Crossing Rock River-Boles' Trail-Travel from Peoria to Galena-First White Inhabitant of Ogle County--Dixon.

ral others, during the summer and fall of the same year, some with teams, more on foot, all "camping out," passed over the route traveled by Kellogg, and thus was made what in those early days was called "Kellogg's Trail.”

The method of crossing Rock River without bridge or ferry was very simple. The Winnebagoes and other Indians who were very numerous in this vicinity at the time, were thickly settled along the banks of the river, and were easily induced to assist the whites. Two of their canoes, placed side by side, formed a ferry-boat, the two wheels of one side of the wagon being placed in the one, and the two wheels of the opposite side in the other; they were thus safely and easily transported. The horses were made to swim over the river, and then all being safe on the opposite side, they were hitched up and proceeded on their way as before.

As "Kellogg's Trail" was somewhat circuitous, bearing too far east to be the nearest route, a Mr. John Boles, traveling across the country in the spring of 1826, left the beaten track some distance south of Rock River, crossed the river at Dixon, just above where the bridge of the I. C. | R. R. is now placed, passed up through the country about a mile east of Polo, north, to White Oak Grove, a half a mile west of Foreston, thence through Crane's Grove, and so on to Galena. This being much preferable to the old way, it immediately became the traveled route and was called "Boles' Trail" This trail was used exclusively for the three years following, and may still be plainly seen a few miles east of Polo on the prairie

In the season of 1826, the travel over the country was about double that of the summer and fall preceding.

Travel commenced again early in 1827. In the month of March of this year, Elisha Doty, now a citizen of Polo, came up from Dixon, attempted to cross the river on the ice, but before he had proceeded far the ice began to give way, and he was obliged to give up the attempt. He says that while waiting on the bank, just before starting on his return, about two hundred teams had collected there, all on the way to Galena. We mention tion this that a correct idea may be formed of the amount of travel to and fro through the country at this early period. Nor was this the only line of travel from Peoria and other southern settlements to Galena. The "Lewiston Trail," opened about the time of the "Kellogg Trail," passed some distance west of our county, and crossed Rock River a little above Prophetstown, in Whiteside county.

Isaac Chambers, the first white inhabitant of Ogle county, passing through the country to Galena early in the summer, was struck with the beauty of this particular vicinity, and determined to make it his future home.

The place where Dixon now stands had become a fixed place for travelers to cross the river, and much inconvenience was experienced in getting across, as the Indians were not always at hand, and it was unpleasant to be obliged to ford the river, which was often done, for at certain times the water ran se low that it could be done with safety. Mr. J. L. Begordis, of Peoria, resolved to build a ferry

Ferry across Rock River-John Ankeney makes a Claim at Buffalo Grove-Isaac Chambers takes possession of It.

there.

For this purpose he sent up a man, whe built a shanty 8 by 10 on the bank, and lived there until Begordis sent up a carpenter to make the boat, who came a short time after. The carpenter, Mr. Doty, father of Mr. Elisha Doty of Polo, and his assistant, set vigorously at work, and it was not long until the boat was nearly half completed, when the Indians set fire to the boat, and informed them that they should not build a boat there, and told them to go to Peoria. This peremptory advice they concluded to accept with the best grace possible. Joe Ogie, Frenchman, made the next attempt in the spring of 1828. He was an Indian interpreter, had married an indian woman, and was himself almost an Indian from his long association with them, having adopted many of their social and domestic habits. The red men were somewhat better pleased with him, and concluded to let him remain.

miles farther south to Nanusha, one of the largest groves in the whole country. He proceeded to make arrangements for building a house about thirty rods above the old bridge, where was a good place to cross the creek, and he had in contemplation a plan to change the line of travel from the prairie and have it pass through the grove, where he would build a "hotel" for the reception of travelers. While engaged in these preliminaries, he was surprised by the appearance of John Ankeny and family, who had come to take possession of his claim. Mr. Ankeney was no less surprised to find his claim had been taken by Mr. Chambers. The surprise was not exactly an agreeable one to either, although had either been so fortunate to have had entire possession it would have been a long way to his nearest neighbor. This consideration, however, was a matter of no consequence to them, and Mr. Ankeney,in no agreeable mood, went about a hundred rods farther down the stream, where he proceeded to erect a "Public House," although there was but one road in the whole country, and that one was two miles distant.

