Election in 1849--First appearance of Cholera--Elections in
1850--Project for a Rail Road to Aurora--Burning of the
National Hotel--Establishment of the "Peru Democrat"--The
issue of $25,000 Bonds authorized on account of Peru and
Rock Island Rail Road--United States Census--Incorporation
of the City--Territory embraced in City Limits--Elections
under the Charter in 1851--Question of issuing Bonds on
account of subscription to the Stock of Chicago and Rock
Island Rail Road decided unanimously in the affirmative at
an Election--Resurvey of the City--Issue of $40,000 of
Bonds--Organization of the Central Rail Road Company--
Protest of Peru against the place of crossing the River--
Peru and Grandetour Plank Road.
At an election held on the 2d April, 1849, P. M. Kilduff, Frederick
Kaiser, S. N. Maze, Noah Sapp and David Lininger were elected Trustees.
Whole number of Votes 159. This Board elected P. M. Kilduff, President;
Erasmus Winslow, Clerk; Ezra McKinzie, Assessor; James Cahill,
Collector; J. P. Thompson, Street Commissioner, Constable and Fire
Warden; and H. S. Beebe, Treasurer. In consequence of the absence of
Beebe, H. L. Tuller was elected Treasurer in his place.
In the Spring of this year the cholera first made its appearance in the
West. In the months of April and May several citizens fell victims to
the disease. On the 20th of June it suddenly assumed a malignant and
virulent character, and some hundreds were swept off in the course of
three or four weeks. The citizens were generally panic stricken, and
many fled. It suddenly ceased, and the season thenceforth was healthy.
In the summer of this year the second permanent and substantial
warehouse, directly upon the river, was erected by Churchill Coffing,
Esq.
At an election held on the 1st April, 1850, T. D. Brewster, I. D.
Harmon, William Paul, Erasmus Winslow and William Roush were elected
Trustees. Whole number of votes 49--This Board elected William Paul,
President; P. M. Kilduff, Clerk; H. L. Tuller, Treasurer; Geo. Low,
Assessor; J. P. Thompson, Street Commissioner; Michael Griffith,
Constable; Edmund Pennington, Fire Warden; James Cahill, Collector; and
Erasmus Winslow, Health Commissioner. During this year the subject of
Railroads began to attract the attention of the people of Illinois. The
inhabitants of the town were a good deal excited about the location of
one from Aurora, in Kane county, to Peru, via. Ottawa. Subscriptions
were raised, and one hundred dollars were appropriated from the treasury
to defray the expenses of the survey. This road was never constructed,
but the interests of the town were afterwards satisfied by the
construction of the Aurora Extension, and Chicago and Burlington,
crossing the Illinois Central at Mendota.
In August, the National Hotel, owned by Z. Lewis Esq., was destroyed by
fire. This was the largest and best building in the town, and was the
first serious loss by fire.
In this year, Adam Lerch was appointed Street Commissioner, in place of
Thompson who was removed.
In October Hammond and Welch established the "Peru Democrat," a weekly
newspaper. It soon took a high rank and became one of the leading and
most influential papers in the interior of the State. Thomas W. Welch,
the editor of this paper, gave promise of great usefulness in future
years. He was a vigorous writer, energetic and industrious, and imparted
a degree of vivacity and spirit to his sheet, rarely met with in country
newspapers. He was born at Reading, England, and died at Princeton,
Illinois, on the 26th September, 1852, aged twenty-nine years.
On the 9th November a resolution passed the Board, authorizing a
subscription on the part of the town, of $25,000 towards the capital
stock of the Rock Island and Peru Railroad, on condition that the road
should make its eastern terminus on section 16.
By the returns of the United States census for 1850 there were 4,500
inhabitants in the town! That this was an error is most manifest. A
steady increase of population and dwellings took place from this period
to the first of June, 1854, when by a census carefully taken, by one of
the citizens, there were only 3,036 inhabitants. A similar increase has
been going on until the present time, when there are found to be only
3,652. If such a decrease has taken place where are the tenements
vacated? A similar error occurs in the United States census returns of
La Salle, the population of which is set down at 3,201. A census, taken
by the authority of the town soon after, exhibited 1,100! It is probable
that the census taker was contented with the answer of the first man he
met, of whom he enquired the amount of population, and that this person
happened to be a large lot holder. Generally, in such cases, if the
amount stated be divided by two, an approximate result may be obtained.
On the 15th March, 1851, the town of Peru was incorporated as a City.
