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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
third, of the Indian Department of the Confederate Colonies in 1775; fourth, of Illinois County, Virginia, in 1778; fifth, of the Northwest Territory, in 1779; sixth, of St. Glair County, Northwest Territory of the United States, in 1790; seventh, of Indiana Territory in 1800; eighth, of Illinois Territory in 1809; ninth, of Madison county in 1812; tenth, of Edwards County in 1814; eleventh, of Clark County, State of Illinois, in 1819; twelfth, of Pike County in 1821; thirteenth, of Fulton County in 1823; fourteenth of Peoria County in 1825; fifteenth, of LaSalle in 1831; sixteenth, by act of the State Legislature, dated January 16, 1836, it was organized as Kane County. It was named in honor of Ellas Kent Kane, who was one of the Territorial Judges, a member of the first Constitutional Convention, and first Secretary of the new State. He was also a member of the State Legislature, and of the United States Senate, dying at Washington during his second senatorial term. He was cousin of the distinguished Chancellor, Judge James Kent, of New York, and a relative of the famous arctic explorer, Elisha Kent Kane.
As originally organized, Kane County was thirty-six miles square, including all of De Kalb and the three northern townships of Kendall County. De Kalb was set off in 1837, and the three townships of Kendall in 1841, by acts of the Legislature, thus leaving the county as at present-three townships (eighteen miles) wide, and five townships (thirty miles) long. The statute under which the county was originally organized required that three reputable citizens residing therein should certify that fifty voters actually resided within the limits of the proposed new county; and it is said that the late Hon. Ira Minard and two others rode three days on horseback, camping out nights, in finding fifty-three voters to sign their petition. The proceedings preliminary to organization were had before the Hon. Thomas Ford, then Judge of the Sixth Judicial District, and later Governor of the State.
By proclamation, dated May 24, 1836, he ordered the first county election to be held, at the house of James Herrington, on Saturday, June 4, of that year, for the election of a Sheriff, Coroner, Recorder, Surveyor, and three County Commissioners, designating Nathan Collins, A. F. Hubbard and John Griggs as judges of such election, and announced the third Monday of June, and fourth Monday of September as the days for opening the terms of circuit court at the same place. James T. Wheeler and Selden M. Church were the clerks of this election, and one hundred and eighty votes were polled. James Herrington was elected Sheriff; Asa McDole, Coroner; Relief Duryea, Recorder; and Solomon Dunham, Eli Barnes, and Ebenezer Morgan were chosen County Commissioners. These Commissioners met at the same place the following Wednesday, June 8th, and appointed Mark Fletcher Clerk. The next day they divided the new county into eight Justice of the Peace Districts, and nine voting precincts, naming them and defining their boundaries. These precincts were named in numerical order: First, Ellery; Second, Fox River; Third, Sandusky; Fourth, Lake; Fifth, Pleasant Grove; Sixth, Kish-waukee; Seventh, Sycamore; Eighth, Orange, and Ninth, Samonac. The justice districts and voting precincts were identical, except that the Eighth District included both Orange and Samonac. The subjoined map shows these districts and precincts with reasonable accuracy, save that the boundaries of Ellery, Sycamore, Orange and Samonac were determined in part by objects that have changed or disappeared, and can, therefore, only be approximated. (For map here referred to, see Index.)
These names and boundaries, however, were subsequently frequently changed, until, in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 of the act of the State Legislature in 1849, providing for township organization, a commission, composed of Gen. Elijah Wilcox, Dr. D. D. Waite, and Mr. W. B. Gillett, so established them as to conform to the government survey as to townships, and fixed their present permanent names, one of them being named in honor of the able lawyer and cultured gentleman, State Senator William B. Plato.
