meeting to further consider this matter, a colony was formed and organized under the name of the New York Colony. At these meetings some forty or fifty persons became members of the colony. Charles Oakley, Esq. (now deceased), once Fund Commissioner of the State of Illinois, took a leading part in all these transactions. He had been prospecting out West, and gave a glowing description of the wonderful "prairie country." At the close of these meetings an agreement was drawn up and signed by the colonists, authorizing Charles Oakley and C. C. Wilcox (now of Chicago) as trustees, to proceed to Illinois and locate about a township of land in such part of the state as they might think for the best interest of the members of the colony; the intention being to enter land somewhere near the Illinois River. But other parties having preceded them to the designed location, which was probably in Bureau County, near or upon the ground now occupied by the Providence Colony, they proceeded into Henry County, and selected their land in Townships 16 and 17-some 30 sections, nearly 20,000 acres. Every individual of the colony bound himself to erect within two years a house or building to cost some specified sum, about $200, on his land, and in case of neglect the land was to revert to the colonists, with, however, this unfortunate condition attached: That the colonists, through their trustees, had the privilege of taking the land from those parties failing to fulfill their part. of the contract, and paying three dollars per acre for the same, or double the cost of their land. The result proved that four-fifths of the members preferred the hundred per cent. advance to the hardships of Western life, and did not build; and ere two years passed the panic of 1837-'8 rendered the other parties unwilling or unable to fulfill their part. Oakley and Wilcox were to receive for their services twenty-five cents per acre for locating these lands, and for surveys and incidental expenses. When surveyed and the town laid out on some eligible spot near the center of the location, the lands and lots were to be put up at auction, and the colonists were to select their property-eight lots in town being distributed with each quarter section. The colonists were to bid for the preference or choice of lands and lots. At this distribution, which was in the Summer or Autumn of 1836 (the lands were entered in June of that year), only a few persons were present. The majority of the colonists acted through their agents. There was paid as "preference money," for the choice of these lands, some $6,000 or $7,000, some paying as high as $400 for the choice of a quarter section. After the selection, the balance were distributed by the trustees at their discretion, each member getting the number of acres for which he had paid. This preference money was to be held as trust, and appropriated for the benefit of the colonists as follows: First, to have a colony house built, in which the colonists could live until their residences could be erected; this was to cost some $3,000. Second, to build a mill and school-house, or to be appropriated as the colonists might desire, or distributed among members.

Few came that season. Messrs. Oakley and C. C. Williams remained but a short time. The colony lands were surveyed by Arba M. Seymour, the County Surveyor. A log house was erected in Morristown, and a colony house contracted for, and afterwards built. This was a fine large building two stories high, and well finished, the latter being done by R. R. Stewart, Esq., of Geneseo. This building was erected upon a lot

owned by Chas. Oakley, Esq. It was afterwards sold by Col. Oakley to Joel Wells, whose widow now occupies it. A mill was also built upon Green River upon land owned by Charles Oakley. In the Fall of the year 1836 speculation was still high. Pre-emptions on farms on Rock River with small improvements were valued at $15 to $25 per acre. These prices were for lands in the vicinity of the timber, as prairie land was considered worthless by western men.

Joshua Harper, N. W. Washburne, Luke C. Sheldon, Chas. W. Davenport, Jr. and Tompkins were all of the original colonists that were here in 1836. In 1837, John Appleton and Chas. W. Davenport, Sr. and family came, and with them the venerable father of Mrs. Davenport and Thos. Fitch, who died at Morristown a few years after at the advanced age of 80 years. These people, with a few others, comprising in all about ten families, scattered over some ten miles of prairie, which constituted the settlement for some twelve or fourteen years. After that time, a new exodus from the East again sent an army westward of good, substantial citizens-a considerable number of whom settled on Morristown prairie, and made it what it now is-one of the best settlements in Henry County.

THE WETHERSFIELD COLONY.

The direct settlement of Henry County is largely attributed to the location of colonies. These were mainly from New England, and brought with them all their New England foresight, energy, and frugal thrift; and to the Wethersfield colony, possessing all these attributes, the present prosperity of this portion of the county may be traced.

As has been noticed in these pages, Mr. Pillsbury, and his associates, Slaughter and Pike, were commissioned by the New York Association, in 1835, to select a location for the "Andover Colony." Upon the return of Mr. Pillsbury in the Fall of that year, he was written to by the Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Tenney, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, concerning the location of another colony in the region of country in which the lands of the Andover Colony were situated, and an interview requested. The result of this interview led the Doctor to project another colony, to be styled the "Wethersfield Colony," and to be located near the former. Dr. Tenney was an eminent divine, and well acquainted with the prominent men of that day who would be likely to favor an enterprise by which religion and free education might be successfully planted in the great Mississippi Valley, and he addressed many of them in relation to this matter. These efforts led to a meeting in the Congregational Church at Wethersfield, some time in the Autumn of 1835, the exact date of which can not now be obtained. Here the enterprise assumed a tangible shape, and at a subsequent meeting an organization was effected.

