Illinois seems beautiful to us as we travel across it on wonderful
highways, among well-kept fields, meadows and pastures, see comfortable homes
surrounded by orchards and gardens, but I think we fail to picture in our minds
how truly beautiful these prairies must have been years ago with just a
settler's cabin here and there with miles of verdant grass between.
The
following story told to me by one of Illinois' pioneers shows some of our early
ways of living:
Mr. Boisso, Sr. was born in South Ottawa on April 14,
1857. He spent two years on this place then he with his family moved to a home
seven and one-half miles northwest of Ottawa. This farm is about a mile north of
our school house. At the age of seventy-five he still lives on this farm.
When Mr. Boisso moved on this farm there were only two houses from his home
to town. This seems rather hard for us to realize now.
Mr. Boisso never
knew the advantages of education as he never attended school. However, because
of his diligence he was able to succeed in his work. From the age of twelve on
he took a man's place in the work about the farm. For many years he wore leather
boots — never knowing what shoes were.
Horses and cows, or any livestock
people were fortunate enough to have, roamed the prairies at will. There were no
fences. Later when the wire fences were put up the farmers found it necessary to
put pieces of red cloth on the fence to attract the attention of the livestock
so they wouldn't run into the fence.
People in those days who did not
have access to banks would put their money in old worn boots and then put the
boots in the yard. Feeling certain that no one wanted old boots, they were sure
their money was safe.
A member of Mr. Boisso's family had a very
thrilling experience with a prairie, fire. One day while hauling a load of hay
he saw a prairie fire advancing from the rear. The thought came to him if he
could set fire to the grass ahead that when the fire burned up to the grass he
had burned, it could go no farther, and thus he would be saved. He looked in his
pockets and found one match about an inch long. Carefully and anxiously, he
bundled up some dry grass and lit it. Luck was with him and he was successful in
burning a patch of grass large enough to stop the prairie fire.
One day
Mr. Boisso's sister was going to bring in a horse from the pasture. She hung the
halter over her shoulder and went on her way. She had been warned many times to
be on the lookout for snakes. After she had gone a short ways she looked back to
see if one was following her. As she looked back she caught sight of the rope da
rig-line- from the halter. She of course thought it was a snake and began
running. Every time she looked she saw it and so kept on running until she fell
to the ground exhausted where she lay until her brother came upon her there a
few hours later.
The housewives never thought of going into the cellar
for potatoes or any other vegetables unless they took a large stick with them to
kill any snakes they might find there.
When the farmers went to town it
was usually on horseback, riding straight over the fields and countryside. They
usually made the trip once a month and this was the only time they got their
mail. At times, too, it was most difficult to travel through the mud.
When the grain was ready for market the farmers would haul it down to the canal
and load it on a boat. This boat was "towed" by four or more mules. In this way
the grain was taken to market in Chicago. The "towpath" along the canal which we
hear people speak of now was named by this practice of "towing" the boats.
Most of the people raised many sheep. They would shear the wool from the
sheep, clean it and make it into yarn from which they would make socks and other
articles of clothing.
The first cars were a great surprise and a novelty
to the people. They would stop whatever they were doing and watch and wonder
when they saw one. To them it seemed an utter impossibility that some day cars
would be in many thousands of homes. Another invention which astonished the
people was the telephone.
Each new invention seemed to them a miracle
and life today to any of these pioneers like Mr. Boisso must seem rather
"enjoyable play," compared to the "interesting struggle" they had to live, yet
we know that it took these "interesting strugglers" to make Illinois, the great
state, and America, the great nation that they are today.
Extracted 08 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from Stories of Pioneer Days in La Salle County, Illinois, by Grammar Grade Pupils, published in 1932, page 67.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
 |
Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