The hotels of the West in those days were not exactly of the same description as many we can boast of now-a-days. If they had any "up stairs," it was only accessible by means of the stones that

John Ankeney came from the southern part of Illinois in the spring of 1829, and made a claim at "Nanusha," or Buffalo Grove, by marking some trees on Buffalo Creek, rear where the bridge on the "Galena Road" was afterwards built. He then returned for his family, and while he was gone IsaacChambers came down from Galena with his family, and stopped at White Oak Grove-a small patch of timber lying about a half a mile west of the village of Fores-jected from the rudely constructed chimton-where he remained only a short time. ney-which ran from the fre-place to the He was not exactly satisfied with this lo- top of the house-or by pegs drivcation, for he saw that in this country en into the logs, and sometimes by timber land must be more valuable than a rough ladder made with an axe and prairie, because of its scarcity. He pod auger. "Prairie bedsteads," too, were therefore left that region and came ten a prominent feature of the age. A sin

pro

Household Conveniences --Dividing Line between Aukeney and Chambers --Their Quarrels--Joe Ogie and his Squaw.

gle post was fastened to the floor, which was sometimes nothing more than the Lare earth, without a carpet, about four feet from the wall; holes were bored into the logs of the side of the house, and sticks driven into the holes and fastened to the post, and then there were side rails running from the post each way, one to one side of the house and the other to the other side, slats placed crosswise for cords and the bedsteads were completed. There beds were often so made that by placing one above another, one "bel post", would support twelve sleepers. If the family consisted of both sexes, curtains of deer-skin or like material were hung between the beds, or else the light was put out just before retiring; this was done by covering up, or throwing water on the fire in the fire-place, which was the only light that could be afforded, for those were days of economy. Lights were found by striking flints and catching the sparks on tinder.

Having erected their houses, the next business before Mr. Ankeney and Mr. Chambers, was to survey the dividing line between them. The other boundaries need not be formally fixed, for, if they chose, the one could have Rock River on the one side and the other the Mississippi on the opposite side. One clear starlight night, when the moon did not shine, and when there were no clouds floating across the sky, they went out together to the south side of the grove, and from a red-oak stump they started towards the North Star, hacking the trees which stood in their way, the marked trees being the line between them.

All things being ready, they went to Ogie's Ferry, and staked out each his road, the two lines of stakes running parallel, being at no place more than half a mile apart. Chambers' stakes of course ran by his house, and Mr. Aukeney's by his house. The lines intersected north of the grove, and the main line, after continuing a considerable distance, again intersected with the old "Boles' Trail." No difficulty was found in inducing travelers to take one of the two proposed roads, but the question was, which road should they take? Each at once set at work to make his own house the most attractive. Jealousy and rivalry arose between them, and were harbored as long as they lived so near together with such conflicting interests. Each used every means in his power to injure the custom of the other, by such acts as feiling trees across the other's road, in many other equally irritating ways, which rendered it quite an unpleasant neighborhood.

Meanwhile Ogie and his wife were not without their share of domestic difficulties. As they had no neighbors near enough to quarrel with, they managed to stir up a quarrel between themselves which resulted in the separation of the family, and Joe was left to run his bost and broil his broth alone.

Mrs. Ogie owned nearly one half of Paw Paw Grove, which was an Indian reservation, consequently, after their separation, she was regarded as a “rich widow," and as rich widows are personally attractive, it was not long before she found an admirer in the person of Job Alcots, whom she married, and this couple sub

First Settlement at Dixon -Rates of Ferriage-Kellogg buys out Chambers-Settlements between Peoria and Galena,

sequently went to Kansas with her peo- about six miles farther North, which be

ple, the Pottawatomies.

came known as "Chambers' Grove." Kellogg moved into the house Chambers had occupied, and took up the old plan of hostilities with Ankeney.

One hour before the arrival of Mr. Kellogg at Buffalo Grove, Mr. Samuel Reed and family came. Mr. Reed proceeded to make a claim on the south side of the grove, where he lived until his death, which was in August of 1852. It was in May that Kellogg and Reed settled here. In June of the same year,

