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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
field, Aurora; 1877-81-Major James H. May-borne, Geneva. After one term as member of the House (1877-79), from the Thirty-second General Assembly in 1881 until the Forty-third in 1903-a period of twenty-two consecutive years-Henry H. Evans has represented this Senatorial District. This simple statement of fact demonstrates his absolute capacity and strength, beyond the power of words to add or detract.
The members of the House of Representatives, resident in Kane County during their terms of service, have been: 1846-48-James Herring-ton, Geneva; 1848-51-Edward W. Austin, Dundee; 1851-53-Augustus Adams, Elgin; 1853-55-John Ranstead, Plato; 1855-57-Benjamin Hackney, Aurora; 1857-59-William Parker; 1859-61-William B. Plato, Geneva; 1861-63-Thomas S. Terry; 1863-67-Sylvester S. Mann, Burlington; 1867-69-John W. Eddy, Batavia; 1869-71-Needham N. Ravlin, Kaneville; 1873-75-Sylvester S. Mann; Julius A. Carpenter, Carpentersville; James Herrington, Geneva; 1875-77-James Herrington; 1877-79- Henry H. Evans, Aurora; James Herrington; 1879-81-Edward C. Lovell, Elgin; James Herrington; 1881-83-Oliver P. Chisholm, Elgin; James Herrington; 1883-85-James Herrington; 1885-87-John Stewart, Elburn; Thomas O'Donnell, Aurora; 1887-89-John Stewart; James Herrington; 1889-97-Edgar C. Hawley, Dundee; Luther M. Dearborn, Aurora; 1897-99 -William F. Hunter, Elgin; Samuel Alschuler, Aurora; 1899-01-John Stewart; Samuel Alschuler; 1901-03-Charles Backus, Hampshire; John A. Logan, Elgin; 1903-05-Charles Backus and John Linden, Aurora. The Democratic members-Messrs. Herrington, O'Donnell, Dearborn, Alschuler, Logan and Linden-were elected under the minority representation provision of the State Constitution, the other members being Republicans.
CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES.-The first term of the Circuit Court in Kane County was held in James Herrington's log house at Geneva (then called Herrington's Ford), beginning Monday, June 19, 1837. Kane was then in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, and Thomas Ford, Judge of the Circuit, issued the order calling the term and also appointed A. P. Hubbard to serve as Clerk. It was presided over, however, by John Pearson, Judge of the Seventh Circuit. Judge Jesse B. Thomas, of the First Judicial Circuit, presided at the second term of court held at
the same place in September, 1837. Alonzo A. Huntington appeared as State's Attorney and Mark Fletcher served as Clerk. The third and fourth terms were again presided over by Judge Pearson. February 25, 1839, Thomas Ford was commissioned Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, to which Kane County had evidently been assigned, and Judge Ford first appears upon the bench at the term beginning May 27, 1839. Onslow Peters is entered as State's Attorney. John Dean Caton, as a Justice and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, presided from May 27, 1841, until January 24, 1848, when Judge Hugh T. Dickey, of Cook County, held a special session of the court. December 4, 1848, Theophilus Lyle Dickey was commissioned Judge of the Ninth Circuit. The Legislature having increased the number of circuits, Kane became a part of the Thirteenth Circuit, and Isaac Grant Wilson, the first Judge resident in the county, was commissioned June 18, 1851. He was re-elected in 1855, and again in 1861. October 3, 1864, Kane was transferred to the Twenty-eighth Circuit. Judge Wilson held the office until 1867, when, on June 14, 1867, Sylvanus Wilcox was commissioned Judge and re-commissioned in June, 1873. On May 5th of that year, Kane was assigned to the Fourth Judicial District. Because of failing health, Judge Wilcox resigned in September, 1874. October 1, 1877, the number of the district was changed to the Twelfth, and Judge Isaac Grant Wilson was again commissioned as Judge on June 16, 1879; a third time, June 16, 1885, and he continued in office until his death in 1891. From June, 1879, he served as a Judge of the Appellate Court at Chicago. In June, 1891, Henry B. Willis received his commission as Judge of this circuit, again in 1897 and for a third term of six years in 1903.
The Clerks of the Circuit Court have been as follows: 1836-Allen P. Hubbard; 1837-48- Mark W. Fletcher; 1848-52-Charles B. Wells; 1852-56-Luther Dearborn: 1856-60-Paul R. Wright; 1860-64-Thomas C. Moore; 1864-68- Finder F. Ward; 1868-72-J. W. Parrington; 1872-76-H. T. Rockwell; 1876-84-C. P. Dutton; 1884-96-Charles Miller; 1896-1901-John F. Dewey, who died in 1901, being succeeded by Thoman Rushton, who served the remainder of his term until 1902, when Capt. Benjamin E. Gould was elected. Mr. Gould lost his life in the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago, December 30, 1903.
