Samuel D. Preston came from New York. He traveled overland from Medina, with his wife and one child. He lived on North Madison street, and later his home was on the site of the office of the Rockford Lumber and Fuel Company. Mr. Preston was prominent in the early business and political life of the community. He was county treasurer four years. Mr. Preston died February 11, 1844. He was the father of Mrs. L. J. Clark, deceased; Miss Anna T: Preston, deceased; and Miss Mary Preston, a resident of the city. Mr. Clark, his son-in-law, built the old stone house on the southwest corner of Madison and Oak streets.

Eleazer Hubble Potter was born in Fairfield county, Connecticut, and emigrated with his parents to western New York when he was about seventeen years of age. Mr. Potter was fully committed to the New England idea that the church and the school-house form the real basis of the prosperity of a city. He therefore took an active interest in building up its religious and educational institutions. Mr. Potter made the acquaintance of Samuel D. Preston at Medina, and when these gentlemen came to Rockford they formed a partnership in business. Mr. Potter afterward became a prominent banker. He built the house now occupied by Rev. Mead Holmes, who has enlarged and otherwise improved it. He also built the fine residence of Hon. Gilbert Woodruff. Mr. Potter died at his home in this city, September 1, 1861, at the age of fifty-five years. He was the father of Mrs. William Lathrop, and Commodore Potter, who resides with his daughter, Mrs. Sabin, at Belvidere.

Nathaniel Wilder was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, June 30, 1794. From his native state he removed to Keene, New Hampshire, and from there he came to Rockford with his family, in March. He opened a blacksmith shop in a log building on South Main street, between Green and Cedar streets, and owned considerable property in that vicinity. Mr. Wilder was probably the third blacksmith in Rockford. He continued in this business twenty-five years, and then engaged in the coal trade. At one time he was a member of the Second Congregational church, but his later faith was Unitarianism. He died July 11, 1884, at the age of ninety years.

George W. Brinckerhoff came to Rockford during this year. He was in partnership with Germanicus Kent in various business enterprises. Although Mr. Brinckerhoff was quite prominent at one time, little is known of his later life.

Goodyear Asa Sanford was born in Hamden, Connecticut, in August, 1814. He was engaged in farming in the east until he came to Alton, Illinois, in December, 1836. In the following year he came to Rockford and engaged in mercantile business. Mr. Sanford always took an active interest in politics, and was one of the early sheriffs of the county. He was also school commissioner from 1845 to 1847. Mr. Sanford was a member of the banking firm of Dickerman, Wheeler & Co., which began business January 1, 1855. The firm name was changed the next year to Lane, Sanford & Co. The Second National Bank was organized April 29, 1864, with Mr. Sanford as cashier. He succeeded to the presidency, which he held at the time of his death, March 16, 1894. As a banker and man of affairs, Mr. Sanford was very prominent for more than half a century.

Rev. John Morrill and wife made their home in the little village in February. Mr. Morrill's important work in stimulating the religious life of the community will be considered in a subsequent chapter. Mrs. Morrill was eminently fitted for the work to which she was called.

David D. Alling was born at Westfield, Connecticut, April 27, 1813. At seventeen years of age he began an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade. He came to Rockford in October, upon the advice of G. A. Sanford. Mr. Alling built a number of dwellings in the little village, and was a contractor during his entire active life in Rockford. He constructed the old First Congregational church, on the West side. He owned valuable property on South Main street. Mr. Alling died August 1, 1898. He was the father of Mrs. P. W. Danky and Frank Alling.

John Beattie was one of the first emigrants from Ireland to this county. He was born of Scotch ancestry in the north of Ireland, June 21, 1811. He learned the carpenter's trade in his native country, and continued this occupation after his settlement in Rockford. He was successful in business, and became the owner of a beautiful site in the finest residence portion of the city, which is now the home of his daughters, Misses Mary I. and Anna. Several business houses on West State street also belong to his estate. These valuable lots were tendered him in payment for work on the old court house, more than half a century ago. Mr. Beattie at first refused them; and it is said he wept the day he became their possessor, because he felt that he had been defrauded. Mr. Beattie was highly esteemed for his sterling character. He was reared in the Presbyterian

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faith, although he was not a member of any church at the time of his death. Mr. Beattie died December 3, 1889. Mrs. Beattie died December 7, 1891. Two sons, Edward W. and George D., reside in Montana. Two sous and a daughter are deceased.

John Platt was born in West Haven, Connecticut, March 8, 1813. He came from Alton, Illinois, to Rockford in May, and engaged in mercantile business. In 1839 he removed to Pecatonica township and became an extensive land-owner. He returned to Rockford in 1845, where he resided until his death in 1881. Some years later Mrs. Platt married Robert H. Cotton. She passed her eighty-fifth year, December 11, 1899.

