The History of Peru.

by Henry S. Beebe.

INTRODUCTORY.

It can hardly be said that a town of a population of three thousand six hundred and fifty-two souls, dating back but about twenty years to its first rude tenement and solitary family, can have any history. The events of any public interest are so few, and their importance so small, that no reasonable hope can be entertained that their recital will be any thing but a matter of indifference to others than the present or former residents, or those connected with them by ties of consanguinity, or having an interest in its advancement and prosperity. It is true that at some future time, the record may be useful to the historian, if it should be so fortunate as to survive. The statistics have been collected with care and considerable labor, and are believed to be correct and reliable. Beyond this the writer claims no merit for the work. The anecdotes and events related, not strictly statistical, have all transpired under his personal observation and knowledge, during a residence dating back to the embryo town.

Most persons who have had the temerity to undertake the relation of cotemporary events, and to speak of cotemporary actors, have received more kicks than coppers for their pains. How far the writer will escape their general fate remains to be seen. Knowing the dangerous ground whereon he was treading, he has endeavored to confine himself to the simple relation of undisputed facts, abstaining from all comments and speculation thereon. He has not set himself up as a public censor or a public eulogist. It is not to be supposed that he has been without partisan and prejudiced views of public questions. These he has endeavored to suppress and to "render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars." Nor has he undertaken to draw a rose colored picture for the benefit of Eastern Capitalists, or those seeking a home in the west--to throw bait to Gudgeons.--In fact, it will be admitted, that his picture is of the soberest and dullest kind of grey. Would that it could be here and there touched with lighter and more cheerful hues; but truth is inexorable, and demands the strictest loyalty from those who worship at her shrine.

The people of Peru may be a little curious to know why a person, whose pursuits in life have been hitherto very far removed from those of a writer for the public eye, should have undertaken a task for which previous practice and experience have so little qualified him. He begs to a.s.sure them that it was entirely an accident--no literary ambition prompted him at all. To be sure he had heard that

"'Tis pleasant sure to see one's name in print, And a book's a book although there's nothing in't,"

but that was not it. Having a little leisure, he had undertaken to gather and condense some statistics of the town for the publisher of a Directory of La Salle County. Having commenced the task he became interested therein, and extended his researches and remarks to a length quite too formidable for their original purpose. But he resolved not to hide his light under a bushel--hence the present infliction which he hopes will be borne with commendable fort.i.tude.

HISTORY OF PERU.

CHAPTER I.

Situation of the City--Its early Settlement and Settlers-- Pa.s.sage of the Internal Improvement Act and Commencement of work on the Central Rail Road--Election of H. P. Woodworth to the Legislature--Election for Organization under the Borough Act--First Census--First Election of Trustees--First Religious Meeting.

The City of Peru is situated in the Westerly part of La Salle County, Illinois, on the Northern bank of the Illinois River, at the head of Navigation, and at the Junction of the Illinois and Michigan Ca.n.a.l.

Distance from Chicago 100 miles, and from Saint Louis 230. The territory embraced within the corporated limits, is Sec. 16 and 17, and all those fractional parts of 20 and 21, which lie north of the river, Town 33, Range 1, East of the Third Princ.i.p.al Meridian, comprising an area of 1462 Acres.

The settlement of the site occupied by this City was commenced in the Spring of 1836, shortly after the pa.s.sage of the act incorporating the Illinois and Michigan Central, which was to terminate at or near the mouth of the Little Vermilion, on land owned by the State. It was probably the most eligible site on lands owned by individuals. The Southwest quarter of Sec. 16 was laid out and sold by the School Commissioners in 1834, and called Peru. Ninawa Addition, located on the South East quarter of Sec. 17, and the North East fractional part of 20, upon which the most business part of Peru is at present situated, was owned originally by Lyman D. Brewster, who died in the fall of 1835. It was plated and recorded in 1836, by Theron D. Brewster, at present a leading and influential citizen.

In 1835 the only residents of that portion of territory now occupied by the cities of Peru and La Salle were Lyman D. Brewster, his nephew T. D.

BREWSTER, JOHN HAYS and family, PELTIAH and CALVIN BREWSTER, SAMUEL LAPSLEY and BURTON AYRES. In the Spring of 1835, the first building--a store--was erected in Peru by ULYSSES SPAULDING and H. L. KINNEY, late of Central American notoriety. On the 4th July 1836, the first shovel full of earth was excavated upon the Ca.n.a.l. No considerable population was attracted to the town until 1837. Among the people who made this place their home in that and the following years, were WM. RICHARDSON, J. P. JUDSON, S. LISLE SMITH and his brother DOCTOR SMITH, FLETCHER WEBSTER, DANIEL TOWNSEND, P. HALL, JAMES MULFORD, JAMES MYERS, WM. and CHAS. DRESSER, HARVEY WOOD, N. B. BULLOCK, JESSE PUGSLEY, EZRA MCKINZIE, NATHANIEL and ISAAC ABRAHAM, J. P. THOMPSON, JOHN HOFFMAN, C. H.

