John Dawson

As printed in 1874

John Dawson, {of Bloomington.)

Among the earliest and best known settlers in McLean County was John Dawson. John Dawson was born August 14, 1819, on Buck Creek Farm, Clark County, Ohio. His ancestors were from old English and Welch stock, his grandfather, Henry Dawson, having emigrated from the old country at a very early day. Both his grandfather and his father, John "Wells Dawson, were farmers, and from their out-of-door life acquired healthy, rugged constitutions. There were ten children in the Dawson family, six girls and four boys. One of the boys, the eldest son, now resides at Indianola, Iowa. He, too, is a pioneer.

John Wells Dawson came with his family to Sangamon County, Illinois, in the year 1821, about Christmas time, young John Dawson being then only three years old. In April, 1822, John W. Dawson and John Hendrix and family came to Blooming Grove about four miles from the present city of Bloomington and built three shanties. The present farm of David Cox and that of the widow of John Cox were Mr. Dawson's property. Hendrix settled one mile west of this, at a place now known as the OrendorfF farm. It was here that they had a lively experience with " Lo," the poor Indian. The Kickapoo Indians were jealous of the incoming white men and their chief, Machina, ordered Mr. Dawson's family to quit the country before the leaves fell. This he did by throwing leaves in the air. By this and other signs he gave them to understand that if they were not gone when the leaves in the forest should fall, he would kill all the bootanas (white men). Mrs. Dawson replied to him that the time he had given would be sufficient to call together enough bootanas to exterminate all the Indians. The old chief was very "wrath" at this and made some terrible threats which he had the good sense never to carry out. At the close of the summer of 1822 some Indians, about fifteen hundred in number, encamped in front of Mr. Dawson's farm-gate and remained during the following winter. Contrary to expectation they were the best of neighbors and were on terms of perfect friendship with the Dawson family. The youthful John was highly delighted with his copper-colored friends and was a great favorite with them, especially with the squaws. Two of the old squaws, called aunt Peggy and aunt iTancy, dressed him up in a heavy suit of buckskin and made a fine looking 'papoose out of him. But the Indians could never stand before civilization, and in the winter of 1833 and '34 they were paid at Chicago the money due them from the government and removed to the far West.

When the Dawson family settled at Blooming Grove in 1822 there was not a single house between their place and Chicago; the whole country was wild prairie. Springfield, Danville and Peoria were their nearest neighbors. Mr. Dawson lived on the Blooming Grove farm until the spring of 1826, when he moved to Old Town timber or Dawson's Grove about fifteen miles east of the present city of Bloomington. Two miles southeast of his farm was the Indian village of the Kickapoo nation. The old Indian fort is still to be seen, and curiosities of all kinds, such as brass kettles, Indian brooches, etc., are still found there. The early settlers were anxious for the education of their children, and indeed a plentiful crop of school children is better for the material interest of the country than a crop of wheat or corn. There were many difficulties to be overcome, but the pioneers had learned never to hesitate at trifles. The school-houses were not the little places of learning in which the children now study their lessons; they were not so comfortably heated in winter, but on the other hand there was no lack of ventilation, for the fresh prairie breezes could come through the thinks between the logs 'without any patent appliances. There were no pale students driven into the early stages of consumption for want of pure air.

In 1828 Mr. Dawson (senior) built the first school-house in McLean County. It was made of logs and lighted with windows of white paper instead of glass. The first school-teacher was Delilah Mullen, who taught her young pupils at Mr. Dawson's house before the school-house was finished. The first house where the city of Bloomington now stands, was built by William Evans in 1827. But this house was not in the original town. The south part of the city was then scattering timber, m'lean county. 147 commencing from near Gridley's residence and running up to the Court House.

In the winter of 1830 and '31 Bloomington was chosen county seat of McLean County. Judge Lockwood held the first session of court in 1832; but as far as Mr. Dawson can remember there were no cases on the docket. The first Court House was a frame building twenty by thirty feet and stood on the site of the present Court House, but was afterwards moved away to make room for a fine building. The first sale of town lots in Bloomington took place on the Fourth of July, 1831. It was then that John Dawson bought a lot which was sixty feet by one hundred and fifteen for four dollars and thirty cents. In 1848 he built a house on it and sold it to a Rev. Mr. Perry for $800. It now belongs to Dr. H. Schroeder who purchased it of Perry for $5,500. The lot and house are east of Schroeder Opera House and belong to the Postofiice Block. Of the orio-inal town of Bloomington only forty acres were laid out; all of the other parts are additions. The streets of the original town running east and west are Washington, Jefi:person and JSTortli streets; those running north and south are East, Main, Center and West streets.

In early days the modes of travel were more picturesque than convenient. On land were ox-teams and on water were fiatboats. The railroad was a " down east" institution. Pullman had not then invented palace cars, and if he had done so the early settlers could not have enjoyed their magnificence. The forest and the prairie were occasionally marked by solitary Indian trails, and these were all the guides from point to point. Old Town timber and Peoria, which was then called Fort Clark were connected by an Indian trail.

The first train of the Illinois Central railroad ran into Bloomington from LaSalle in the spring of 1853 and the Chicago and Alton road was finished in June of the same year. Bloomington had at that time fifteen hundred inhabitants and its progress has been rapid ever since.

The weather was a matter of greater moment to the pioneers than to us, as they were always exposed to its changes, and all of them have sharp recollections of the frosts of winter. The year 1830 was perhaps the most remarkable for the severity of weather. During that year the snow commenced falling on the last day of December, until in the timber it laid three feet in depth while on the prairie the drifts rose to great heights. The wild animals became ferocious and the wolves killed nearly all the deer; the few deer that remained could scarcely find anything to eat. They were so poor and hungry that they could be caught by hand. They could be attracted by selling a tree and when the poor creatures came to pick the leaves they could be easily caught. Since that time deer have been comparatively scarce. But the year 1836 was perhaps the most remarkable for its sudden changes. Mr. Dawson relates that during that year he had a very severe experience. During the winter he went to William's mill which is located on Salt Creek, six miles south of LeRoy. He had two yoke of oxen drawing a load of wheat and corn to be ground. The snow was two feet deep; in the afternoon it commenced raining and continued until noon the next day. On that day Mr. Dawson started for home and at about three o'clock in the afternoon he was one mile from Henry Grumbaugh's place. Suddenly he heard a noise like the roaring of distant thunder and on looking around could see the approach of a storm. An intensely cold wind then came, freezing everything almost immediately. He had scarcely gone one hundred yards with his ox-team before the frozen slush would bear his weight, and it was with the greatest difficulty that he succeeded in getting back to Grumbaugh's and in preventinghis team from slipping.

Of course Mr. Dawson has been married. This interesting event took place in the year 1842 at Albana, Ghampaign Gounty, Ohio. The name of the happy bride was Garoline Wiley.

Perhaps the reader who has taken some interest in the experience of this pioneer may wish to know something of his personal appearance. John Dawson is well formed and is a little above the medium size. He has a very honest and intellectual countenance and his nose is sometimes ornamented with spectacles. He is not a man of much book learning, as the pioneers (lid not have the best facilities for education; but he has, as much as possible, educated himself. He possesses a jewel which we are sorry to say is somewhat rare, and that is good common sense. He is a man who commands respect among his fellows and is able to clear the way and contend with difficulties.

m'lean county. 149

"William Orendorff.

As printed in The good old times in McLean County, Illinois / containing two hundred and sixty-one sketches of old settlers, a complete historical sketch of the Black Hawk War and ... all matters of interest relate (1874). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.