|
From a telegraph pole, with a tin pan nailed to it, to a bustling little village of about 2,000, Dwight came into being. The pole and tin pan was a landmark and guide for the surveyors who were to lay the rails for the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Railroad. This railroad was to run between Joliet and Alton. It was begun in 1853, pushed forward with such enthusiasm and vigor that the first passenger train rolled over the new road on July 4, 1854. It has made Dwight what it is today. The men responsible for this great endeavor were: Oliver H. Lee, Chief Engineer of the company, Assistant Engineers, R. P. Morgan, Jr., H. A. Gardner and James A. Spencer. In 1869, the Western Division of the C. & A. Railroad, which leaves the main line at Dwight, was begun and completed, and trains running over it in 1870. This makes Dwight quite a railroad center. Dwight Township and Village was one of the last of the Townships to be developed. It was not one of the favored timbered locations, but one which had to spring up out of the rank, prairie grass. It was a wild prairie, untrodden by the foot of the white man, without a stick of timber. It was difficult to create the villages and farms, but where yesterday the tall grass waved in the wind, today a village sits, full of history, built of hope and home to many hard-working, determined pioneers. John Conant came in 1854, from Rochester, Ohio. He put up a frame building outside of the village. Mr. Conant was the first postmaster. The next year Nelson Cornell came and put up a house on Section 5. Thomas Little settled near Cornell soon after. James McIlduff, in 1854, bought the northwest quarter of Section 18, on which he lays claim to the "first breaking of prairie" in Dwight Township. In 1855, came James C. Spencer, his farm was adjoining the present village of Dwight. He owned 1,200 acres of land. It was on this farm that the Prince of Wales made his headquarters for a few days, in 1860. Among the early settlers to this township was Henry A. Gardner, Benjamin Chester, 1860; and C. Roadright 1857, P. E. Miller (where the Prince planted a tree). Dwight was surveyed by Nelson Buck, Deputy County Surveyor, in the fall of 1858 for R. P. Morgan, Jr., James C. Spencer, John Lathrop and J. and K. W. Fell, who owned the land on which it stands. It was dedicated on January 30, 1854 and the plat admitted to record. It was named for Henry Dwight, of New York, who was a capitalist and furnished the money to build the road from Joliet to Bloomington, known now as the Chicago , Alton and St. Louis Railroad. It was said he lost a fortune in the construction of this road and as a compliment to him, his name was given to the new village. Efforts were made to change the name but it still remains. The first cabin in the village of Dwightwas built on lot 8, block 18, in 1853 by a man from Morris, whose name is forgotten. It became the possession of Dr. Haggerty. The first permanent residence in the village was by Augustus West, on lots 18 and 19, in block 7 and was completed in June 1854. In 1854, John Campbell put up a temporary eating house, which was the first place of public entertainment. The trains stopped at it for dinner and supper until 1855, when it was purchased by Hiram Cornell, who conducted it as a hotel for some time. He remained in this little shanty until he built the "Dwight House," the first regular hotel in 1855. Charles Stafford ran the “McPherson House” in later years. The first regular store was built by David McWilliams, in 1855. It was painted white, and, like the telegraph pole and tin pan, served to be a marker to all in search of the village. At the time he settled in Dwight, also living in the village were, Simeon Lutz, his father-in-law, John Routzong, Augustus West, James
Morgan, Thomas Wilson, James S. Harrison. From the Empire State, Hiram Cornell,
George Flagler, William Clarkson, Jeremiah Travis, William H. Ketchum and B. Losee From The first wagon maker in the village was Joseph Rockwell, who came here in 1858 from Connecticut and made the first wagon in Dwight. He made a loom for weaving cloth and his wife used it. The first religious meeting held in Dwight was in an unfinished building on Lot 17, in Block 6, in 1855, few people attended, but few people lived in the village at the time. The first sermon ever preached in the village was over McWilliams' store, on the second Sunday in June, 1855, by the Rev. A. D. Field, of the Rock River Conference. As a village, Dwight was incorporated about 1868. An important feature of Dwight is the grain and stock business. The shipments from this point annually exceed those from any other place perhaps in the county. The first grain warehouse was built by John C. Spencer in 1857, but as the country was rapidly increasing in agricultural importance, David McWilliams started a larger warehouse, but it was not until 1864 that it was completed by J. McPherson. S. G. Eldridge occupied that warehouse later on. Other elevators built were: C. S. Newell and John Campbell built in 1866, capacity of 15,000 bushels; In 1868, C. W. Newell and J. G. Strong put up an elevator adjoining the one last mentioned. It is occupied by Messrs. Deffenbaugh & Co., and runs on steam, storage capacity 15,000 bushels. In 1878, Cadwallader & Rhodes built an elevator on the east side of the tracks, a little south of the Round House, with a capacity of 17,000 bushels. Walter Bladen put up one a little north, in the same year, which stores 12,000 bushels of grain and was operated by Hahn & Kine . Several of the elevators were operated by steam and provided with "grain dumps." Dwight was also one of the largest stock markets in the county and ships a large amount yearly. A large stone steam mill was built in 1859, owned by H. E. Segert at present. The first brick house was built by Dr. Hagerty, in 1871-72 and was occupied by C. M. Baker as a drug store. The first brick residence was built by Mr. Deffenbaugh . The first school house was