Grundy County IL Archives History - Books .....Chapter 13 1882
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Book Title: History Of Grundy County IL 1882

CHAPTER XIII.*

AU SABLE TOWNSHIP—LOCATION AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS—ITS EARLY SETTLEMENT—
ITS NATURAL ATTRACTIONS—DRESDEN—MINOOKA—CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.

AU SABLE township forms the northeast corner of Grundy County, and presents 
some of the finest natural scenery in this region. It is principally a line 
rolling prairie, with a fringe of timber along the Au Sable Creek and the 
Illinois River. The eastern line is marked by a high rise of ground, which 
forms a watershed of limited extent, the drainage flowing in an easterly and 
westerly direction from this line. The termination of this ridge at the head 
of the Illinois is well worth going some distance to see. The high land 
continues almost to the river brink, affording an outlook over the low land of 
Felix and the country south for miles. The scene here presented, with its 
picturesque views along the river and the low meadows dotted with grazing 
herds, is found nowhere else in this county, and forms the object of many a 
pleasant drive. The northern tier of sections has a good elevation also, and 
that part of the town west of the Au Sable Creek. The valley of this creek, 
which flows a southwesterly course through the township to the northern line 
of section 30, and then makes a sharp turn to the east and another south to 
the Illinois in section 32, is low and wet. The soil of the upland is 
considerably mixed with sand and with a clay substratum, while the lowlands 
are characterized

*By J. H. Battle.
 
with a black swamp soil, with murky tendencies. It is a fine grazing country, 
and is largely used for this purpose, though the staple grains of this section 
are not overlooked by the farmers. It was here that some of the earliest 
settlers made their home.

The natural attractions of this township were such as to draw any who might be 
in the vicinity. It was a favorite winter resort of the Pottawatomies, and the 
favorite hunting ground of both white and red man. Marquis, though having his 
cabin at the mouth of the Mazon, could not resist the attractions of this side 
of the river, and partly to utilize a high and clear piece of ground, and 
partly to be nearer the natives, spent his summers at the mouth of the Au 
Sable Creek. In the winter he found the sheltered nook on the Mazon more 
comfortable. But Marquis could not properly be called a settler, as his 
purposes in the county were temporary, and he made no permanent improvement in 
either place. W. H. Perkins, although not the first settler, was one of the 
earliest to explore the township with that in view, and so well did he like it 
that as soon as he sought to build up a home of his own, he came back and took 
up his claim. He was a native of Oneida County, New York, and recognizing that 
the West was the only place for a young man without capital to get a start, 
came out, after some delays, to Chicago, in 1833. He was accompanied by Levi 
Hills, and arrived there September 23, 1833, and found characteristic evidence 
of the newness of the country in a camp of five thousand Indians, who had been 
gathered on the west side of Chicago. That night these travelers rested at 
Beaubien's hotel, which, as he expressed it, was kept "like one hell, and made 
money like dirt," and his guests had no reason to doubt the correctness of the 
statement in either particular. In the town Perkins met J. D. Caton, James H. 
Collins and a Mr. Snell, all from Oneida County, New York. On the next day 
Snell and Collins accompanied Mr. Perkins, all proceeding on foot, to explore 
the country. On noon of the 26th they reached the cabin of Chester House, 
located where Seward now is, in Kendall County. Here Mr. Perkins found an old 
acquaintance of his father, who had come out and settled in the previous May, 
and gladly volunteered to take his team and pilot the party in a prospecting 
tour of the vicinity. Under the guidance of Mr. House the party went south 
across sections 4 and 9, township 34, range 8, and returned. The next day they 
took the same route, going further south, but finally making an abrupt turn to 
the west, went to Holderman's grove. Here Mr. Perkins entered into an 
arrangement with Mr. Holderman to work some of his land. Here for two years, 
with no company but his three yoke of oxen, he plowed and planted. In 1835, 
having secured a wife, he came to Au Sable and settled on the northeast 
quarter of section eight. The first actual settler was Salmon Rutherford, a 
native of New York. He came in May, 1833, and settled on section twenty-six. 
He was a man of an impulsive and determined disposition, and became a leading 
spirit in this township. He built an early hotel, the first one in the county, 
and gave its location the name of Dresden. An early stage line made this spot 
of some importance for a time, but it soon died out, the withdrawal of the 
stages giving a final blow to any pretensions it may have had.