The territory incorporated embraced the South half of Section 16, the
South East quarter of Section 17, the North East fractional quarter of
Section 20 and all of Section 21 North of the river. The extent of
territory embraced in the City, was forty-eight acres less than that in
the borough, that part of Section 21 included containing forty-five
acres, while the North West fractional quarter of Section 20 excluded
contained ninety-three acres.--This territory was divided into two
wards. The leading motive in petitioning for this Charter undoubtedly
was to enable the City to issue Bonds on account of Rail Road
subscriptions.
The first election held under this Charter was held in April, 1851,
which resulted in the election of T. D. Brewster, Mayor; Geo. W. Gilson
and Jacob S. Miller, Aldermen for the First Ward, and Erasmus Winslow
and John Morris, Aldermen for the Second Ward. Whole number of votes
196.--By the provisions of the Charter, the Aldermen were to be elected
for two years--two out of the first four retiring at the end of the
first year--to be determined by lot. Gilson and Winslow drew the long
term. This Council elected Churchill Coffing, Clerk; P. M. Kilduff,
Treasurer; F. S. Day, Assessor; A. Roberts, Marshal; Z. Lewis, Street
Commissioner; and James Cahill Collector.
The question of issuing Bonds on account of subscription to the Stock of
the Rock Island and La Salle Rail Road, (the Charter having been so
amended as to continue the road to Chicago,) was submitted to a vote of
the people on the 17th May. The vote in the affirmative was unanimous.
Conflicting claims having arisen out of discrepancies between former
surveys of the town, a new survey was ordered and established by
ordinance, and other measures taken to legalize the act.
On the 22d February, 1852, the Rail Road Charter having been again
amended and the Company denominated the Chicago and Rock Island Rail
Road Company, the question of an issue of Bonds on account of
subscription to its Stock, to the extent of $40,000, including the
$25,000 previously authorized, was submitted to a vote of the people.
Strenuous exertions had been made to defeat the subscription; and this
time there were found to be 16 votes in the negative to 280 in the
affirmative. $40,000 of 10 per cent Bonds were issued, and the same
amount was subscribed to the Stock of the Road, which during the fall
and winter was commenced and vigorously prosecuted.
The certificates of stock thus subscribed for were, by virtue of section
5 of an ordinance passed 12th April, 1852, to remain with the Rock
Island Railroad Company in trust, pledged for the payment of the bonds
and interest, and convertible into stock at the option of the holder;
thus giving him the advantage of any advance of the stock above par,
while the City must pocket the loss of any depression below. The
interest due on the 1st November was paid by means of a loan authorized
by the Council on the 18th October. Interest scrip of an equal amount
was issued by the Company, convertible into stock on the completion of
the Road.
In the winter, the charter of the Illinois Central Railroad company was
granted. The lands, formerly ceded by Congress, were donated to this
company, upon the condition that they should build a road from the mouth
of the Ohio to the junction of the canal and Illinois river, with
branches &c. The same terms were prescribed by Congress in the act of
cession. The people of Peru assumed, that by this it was intended that
it should terminate at the pier head, where the waters of the canal and
river unite. The company proceeded to build the bridge across the river
at the mouth of the Little Vermillion, a mile and a-half above. This
drew forth a vigorous protest from the City Council which was duly
forwarded to the officers of the company, and to the proper Department
at Washington. Nothing however came of it, and the company proceeded to
complete their works according to their original plan. This gave to the
rival City of La Salle still further advantages, by way for facilities
of trade, north and south.
On the 5th February, 1850, the Peru and Grandetour Plank Road company
was organized, under a charter previously obtained, by the election of
T. D. Brewster, J. H. McMillan, William Paul and J. L. McCormick of
Peru, Tracy Reeve of Lamoile, F. R. Dutcher of Shelburn, and Solon
Cummings of Grandetour, Directors. In September, 1851, so much of the
road was completed as justified, under the charter, the collection of
tolls. It was afterwards completed as far as Arlington, in Bureau
county, and partially constructed to Lamoile. This enterprise was looked
upon as promising great advantages, not only to the town, but also to
the country through which it passed. The result demonstrated that these
expectations were reasonable. The large traffic which passed over it,
for a few succeeding years, could not by any possibility have existed
without it. It was originally contemplated to finish it to Grandetour,
on Rock river, but want of funds delayed the work, until the
construction of intersecting lines of Railroads, in a degree, superseded
its necessity. The road has since been allowed to run down, and the
plank have been removed. The company at present do not pretend to
exercise any control over it. For a great portion of the present season,
it has been in so bad a condition as to be quite impassable for loaded
teams, and nearly so for vehicles of any description. Thus cut off from
the trade of the north by bad roads, and of the south by the difficulty
in crossing the river and bottom, the only resource that remained to the
trading portion of the community, was to trade with each other. In this
it is to be hoped they have been as successful as the boys who traded
jack-knives with each other all day.