Index for The Past and Present of Lake County 1877
This town, as a Congressional Township, is known as Township 45, north Range 10, east of the 3d P. M. The first claim of Government land made in this town was by a man by the name of Taylor, in the Summer of 1835, on the north side of the lake, since known as Taylor's Lake. He built a log cabin during that year, in the edge of the woods, south of the site of the present school house at Avon Centre, and commenced the work of a more commodious log dwelling. He left in the fall of that year, and never returned, but continued to hold his claim until 1837, when he sold it to Leonard Gage.
The early settlers of this township were Noer Potter and sons, Churchill Edwards, Delazan E. Haines, Harley H. Hendee, David Hendee, David Rich, Levi Marble, George Thompson, Thomas Renehan, Leonard Gage, Thomas Welsh, A. F. Miltimore, Lawrence Forvor, Freeman Bridge, Nathaniel King and William Gray.
Gray's Lake takes its name from William Gray, who settled at an early day on the south side of the lake. That chain of lakes, sometimes called First, Second, Third and Fourth Lakes, were originally known as Gage's Lakes, from Leonard and George Gage, who were the first settlers in the vicinity, near the present east line of the town.
The first school house in this town was a log building, of hewn logs, and built by contribution of the inhabitants, in the southwest corner of the town, about the year 1841, on the present McHenry road, at the crossing of the north and south road on the quarter section line, which became known as the Marble School House, from Levi Marble, who lived near by immediately on the west. The first school in town was taught in this building. It is believed that a Mrs. Hankins was the first teacher.
The old building has been superseded by the present frame structure, standing on the same site.
The first Post Office in this town was the Fort Hill Post Office. It was originally established in what is now the town of Fremont. About 1840, it was removed to the house of Levi Marble, in the southwest corner of the town, who was appointed Postmaster.
In February, 1846, a Post Office was established at Hainesville, under that name, and Elijah M. Haines appointed Postmaster. In the Spring following, Mr. Haines, the original proprietor of the land, laid out and recorded the town plat of Hainesville.
About the year 1850, a sawmill was built on Squaw Creek, in the western part of the town, by Nahum White, which was in successful operation for many years.
In deciding upon a name for this township there was a spirited contest. A petition numerously signed by inhabitants of the township was presented to the Commissioners having the matter in charge, asking that the name of the town should be Hainesville. To this a remonstrance was filed by Freeman Bridge, Leonard Gage, George Thompson and Samuel L. Emery, who proposed the name of Eureka, whereupon the matter was referred to the inhabitants of the township for a further expression of their wishes, when, at a meeting held Jan. 21, 1850, at the school house near Leonard Gage's, now Avon Centre, Avon was proposed and agreed to as the name of the town. It was accordingly so named by the Commissioners.
At the session of the Legislature of 1846-7, an act was passed incorporating the village of Hainesville. In the Spring following, it became organized by virtue of said act, as a town corporate, being the first village incorporated in Lake County. The act of incorporation provided, among other things, that no road should be established within the limits of the town corporate, without the concurrence of the Board of Trustees thereof. There were rival points both on the east and west on the same line of road. The endeavor of those places was to effect a vacation of the road passing through Hainesville, and locate it further south, and thereby destroy the place. The real object of the incorporation of this place was to obtain the power to prevent the design of its enemies from being carried into effect, which succeeded, and the place continued undisturbed. Indeed, the rivals in question in time disappeared.
Hainesville is at the present time a flourishing village of about two hundred inhabitants. It has two stores and various kinds of mechanics found in a country village. The inhabitants have manifested their public spirit by the erection, recently, of a commodious building, having a publich all fitted up for public assemblies and entertainments.
In the northwestern part of this township is a small village called Monaville. It was originally called Barnes' Corners, taking the name of an early settler at that point. There is a Post Office here, called Fox Lake, and it is a point of considerable trade.
Among the incidents in the early history of this township, which may properly be noted here, is one which occurred in the Winter of 1843, known as the cold winter, during what is known as the great Millerite excitement. It had been proclaimed by Mr. Miller that according to the prophecies of the Scriptures, as he had computed the time, the world was to come to an end on a given day in March, 1843. The only building in the country for some distance around suitable for holding public meetings was the school house known as Marble's School House, hereinbefore mentioned. During this excitement, religious meetings were held in this school house almost nightly. During the time of these meetings a hen's egg was taken from a nest, with others, on the premises of Chauncey King, in the neighborhood of the place of the meetings, upon which was this inscription in raised letters of the same composition as the shell: "Time ends 1843." This strange phenomenon was the cause of much excitement and alarm in the neighborhood, and became the subject of quite a discussion at one of the evening meetings, at which it had been produced by Mr. King. Many seemed ready to receive it as one of the "signs of the times," and conceded it was a forerunner of the end of time and the destruction of the world. No one present could account for the manner in which these letters had been caused to appear upon it. At length it was suggested by a person present, who seemed to possess rather more sagacity than the balance of the audience, that in his opinion the inscription was a matter of art and nothing more; that he believed he could himself prepare an egg upon which the letters would appear in the same manner; and on his return home would make the trial, and if he succeeded, he would produce it at the meeting on the following evening.