of the projectors of this enterprise will be of interest to many of the citizens of the county, and valuable as an item of history, they are here given. They were: Dr. Caleb J. Tenney, Selden Miner, Roger Wells, Martin Kellogg, John Francis, Chancey Coleman, Weltha Willard, Rev. John Marsh, Joshua Goodrich, George Wells, Horace Blaine, Henry Robbins, Col. Sylvester Blish, Rev. Samuel Redel, William Butler, Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury, Miles Adams, Elizur Goodrich, Samuel Galpin, E. Porter, Rev. Horace Hooker, William Tenney, George P. Shipman, Russell H.

Nevins, Timothy Stillman, Allen Talcott, Rev. Geo. A. Calhoun, Francis Loomis, Edward Payson, D.D., Rev. Geo. Stebbins, Rev. John Woodbridge, Gersham Buckley, Geo. Buckley, Gardner Spring, D.D., Merritt Butler, Osmond Harrison, Rev. Harvey Tolcott, Jeduthan and Jonathan Hubbard, Sullivan Howard, Geo. Richards, Jasper Gilbert, Rev. Alpha Miller, Nathan De Wolf, J. L. Belden, Nathan Kelley, Stephen Topliff, Dr. A. Welch, Geo. B. Holley, Rev. Chancey Booth, Richard T. Haines, Rev. Ralph Emerson, Robert Gipson, and a few others whose names cannot now be obtained.

The

This Company was styled the "Connecticut Association.' stockholders resided at different points from Maine to New York, some of whom were quite wealthy, and others were very prominent_in_the religious world. The great temperance agent will be recognized in Rev. John Marsh, Dr. Payson was a distinguished Christian minister, and Rev. Gardner Spring was an eminent divine at the head of one of the most aristocratic Presbyterian churches in the nation.

The stock of the company was fixed at $250 per share, and entitled each shareholder to one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land, twenty acres of timber, and a town lot. During the winter of 1835-'6 one hundred shares were taken, and $25,000 paid into the treasury. In February, 1886, a “committee of purchase" was appointed, consisting of Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury, Col. Sylvester Blish and Elizur Goodrich. The first of these was selected on account of his having some experience in matters of this kind; the second, on account of his energy and prompt business habits, and the third because he was a competent surveyor.

The route of this committee was through Baltimore; over the mountains to Wheeling; down the Ohio River by steamboat to its junction with the Mississippi; thence up that stream to the Illinois River; up that to Peoria, and thence to Knoxville, Henderson Grove and Andover, at which latter place was a house or two, but no inhabitants, nor did any arrive until July following. Arriving here, neither feed nor horses could be obtained, and they were compelled to walk some twenty miles, over to "Barren Grove"-with only a deserted cabin on the way, in Sugar Tree Grove-along the south side of which they commenced to select the Company's land. Rev. Pillsbury and Col. Blish were sanguine of the future of Illinois, and, owing to the previous knowledge of the former, were not long in finding the "desired haven." The surveyor did not partake of their unbounded confidence, and trudged around locating the selections they made, until they had, at different times, succeeded in selecting and entering ninety-nine quarter sections of land, in Townships 14, R. 5 and 15, R. 5-the first entry being made May 7, 1836.

The purchase was made from the Government in the name of Goodrich and Blish, who deeded the land in trust, for the purposes of the association, to Chester Bulkley, secretary and treasurer, who afterwards deeded to individual members, or to those who purchased of the company.

The following Spring, March, 1837, an additional quarter section was added, making the entries a round hundred. This committee returning, another, consisting of Rev. Joseph Goodrich, John F. Willard and Henry G. Little, was appointed to survey and lay out a town plat, and to divide the timber land into twenty-acre lots. On November 11, 1836, Mr. Willard and Mr. Little reached the lands purchased by the company,

with the intention to at once lay out the town and the timber lots. They found in the grove, one and one-half miles northeast of the purchase, a cabin, and the family of Mr. John Kilvington, of whom mention is made. in the early history of Kewanee. This afforded a home for the party. An effort was at once made to obtain the services of the county surveyor, who lived thirty miles distant, to perform the task, but the attempt proved fruitless, as he could not accomplish it until the following Spring. They returned to French Grove, in Peoria County, where Mr. Little had taken a cabin, and secured the services of Surveyor Nelson Simons, well known to many citizens of this county. The returning party consisted of John F. Willard, H. G. Little, Nelson Simons, William Wheeler, W. T. Little, Sullivan Howard and Simeon B. Stoddard, who reached, on foot, the purchase, on the evening of November 16, 1836. The two following days were spent in surveying and locating the tracts. Toward the close of the second day the party, with the exception of Willard, who remained to build a cabin, started for "Fraker's Grove," twelve miles distant. As it was very misty the night was intensely dark, and they lost their way. By removing the glass from the face of their compass, so they could feel the hands on the face, they with great difficulty regained their course, and reached their destination about midnight. Awakening "Old Man Dunbar," as he was called, from his slumbers, they were given food and shelter in the only cabin in this vicinity.

