Northville embraces the most of Township 36, R. 5. The Fox river forms its
southern boundary, and running southwestwardly cuts off from that township about
as much territory as it takes from the town south of it.
The town lies between the main line and branch of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy Railroad, and has several railroad stations and market towns near its
borders, but none within its limits, consequently its market places, social
institutions and churches are mostly in the adjoining towns, giving them the
benefit of the wealth and population created in part by the business from
Northville. The town occupies the northeast corner of the county.
It is watered, in addition to the Fox river, by Somonauk creek, which runs
southerly a little west of the center through the entire length of the town; the
timber along its banks relieved the monotony of the otherwise unbroken prairie
and prompted the settlement which commenced in 1834, most of the early settlers
coming in the next three or four years.
Letsome, Dubois, and Armstrong, were frontier men who came in at an early day
and settled near the Fox, where they made claims and sold to Messrs. Carr, Heath
and Lewis.
John T. Carr, from Onondaga County, New York, came in the fall of 1836, and
settled on Section 36. He was thrown from a wagon in crossing Fox river, and
broke his neck.
Charles Carr, son of John T., settle don Sec' 36; is now in Somonauk.
Barney S. Carr, brother to Charles, married Susan Williams; lives in Somonauk.
R. D. Carr, brother to Charles, removed to California.
Lindsey Carr, brother to the above, was a soldier in the Mexican war— Capt. Co.
H., 10th Regiment Illinois Volunteers for three months; also of the same for
three years. He was killed on the picket line near New Madrid.
Isaac Potter, from Onondaga County, New York, came in 1834 — said to have been
the first settler in town. He settled on Sec. 4. Had two sons: Nelson, died;
John, left the county.
Darius Potter came here in 1837, and left the county in a few years. One
daughter, Fanny, married M. H. West; another married Hugh Adams.
Lyman Potter settled on Section 36; Lydia Ann, married Frank Bliss.
Eli M. Kinne, from Onondaga County, N. Y., came in October, 1835, and settled at
the mouth of Somonauk creek; removed to Leland in 1850; has been a merchant in
Leland since that time. His first wife was Maria Heath; his second, Laura Fisk.
He had two sons, W. C. and P. F.— both in Iowa.
Lewis Supus came from Germany in 1835, and settled on Section 7.
Henry Hull, from Stamford, Duchess Co., N. Y., came in 1838, and remained here
two and a half years.
Joseph Stockham came here in 1836; one of the first Justices of the Peace in
Mission Precinct; removed to Iowa.
David Crawford from Ireland in 1833; came here in 1838 with William Sly; removed
to Iowa in 1861.
Abijah Haman, and wife. Bought claim of Dubois in 1836, and sold to Bernard;
removed to Newark, and died there. Had two sons: John, removed to Kendall County
in 1845; Clark.
William Sly, born in Ireland, came from Huron County, Ohio, to De Kalb County,
in 1833; here in the fall of 1834; settled on S. 28, T. 36, E. 5. He held the
office of Justice of the Peace twenty -five years; died in September, 1876. His
children are: Joseph; Frederick, in Somonauk; Jackson, in Whiteside County;
Anne, married ,W. Griswold, live in Kane County; Eliza, married Christian
Elderding; Joanna, married John Jones; Alice, married Mr. Gray; Jane, married
George Shipman.
Samuel Lewis, and wife, Delia Ward, (who died in 1865), came from Tompkins
County, New York, in the fall of 1835. In 1844 went back for one year. Settled
on S. 3. His children are: Edward W.; Charles F., in Somonauk.
Peter Newton, from Broome County, N.Y., came in 1836, and died in Newark.
N. Newton, son of Peter, came with his father and settled on Sec. 4; removed to
Mission in the fall of 1850,
Levi Wright, from New York, came in 1839; was Supervisor one term.
Conrad Smith, from Germany, first to Ottawa, here 1835; settled on S. 4.
Frederick Smith, from Germany; settled on S. 5, in 1835.
