HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
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Mann-young men from New Hampshire who had entered into a bachelor marriage-were perhaps the first to locate west from the river. They staked their claim and built a log house-near the center, now of Section 17-a little
over three miles west of the river, beside the Indian trail that passed near the two peculiar isolated rocks, which were a noted land mark. Jonathan Tefft, Sr., with his family of energetic sons and daughters, and Joseph P. Corron also made claims in 1835, and became permanent settlers. From this early date settlers were constantly arriving and locating claims until, at the date of the opening of the land-sale, January 30, 1843, nearly, if not quite, every acre in this township had been claimed or preempted. Among the excellent pioneer farmers in the south and southwesterly sections were, P.C. Gilbert, Thomas Mitchell, Truman Gilbert (who platted the village of Clintonville), H. E. Perkins, Caleb Kipp, Seth Stowell, John Pruden, Martin Switzer, George Stringer, George French and Nathan E. Daggett. Along the Udina road had settled Asa Merrill, Sr., and Gilman H., Asa, Jr., Richard and Bazilla Mer
rill; Aaron Mann and his sons, William R., Adin and Leonard, half-brothers of E. K. Mann; Francis and Harriet (Mann) Weld, and their sons, O. P., Dr. N. A., Newton F. and Salem E.; Ezekiel Ballard and family, and Nathan G. Phil
lip, his son-in-law; Henry Sherman and Cyrus Larkin; William Plummer and his sons; Joseph Kimball and his sons and son-in-law, Hiram Wilson; Calvin Pratt, Almon Fuller, Gen. Elijah Wilcox and his sons. Solomon and Solomon
Harvey Hamilton and James Todd had located on the more northerly roads; Cotton Knox, Sidney Heath, the Abbotts and others were near the river. Asa Merrill's tavern at Udina, and Joseph Kimball's tavern on the north road,
were doing a big business, while "Uncle Billy Plummer" also offered excellent entertainment for man and beast. Within the village, beside those mentioned in the general history of the county, we find among the active men at this date, Jason House, the first permanent blacksmith; Bernard Healy, the first harness maker; Philo Sylla, George W. Renwick, Samuel Hunting, Augustus Adams and Alfred Hadlock, with machinery and repair shops; George Hassan,
the first dairyman; Abel Walker, the first undertaker; John Smith, the first gunsmith; Vincent and John Lovell, George W. Kimball, the first cabinet-maker; P. J. Kimball, Jr., the first tailor; Horace Benham, mill-wright. Philo S. Patterson had a little yellow grocery where the Home Bank now stands. In 1838 B. W. Raymond and S. Newton Dexter bought the northerly portion of James T. Gifford's claim, and thereafter contributed greatly to the prosperity of the place. Dr. Anson Root came about 1839 and purchased heavily of Gifford's village and water rights, and became at once an important factor in the community's development. He was a man of remarkable persistence and energy. William S. Shaw, Lewis S. Eaton, Luther C. Stiles and Daniel S. Wilcox were pioneer carpenters, David Longley, the first wagon-maker, and I. P. Scott, the early-day liveryman. George P. and E. E. Harvey, S. P. Burdick, David Hunter, B. Hall, Burgess Trues-dell, Calvin Carr, Harvey Raymond, Philo Hatch, Aaron Harwood, Halsey and Asa Rosen-kranz, John S. Calvert, W. W. Merrill, Whitman Underwood, William Bellows, and a few others were making homes in the village. Many times more oxen than horses were in use upon the streets, and an event of far greater general interest than any ordinarily transpiring now, was the daily arrival and departure each way of the stages plying between Chicago and Galena. Hezekiah Gifford opened the first tavern in the fall of 1836 in a log house which he put up at the southwest corner of Villa and Chicago Street, fronting on Villa Street, and astonished the public by keeping no whisky. Charles Tibballs and William S. Shaw built a frame tavern just south of it, called the "Eagle Hotel." The small frame building, now standing close to Du Page and Villa Street, was put up on the north side of Du Page just south of the tavern and used as a store. Hunting and Renwick built and operated a brick blacksmith shop where the Universalist church now stands. North of them, and opposite the Eagle tavern, another little store was opened and next at the southeast corner of Villa and Chicago Streets, Dr. Root built his two-story brick residence, in whose upper rooms his daughter Mary, who became Mrs. Increase C. Bosworth, taught school. Shaw and Tibballs later built a much larger frame tavern called the "Elgin House." where the Congregational church stands, and which was excellently kept for ten or twelve years by Tibballs. The stages stopped at the newest of these taverns, as they were successively erected. William Humphrey kept the "Eagle"