CHARLES, ASA MANN, LUCIUS RUMRILL, CORNELIUS CAHILL, CORNELIUS c.o.kELEY, DAVID DANA, ZIMRI LEWIS, DANIEL MCGIN, S. W. RAYMOND, GEO. B. MARTIN, WM. H. DAVIS, GEO. W. HOLLEY, GEO. LOW, M. MOTT, F. LEBEAU, A. HYATT, WARD B. BURNETT, O. C. MOTLEY, WM. PAUL, H. P. WOODWORTH, H. S. BEEBE, HARVEY LEONARD, &c.

At the Session of the Legislature of 1836, the Internal Improvement act was pa.s.sed, incorporating the Central Rail Road, which was subsequently located upon the same general route as is followed by the present Illinois Central Rail Road, crossing the river at Peru. Operations were commenced on both sides of the river in 1838. During this season very extensive improvements were made, large accessions of population took place, and the settlement began to a.s.sume the appearance of a town. In 1839 the whole country was on the top wave of prosperity. Large forces were employed upon both the Ca.n.a.l and Rail Road--numerous other works being contemplated, all terminating at Peru, of course--and the disburs.e.m.e.nts were large. The town shared the general prosperity. In this year H. P. WOODWORTH was elected [Transcriber's Note: Error, he was defeated, see Errata.] to the Legislature from La Salle County, which then embraced the present territory of Kendall and Grundy, receiving in Peru 528 votes, being the largest vote ever polled in the precinct, before or since.

On the 6th of December 1838 the inhabitants a.s.sembled at the tavern of ZIMRI LEWIS, and organised a meeting by the appointment of H. S. BEEBE, Chairman, and J. B. JUDSON, Secretary, and voted to take the preliminary steps for organizing the town as a borough under the general Incorporation Act. At a census taken the same month there were found to be within the limits proposed to be embraced in the Borough, to wit: The South half of Section 16, the South East quarter of Section 17, and all that part of Section 20 lying North of the river--about one square mile.

Males over 21 years of age 175 Females and minors 251 --- Total 426

On the 15th of December an election was held to decide upon such organization with the following result.

For organization 40 Against organization 1

On the same day an election was held for Trustees which resulted in the election of M. Mott, F. Lebeau, C. H. Charles, Z. LEWIS and O. C.

Motley. The Board elected Z. Lewis, President; T. D. Brewster, Clerk; Z.

Lewis, jr. Constable; and James Myers, a.s.sessor. On the 1st of April 1839, O. C. Motley resigned and H. P. Woodworth was elected in his place. D. J. Townsend was afterwards appointed Street Commissioner.

The first religious meeting a.s.sembled in the locality was held in the early part of this year, in a log shanty, in the western part of the town. This meeting was attended by about a dozen young reprobates who concerted, that if the preacher should confine himself to what they should judge to be the "appropriate sphere of his duties," should preach piety and righteousness in the abstract without making any particular application thereof, or rebuking any particular practice cherished by these self const.i.tuted censors, and should abstain from all offensive personal or local allusions, the most decorous propriety was to be observed. But if, on the contrary, he should see fit to indulge in any reproof of evil practices which they were conscious the community had credit for, whether justly or not, the indignity was to be instantly resented. In pursuance of this concert they repaired to the place of worship, each provided with a tobacco pipe well filled, and a match.

During the preliminary exercises and a portion of the sermon the most respectful attention and devout bearing were manifested; but when the preacher unfortunately indulged in illusions, believed by these censors to be intended to have a direct local application, a rap on the bench was made as a signal by the leader, and instantly twelve matches were struck and twelve pipes lighted. No smile was seen and no word was spoken; but twelve sedate and imperturbable smokers tugged vigorously at their pipes. The room was soon filled with the smoke and aroma; and after a few attempts at rebuke, e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed between stifled spasms of coughing, the preacher incontinently left; but not without making a stand at the door, where a few comparatively pure respirations were obtained, and hurling back some rather unchristian anathemas upon the graceless and sacrilegious scamps, whose scandalous conduct had so unceremoniously put him to flight, and upon the people by whom they were tolerated. Of course, "the better part of community" set the seal of their disapprobation upon such disreputable and disorderly proceedings.

CHAPTER II.

Election in 1839--Financial Crash--Condition of the Town-- Anecdote ill.u.s.trative of the scarcity of money--Hog Story-- Establishment of the Ninawa Gazette--Building of the first Church.

At an election held on the 19th December 1839 H. P. Woodworth, Simon Kinney, Z. Burnham, C. H. Charles, and Isaac Abraham were elected Trustees. Whole number of votes polled 40.

