History of Odell – Part Two

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ln the meantime, David Williams, from the town of New Michigan, had come to the place and erected a little shanty and displayed a few basketfuls of groceries and notions. He was, however, a chronic grumbler and chronically sick, and stayed but a few months and returned to New Michigan. About the time of Williams’ exit, S.W. Curtiss, of Kendall County, established a general store in the warehouse that had been erected by the Railroad Company. Curtiss did not make this his home, but employed S.P. Lundgren, of the same county, and known to the people of Odell as “Peter,” to take charge. At first, the east side of the downtown square seemed to be a favorite place for business, and the first respectable sized store building erected was the one into which Curtiss & Dewy moved their goods after leaving the warehouse.

Station Agent J.H. Link, having become disgusted with the store business, and also with the annoyance from the care of the mails, was anxious to turn these two branches of business over to other parties, and in this connection, the following incident is related: Lundgren says that when he stepped off the train, on his first arrival in the Winter of 1856-7, he was eyed sharply by Link (much after the manner of other lynx), who asked him if he was not the man who was to have the post office.

Lundgren replied that he was an entire stranger and that he was certain that no such arrangement had been made. He was then questioned as to what his business was at the place. Lundgren acknowledged that he had come to take charge of business for S.W. Curtiss, but had not yet had any instruction as to the location of the store. Link then turned to the station house, and taking the bag in which he had just received the mail, began crowding into its open mouth, indiscriminately, papers, books, letters and everything to the office remarking that while he knew this was the man, and having completed his packing, handed him the bag. Lundgren, however, protested that he was neither appointed nor qualified and that he could not accept it; upon which, Link gently pushed him from the door, throwing the post office after him, and no amount of argument or persuasion could induce him to again permit it to be placed in his possession. Lundgren says that in this instance, he verily felt that the “office was seeking the man” with a vengeance.

After deliberating upon the matter a few minutes, and concluding that there could be nothing criminal in caring for that which was in a fair way of being lost or destroyed, Lundgren picked up the office and, with it on his shoulder, proceeded to hunt up his other mission, which, in due course of time, he found. A few days after installing himself as manager of the store – there being no Justice of the Peace or other officer qualified to administer an oath in the neighborhood – he proceeded to Mud Creek, where resided one of the worthies, and took the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and, as Deputy Postmaster, to transact the business of the office according to the rules and edicts of the head of the department.

At this time, there were, besides those already mentioned, but four families. Thomas Lyons was an employee of the railroad company, and pumped water for the tank. One night, while in the performance of his duty, he discovered a black fugitive concealing himself in the building. The fellow had evidently mistaken the newly built railroad for a branch of the “underground,” and this point as one of the “stations.” Lyon reported the discovery to S.S. Morgan, who says that he found the poor fellow in a bad plight. He was ragged and sore, and his feet were torn and lacerated, and were bound up with some old rags tied on with strips of hickory bark, and he looked as though he were more than half starved. Though Lyons was an Irishman, and he and Morgan were both Democrats and not supposed to hold stock in the underground enterprise, they could not help but sympathize with the wretched man, and cared for him kindly, giving a pair of shoes and supplying him with food.

The first dwelling was erected by S.S. Morgan, for the use of Lyon, who had previously been making his home in an unused box car. During the construction of the house, however, Joseph French and family, with Hiram Vanderlip and family, arrived from Bennington, Vermont, and Lyons was obliged to continue in his narrow habitation and allow the two newly arrived families to occupy his house while Morgan built others. French and Vanderlip were both farmers, and at once set about opening farms in the vicinity. Daniel Lyon, father of Thomas, already mentioned, came to the place a year or so after the son, and engaged in the sale of the article that both “cheers and inebriates.” Joseph Baldwin and family were here almost as soon as the first, and opened a boarding house, and accommodated newcomers until they could arrange for more desirable quarters.

To Baldwin was born the first child of the community. This is remembered to have been the year 1857. As soon as Curtiss was fairly established in business, he took into partnership Oscar Dewy, of Kane County. Dewy came to Odell to reside in the Fall. of 1857. He was a man of intelligence, and had the confidence of the community, and was one of the two first Justices of the Peace elected in the town. The firm however, of which he was a partner, continued in business but a short time, closing in 1858. Soon after the closing up of Curtiss & Dewy’s store, S.P. Lundgren opened up a general store in the building, which has ever since been known as “Peter’s.” In the Fall of 1857, A.A. Streator came, with his family from Mud Creek, and built the first hotel.

Conrad Trecker opened a tile factor in 1886 on a farm just southeast of Odell. A pond now marks the location of the former factory. This was quite a thriving business for a number of years, and Mr. Trecker exhibited the tile at the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. Though a small affair, it was a very popular enterprise, and proved a valuable addition to the little town. As soon as it was completed Mr. Lundgren, with others, went there to board, and Peter soon fell in love with the landlord’s daughter, Sarah; and as the affection was mutual, it resulted in the first wedding in the township, which occurred November 14, 1858. The knot was tied by the Rev. I.T. Whittemore, of Pontiac, a gentleman who figured largely in religious matters, education and politics at that time.  Mr. Whittemore was an active man in all three of these branches, in each of which he was quite successful.

He was, at that time, County School Commissioner, and proved himself an efficient officer.  He was pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Pontiac; preached at Odell at stated intervals, and organized the congregational church of this place. He preached the first sermon, the services being held in the depot building. J. McMeans, from New Michigan, was the “pioneer blacksmith’. The business at that time was not sufficient to give him constant employment, and he worked at odd jobs about the town as he could get such as would not interfere with regular business. He soon became discouraged, and removed.  Charles Finefield built a shop a short time after. In 1857, S.S. Morgan came here to reside.