a rather diminutive affair, about 16x24, and was put up in the fall of 1855 at a cost of $275. It was used for three years as a school house, church and public hall. Sarah A. Snyder taught the first school. In 1859, it was found necessary to erect a larger school building and a house was put up on the east side of the village. In 1864, this had to be enlarged, with an addition made to the original building. In a few years it was necessary to again put another extension to the school and in 1870, the elegant brick on the west side was erected. Methodist Episcopal Church, first sermon preached by Rev. A. D. Field in 1855. His circuit, known as the Mazon Circuit, embraced all the country south of the Illinois River and extending from Morris to Avoca Township. The society was organized with six members, Simeon Lutz, John Routzong , Isaac Baker, Isabelle Baker, David McWilliams and Jeremiah Travis. In 1862, the society was struck off from the Mazon Circuit and Rev. O. W. Pollard was appointed to the charges of Dwight, Odell and Pontiac. They erected their first building in 1858. About 1862-63, the society had so increased in number as to necessitate an enlargement of the building and it was lengthened by 20 feet. They built a new building in 1867 under the pastorate of Rev. E. D. Hall. It is a handsomely finished edifice capable of seating 500 persons. The first Sunday School Superintendant was David McWilliams. The Presbyterian Church was organized in Dwight in 1856. Their original number were three males and five females, they worshipped in the school house until 1857 when they built their church on lots donated by James C. Spencer and R. P. Morgan. The pulpit was filled by various ministers, until 1869, when Rev. L. F. Walker was called to the charge. In the Fall of 1871, he was succeeded by Rev. W. L. Boyd, who filled the pulpit until 1878. The Elders of the church are Hugh Thompson, Robert Thompson, James George, James Paul and John C. George. The Sunday school is well attended. Congregational Church organized December 1, 1865. Rev. J. A. Montgomery preached the first sermon. In 1867, an effort was made to build a church, the lots procured and the building started. In January 1868, their church was dedicated, free of debt. Rev. Montgomery was replaced by Rev. W. C. Rogers in 1873, with about 115 members. Their Sabbath school has an attendance of about 150 with A. Brubaker as Superintendent. The Baptist made the next effort but have not, from some cause or other flourished as some of the other denominations have. (1878) They have a building on the West side, but no settled pastor. The German Evangelical Association or Albright Methodists, have a handsome little frame church edifice, 22x30 feet, which cost about fifteen hundred dollars. The ministers are Revs. Wiltman and Shaffle, and the society has 26 members. A Sunday school with an attendance of forty children is carried on by Dr. H. G. Thole, Superintendent. Danish Lutherans have a pretty little frame church, built a few years ago, which has a large and flourishing membership. The Pastor is Rev. Jacob Holm. Roman Catholic Church has a membership of about fifty families. Their church is a neat and tasty little building, put up at a cost of about fifteen hundred dollars. The present Pastor is Father James Halpin, who is also Superintendent of the Sunday school which is in a flourishing condition. 1898 Dwight Business Directory Churches:
Secret Societies:
Attorneys:
Barbers:
Banks:
Blacksmiths:
Cigars and Tobacco:
Contractors and Builders
Dentists:
Drugs and Medicines: Dry Goods and Groceries:
Tailoring
Furniture and Undertaking:
Grain: Hardware and Farm Machinery:
Hotels:
Insurance and Collections:
Jewelry:
Livery and Feed Stables:
Lumber and Coal: Meat Market:
Manufacturers:
Millinery and Dressmaking:
Monuments:
Painters and Paper Hangers:
Photographers:
Physicians and Surgeons:
Newspapers: Railroad and Express Agents:
Real Estate and Loans
Restaurants and Bakeries:
Tailors:
Miscellaneous:
Newspapers In 1868, the first newspaper was established in Dwight. On the 5th of May, 1868, C. L. Palmer issued the first copy of the Dwight Star. Says Hargreave's History of Dwight: "The Editor C. L. Palmer, issued this paper more for amusement than profit, but in a short time it was evident that the Star occupied a place which could not be filled by any other claimant. It has been enlarged 9 times. It is Republican in politics, and still owned by C. L. Palmer. On the 5th day of June 1868, the Dwight Weekly Courier made its appearance, but after a fitful and brief existence, it quietly passed away. The Dwight Commercial was established in December 1877, by a stock company, composed chiefly of the business men of the town. It is Independent in politics and is edited by C. M. Cyrus; is a very handsome eight-page, six column paper. The Western Postal Review is edited by H. A. Kenyon, Postmaster and published at the Star office, devoted chiefly to post office matters. The field officers elected then were:
Under reorganization it is composed of the following companies:
Battalion officers are:
The entire command, except the Wenona Guards are from Livingston County. They are armed with the uniform breech-loading Springfield rifles, of the Prussian pattern. The companies are well drilled and ready to meet a foe at a moment's notice. The Dwight Guards, a company of the Tenth Battalion, was organized June 20, 1874 and its first officers were: J. B. Parsons, Captain; S. H. Kenny, First Lieut ; S. M. Witt, Second Lieut. Upon the reorganization of the battalion, Capt. Parsons was promoted to its command, and his old company, the Dwight Guards by a company vote and as a token of esteem for their late Captain, changed the name of the company to Parsons Guards. Their officers at present are as follows: S. H. Kenny, Captain; S. M. Witt, First Lieutenant; J. H. Lloyd, Second Lieutenant. Bar Association:
Health of Village
Cemetery:
|
For corrections or additions, please contact: State Coordinator