Horace Williams, and wife, from Onondaga Co., N. Y., came here 1836; settled on
Sees. 20 and 21, T. 36, R. 5; had two children: Douglass, married Elizabeth
Gould; settled on S. 19, T. 36, R. 5. Helen married Charles Merwin, lives at
Somonauk.
Dr. Heath came here 1834; resided here several years, then moved to Wisconsin.
One daughter married Frederick Weatherspoon. Maria married Eli M. Kinne, now of
Leland.
Orange Potter, from New York, 1835.
Frederick Myers, from Germany, 1838.
Moses H. West, and wife, Fanny Potter, from Berkshire County, Mass.; came here
1837; lived some time in New York and Michigan. Settled on S. 19, T. 36, R. 5;
millwright by trade; Justice of the Peace twelve years. Children: Charles,
editor Somonauk Gazette; Clara F., married A. D. Charles, live in Somonauk; Cora
M. and Alma J., at home.
James Whitmore, with his wife, Rachel Hyat, second wife Polly Foster, from
Cayuga County, N. Y., March, 1835. Settled here; now lives in Sandoval. His
children are, Albert, Catharine, William and Abner.
Harvey Whitmore, on Sees. 5 and 6, 1836; died years ago.
Murray Whitmore, came in 1836.
David Whitmore, from Cayuga County, N. Y. to Ohio 1836, and here 1839. His wife
was Mary Ann Mitchell. Has two children, Harriet and John.
Joseph Whitmore, came in 1836; died 1851.
Tracy Whitmore, from Cayuga County, N. Y.; came in 1836. Wife, Sarah Vanderhoof.
He died 1862.
Albert Whitmore, from Cayuga County, N. Y., 1836; died at 22 years of age in
1844.
Jonathan Cooley, came in 1835. Had one daughter, who married Ephraim Scott.
John Potter, came in 1835; died 1836.
James Roberts, came in 1835.
William C. Whitmore, from Monroe County, N.Y., 1836; first wife, Phebe Foster;
second, Mrs. Schofield.
Henry G. Murray, from Cayuga County, N. Y., 1836.
Benjamin Daniels, from N. Y.; living with James Whitmore.
Harrison W. Sweetland and wife, Harriet Brainard, from Tompkins County, N. Y.,
1836; bought a claim of Letsome and settled on Sees. 34 and 27; has held the
offices of Town Supervisor and Justice of the Peace for several terms. His
children are: Charles, married Helen LaMar, lives near; Martha, married Emil
Culver, lives in Indiana; Reuben, died in the army; Henry, married Miss
Underwood, lives at Newark; Horatio, Amanda and Hattie, at home.
James Whitmore, with his wife, Ann Brigham, from Cayuga County, N. Y., to Ohio
in 1829, and from Ohio to Illinois in 1832; has two children, Emily and Martha.
Benjamin Whitmore, and wife, Susan Emerson, from the same place and at the same
time with James Whitmore, his brother. Has one child, Susan.
Nathaniel Seaman, and wife, Mary Lane, from the city of New York, came to
Illinois in 1836, and settled on S. 31. In 1864 he went South, as agent of the
Sanitary Commission, and died near New Madrid. Of his children: Fanny, married
Edward Lewis, of Kansas; Anna Mary, married C. H. Hall, of Chicago; Henry, was
killed at Lookout Mountain; M. Adelaide, married Charles Gilford, of Somonauk;
Julia, Charles, and Lucien, at home.
Jacob Seaman, and wife, Jane Kidney, from Duchess County, New York, settled here
in 1837, and died in 1864. Of his children: Henrietta, married Edward Keenan, of
Leland; Martha Ann, married John Keenan; Byron, and Emma, are deceased; Delilah,
married George Selwin, of Northville: Walter, married Maria White — second wife
is Ella Stoughtonbury.
Richard Seaman, and wife, Betsey Searls, from Duchess County, New York, in 1837.