The Board elected Simon Kinney, President; M. Mott, Collector; T. D.

Brewster, Treasurer; and Walter Meriman, Clerk. In the course of the year Kinney resigned as Trustee and Meriman as Clerk, and Cornelius Cahill and James Bradford were elected to fill their respective places.

The places of Burnham and Charles became vacant by death, and Ezra McKinzie and Churchill Coffing were elected to fill them. In 1840 came the grand financial collapse. The foreign capitalists refused to lend us any more money. The later residents of Illinois can scarcely comprehend the condition of things which preceded and ensued. By the Internal Improvement Act, which puts all Congressional omnibus bills entirely into the shade, a system of Rail Roads was to be commenced simultaneously in all parts of the State, running in all manner of directions, through regions scarcely explored; and counties which were not fortunate enough to lie in the direction of any place, and thus not to be traversed by Rail Roads, were bribed into the support of the bill by distributions of money, all to be borrowed on the faith of the State.

Other acts were pa.s.sed authorizing loans for prisons, hospitals, asylums and State Houses. At the same time the Ca.n.a.l was being prosecuted on State credit. Counties followed the example of the State by borrowing money to build Court Houses, Jails &c. But at length the bottom fell out of the whole concern. Unknown Millions had been squandered and not one public undertaking was completed. Public and private credit were annihilated. Northern Illinois produced nothing for exportation, and every kind of business was dependent upon the disburs.e.m.e.nts on the public works. The State, Counties, Towns, Banks, corporations and individuals were alike bankrupt. No gleam of light shone in the future.

Repudiation, public and private, appeared to be the only alternative.

Even the vampires who had been gorged upon the treasury were overwhelmed in the general avalanche. The few who had h.o.a.rded and possessed the means, left the State; and emigration for years avoided it as though it had been one great hospital of lepers.

No place experienced the general prostration more sensibly than Peru.

The writer of this with a family to support, did not possess in the year 1841 in the aggregate, a sum of money equal to five dollars. Letters lay in the Post Office from the inability of those to whom they were addressed to pay the postage. Nor was this embarra.s.sment confined to individuals.--Gov. Ford once told the writer, that he had been compelled to allow letters, directed to him upon official business, to remain in the Federal Post Office, his own means or credit, or that of the Sovereign State of Illinois being insufficient to raise the embargo.

Property of no kind had any apparent value whatever. The town gradually lost its inhabitants, until in 1842, probably not over two hundred souls remained. These were mainly the less fortunate portion who could not get away. One Store, a Drug Shop, the Post Office, and two Taverns were the only places that remained open to the public. Society existed upon a truly republican basis. No envy was excited in the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the humble and poor by the brilliant equipages and establishments of the rich. The creditor who would have seriously asked payment of his debtor would have been saluted with one universal shout of derision.--As well might he have asked the sea to give up its dead. His money was gone to that bourne whence "nary red" would ever return. It was seriously proposed to enact a law making every man's note a tender for debts--always excepting the notes of the creditor himself. This condition of things produced a state of society never witnessed by the writer, before or since. The prevailing influence was so universal and complete as to reduce all to a common level. A sympathy and community of feeling pervaded all Illinois humanity. Thanks to a prolific soil and spa.r.s.e population, n.o.body was in danger of starvation.

The following incident ill.u.s.trates the scarcity and value of money about this time. The only merchants who pretended to keep their stores open for business, and were able to replenish their stock, were the brothers A. one of them at present an estimable and valued citizen, and the other a worthy farmer living in the neighborhood. Money was scarce wherewith to pay freights, and the only resource was to transport wheat, taken of the farmers for debts, to Chicago, a distance of one hundred miles, where it was worth about fifty cents per bushel. One of the persons employed in the transportation was a farmer named M.--One of the brothers and the writer accompanied the teams. After the wheat had been marketed and unloaded, M. with a very grave and serious face, desired a private conference with A. Taking him a little apart from the writer, and speaking in a voice loud enough to be distinctly overheard, he informed him that he was under the necessity of asking him for some money. A. started as if a snake had stung him. He expressed surprise at such a sudden call, under the circ.u.mstances, and reminded M. of the exertions and sacrifices which he had been compelled to make to raise money for charges, and that withal he had but barely enough for that purpose; and concluded by hoping that his demands would be extremely limited. M. replied that they would be no more extensive than his necessities absolutely required, and he thought about "two bits would do him." This announcement greatly relieved A. who immediately responded to the demand. When it is understood, that the almost universal practice in traveling, at that time, was to "camp out," the commissary department drawing its supplies from the domestic larder and corn crib, it will be perceived that "two bits" would go a good way in eking out the stores and supplying any deficiency.

Another incident occurred about this time which also ill.u.s.trates, in some degree, the spirit of the times. Two citizens who shall be named B.

and M. had been in the habit of bantering each other about their poverty. M. persisted in a.s.suming that he was not as poor as B., and that it was all owing to his superior address and financial ability.