He accordingly made the experiment as agreed. The words "repent and be baptized" were marked with oil upon the shell. The egg was then put into strong vinegar, when, after remaining a time, the surface of the shell was found to be decomposing, but the acid had no effect upon that portion where the oil had been applied, consequently it left the form of the letters perfect, raised out from the shell in such a manner as to give the appearance of being so formed in nature. This, on being presented to the meeting, needed no explanation or comment. The humbug was exploded, to the chagrin of very many who had believed in it.
The exhibition of this egg produced such an effect upon the mind of an old man in the neighborhood that he hastened home to prepare for the event which he declared he was satisfied was near at hand. He had been for some time in difficulty with several of his neighbors, all of whom he summoned to his house and confessed his wrong to them, adding that his life had been one of transgression--which no one could dispute--adding that he desired to make suitable amends as far as he could during the short period that he would be allowed to remain on earth. He asked them to state terms of adjustment, to which he would accede. Settlements were effected except in one instance, which was postponed to a day fixed for the presence and concurrence of an absent party. But before that day arrived, eggs with like prophetic inscriptions became common in the neighborhood, whereby it was disclosed that the letters were produced by artificial means, as before stated. At the appointed time, however, the aggrieved party appeared according to understanding. As soon as they entered the house, the old man sprang toward them, and with much earnestness, shaking his fist in that direction, said: "That egg business is all a consummate humbug, and I'll have nothing to do with you or your settlement; get out of my house or I'll sue you for trespass."
Levi Marble was the first Justice of the Peace who served in what is now the town of Avon. He was first elected in 1839, and continued in office by re-election without interruption for about thirty years.
George Thompson, who was his near neighbor, where he still resides, was the advocate for suitors in Justice Marble's court from the time of his first election while he continued in office, and still continues as the local practitioner at the bar in that vicinity.
The first town meeting in this town was convened at the hotel in the village of Hainesville, on the first Tuesday in April, 1850. Nahum White was chosen Moderator, and Leonard Gage, Clerk, at which the following persons were elected town officers: John Gage, Supervisor; Orville Slusser, Town Clerk; James Kapple, Overseer of Poor; Caleb Arnold, Leonard Gage and Robert Carroll, Commissioners of Highways; Levi Marble and W. B. Dodge, Justices of the Peace; John Salisbury, Collector; John Salisbury and Robert D. Gordon, Constables; Freeman Bridge, Assessor. The number of votes cast at this town meeting was 128.
The assessed value of property in this town for 1850, inclding both real and personal, was $80,266.00. The amount of tax on the same was $1,037.23.
The total assessed value of real and personal property of the town for the year 1877 is $304,934.
The first minister of the Gospel who settled in this township was Rev. James Kapple, a Congregationalist, who came in the Summer of 1842, and settled on what was afterward the McHenry road, on the east of George Thompson's. There was no congregation or society of that denomination in the town, but he preached in the school houses in different parts of the town, whenever and wherever an audience would come together. He usually preached at the Marble School House and at Hainesville. He was liberal as to his religious views, and everybody went to hear him preach out of personal respect.
A church of the Disciples of Christ, otherwise called Campbellites, was organized in this town, at Marble School House, January 12, 1850; J. L. Correll and A.R. Knox were elected Elders, J. L. Correll being designated as preacher. There were fifteen persons who united with the church at their organization, as follows: J. L. Correll and Mary J., his wife; A. R. Knox and Augusta J., his wife; Chester Hamilton and wife, Dayton Gilbert and wife, Wm. Dalzell and wife, Nahum White and wife, Abner Marble and wife, James Wickham and wife, Samuel Waldo, G. Ruby and Otis Marble. In Decmber, 1853, the church numbered forty-one members, many of whom have since died. In the next three years there were forty-three added to the church, and the number added to continued to increase from year to year thereafter.
In 1866, a church edifice or house of worship was built at the four corners of the roads north of Squaw Creek, near Nahum White's. It is thirty-two by fifty feet, with gallery, and will seat about four hundred persons; it cost about $3,000. The present preacher is Elder Joseph Owen. The church at this time is said to be in a prosperous condition. They have meetings once in two weeks, and good congregations. Elder Owens is doing much by example, as well as by preaching.
In 1850, the Methodists met at the school house at Gray's Lake, under the direction of Rev. Francis Reed, and formed a class of fourteen members. They have continued to increase in numbers, and have held service from year to year at the various school houses in the town until 1876, when a fine house of worship was built on the Antioch road, near Lozell Mungers.
The following are the names of the first members of the class formed as aforesaid: Rebecca Vandemark, Nancy Whitney, D. C. Lewis, Abigail Lewis, Laura A. Lewis, S. E. Vandemark, Henry Vandemark, Mary Vandemark, Lorenzo Adams, Chloe Adams, Lydia Lindsey, Minerva Dimmick, O. H. Crawford, Lucinda Crawford.