Following Mr. Rutherford, came three families from Delaware County, Ohio, 
Henry Cryder, Zach. Walley, and N. H. Tabler. Mr. Cryder was a native of 
Virginia and came early to Ohio, from whence he came with Walley and Tabler, 
his son-in-law, and a family of unmarried children. Their goods were packed on 
a large wagon drawn by three yoke of oxen, while two two-horse wagons 
furnished the conveyance for the three families, and with these and eight or 
ten head of cattle, they made the journey across the country. They were not 
unacquainted with the exigencies of frontier life, and made little difficulty 
in performing the journey. The attractions of the "Au Sable country" were 
known for miles around, and its praises began to be sounded as soon as they 
reached the "Wabash country." Of course one wagon, however large, could bring 
only the barest household necessities for three families, but among these were 
the carpenter's tools of Mr. Cryder who was a mechanic. Arriving on the ground 
the men lost no time in erecting a temporary shelter. Logs were cut and a shed 
of three sides put up and covered with shakes, while along the open side a 
huge fire was maintained. These families reached their chosen home in October, 
and though late in the season for such rude accommodations, they found no 
trouble in making themselves comfortable with leaves for beds and logs for 
chairs and tables. Cabins were put up at once for each of the families, 
Cryder's on the southeast quarter of section eight, Tabler's on the north half 
of this quarter, and Walley's on section seventeen. This latter location 
proved unhealthful, and was subsequently changed for a site on the northwest 
quarter of section eight. These cabins were made in the usual style, with 
shake roof, puncheon floors and stick and clay chimneys. The floor of the loft 
was made from lumber which had to be procured at, and hauled across the 
prairie from Plainfield. The furniture was the product of such skill as the 
men possessed, and the timber of the basswood trees found here. A section of a 
good sized log, smoothed with a broad ax and furnished with a rough back and 
legs, supplied the absence of chairs. Rude bedsteads with the cords brought 
from Ohio, and "ticks" filled with leaves made a comfortable place to sleep. 
The manufacture of these household belongings occupied the small part of the 
fall, which remained after the cabins were completed. The winter proved a 
remarkably mild, open one, and very favorable for the new settlement.

About the same time with these families came John Beard* and settled on 
section thirty, where he was soon afterward joined by his son-in-law and his 
family. In the spring of 1834, Rodney House located on the northeast quarter 
of section nine, and in the same year three men by the name of McElroy came 
from Washington County, Vermont, and located on the southeast quarter of the 
same section. About this

*His city at the head of the Illinois River is noted in the chapter on Felix 
township.
 
time D. M. Thomas came here from Ohio, and Leander Goss, marrying a daughter 
of Chester House, settled on the northeast quarter of section thirteen. 
William Lewis and his brothers were the next settlers, coming very soon after 
Thomas. Of the three brothers, William was a physician and located his claim 
on section twenty-five, Joseph on the southeast quarter of section thirteen, 
and Samuel on the southeast quarter of section fourteen, now owned and 
occupied by William Walter. In 1835, I. W. Rutherford, a physician, settled on 
the northeast quarter of section twenty-two, and commenced his improvements in 
the following year. Samuel Randall was an early settler, coming in with Salmon 
Rutherford as a young man. He afterward married and made a home here where he 
died. Thomas Carl was another settler who came in about 1836. The township was 
not slow in filling up. The work on the canal attracted a good many to this 
vicinity, and when the work stopped many without other resource took up the 
land which was unoccupied. These were chiefly natives of Ireland who had come 
from Canada in the employ of a canal contractor, and who now hold the 
political control of the township.

