The first petition for county existence contained the novel request that the court house of the new county should be erected on "Murray's Square," in the new town of Savanna. The act organizing the new county was approved and became a law on the twenty-second day of February, 1839. It provided that an election should be held on the second day of April following; for the purpose of choosing the seat of justice for the county, and of electing county officers. This act contains some novel provisions, requiring the owners of lands on which the county seat might be located, or the town of Savanna, in case it should be located there, to donate land or town lots and also to donate thirty-five hundred dollars in cash to be paid to the county for the erection of a court house and other public buildings in six, twelve and eighteen month installments. This election was held on the eighth day of April, 1839. Savanna received one hundred and twenty-six votes. That vote was placed on record and certified to be the majority of all the votes cast, by John Knox, Leonard Goss, Alvin Humphrey, J. C. Owings and Benj. Church, acting justices of the peace in and for the original county of Jo Daviess. Savanna thus became the county seat of the new county. Returns of first election were to be made to these justices of the peace, who were to canvass the returns and declare the result, which was done in due form of law.

SAVANNA SETTLED

About 1833 the country commenced settling up more rapidly, and many more located in Savanna. In 1832 Luther H. Bowen came to the West, and was engaged as a surveyor, running the boundary line of the state. About 1836 they laid out the town of Savanna. He died about 1876, having been intimately associated with all its leading interests for forty years. The first post office in the county was established there, and Mr. Bowen was appointed postmaster. He also opened the first store the town had. James White also opened a store soon after Mr. Bowen did, and others did the same. Savanna was then the only settlement of any size between the villages of Galena and Rock Island, and for many years afterward It was a place of as much importance as either. It was the trading post as far east as Rockford. Freeport as late as 1834 was yet the Winnesheik's Indian village.

In 1837, Elias Woodruff, John Fuller, David L. Bowen and others well known afterward, had located there. By 1840 Savanna was a village containing two hundred inhabitants. Besides those already named John B. and Thomas Rhodes, W. L. B. Jenks, Royal Cooper, Leonard Goss, John Wilson, Porter Sargent, Fred Chambers and many others whose names I have not obtained were leading citizens in early days. Aaron Pierce built his tavern where the residence of Captain Thomas Rhodes stands, in the winter of 1836 and 1837. It was afterward moved down town and was known as the Chambers House, and has, since the writing of the above, been burned. In 1837 Luther H. Bowen built the Woodruff House, which, for a time, was known as the Mississippi House.

FIRST SCHOOL

About this time Dr. Elias Woodruff taught the first school in a log house where the lower blacksmith shop stood. He was also the physician for the town, and in those days of fever and ague and other sickness, and faithfully trended the sick, pay or no pay. A Mr. Craig built a saw mill in 1835, at Bowen's Mill site, but the next year Luther and David L. Bowen owned the mill.

In 1839 Porter Sargent built the powder mills near where the flouring mills of Messrs. Bowen and Kitchen were located. The father of Lewis W. Bern Is and some eastern capitalists were largely interested in the powder mills. They manufactured blasting powder for mining purposes chiefly. In 1845 two of the buildings blew up, killing young Balcolm of the York settlement, severely Injuring Elnathan Jacobs and one or two others. James Wilson was superintendent of the works at that time. The mill was promptly rebuilt. Afterward, when the company ceased to run the mills, several fishermen went into the abandoned building, and in an attempt to light a pipe, another explosion of loose powder took place. One of the men, a Mr. Hicks, was killed; another named Smith was terribly burned, and a third was badly injured. The same year L. H. Bowen and Royal Jacobs built a small grist mill just above the saw mill on the same stream.

FIRST TRIAL

While the circuit court was held in Savanna one of the most noted trials was a murder case on change of venue from Jo Daviess County. A prisoner by the name of Mathews had killed a man in the mines. Every citizen in the county, liable to act as a jury man, was summoned, and most of them passed upon before the jury was finally impaneled. The prisoner was acquitted. (The difficulty of procuring jurors for this trial, on account of Savanna being so far to one side of the settled portion of the county, was one of the chief reasons for moving the county seat to a more central location.

TAVERN RATES

The county commissioners were in the habit of fixing tavern rates, among other duties they performed; and I find that on the few occasions they did so, the price of meals was fixed at twenty-five cents, and drinks of whiskey at six and a fourth cents, or a picayune, as those coins were then called.

The Town of Shannon

Transcribed from History of Carroll County H.F. Kett Pg 379

This village, of one thousand people, is situated about fourteen miles west of Freeport, and shows evidence of thrift and enterprise. It was commenced in the Spring of 1860, by William Shannon, whose name it bears. It has five churches, a union graded school house, one hotel, five dry goods stores, three hardware stores, two drug stores, three meat markets, four restaurants, one bakery, two boot and shoe stores, one steam flouring mill, two agricultural implement houses, one cooper shop, two wagon and blacksmith shops, one bank, one barber shop, one millinery shop, three physicians, two lumber and coal dealers, three saloons, one furniture store, one jewelry store, two harness shops, etc.

The first house at Shannon was a farm house, built by-Mastin before the village was projected. When the village plat was mapped out by the surveyor the site occupied by this house came within the limits. The growth of Shannon was slow until the railroad was established, after which its prosperity was very marked until the hard times came on. The country around in every direction is an excellent agricultural district, and highly improved. The business houses are well managed and well sustained.

