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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
Durant, E. Reed, James Outhouse, John Hager-man, T. E. Dodge, Ansel Lake, John Tucker, George Thompson, Ehen Foss, Franklin Wat-kins and others arrived, and some of them, with their families, became important factors in the town and county. The venerable Robert Cor-lon was also one of the earliest and best settlers in this township.
In 1837 Henry Warne and his wife, Charity Warne, took up a large claim on Sections 32 and 31 and became, with their intelligent and enterprising descendants, among the most powerful and beneficent forces in upbuilding the township and county. Mr. Warne built a large and good log house, which naturally became the halting place for incoming settlers, and as naturally and necessarily, a tavern, named by Judge Ford, "The Halfway House," between the county-seats, Geneva and Sycamore, and between Chicago and Oregon on Rock River. Governor Marcy, of New York, Stephen A. Douglas, John Wentworth and other noted men of that day, were among its sometime guests. John Warne, Elisha Warne and Gideon D. Warne, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Warne, have ever been noted for their energy, enterprise, integrity and business success, while their daughters-Susan, wife of the late L. N. B. Burr; Lucinda, wife of the "barb-wire king," J. F. Glidden, of De Kalb; and Isabel, wife of M. W. Willis-are women of whom any community may rightfully be proud.
At least four very popular taverns were kept in this township as early as 1840. "The Halfway House," "The Fairfleld Exchange" by D. B. Mallory on the southeast quarter of Section 24, Timothy Garfield's tavern, and one near the south end of Chicken Grove, kept by Elias Crary. The extent of the teaming from Chicago westward, in early days, may be inferred from the fact that there were, at this time, forty taverns by the roadside between Mallory's place and Chicago. It is said that, in order to mark and establish the route of travel, Ira Minard and Daniel Marvin drove a number of yoke of oxen attached to a fallen tree, from St. Charles across Campton to Oregon, in Ogle County, in 1838.
During the winter of 1836-7 a Mrs. McClure taught school in a log house upon the claim of a Mr. Lawson, and the next winter Miss Mary Lee taught in the house of James Ward. The next fall a log school-house was built on land occupied by Mr. A. Fisher. In 1841 E. Chaffee,
Charles Fletcher, Thomas E. Dodge, Ansel Lake and Hylas T. Currier were elected School Trustees, Nelson Walker chosen Clerk, and the town divided into five school districts, besides a sixth district including a portion of Virgil Township. The township has always been well supplied with schools, and it was one of the first townships to erect a neat and commodious town house. Avon, the first postoffice in the township, was established April 20, 1840, with Henry Warne as postmaster, was discontinued in 1845, but reestablished as Swinton, July 24, 1849, with the same postmaster. The first village settlement was at Canada Corners where, about 1844 or '45, Eldridge Walker opened a little store and soon the industries of a village gathered about it. He came from Canada, as did the Wolcotts and Lindleys who settled near, and thus it took the name Canada Corners. It came to have two blacksmith shops and a paint shop, a store, church, school house, a number of homes, and a well-kept cemetery.
In 1886-7 the Minneapolis & Northwestern- now the Chicago Great Western-Railroad was constructed across the township near its center, and the busy thriving station of Wasco was located on the north half of Section 28, and Lily Lake Station on the south half of 18, a short half-mile from Canada Corners. Lily Lake village was platted May 9, 1887, by Renal-win Outhouse. Dairying has, for years, been the principal industry, and fine herds of dairy cows are found on nearly every farm of that township. The Hon. John Stewart's magnificent farm, of over 900 acres, is one of the finest breeding establishments in any county. His Clydesdale horses, Polled Angus cattle, and Ayreshire cows are the very choicest that brains, experience and money can produce.
The lands of the township came into market January 30, 1843.
"BONNIE DUNDEE."
Dundee Township, No. 42, Range 8, is the northeast township of Kane County, and in making a "set off" to correct errors in the original government surveys, it is projected eastward of the other townships of the county about a mile and a quarter. The river passes from north to south through the second and third
