fry, from Maryland, and settled on section 7, where he is still living. In or about 1848, came Thomas and John Agan, buying land on section 31, where they now reside: in 1849, Isaac N. Brown came from Saratoga County, New York, and settled on section 4, and soon after him David Jamison, from Pennsylvania, and settled on the northwest quarter of section eighteen. About 1845, the Norwegian element began to come into the township and it is astonishing to observe how rapidly they have supplanted the original settlers. Among the earliest of this class of foreigners were John Peterson, Ben Thornton, Ben Hall, Lars and Erasmus Sheldall, John Wing, G. E. Grunstead and others. In 1849, the population of the township was divided as follows: On section 1, H. A. Ford; on section 3, Baker Knox and R. Carpenter; on section 4, Isaac N. Brown, Lars and Erasmus Sheldall, John Wing and G. E. Grunstead; on section 7, John Peterson, Ben Thornton and Simon Fry; on section 8, Lars Likeness, Ben Hall, Edson Gifford and George Bullis; on section 9, Hugh Mossman; on section 10, Morgan Lloyd and S. H. Rider; on section 12, John Gibson, Alex. Bnshnell, Ben Sears and Daniel David; on section 34, Charles McCann; on section 17, John and Thomas Loughhead, Oliver Dix and William Mossman; on section 18, David Jamison; on section 19, James P. Thompson; on section 20, John Gray and Minard Waterman; on section 22, Samuel Hoge; on section 25, William Hoge; and on section 31, Thomas and John Agan. The first settlers of Nettle Creek were almost to a man of very limited means and cut off by the natural situation from any prospect of a village. The Hoges and Mr. Holderman early went into cattle raising, feeding them on the public lands, where-ever water and grass afforded the most eligible site. The scarcity of timber here made fencing an expensive burden to the already sufficiently handicapped farmer, and some quite serious differences arose out of this combination of circumstances. The gradual development of the country, however, has long since removed these causes of irritation. Messrs. Hoge and Holderman still make cattle raising their principal occupation, some of this stock being high grades. Samuel Hoge came to the township rather "full handed," and has given more attention than others to the growing of fine blooded stock. During the early history of this community, the nearest store and post-office was at Ottawa, and the nearest market at Chicago. As the country settled up, Morris was founded, and with Marseilles on the southwest divided the local trade so that Nettle Creek could not afford sufficient patronage to justify a store here. A log saw-mill was constructed by William Hoge on Nettle Creek, about six rods from his house, which did a moderate business for some ten years, but the dam washed out one winter and the mill was allowed to rot down. Later, during the construction of the canal, a steam mill was erected on canal lands in section 23, which furnished material to the contractors, but passed away with the occasion that brought it. The only approach to a store was attempted in 1876, when Zach. Severson added to his boot and shoe shop on section 8, a small stock of groceries. This was too late a date for such a venture to succeed, and it has been discontinued. The leading social event which may be noted, is the first white birth in the township, that of James, a son of William Hoge. He is probably the first white child born in the county, and is now living in Saratoga township. The first death in Nettle Creek was a child of Warren Chapin, who lived on section 8, and where in the absence of any cemetery, the child was buried. In 1835, the Hoge brothers feeling the necessity of a school for their children, built a split log house for the purpose, on the land of William Hoge. It was a neat structure for the time, the roof formed of shakes, the floor of sawed planks, and plank desk and benches. The first teacher here was Maria Southworth, from the Fox River settlement at Milford. She taught two winters and had about nine scholars, receiving for her compensation $2.50 per week, which was paid by William Hoge. The building is still standing about 125 yards from Mr. Hoge's dwelling. Schools were held here until about 1857. The second school-house was erected on section 16. It did not serve long as it was not conveniently located. The next one was built near Mr. Brown's present residence, and this was subsequently abandoned and the single school of the township was taught; in the town house, by Oliver Dix. In 1849, the township was divided into four school districts which have been since increased to seven. The first start for church organization was about 1849 by the Congregational society under the labors of James Loughhead. He came to Illinois in 1845, on a call to the Big Grove church. He was a graduate of the Western Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio, and for several years after his graduation, took part in the slavery agitation, lecturing in favor of emancipation. He subsequently studied theology and preached several years in Ohio, when he accepted the call to Big Grove. Here he preached for two years, but in the meantime acting as an appointee of the Home Missionary Society, and establishing churches in various parts of the county. He had brought his father to Nettle Creek some years before; and was well acquainted with the character of the work needed to be done here. He was a man of great force of character and good practical judgment, and was the originator of the Congregational influence in Grundy County. On his first coming in 1845, he was impressed with the great need of evangelical work in Morris, and determined at the first opportunity to open up a field of labor here. He seems never to have lost sight of this determination, and in 1847 he moved to Morris and began by organizing a church here. While located here he preached in other parts of the county, and was instrumental in establishing churches in Mazon, Au Sable and elsewhere, beside in Nettle Creek. The church in this township was organized by members from Big Grove church, among whom were his brothers and sisters, John, Thomas, Margaret and Hannah, and Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Washburn. The church never built a place of worship, using the school-houses for this purpose until about 1868, when it became extinct as an organization. The church organized a Bible Society, and did good service for years. The Methodist Church organized a society here about 1850, in which the three Mossman families, Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Thompson, Mrs. Fry and Reuben Aylesworth were leading members. The church used the residence of Oliver Dix as the first place of worship, and later held their meetings in the school-house as they now do. The membership now numbers about thirty persons, and holds services once in each fortnight, depending upon a "supply" from the Rock River Conference. 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. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/history/1882/historyo/chapter160nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 16.1 Kb