Mr. Samuel Cody was born in Oneida county in the state of New York, April
13, 1813. On February 11, 1836, he married Caroline Baxter.
In April, 1837, he, his wife and child Harriet, moved to Illinois. He came
in a covered wagon drawn by oxen. It was hard traveling because there were
no bridges or roads. They had to make their way through. They arrived in La
Salle county almost penniless.
The first winter Mr. Cody and his family stayed with the Warren family.
Mr. Cody bought his land for fifteen dollars an acre. He could have gotten
land east of his home for a dollar and a quarter an acre. Why do you suppose
he paid so much for his land ? The land east of his house didn't have any
trees or willows. The land he bought had a few trees and willows on it. This
helped keep out the cold and wind. Mr. Cody bought his land from Mr.
Engersal. He bought his land from the government.
Mr. Cody bought walnut lumber for his home. He bought it from a saw-mill
east of his home. His first house had only two rooms. He kept adding to the
two rooms as it was needed.
Mr. Cody told Mr. Sampson that he would help him build his home if he would
build it near him. Why do you suppose he did this? Mr. Cody did this because
he wanted help if any Indians should attack.
Mr. Cody had to haul grain to Chicago. He and his neighbors would go
together to haul the grain. They would haul the grain in a wagon drawn by
oxen.
The colonists had trouble with diseases besides other hardships. Cholera
broke out in the Cody family. Mr. Cody's wife and children and his wife's
two brothers died from cholera.
In the time of the gold rush Mr. Cody, with his neighbor, Mr. Sampson, went
West. They went in a covered wagon drawn by oxen. On the way he had to watch
out for the Indians. Mr. Cody got out there safely and got some gold. On the
way back he went by water. He went down to lower California and crossed the
Isthmus of Panama. Mr. Cody saw people's throats cut by robbers and their
gold taken away from them.
In 1851 Mr. Cody married Miss Theda Kenyon. They had one son, whose name was
Jay A. Cody. Jay went South in time of the Civil war to fight, but was
killed. He was buried at New Orleans.
Frederic Cody, the father of all the Codys who now live in Freedom township,
lived in the house of Samuel Cody.
In 1891 they tore down the old house and built a new one. In 1900 they added
five rooms to the new house. It now has ten rooms in it.
Before the Civil war the negroes would run away from their masters. They
came to the North. The people in the North helped them get to Canada. As
soon as they reached Canada they would be free. Some of the negroes would
come to Mr. Cody's place. He kept them in an attic. Upstairs in the
northwestern part is a small room. In the room is a small trap door. You can
get in it by a ladder. In the attic is a place where the negroes hid.
Sometimes during the night he would take them to Leland. From there someone
else took them.
The Cody family had many relics. Mrs. Cody used candles. She had a candle
mold which would hold a dozen candles. She would make them out of tallow.
She had a beautiful clock which was made of rosewood.
Ethel and Bayard Cody have furniture made from the old house. Some of the
boards are under the radiators. Bayard made a library table and morris chair
from the old house.
He also made a gun cabinet in which he keeps his guns and revolvers.
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 99.
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Kendall |
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