The land here was one literally "flowing with milk and honey." The great sweep 
of prairie which extended toward the northeast to the verge of the horizon was 
the resort of thousands of deer, chickens, and wolves; the river furnished 
fish in abundance, and the timber echoed with the lively clatter of the small 
game to which it gave a precarious shelter. The honey bee, the harbinger of 
civilization, preceded the early settlers here some six or eight years, and 
had made the river bluffs famous for the stores of sweetness found in hollow 
trees along the streams. The Indians were very fond of this delicacy, and 
never failed to rifle a bee tree of its contents when they discovered it, but 
from the lack of proper facilities or the number and industry of the bees, 
vast stores of honey were accumulated to garnish the homely fare of the 
pioneer.

The winter of 1833 was very mild, and in January the weather came off warm and 
spring-like during the day, but with sharp cool weather at night. The bees 
deluded by the inviting warmth of the sun sallied from their hives, and 
becoming chilled, fell dead upon the light covering of snow which lay upon the 
ground. The new-comers were not at loss to read the meaning of this sign, and 
the Cryder settlement alone found thirty-three trees and secured their 
contents. There was, of course, nothing about these pioneer establishments in 
which to store this vast amount of honey, and great basswood troughs were made 
for the purpose and filled. While this raid did not exterminate the bees of 
this section, the continued ravages of the settlers soon made these "rich 
finds" much less frequent, and those who enjoyed the sport united pleasure and 
profit in bee-hunting. An experienced hunter would go out in bright warm day 
in winter or late fall, and burn some honeycomb, which seldom failed to 
attract the game to the honey which was provided for them. Loading up with 
this, the bee would rise circling into the air and then fly straight to its 
tree, and it was the hunter's business to follow the fleet-winged insect 
closely and thus discover its secret. To do this required an expert, and there 
were but few who were marked for their success. Sometimes a number of bees 
from a single tree are attracted, and the going to and from the bait by these 
insects makes the line plain enough to be easily followed, but this is rare. 
In other cases, the best that can be done is to discover the direction of the 
bee's flight, and taking this—against the sun if possible—to stumble along 
with upturned gaze, scanning every tree for the tell-tale knothole or crack in 
the tree. But when the tree was found, the battle was but half won. The tree 
must be felled and the occupants were often found to be no feeble folk. When 
the hollow of the tree extended down to the point where the ax must penetrate 
it, the hunter was often obliged to decamp in hot haste as soon as the blows 
had aroused the swarm. David Bunch, of Norman, was noted for his success as a 
bee-hunter, and was greatly assisted by a dog which, in some incomprehensible 
way, had learned the secret of bee-hunting. Indeed, so keen was the animal's 
interest in the sport, that he occasionally found a tree entirely alone 
calling his master to the spot by his barking. The bee was easily 
domesticated, and many of the settlers captured swarms, placed them in a 
section of a hollow tree, and in a short time had a constant source of supply 
for the table and the market. In many cases this was the principal resource 
for the sweetening used in the culinary work of the cabin, and was the basis 
of a favorite drink. "Metheglin" was made of steeped honey comb and honey 
fermented. It was counted an excellent drink and much preferred to cider, and 
when strengthened by age, became a powerful intoxicant. This, however, has 
passed away with many other of the homely joys of pioneer days. The bees, too, 
have suffered by the advance of the civilization which they seem everywhere to 
usher in. The destruction of the prairie flowers and the ravages of the bee 
moth have almost resulted in their annihilation, and it is only by the 
strictest care that domestic swarms can be profitably maintained.