As before stated, he had laid out the town and erected several buildings, but until this date, his residence had been at Joliet. Mr. Morgan was the first supervisor, bought the first load of grain in 1855, and was connected, directly or indirectly, with almost every enterprise since the town started. By the Spring of 1858, the town had increased to nearly one hundred inhabitants, numbering eighteen or twenty families, among whom, not already mentioned, were W.M. Brown, Joseph L. Walton, Eli Pearson, Levi Dell, Samuel and Charles Packwood, J.E. Williams, Augustus H. Coleman, Thomas Hamlin, George Skinner, W.D.T. Hedenberg, Elisha Williams, C.N. Coe, James Chapman, Charles Dodwell, F.J. Church, J.H. Coe, Edwin Chapman, John Evans, and Hanford Kerr.

In 1858, the first election under what is known as the “Township Organization Act” was held in the county.  The election for township officers, for Odell Township, took place at the store of Curtiss & Dewy. William M. Brown was elected Moderator, and S.S. Morgan chosen Clerk pro tem. There were twenty-three votes cast, and the following persons were elected to the respective offices : S.S. Morgan, Supervisor; A.A. Streator, Clerk; Joseph L. Walton, Assessor; Joseph French, Collector; Joseph French and E.W. Pearson, Constables; John Harbison, Augustus H. Coleman and William M. Brown, Road Commissioners; Oscar Dewy and Samuel Packwood, Justices of the Peace; W.D.F. Hedenber, Overseer of the Poor.

At this time, Union Township, which was then not sufficiently settled to entitle it to a separate organization, voted with Odell, and some of the foregoing will be recognized as inhabitants of that town. At this meeting, an appropriation of $600 was made, for the purpose of building roads. Taking into account the number of inhabitants and the age of the town, this was a large amount to appropriate for that purpose, but it proved to be only the beginning of a very extensive scheme for making the highways of this township the best in the county. During the year, petitions were presented and granted, for the laying out of thirty-eight miles of new road; and, almost every year since, large appropriations have been made for their construction and improvement. In some instances, as much as $5,000 has been appropriated for that purpose.

As a result of this wise course, Odell would soon become the greatest grain market in the county; and, with two or three exceptions, the greatest on the road. The first grain was shipped from the station in 1855, by James Henry. This grain was not handled by any dealer, but was loaded from the wagons directly into the cars, and this continued to be the principal method of disposing of the products of the farm until 1861, when E.L. Kent, of Pontiac, built the elevator. Prior to this, the only convenience for handling grain, beside the direct transfer from the wagon to the car, was a small board shanty that had been in use by various persons and for various purposes, and the Kent elevator was considered a fine addition to the business facilities of the place.  A. Aerl, who had come from Pontiac two years before, was placed in charge of the elevator, and continued in the grain business for some years. J.B. Curtiss also built an elevator at about the same time. In 1866, J. & W. Hossack erected their fine elevator, which, for capacity and convenience for handling grain, had few superiors in the State. The cost of the building was $23,000; it was sixty feet in width and ninety in length, and had a capacity of 60,000 bushels. After C.A. Vincent came to Odell in 1866 he began at once to dealing grain and in 1889 did some extensive repair and enlarging of the elevators formerly owned by the Hossacks. He installed steam elevators equipped with all modern machinery for cleaning and handling grain, while the long rows of cribs furnished storage.

Among those engaged in business during the 1860s were John McWilliams, lumber and general dry goods; Morrell Southwick, lumber; P.W. Kenyon, lumber; F. Balenseifer, general merchandise; Alfred Des Voignes, harness maker; S. Hunt, books and stationary; Charles Hungerford, cigar manufacturer; Kenyon and Gallaher, groceries; J.D. Pound, real estate; S.H. Penny, general merchandise, afterward establishing Odell Exchange Bank; Raymond Premersdorfer, boots and shoes; E.M. Vaughan, druggist; N.E. Wright, hardware business; Thomas A. Daniels, wagon maker. Among the attorneys were James H.Funk and A.P. Wright. The Village of Odell was organized February 8, 1867.

The Board of Trustees was organized with John McWilliams, President; B.F. Washbum, Clerk; and Trustees John Hossack, S.S. Morgan, T.O. Bannister and Jason Curtiss. A.S. Putnam was appointed Constable. In 1869, the village came under the Princeton Charter, which prohibited the town board from granting licenses to sell intoxicants, and which continued in force until 1872, when it was reorganized under general law. The Eastern Hotel, built in 1867, Capt .William Strawn, was considered one of the best hotels between Joliet and Springfield and did a thriving business for many  years. Rates were two dollars a day, which was reasonable in those days. When automobiles came into use, the need for small town hotels became less and the Eastem Hotel was razed in the mid-1900s, and in its place an oil station was constructed.

Since the formal organizing of Odell Township in April of 1858, each year gave rise to other necessary matters for the improvement and development of the village and township. The accomplishments included the surveying of roads; “having all the inhabitants assigned to work on the highways in their respective districts”; to raise the tax for three burying grounds, two acres each and survey same one near the Village of Odell and one near the Village of Cayuga, all in Odell Township, with the grounds to be held as town property and sold to individuals as lots, and deeds to be made for same by township clerk; the impounding of all animals found destroying or encroaching on any of the cultivated crops. On April 4, 1865, as the Civil War drew to a close, it was voted “to refund to all drafted men who volunteered for a term of one year or more, whatever taxes they may be assessed for a town bounty tax in said town.”

Part 3