He died in 1846, leaving five children: James, died in 1847 Sarah, married James
Jackson, of Northville Ellen, married Thomas Blanchard, of Kansas Caroline,
married Wallace Hathron; and Edgar, married Martha Bennet, of Northville.
Thomas Gransden, from England to Ulster Co., New York, in 1834, and settled on
S. 30, T, 36, R. 5, in 1837. He married Eliza Powell, and has two sons, Thomas,
and Albert, and three daughters, Anna, Alice and Martha; all at home, except
Martha, who married Edward Armstrong, of Northville.
W. L. F. Jones was born in Rutland County, Vt., and raised in Crawford County,
Pa.; with his wife, Betsy Minor, came to Milford, now Millington, Kendall
County, in 1837; is now living on S. IB, T. 36, R. 5, a blacksmith, and farmer;
he was the first Supervisor from the town of Northville. He has five children:
Benton, at home; Misner, in Kansas; Elma, married Ira Armstrong, and live in
Somonauk; Charles, is a medical student, in Chicago; Alfred W., is in Sandwich.
Hugh Allen came to Northville in 1837; moved to Dayton 1845.
Levi Wright, and wife, Esther Whitmore, came from New York in 1839. Has been
Supervisor one term.
Handy Suples, from Germany, with Conrad Smith; died soon after, leaving two
sons, Hugh and Lewis. Lewis settled on S. 8.
Thomas Lemar, and wife, Mary Hawes, to Ottawa 1836, and to Northville 1840. Has
three children: Otis K., Helen A., and Luther J.
Henry Curtis, and wife, Mary E. McNett, from Connecticut, in 1836.
John Whitmore, and wife, came from Ohio in 1834, and settled on Section 16;
removed to Waukegan, and died in 1851. Children: Lorenzo, killed by lightning;
Alonzo, married Miss Skinner, died in Kansas; John and Addison, went to
California, and Lucien, to Sheridan; the three are now in Leland.
Samuel Graff came from Germany in 1834; tailor by trade; settled on Section 8;
moved to Section 5; died in 1874.
John Sherman came from Russia in 1835, and settled on Section 4; now deceased.
Henry Sherman came from Russia in 1835, and settled on Section 9; still living.
Jeremiah Hough came from Oswego, N. Y., in 1839. Died in 1845. Had five sons.
William Powell came from Boston in 1838, and bought the claim of David Crawford.
He married Elizabeth Warner; second wife. Miss McNett.
Samuel Warner, from Boston to New Orleans, by boat to Peoria, and by land to
Somonauk; purchased a claim of Hugh Allen; put in crops, went back to Boston,
and brought out his father and family in August, 1838.
George Warner, and wife, Mary Salisbury, came from Boston in August, 1838, and
bought a claim of Foster. He died in 1845, aged 60; his widow died in 1871, aged
88. He had six sons and one daughter: Samuel, married Mary Ann Powell, had two
sons, Alfred and George, now in Ford County; John; Alfred, married Almira
Richardson, of Maine, moved to Michigan, and has eight children, all in
Michigan; Thomas, lived single, and died in California; Elizabeth, married Wm.
Powell; Francis, married Julia P. Back, and has four children — he was Sheriff
of La Salle County for two terms, from 1859 to 1861, and from 1863 to 1865— he
is now Superintendent of Pinkerton's detectives, and lives in Chicago.
Daniel McNett, and wife, Mary Boomer, came from New York in 1838. He died in
1876. He had fifteen children: Charles, married Lydia Baker, in Iowa; Sophronia,
married William Powell; Mary, died; Michael, married Florence Jackson, of
Whiteside County; Martha, married George Edwards, of Mendota; Lucina, married
Asher Gibson, of Missouri; Eliza, married Albert Powell; William, married Lovina
Havenhill; Polly, Eleanor, John, Henry, Clara, Sherman, and Abbey, are single.
Extracted from 1877 History of La Salle County Illinois, pages 421-429.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
 |
Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