The earliest settlers in Au Sable found themselves completely isolated, and 
though in a country abounding in the richest provision of nature, found it 
necessary to go long distances for such things as the country did not provide. 
Their first flour was secured at Reed's Grove. A small settlement had been 
made here a year or two before, and flour had been brought from the Wabash 
country. Here the Cryder settlement sent for the winter's supply. For their 
stock they bought some thirty bushels of corn of Marquis, but the open winter 
allowed the cattle, to feed on the prairie most of the season. There was a 
fall of snow which lay on the ground from early in January to the 10th of 
February. The cattle had found a choice piece of pasture south of the ox-bow 
bend of the Au Sable Creek, which they refused of their own will to leave 
during this snow. They were driven up to the cabins and fed some corn, with 
the hope that this would reconcile them to the prairie hay which had been 
provided the previous fall, but in the morning they were found again at their 
old feeding ground. A considerable band of Indians was encamped at the mouth 
of the Au Sable, and the cattle feeding in the track of their Indian ponies 
found plenty to eat where they had pawed off the snow. About 1835 or '6, a log 
flouring mill was put up on the Desplaines River, near Channahon. The buhrs 
were made from "nigger-heads" and turned out very acceptable flour.

The point at which Salmon Rutherford settled early took on the importance and 
name of a village, though there was little to warrant these pretensions. His 
log house was very early replaced by a large framed structure, and Rutherford 
took out the first license for keeping an inn. The stage line which ran in 
opposition to Frink & Walker's line made this a point for changing horses, and 
gave Dresden the prestige of a post-office and an occasional glimpse of the 
outside world. The sharp competition between the rival stage lines, however, 
diverted the route to a shorter line further north, and the final withdrawal 
of the stage altogether, left this point with a hotel and a name only. During 
the construction of the canal, a few temporary buildings gathered about the 
old hotel and kept it company for awhile, but these passed away with the 
laborers, and the place lapsed into its original rural simplicity. The 
building of the Rock Island & Pacific railroad confirmed this decree of 
fortune, and built up a substitute in the northeast corner of the town.

The village of Minooka was laid out by Ransom Gardner in 1852. He owned some 
five hundred acres of land at this point, and labored assiduously to secure 
the location of the line near his property. The little town grew slowly for a 
year or two, and business was not attracted here until about 1858. Three years 
previous to this Christopher Tucker put up a store building and Draught in a 
stock of general merchandise, but the venture proved a losing one, and he left 
the place in the following spring. The most convenient place for making 
purchases at this time was Channahon, and when, in the fall of 1856, Joseph 
Lewis rented the old Tucker store, he found the people numerous and willing 
enough to make a profitable business. In the spring of 1857, Leander Smith, a 
brother-in-law of Gardner's, came to Minooka and erected the second store in 
the village. This was located on the corner and is now occupied by Martin 
Kaffer. In the following year C. V. Hamilton put up a number of business 
buildings which are now owned by George Comerford and occupied by Wheeler & 
Saddler, and Barker & Stanffer. Hamilton at the same time erected the first 
hotel which was known for some time as the Hamilton House, but is now owned by 
Thomas Sheick. In 1858 a grist-mill was also erected, Gardner & Heiner 
originating the enterprise. This was a good structure with three run of stone, 
and proved a great convenience to the farmers about, who gave it a liberal 
patronage. It stood until 1866 when it was destroyed by fire, and its site 
subsequently occupied by the elevator which is now the chief business 
attraction of the place. The first elevator was built in 1868 by Knapp & 
Griswold, which was burned down in 1880. In the following year A. K. Knapp 
built the present fine structure, which has a capacity of 100,000 bushels, at 
a cost of $15,000. Its dimensions are 36 by 70 feet foundation, with an 
altitude of seventy feet; has a car shed and is provided with all the modern 
improvements. It is now leased by Henry McEwen, of Morris, who has handled 
upward of 450,000 bushels of grain. In connection with this business, Mr. 
McEwen carries on a lumber yard where he has sold some 500,000 feet of lumber 
in the past year. Connected with the lumber yard is a planing mill, built in 
1873 by A. K. Knapp & Griswold, run by McEwen. A hay press is also run by the 
power of the mill, where about a thousand tons of hay have been handled in a 
single season. This combination of enterprises makes Minooka a busy little 
town in the proper seasons, and makes a convenient market for a good many 
miles around. The village was incorporated December 14, 1869, and now claims 
about six hundred inhabitants. In the fall of 1870 a considerable fire 
destroyed four or five business buildings which were replaced during the 
following winter and spring, improving the appearance of the business quarter. 
Minooka bears a quiet air of prosperity, which betokens a steady and 
profitable patronage, if not a large one. The business part of the town is 
considerably diversified, and numbers three general stores, a drug store, 
grocery, market, barber shop, pump shop, two blacksmith shops, two wagon shops 
and two church edifices. The Catholic church of St. Mary's parish is the 
stronger organization in Minooka. It was early organized at Dresden where a 
building was erected and services held for some years. In 1862, the church 
decided to follow the tendency of business and public interests and removed to 
Minooka. The Comerfords, Kinsellars and George T. Smith were the leading 
members who took an active part in the re-establishment of the church. The 
membership at that time was about fifty, which has since been nearly doubled. 
The church edifice is a neat wooden structure 40 by 100 feet foundation, with 
an altitude of 100 feet, and was erected at a cost of about $6,000.
 
