McHenry County IL Archives History .....Seneca Township History - 1877 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 20, 2008, 9:47 pm

SENECA, TOWNSHIP 44, RANGE 6.

   Wm. Deitz, Mr. Dickerson, Spencer Flanders, Jasper Havens, Levi Morsey and
Joseph Hanna, from Virginia, made claims in and about Franklinville in 1835-36,
and that same fall the settlers put up a frame school house a little west of the
site of the present one in that hamlet. Mr. Albro was the first settler of
Franklinville in 1836.

   The school house, in 1845, was followed by the church, the Methodists
erecting the house in 1849 which now stands a little north of the corners, and
the next year the first funeral was held there upon the death of Mrs. Ellis, the
mother of Mrs. Geo. T. Kasson. No other denomination has a house of worship in
this township or holds regular meetings.
i
   In 1839, a Mr. Lockwood opened a store at the corners, and the ensuing year
exchanged with Mr. Robinson, of Geneva. Robinson was succeeded by Harley Wayne
in 1843, who, after about six months, took in Geo. T. Kasson. This firm
continued about a year, when Kasson sold out to his partner, and in company with
Mr. U. T. Hyde, opened the second store, which was soon sold out to Mr. Allen,
when Kasson and Hyde put up a third store building. Franklinville, at that time,
giving promise of a lively town.

   In 1843, through the efforts of John Wentworth (Long John) then Congressman
from this district, the place was named Belden, and had a post office, Sylvester
Mead being the first Postmaster. The name for the post office came about in this
way: A law of Congress had established a mail route from Marengo to Woodstock,
via John Belden's, who lived near the south branch of the Kishwaukee, and Long
John coming to Franklinville, saw the germ of a future city and said to the
crowd in the store, "Why, you ought to have a post office here." That was not
disputed, but the route, by way of Belden's, seemed to be in the way. Wentworth
cut the Gordian knot by the remark, "Why not call this Belden Post Office?" The
thing was done, and Franklinville had a Postmaster till about 1866, when it was
discontinued. The name Franklinville was given to the town in honor of Mr.
Franklin Stringer. As Postmaster, Mead was succeeded by H. Wayne, and he by G.
T. Kasson.

   A Mr. White and family came into this township, from one of the Carolinas, in
1835 or '36, and settled on Section 29, where soon after White & Son put up a
saw-mill at the confluence of the middle and north branches of the Kishwaukee.
It is not now in operation; but shortly afterward, Geo. Smith & Son erected a
flour and saw-mill on the main stream of the same creek, on Section 30, which is
still doing a good business under the name of Geo. Smith & Co. Another saw-mill
was built at Anderson's, by _____ Graves, in 1844. It was a kind of partnership
concern, by which A. W. Anderson furnished the site and the engine, Graves
building the mill.

   Dairying is a leading business, in this township, the first cheese factory
having been built by Jackson & _____, at Franklinville, in 1868-since moved a
little south, and now owned by Dr. Stone, of Richmond. About one year ago, a
feed store was put inland the concern now makes butter, cheese and grinds feed.
The next year, Bigelow put up the second factory on his farm, about a mile west
of Franklinville, and after doing business a few years, leased the farm and
factory to I. Boies, of Marengo. It has, for the past two years, been managed by
his two nephews as a butter factory, exclusively. Beside these two there are
several private daries, among the largest of which are those of H. Foote, on
Section 25, and C. G. Perkins, on Section 24.

   Seneca, in literary matters, takes no second place, the ladies having,
several years since, organized themselves into a Literary Society that meets
semi-monthly at the house of one of its members, the object of the society being
to procure good reading as cheaply as may be. There are now in their library 152
volumes, but they have had many more, it being their custom to sell off the old
books at auction, when they are no longer in demand by the members, and thus get
money for a new supply. School District No. 2 also has a library of eighty-five
volumes.

   As an illustration of the difference in prices between that time, 1836 to
1850, and this, it is said, by those who dealt at Franklinville (whose surname,
for a long time, was Snarltown), that Wayne could buy all the eggs and butter he
wanted at five cents a dozen for the former and ten cents a pound for the
latter, in trade, while corn brought but twelve and a half cents a bushel, in
barter.

   In putting down the rebellion, Seneca took an active part, one family, named
Penmen, within the limits of the township, sending every member, to wit: father,
mother, four sons, daughter and son-in-law. What is still more wonderful, they
all returned in safety. But the crowning glory of the town took place on the
Fourth of July, 1876, when Mayor Donnelly, having offered a flag to the township
bringing in the largest delegation to the Woodstock celebration, Seneca brought
in nearly eight hundred and captured the prize.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE TAX-PAYERS AND VOTERS
OF
McHENRY COUNTY;

CONTAINING ALSO

A Map of the County; a Condensed History of the State of Illinois; an Historical
Sketch of the County, its Towns and Villages; an Abstract of Every-day Laws of
the State; a Business Directory; Officers of Societies, Lodges and Public
Officers; a Department of General Information for Farmers, Dairymen, Etc., Etc.

CHICAGO: C. WALKER & CO.
1877.


Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by
C. WALKER & CO.,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

CULVER, PAGE, HOYNE & CO.,
PRINTERS, CHICAGO.


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