Early in 1828, a Mr. Clempson procured of the State Commissioners the contract for carrying the mail from Peoria to Galena, and he in turn gave the coutract to Mr. John Dixon, from whom the town of Dixon took its name. Mr. Dixon's son commenced driving the stage early in the spring, before Ogie's ferry was in operation. He often experienced much difficulty in getting the Indians to ferry him over the river, and was sometimes exposed to much danger in attempt-Messrs. Bush and Brooky, from Kent cky, ing to swim his team. Ogie had been settled on the farm which is now owned running the ferry nearly two years; his by D. B. Moffat on the north side of the wife had forsaken him, and withal he was grove. much disposed to change his course of life, when, on the 11th of April, 1830, Mr. Dixon came with his family from Peoria and bought out his ferry, &c., and took charge of it himself. The rates of ferriage were such as to make it a profitable business, for instance: For a yoke of oxen and wagon, 75 cents; for a span of horses and wagon, 75 cents; for a twohorse pleasure wagon, $1; for a horse and gig, 50 cents. The annual income of a ferry at these rates, when we consider the immense amount of travel, must have been very large.

At Burr Oak Grove, in the township of Erin, Stephenson county, Oliver W. Kellogg made a settlement in 1829. Here he remained until the spring following, when he removed to Buffalo Grove, where it seems Chambers was getting worsted ia his competition with Ankeney, so that Kellogg and he were not long in making a trade. Chambers removed to a grove

In those early days a road or track through the country was quite as important as the railroad is now-indeed they were far more scarce; so, the road from Peoria to Galena became well-known, and settlers took up their abode at convenient places along its line. In 1831, there was a settler at LaSalle prairie, about fifteen miles north of Peoria. John Boyd lived about twenty miles above La Salle Prairie, at what is now known as Boyd's Gove. A Frenchman, whose name was Bullbony, lived about right miles farther north. Henry Thomas lived at the head of Bureau Timber, twelve miles from Boyd's Grove. The next settler was Joseph Smith, who lived at a grove which was called "Dad Joe's Grove" in honor of this early settler; this is nineteen miles south of Dixon. Dixon was the next, then Buffalo Grove. Mr. Crane, who afterwards moved to Crane's Grove, lived at Cherry Grove. Mr. John Flack

Settlements among the Indians-The Black Hawk War-Indian Treaties-Black Hawk's Pretences.

lived on Rush Creek, and the next set- by that portion of the tribes that had retler north of Buck Creek was John Win-mained at peace with the United States ters, on Apple River, where Elizabeth during the war of 1812. The hostile now stands. Mr. Winters afterwards part of the tribe (except Black Hawk and moved to Buffalo Grove. North of Ap- a few disaffected braves whom he called ple River, towards Galena, there were around him, all of whom professed to be only two or three miners' huts. One of British subjects, and went to Canada, these belonged to William Durley, who where they received presents,) confirmed was afterwards shot by the Indians in the latter treaty in the following year. Buffalo Grove. Still further confirmation was given by another treaty made "with the chiefs, warriors and head men of the Sac and Fox tribes," at Fort Armstrong, (Rock Island,) on the 3d of September, 1822, in which the treaty of 1804 is referred to and ratified. On the 4th of August, 1824, a treaty was made at Washington, by which the Indians sold all their title to the northern portion of Missouri, from the Mississippi to the western boundary of the State, and the United States granted the strip of country between the Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers to certain half breeds of the nation, and on all the lands they had claimed south and east of the line, they were not to be permitted to settle or hunt after January 1st, 1826.

During this time, every settlement in the country had been made in the midst of Indians. The Winnebagoes had not yet left the country, and the Pottawatomies, who, however, were a smaller tribe, still lived on their old hunting-grounds. They were very peaceable, never even manifesting a disposition to pilfer or perform any of those little irritating acts which used to be so common with some Indians when they were in a state of professed peace.

CHAPTER X.

We come now to the Black Hawk War. Black Hawk himself was by birth one of the Sac tribe, being born on Rock River in 1787. The territory occupied by the Sacs at that time had originally been the property of the Sauteux (a branch of the Chippewa nation) and Iowas, and was wrested from them by the Sacs and Foxes, who came from Ca..ada. By the treaty of 1861, (the provisions of which we have heretofore given,) these tribes ceded their lands to the United States. This treaty was confirmed at Portage des Sioux, September 13th, 1815,

Black Hawk claimed that the chiefs who made the treaty of 1804 were made drunk while in St. Louis, (whither they had gone to procure the release of some of their nation who were in prison for murder,) and while intoxicated, they were induced to sell the lands of the tribe. Under this pretence that the treaty was void, he resisted the order for the removal of his tribe beyond the Mississippi. In the spring of 1831, Black Hawk and his party returned to their former principal village, to establish themselves on their