Benjamin Kilburn was born in Belchertown, Massachusetts, August 8, 1808. He settled permanently in Rockford in 1837. He had visited the county the preceding year, selected a place for a home, procured lumber for a house, engaged a man to build it, and then went back to Massachusetts to adjust his affairs. Upon his return to Rockford he was accompanied by Mrs. Kilburn's brother, Henry Maynard. Mr. Kilburn's first house was on the site of the Hotel Nelson, where it stood until 1891. Mr. Kilburn subsequently purchased a quarter-section in the northwestern part of the city. Mr. and Mrs. Kilburn had seven children. Five died in infancy or early youth. Edward B., a son, enlisted in the Seventy-fourth Illinois Volunteers, and died in the hospital at Murfreesborough, in 1863. Mr. Kilburn opened a stone quarry on his place, which proved valuable, and is still operated by his son-in-law, T. W. Carrico. Kilburn avenue was named in honor of Mr. Kilburn. He died in 1860. Some years later Mrs. Kilburn married Mr. Fales. She died in the summer of 1899.

John Miller, with his wife and three sons, Jacob B., Thomas and George, arrived about the middle of May. Jacob was better known as "Old Jake." He was the second resident lawyer, and as a forcible speaker he was in great demand by the Whigs of this section in the exciting campaign of 1840.

Among other settlers in the county during the year were: Isaac Toms, William Twogood, Elisha A. Kirk, William Jones. William Peters, Richard S. Stiles, Eli Hall, Levi Taft, Hiram Richardson, Simeon Harmon, Lewis Keith, P. S. Doolittle, Joseph Hayes, Seth Palmer, and his daughter, Mrs. William Conick, who has resided in the county sixty-two years.

The late Judge Church is authority for the statement that the population of the county in June, 1837, was 1,086.

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CHAPTER XI.

ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.—THE FIRST ELECTION.

N the summer and autumn of 1835 the settlers in this section began to agitate the question of local government. This matter was promptly brought to the attention of the state legislature.

The counties organized in northern Illinois prior to 1835 were much larger than they are at present. At that time Cook, La Salle and Jo Daviess counties extended from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi river. Jo Davies was organized in 1827. It then extended east of Rock river, and included the territory now comprised in nine counties. This singular name for the county was not given by the citizens. The name designated in the original bill was Ludlow, in honor of the naval hero of that name. A member of the legislature moved to strike out the word Ludlow, and insert the name Daviess, in honor of Colonel Jo Daviess, who fell at Tippecanoe. Another member facetiously moved to amend the amendment by inserting before Daviess the word "Jo." The reason assigned was the fact that there was a member of the house by the name of Davis, and that the people might think the honor was intended for him; and that it would be indelicate for the house, by any act, to transmit his name to posterity, as a precedent. This motion prevailed; the senate concurred in the amendment, and thus the county officially received the name of Jo Daviess. This immense tract of wild, unpopulated country extended eastward to the third principal meridian, and has been reduced in size by the organization of eight other counties.

Cook and La Salle counties were organized in 1831. It was the evident intention at that time to subdivide these counties at a later day, to meet the demands of an increased population. A map of Illinois, printed in 1835, owned by the late

Hon. Ephraim Sumner, and now in possession of his son, Hon. E. B. Sumner, represents Cook county with territory attached on the north for judicial purposes. La Salle has northern territory annexed for the same purpose, corresponding to portions of McHenry, Kane, Winnebago and Ogle counties, and all of Boone and DeKalb, as at present organized. Jo Daviess is shown with annexed territory on the east and south. The distinction between Cook and La Salle counties proper, and their annexed portions, appears to have been in the fact that the former were surveyed, while the latter were not. Although Jo Daviess county was organized eight years before Mr. Sumner's map was printed, the map does not even represent the county as surveyed. The conditions, however, in Jo Daviess were peculiar. The country near Galena included a mining camp, with quite a considerable population, and thus required a local government. Hence the organization of the county preceded by several years the government survey of the land.

The state legislature at that time held its sessions at Vandalia. An act, approved and in force January 16, 1836, provided for the organization of McHenry, Winnebago, Kane, Ogle and Whiteside counties, and the reorganization of Jo Daviess. Section two of the law created Winnebago county, with boundaries as follows: "Commencing at the southeast corner of township number forty-three, range number four, east of the third principal meridian, and running thence west to the said meridian; thence north along the line of said meridian, to the southeast corner of township number twenty-six, in range number eleven, east of the fourth principal meridian; thence west to the dividing line between ranges number seven and eight; thence north along said line to the northern boundary of the state; thence east along said boundary line to the northeast corner of range number four, east of the third principal meridian; thence south to the place of beginning."

Winnebago was thus formed from the attached portions of Jo Daviess and La Salle counties. That part of the county east of the third principal meridian was taken from La Salle; the portion west of this meridian was detached from Jo Daviess. As at first organized, Winnebago county was almost exactly double its present size, and included all of Boone county, and the eastern two township ranges of what is now Stephenson county. Winnebago has never been enlarged or reduced from its original form on its northern or southern boundary.