History of Kane County 0699

              HISTORY   OF  KANE   COUNTY.
 
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lage; and, as the stage lines from Chicago pushed westward past Colonel Naper's place, they found a crossing here, and Pierce's one-room cabin became the stage tavern. Mr. William Elliott, who during the same year made a claim on adjoining land, is said to have declared that as many as forty persons have slept during the night in that small room, which also served as kitchen and dining room. We may doubt if Mr. Elliott made just that statement for record as history; but, if he did, he should be regarded as good authority, since he was an exemplary man and, about this time, fell madly in love with Mr. Pierce's daughter, Rebecca, and was equally beloved by her. But the father strenuously opposed the desired marriage, probably needing her help in caring for his numerous guests, and he warned the young fellow to keep away from his place. Young Elliott walked forty miles to Ottawa for a marriage license, which the Clerk of LaSalle County refused to issue because of the young lady's minority; yet he told Elliott that if they would have the "bans" publicly announced for two' weeks in open church service, the marriage would be lawful without a license. This was done at Naperville by "Father" N. C. Clark, and very soon-after, on August 3, 1835, during a visit of Mr. Pierce to Chicago to purchase supplies for his tavern, the young people quietly visited a neighbor residing a little further down the river, hastily summoned Esquire Morgan from the settlement that later became Oswego, and they were happily married. This was the first marriage in what is now the Township of Aurora and their daughter Emeline Elliott, born August 5, 1836, was the first white child born in the township.
In 1836 Daniel S. Gray came from Montgomery County, N. Y., joined this settlement and began improvements which resulted in the present thriving village of Montgomery. For a number of years it was known as Graytown; but it is said that, at Mr. Gray's instance, it received its present name in honor of his former home. . The village was platted in October, 1853, by Mr. Gray and was incorporated in February, 1858. At the first village election, held March 1, 1858, Ralph Gray, Edward Gillett, John Lilley, A. L. Davis and A. C. Palmer were elected trustees. Mr. Gray was the first President of the Village Board. The first school, it is said, was taught in 1839 by a young lady teacher, and the first substantial school house was erected soon after the act of incorporation.
AURORA CITY.-The first settlement at the present city of Aurora by the McCartys in 1834, has already been briefly recorded. In the fall of the same year that the McCarty brothers began improvements at Aurora. John Peter Schneider and his brother, John Nicholas Schneider, settled at North Aurora, and at once began work upon the dam and mills which they completed and operated many years, to the great convenience and benefit of the surrounding country-the saw-mill being located upon the east, and the grist-mill upon the west bank of the river. It was widely known as Schneider's Mills until about 1868-69, when it became North Aurora.
The early histories treat so much more largely of the settlement and development of the villages and cities, that it is difficult to trace the individuals connected with the equally important, but more scattered, work of bringing into cultivation the fertile soil of the country. But during the period intervening between the years 1834 and 1840, old account books and business records show among the land-owners trading at these points-although some of them resided on farms now within the city limits, some outside the township, and some even outside the present county-Hiram Hopkins, John Barker, Frederick Stolp, Epaphras Clark (a brother of Father N. C. Clark), John Douglas, Charles McNamara, E. Squires, Ashbel Culver, John Lilley, William Hall, George Slater, John Stolp, Elihu Wright, John Warne, Levi Leach, Harrison Albee, Addison Allbee, Lyman Isbell, Joseph Means, Charles Stolp, Thomas Paxton, William J. Strong, Robert Hopkins, John Wormley, Chester P. Trask, Daniel Bloss, Charles Wagner and others. Among these will be found names historic in the annals of Kane County.
The first election in Fox River Precinct 'was held in 1835. Ralph C. Horr was elected Justice of the Peace and B. F. Fridley was chosen Constable. The first election under township organization, which was adopted in 1850, was held on April 2d of that year, and R. C. Mix was elected as the first Supervisor; H. F. Kings-bury, Town Clerk; W. V. Plum, Assessor; I. T. Bevier, Poormaster; S. Richardson, I. M. Howell and John Douglas, Commissioners of Highways; John King and W. R. King, Justices;