Out of the past comes an echo. It is a faint breath from the land of
Eden, our home township.
As the name suggests, it is a pleasant spot in
which to live, because it is well watered by two creeks, Bailey's and Cedar.
Farming is the main industry. There are only two villages in this land of Eden —
Cedar Point and Tonica, each of which has five hundred inhabitants according to
the latest census.
What about the yesterdays? Shall we listen to the
echo?
In 1853 the Illinois Central railroad was built through Eden
township from south to north. In the same year Tonka was laid out by Mr. A. J.
West, in the southeastern part of the township on railroad land. Two houses
stood there, one occupied by Mr. West and the other by Mr. W. Burgess. The old
flour mill was later built opposite this house.
After the village was
laid out, John Harkins built the first residence. It stood north of the Tonica
Hotel. Besides these buildings there was also a depot and a small wool
storehouse. The first store was opened by the "New England Protective Union
Company." In later years it was used for a harness shop.
Tonica also had
a furniture store, owned by Mr. O. Cushman. Most of these buildings were made of
wood. There were only two buildings of brick construction. These were the only
buildings left standing after the fire of 1867, which swept through the main
street. This was a great loss to the village, but the results were good, for
when new buildings were built to replace those which had burned down they were
made of brick.
Before any post office was built, Mr. West, the man who
laid out Tonica, kept a post office in his house. Later, when a depot was built,
he became station agent, and the post office was moved from his house to the
depot, where another man had charge of it. The first real post office was named
Bailey's Point, after Mr. Bailey, who was the first postmaster of the new
office. It did not always bear that name. Later it was called "Point
Republican," when Champlain R. Potter became postmaster.
As yet, Tonica
had not become incorporated as a village. However, in 1859 an election notice
stated that the people could vote on the question December 26, following. No one
voted against it.
Tonica grew slowly, but steadily. In 1886 it had a
population of six hundred and fifty. That is more than it has today.
As
an aid to the farmers, Tonica had two elevators to which the men who raised
grain could bring their products. Burgess, Flint and Company bought the first
elevator from the New England Protective Union Company. This company also dealt
in lumber and tile. The tile came from Lowell. The other elevator was built by
Mr. Bryne, of La Salle. Large amounts of grain were shipped from this elevator.
Each year about fifteen thousand bushels left it. The lumber yard was located
west of the Illinois Central railroad.
The first mill was built in
Tonica in 1867. It stood for sixty -four years, because it was not torn down
until 1931. Mr. W. J. Wilson was in charge of this mill until 1875. In that year
John King bought it.
Since carriages were used much in the early days,
Tonica had a carriage factory. Mr. L. A. Kaiser was the owner. He had seven men
working for him. They made about forty carriages a year. Some of the men, who
were good painters, put on the finishing touches. Many good-looking carriages of
their make were driven along the roads near Tonica.
Such a prosperous
little village needed a bank. Therefore, in 1881, The Tonica Exchange Bank was
established by Mr. Little. Later he sold the business to Mr. Hamer. Eden
township was not the only township which had business with this bank; five or
six others also did their banking here. Later, the name was changed to The
Tonica Bank. It was used for deposits in addition to exchange.
Mr. Geo.
A. McFerson, who is living at the present day, did business in boots and shoes
in 1871. Later he was in charge of the undertaking business. His undertaking
parlor was in a wooden building north of the Kavs garage.
Tonica had a
newspaper in 1872. It was called "The Tonica News." For a short time "The Tonica
Local," was printed at Wenona and issued by Mr. W. A. Flint.
The first
schoolhouse was built in the corner of what is now the cemetery. Later it was
moved down town, and used there until fire destroyed it in 1858. The same year a
new building was built where the old one was first located. It was a four-room
frame structure which cost eight thousand dollars. The first principal was O. M.
Tucker. About two hundred pupils attended. The members of the board of directors
in 1886 were Mr. O. H. Barrass, president, Dr. Black, and Dr. Jennings,
secretary.
Three churches were organized at Tonica — the Baptist, which
was moved to Tonica from Lowell; the Methodist, and the Congregational, which
had thirteen members.
There are many tales from the land of Eden, but
the voice of the Echo becomes weaker and as it fades away it seems to be sighing
the song of the old settlers:
"As thus with failing steps we meet
The oft returning snow,
We'll not forget the old log cabin
Where we
lived so long ago."
Extracted 08 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from Stories of Pioneer Days in La Salle County, Illinois, by Grammar Grade Pupils, published in 1932, pages 39-40.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
 |
Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