This ridiculous a.s.sumption may be understood, when it is stated that neither party could, from every available resource, have raised a sum in money equal to the present price of a barrel of flour. M. complained to B. about his hogs running at large, and threatened that if they were permitted to annoy him he would shut them up and kill them. It so happened that B. did not own a hog in the world--a fact which he was careful not to disclose. M. commenced to put his threat in execution by building an enclosure in which he incarcerated all vagrant hogs, and proceeded to put them in a condition for slaughtering by a liberal appliance of corn and swill. These things did not escape the observation of B. who waited patiently until the hogs were in a nice condition, when he called upon M. and rather angrily remonstrated with him upon committing so unneighborly an act as to secrete his hogs, alleging that he had searched diligently for them, and that great apprehensions had existed, lest his family might seriously suffer for the want thereof. He reminded him of the cordiality and good feeling which had previously existed between them, of their good natured jokes and banters, and of the general felicity which they had enjoyed in each other's society; and read him a homily upon the advantages to be derived from the practice of honesty and integrity. He insisted, however, upon the unconditional liberation of four particularly promising specimens of the genus, porker. To this M. demurred.--While he admitted that what B. had taken so much pains to remind him of, was in the main true, he urged that the corn wherewith he had fed the hogs was difficult to be obtained, that he had spent much time in feeding and taking care of them, and that it was not right for one man to take advantage of another's wrong act for his own benefit. These arguments somewhat mollified B. who finally agreed to a compromise by which M. was to continue feeding the hogs for a specified time, and then kill and dress them, and bring the carca.s.ses of the two best to the house of B. This compact was carried into effect in good faith. Shortly afterwards B. disclosed the history of this little operation which came to the ears of M. It is confidently believed that he never afterwards boasted of his peculiar gifts of finesse. It is but fair to say, that the real owner of the hogs who had no share in the spoils, pocketed his loss with admirable grace.

In the course of the year 1839 the first newspaper published in Peru, was established by Ford, now Editor and proprietor of the "Lacon Gazette" in connection with Geo. W. Holley who acted as editor, and was called the "Ninawa Gazette." Mr. Holley was a gentleman of considerable literary reputation and made a paper which was eagerly sought for. His writings were princ.i.p.ally distinguished for their peculiar vein of humor and pleasantry. The paper was continued until 1841, when the press and materials were removed to Lacon.

The first Church built in the town, was erected by the Methodists in the fall of 1838.

CHAPTER III.

Election in 1840--The Bangs Enterprise--Erection of the Stone Church--Donation of the Bell--Visit of Messrs. Van Buren and Paulding.

At an election held on the 18th December 1840, H. P. Woodworth, Churchill Coffing, Ezra McKinzie, Isaac Abraham and Geo. Low were elected Trustees. Whole number of votes polled 32. This Board elected Isaac Abraham their President; James Bradford Clerk; James Myers, a.s.sessor; F. Lebeau Constable, T. D. Brewster Treasurer; and M. Mott Street Commissioner. Subsequently F. Mills was elected Constable in place of Lebeau who resigned, and John Hoffman Fire Warden.

On the 27th February 1841 an act pa.s.sed the Legislature chartering the La Salle and Dixon Rail Road, giving to the Corporation created, the right of way and materials belonging to that part of the old Central Rail Road lying between the two points named. During the year operations were recommenced on this work, and a Bank of issue, pretended to be authorized by the Charter, was opened in La Salle. These operations for a short time galvanized into life the prostrated energies of the remaining inhabitants of Peru, but were shortly succeeded by the bursting of the whole concern. The leading spirit of this movement was a man named A. H. Bangs, who succeeded in making dupes or accomplices of several leading and influential inhabitants of La Salle and Lee Counties. After the explosion it was found that he was a mere adventurer, without character, reputation, capital or credit. Not an hundred dollars in cash or a dollar of good and reliable paper had been used in starting and continuing the construction of forty miles of Rail Road, and putting into operation a Bank which soon flooded the whole country with its worthless promises to pay, and draw liberally upon its imaginary eastern and foreign correspondents. The contractors were, of course, unable to pay the laborers, and the farmers who had supplied them with provisions. The former, enraged by their wrongs, attempted to wreak their vengeance upon the person of the culprit, Bangs. They seized and dragged him through the muddy streets of the town. He was finally rescued by the citizens, partly through menaces and partly through intercession, without material injury, placed in a skiff, and sent down the river. Had he possessed one thousand dollars in real cash, there is not a doubt but that he would have been able to finish and put in operation the road, and to have gone on swimmingly with his Bank for years; such was the confidence, and it might be added, reverence, which a real "capitalist" would at that time have inspired. The relapse was, if possible, more depressing than the former experience.