Willard worked two weeks at his cabin, boarding at Mr. Kilvington's, some two miles distant. When he had completed it, in company with N. Butler and Joseph Goodrich, he "bached" it through the Winter. He hauled his hay from where Sheffield now stands, and obtained the greater portion of his corn in Peoria County.

During the Spring of 1837, the services of the County Surveyor were obtained, the timber divided into twenty-acre lots, and the town of Wethersfield laid out. "In the month of April," as now appears on the county records, the streets were laid out at right angles, and were six rods-ninety-nine feet-in width. The blocks contained four lots of two and one-half acres each, except those immediately on the public square designed for business lots, and containing one-fourth acre each. One block was set apart for a public square, and one for Academy and College purposes, but the former of these only appears on the town plat. Two lots, one on the east and one on the west, were set apart for cemetery purposes. It will be noticed this village was a counterpart of that of Andover. Counting from north to south the streets bore the names of North, Mill, Church, North Main, South Main, College and South streets. Running east and west they were named East, Edwards, Dwight, Willard, Tenney, Hollis, Payson and West streets. It will also be observed the names of divines entered largely into this list, Edwards and Dwight being in their day presidents of Yale College, and Tenney and Payson having a national reputation.

"

John F. Willard, as has been stated, erected the first cabin on the colony purchase. Sullivan Howard built a cottonwood board "shanty in February, 1837. He wintered in French Grove, Peoria County, and hauled his lumber from Ellisville on Spoon river, seventy miles distant. Henry G. Little, now living in Iowa, raised" a cabin in March. William T. Little built another soon after. This latter was just eighteen by

twenty feet in dimensions, and, for some time, accommodated the family of his father, Abner B. Little, the two families comprising nine members. In June, the first birth in this colony occurred in this cabin, a daughter being born to William T. She lived to maturity, married, and removed to Vermont.

Elisha R. Wolcott, and Caleb J. T. Little arrived in April, Evan Wheaton came in June, and C. B. Miner in July. In August, Colonel Sylvester Blish and his son William arrived with their families. They were better prepared than most settlers, and were the first to come through from Connecticut with teams. They stopped with H. G. Little on their arrival, and with his family rather filled his cabin. Shortly after this the first election was held in this precinct after its organization, the place of voting being Mr. Little's house. Selden Miner came in August. Luther C. Sleight some time that season. In the Summer of 1838 Francis Loomis came. John H. Wells and David Potter, whose family became somewhat prominent in the colony, came in October. This latter gentleman planted the first orchard in the settlement, and raised the first fruit crop. Champlin Lester moved in the Spring of 1839, Deacon Zenas Hotchkiss in the Summer. William T. Little, before mentioned, turned the first furrow on these prairies where now C. C. Blish resides. He was soon followed by others, and that season-1837-quite a "sod crop" was raised, and mostly eaten by cattle. The project of building a steam grist and saw mill was agitated the first year of the settlement, and in 1837 decisive steps were taken toward the accomplishment of this most necessary of conveniences.

Abner B. Little, father of H. G. and C. J. T., came to Wethersfield in April, 1837. He was born at New Salem, N. H., in 1774, and married Nancy Tenney, of Hollis, N. H., Jan. 20, 1802. Thirteen children were born to them, ten of whom came to this county, and whose names appear elsewhere. Mrs Little died July 7, 1847, aged 66 years. Mr. Little, Sept. 8, 1863, aged 89 years.

The food of the colonists was exceedingly coarse and rather scanty. Coffee, cornbread and pork-pork, cornbread and coffee, constituted the chief variety; but what was lacking in quality was made up most abundantly in the amount consumed. The appetite of the frontiersman is not generally so dainty as voracious. Excellent air and abundant exercise atoned for all tastes. The mill proved disastrous financially to the colony, involving it some $4,000 in debt, besides the amount paid on its completion,-$5,000. No one could be found to purchase such an incumbrance, and after various changes, it was sold to Jeduthan Hubbard for $2,000, thereby making a clear loss of $7,000. It had been most beneficial, however, in supplying a dire necessity to all this country. A most interesting incident occurred in its erection and continuance, which the reader will find recorded in these pages in the chapter headed "Interesting Events."

As the indebtedness of the colony had to be met, but little more than eighty acres of prairie land was given to each stockholder in addition to the town lot and timber land.

Out of the nearly sixty members of the association only four came personally to aid in the organization. These were Col. Blish, Francis Loomis, Sullivan Howard, and Charles Richards. Selden Miner was