Grand Rapids township, which is number thiry-two, is located in the
southeastern portion of La Salle county. It lies in range four, and is
mostly made up of prairie land, but has a timber grove along its main
stream, Covel creek. Along this creek on sections six and seven, is a grove
of trees called EbersoPs grove. It was near this grove that most of the
early settlements were made.
One of the first builders near this grove was Henry Hibbard, who came to the
Ebersol farm from Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1827. Later he made a claim on
section five in 1829, which is called Ebersol farm. Two years later, in
1831, he sold the claim to Disney, who in turn sold it to John McKernan.
Mr. and Mrs. Ebersol came to Illinois from Harrisburg, Pa. Mr. Ebersol was a
blacksmith by trade, although a farmer most of his life.
When he came to Illinois he brought with him his anvil and some self-made
tools. Some of his other tools were a hammer and a two-tined fork, which are
now in the hands of Mrs. Mary Baker, an eighty-five year old resident of 127
Campbell street, Ottawa, Illinois.
The first scouring plow was owned and used by Mr. Ebersol, and the first
revolving horse rake owned and used by him also were some more of his
old-fashioned tools he brought with him. His first sulky rake was used the
first time by Mr. William C. Moore in 1876.
Mr. Ebersol continued to make yearly improvements on his farm. He planted an
orchard in 1830 with the aid of his self-made tools.
The family home of Mr. and Mrs. Ebersol was made happy by seven very lovely
children — four boys and three girls. The oldest child was A. M. Ebersol,
who wrote a brief history of the town of Grand Rapids, from 1829 to 1871,
including the Ebersol farm. He married Miss C. C. Whittlesey in 1844. The
marriage ceremony was performed in Princeton by the Reverend Owen Love joy,
the renowned Abolutionist.
If one should walk through the timber along Covel creek he would see an old
path, known at one time as a Chicago Trail. This trail was made by the early
settlers and was a means of conveying their grain-loaded wagons to Chicago.
These loaded wagons were drawn by oxen, which were common in those days.
Roping oxen was not a very easy matter. It was necessary to put the rope
over the head of one of the oxen and then over the other. Their tails were
tied together to keep the oxen from stepping away from each other. It was
sometimes known as the market trip, which took ten days, for many times they
would get stuck in the mud while crossing a slough. The others joined teams
and pulled them out. Always a lot of people went together for that reason.
Camp life was enjoyed on these trips, although they did have to sleep under
their wagons instead of in tents.
Wheat was at that time thirty-two to forty cents a bushel. A price of fifty
to sixty cents was a real surprise.
Besides sowing wheat, the farmers planted corn. The kernels of corn were
placed in a gash in the ground, the gash being made by hitting the ax in the
ground. With another blow of the ax the kernels were covered. Cultivation
was almost impossible, due to many growing vines.
There is also a graveyard located on the northwestern portion of this farm.
Many of the tombstones are sunk into the ground, but some are still standing
around the graveyard, and it is mostly used for a pasture.
Mr. Harold Richolson owns this historic farm, although T. A. Holman now
resides on it.
Extracted 06 Jun 2015 by Norma Hass from Stories of Pioneer Days in La Salle County, Illinois, by Grammar Grade Pupils, published in 1932, page 93.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
 |
Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