The Presbyterian Church of Shannon was first organized at Loran, in Stephenson County, in 1851; removed to Spring Valley, Carroll County, then to Badger Spring, in the same county, and was finally established at Shannon, in 1866. Present membership, 45. Have a Union Sunday-school of an average attendance of 167. Superintendent* R. McCooks; pastor, M. F. Paisley. Their house of worship was originally built by the Methodist people, of whom it was purchased, at a cost of $2,500.

United Presbyterian.—This church was first organized in Cherry Grove Township, in 1856, and was established in Shannon in 1862, and built a house of worship the same year, at a cost of $1,500. Present membership, is Rev. T. E. Turner, pastor. Have no Sabbath-school.

St. John's Evangelical Church was organized in 1863, and a church edifice erected the same season, at a cost of $1,500. Present membership, 40. Pastor Rev. G. C. Knobel. Sabbath-school membership, 70. Jacob Kehm, superintendent.

Methodist.—The Methodist Church was organized in 1864. For several years they worshipped in the St. John's Evangelical Church building, but in 1867 erected their present house of worship, at a cost of $2,500. Present membership, 15. Rev. Mr. Trenortha, pastor. No Sabbath-school.

Church of God.—In the Fall of 1875, Rev. Mr. Soule, of Mount Carroll, commenced preaching for the people of this faith, and under his ministration a powerful revival work was commenced, there being over two hundred professed conversions. These converts, together with quite a number of old professors, formed themselves into a society, known as the Christian Association of Shannon, Illinois. The officers of the society are a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The association holds weekly prayer meetings, and has preaching every two weeks by Re/. Mr. Soule. The week day meetings are well attended, as is also their preaching services. All Christian workers are invited into the society.

Catholic.—The St. Vandelin Catholic Church was organized in 1870, and bought the church edifice of the Presbyterian Society. This church organization has a membership of about forty persons. Rev. Father Stinberg is pastor of the congregation, and has charge of the Sabbath-school.

Temperance.—The Red Ribbon Movement, organized under the auspices of Dr. McAllister, is doing a good work. The society numbers something over two hundred, many of whom are from those who frequented the cup. The officers are: Peter Speenburg, president; J. Johnson, vice president; Wm. Biles, Jr., corresponding secretary; H. Colvin, financial secretary; F. M. Hicks, treasurer; Chas. B. Sherwood, steward. The festival held by the ladies of the society on New Year's day and evening netted the society over $60.

INDEPENDENT ORDERS

A. F. and A. Af.—Shannon Lodge, No. 490. The following are officers of this Lodge for the ensuing year: Christian Hines, W. M.; S. H. Butterbaugh, S. W.; Henry Flury, J. \V.; James A. Shout. S. D.; Daniel B. Shore, J. D ; William Dodd, secretary; Jethro Mastin, treasurer. Regular meeting first and third Monday in each month.

I. O. O. F.—Badger Spring Lodge, No. 573, was instituted April 28, 1875. A. W. Deal, N. G.; H. Barns, V. G.; W. Corrie, P. G.; P. Hyzor, treasurer; A. H. Hyzor, P. S.; W. K. Shannon, Rec. Secy.; B. F. Shiley, W.; W. F. Kramer, C; R- Cheasman, R. S. S.; H. Kersey, L- S. S.; J. Barnes. O. S. G.; W. G. Stroup, J. S. G.; W. Biles, R. S. P. N. G.; J. Curtis, L. S. P. N. G.; P. Forney, R. S. V. G.; V. Whisler, L. S. V. G.; Jefferson Barrs, W. G. Stroup, W. S. Cowen, H. Kersey, A. W. Deal, trustees; W. Corrie, deputy; John Leonard, chaplain. Lodge meets every Saturday evening.

I. O. G. T.—Crystal Fount Lodge of Good Templars, No. 10, was organized in March, 1871. R. M. Cook, W. C; Mrs. S. Sherwood, W. V.; John Barnes, W. S.; Robert Willey, W. F. S.; T. P. Newcomer, W. T.; A. Culver, C; H. F. Brockmeier, M.; Miss Ellie Florey, I. G.; John Houghey, O. G. Member- ship, 50. Lodge meets every Thursday evening. Lodge deputy, John D. White ; P. W. C. T., James A. Shout.

Educational.—The people of Shannon have never been neglectful of the educational interests of their children. A good brick school house, costing $7,000, was erected as early as 1867, in which school has been maintained nine months of each year, employing four teachers. Principal, S. B. Hursh ; Gustie Newcomer, first assistant; Kittie Moran, second assistant; Mrs. E. R. Buckley, third assistant. The school is well managed, and the best of discipline enforced. As compared with the other schools of the county, the Shannon School ranks high.

School Board.—R. M. Cook, president; A. W. Deal, director; William Biles, director; Daniel Echhattz, treasurer.

Village Officers.—Peter Speenburgh, president; R. M. Cook, A. S. Lashell, C. Hines, Amos Yager, trustees; Dr. J. Maston, clerk; S. H. Butterbaugh, treasurer; police magistrate, J. Sweigard; police constable, Wm. Black; street commissioner, Geo. Whitmore ; postmaster, T. P. Newcomer.