The first Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1856 with some nineteen 
members. Among these were J. G. Smith, Henry Pendleton, S. and A. O. Worthing, 
Michael Ketcham and their wives. The first sermon was preached in Ferguson's 
store by Rev. T. L. Olmstead. After this, meetings were held in the school-
house until the present place of worship was erected. Mr. Henry Pendleton was 
an active worker in securing the new church home, which is a pleasant wooden 
building, 26 by 56 feet. The Sunday school was early established and is still 
maintained the year round, and has an average attendance of fifty pupils. The 
church now numbers some fifty members.

The Au Sable Methodist Episcopal Church, whose place of worship is situated on 
section seven, is really the older organization of the two Methodist churches. 
It was early organized by Rev. John Devore, an itinerant from the Fox River 
Mission, at the residence of Henry Cryder. Meetings were held at first in 
private houses, and later in the school-house as soon as it was built. In 1878 
the neat wooden structure on the northern line of section seven was erected at 
a cost of some $2,500. It is a little out of the ordinary style of rural 
church architecture, has stained glass windows, and is in every way a credit 
to the organization to which it belongs. Some of the early members were Henry 
Cryder, Z. Walley, and their wives, John Craig, D. M. Thomas and others. The 
church now has a membership of some seventy members.

The first school-house was built about 1837, on section eight, for which the 
community was largely indebted to Henry Cryder's energy. The first session was 
taught by a daughter of Rev. Mr. Ashley, from Plainfield. This sufficed for 
the demands of the little community for some eight or ten years, when a second 
school house was erected on land belonging to Israel Cryder. This was a log 
building, and served as a meeting house for some time.

Minooka Lodge of F. and A. Masons, No. 528, was organized in the winter of 
1867, and worked under dispensation until the fall of 1868, when the lodge was 
chartered, with G. Dahlem, A. K. Knapp, G. C. Griswold, Jno. T. Van Dolfson, 
G. S. Correll, Sam'l Adams, W. H. Smith, E. W. Weese, Jacob Gedelman, John 
Colleps, Phaley Gedleman, J. E. McClure, C. V. Hamilton and W. A. Jordon as 
charter members. The first officers were G. Dahlem, W. M.; A. K. Knapp, S. W.; 
G. C. Griswold, J. W., etc. The lodge is now in a flourishing condition, and 
holds its meetings on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, in their 
hall in the third story of Comerford's block.

An effort was made in the fall of 1881 to organize the temperance sentiment of 
the township for effective work against what was felt to be a growing evil. 
William Walley was prominent in this movement, and is president of the 
organization. Members were not required to be residents of the township, and 
many from Saratoga joined the movement. Since its inauguration, however, the 
society has taken on a political character, and become pledged to the 
prohibition party. This organization holds regular meetings in the Methodist 
meeting house, and numbers about 120 members.

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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