A Large and Brilliant Meteor

June 17, 2026June 10, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Last Saturday evening about 8 o’clock a large and brilliant meteor was seen by a few fortunate ones who chanced to be “‘neath the starry heavens.” It started nearly overhead and “struck a bee line” for the northeast, leaving a tail of fire after it resembling a comet. Just before it reached the horizon it exploded, throwing out particles in all directions. The sight was magnificent. By the Chicago Times of Monday, we notice it was seen in Chicago and in Battle Creek, Michigan. At the latter place the light from the meteor was so brilliant as to dim the gaslight.¹

It was seen well beyond Dayton. Chicago papers called it a fireball of extraordinary brilliance. Some Michigan observers thought stones might have fallen, while others insisted the explosion was strong enough to shake buildings. No confirmed meteorites were ever found, but the speculation gives a sense of how powerful the detonation must have been.

In Dayton, the meteor left no physical trace, but it was remembered. It shows up in the same breath as the great floods and the deep snows — one of those moments when something unusual crossed the sky and the correspondent thought it worth noting.

Ottawa Free Trader, January 8, 1881, p. 8, col. 3

Ralph Green – Postal Clerk

June 3, 2026May 22, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Ralph Green was a Railway Post Office clerk around the beginning of the 20th century. He worked on the train, sorting mail for delivery to all the small towns along the route. He made $75/month, $900/year.

Railway Post Office clerks were considered the elite of the postal service’s employees. Their jobs were exhausting and dangerous, their entrance tests demanding—a passing grade was considered 97%. They were required to sort 600 pieces of mail an hour. To ensure that the clerks’ skills didn’t rust, they were tested from time to time to ensure they could maintain that pace.

Ralph served the US in the Postal Service for only a short time. He was studying to be a lawyer and when he passed the bar exam, the Postal Service was left far behind.

His daughter said that when she was small, her father would amuse them by reciting all the stops on his route between Ottawa and Peoria. I can hear him chanting now: Ottawa… Naplate… La Salle… Peru… Oglesby… Tonica… Lostant… Troy Grove… Mendota… Bureau… Tiskilwa… Wyanet… Buda… Bradford… Princeville… Alta… Peoria.

A Transplanted Workforce: Dayton’s Woolen Mill in 1850

May 27, 2026May 22, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

The Dayton woolen mill, shown here in its formal portrait

The 1850 census of Dayton provides a detailed snapshot of the town’s early industrial life, and it reveals a pattern that does not appear in the later county histories. Every skilled worker employed in the woolen mill that year—spinners, carders, finishers, and clothiers—came from regions with established textile traditions. None were born in Illinois, and none were drawn from the surrounding farming community.

Several workers were English, part of the long‑standing movement of textile specialists who carried technical knowledge from Yorkshire and Lancashire to American mills. Others came from New England, especially Connecticut and Massachusetts, where woolen manufacturing had been well developed for decades. Additional workers arrived from Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio, all states with earlier industrial centers than Illinois.

This pattern indicates that the Dayton mill did not grow out of local labor or local experience. It was a transplanted enterprise, staffed by people who had already worked in textile settings elsewhere. Even the mill owners, the Green family, had migrated from Licking County, Ohio in the 1830s, bringing with them the capital, skills, and connections needed to establish the business.

The county histories written later in the nineteenth century focus on the mill’s proprietors and on the township’s pioneer farmers, but they rarely mention the mill hands themselves. The census, however, preserves a different picture: in 1850, Dayton’s woolen mill operated entirely through the labor of migrants from older industrial regions. The mill was an industrial island on the prairie, shaped by people whose experience had been formed far from Illinois.

The Cannon Incident

May 20, 2026May 19, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

If you ever think politics today is dramatic, let me take you back to 1841, when a defeated President of the United States came to Dayton — for a fishing trip.

Martin Van Buren had just lost the election to William Henry Harrison, and apparently the cure for political heartbreak was ten days of rest in Ottawa with his nephew, the very dignified Judge John V. A. Hoes. (Yes, the same Hoes who later bought up half the Dayton lots without ever living here. Dayton has always attracted interesting people.)

Anyway, after a few days in Ottawa, someone had the bright idea to take the former President down to Dayton for a little fishing and fresh air. And because this was frontier Illinois, the “escort” was not a carriage or a quiet ride.

It was a procession of 150 men on horseback.

Picture it: a long line of riders, dust rising, horses snorting, the whole countryside turning out to watch. And at the head of the Dayton welcoming committee stood John Green, founder of the town, prominent Democrat, and the sort of man who would absolutely organize a crowd for a visiting President.

And then — because Dayton never missed a chance for a little spectacle — someone decided to fire a cannon.

Not a big cannon. Not a military cannon. A little cannon. A sort of “frontier noisemaker” cannon.

It was perched on a hill, ready to give the President a rousing salute.

What happened next is the reason this story has survived for 180 years.

The cannon went off. The horses panicked. And the Secretary of the Navy — James K. Paulding, a blunt, plain‑spoken man — nearly lost his mind.

His horse bolted. He started shouting. And according to the newspaper account, he threatened that if someone didn’t stop that “infernal idiot” firing the gun, he would “get down and lick him himself.”

This is, without question, the only time in American history that a Secretary of the Navy threatened to fistfight a man with a toy cannon in a town of a few hundred people.

The fishing trip, by the way, was a complete failure. Not a single fish. The locals blamed the Secretary’s swearing for scaring them off.

Dayton Homemakers’ Programs Over the Years

May 13, 2026May 12, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Rita Poole cutting the cake at the 100th anniversary of the Dayton Homemakers

The Dayton Homemakers’ 100th anniversary celebration marked a full century of meetings, programs, and community events. Looking back through the old programs, you can see the range of activities that kept the club going year after year.

Practical Talks & Demonstration

These were the backbone of the meetings — the Homemakers prided themselves on being both cultured and useful.

“Poultry Raising and House Cleaning” — discussion at Mrs. Frank Trumbo’s
Question Box sessions — open‑floor problem solving
Corn Varieties & Seed Selection — talk by Frank Beach, president of the La Salle County Farmers’ Institute
“Country Community Life in Illinois” — lecture by Miss Mabel Carney of Normal
California Travelogue — Miss Molly Strait’s winter trips out west
Sewing Bee — practical work session at Mrs. John McGrath’s, featuring “fancy things”

These programs were half education, half community support.

Musical Programs

The Homemakers loved music — and they had a deep bench of local talent.

Instrumental

Piano solos by Miss Dwyer, Miss Barrett, Irene Barrett, Lucile Bultman, Gertrude Beach
Violin selections by Miss Charity Sage
Mandolin & piano duets by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Belrose

Vocal

Solos by Mrs. Frank Beach
Solos by Mr. Louis Chally
Solos by Miss Josephine Trumbo

Music was the social glue — and the newspapers always noted who performed.

Literary & Dramatic Features

Dayton loved a good reading.

Readings by Mrs. Frank Funk
Readings by Mrs. Fannie Tucker
Dramatic dialogue by the Misses Erickson
“Corn Conundrums” by Frank Beach (a comic highlight at the Corn Party)

These were the moments when the Homemakers showed off their flair.

Social Events & Special Programs

These were the showpieces — the events that made the Ottawa papers perk up.

The Corn Party

Held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Beach

Corn‑themed decorations
Corned beef, corn bread, popcorn
Corn games, corn riddles, corn everything
Open to both ladies and gentlemen

Fourth of July Picnic

At Henry Schmidt’s farm

Formal program
Sports
A massive dinner
A crowd large enough to impress even Ottawa

Fundraising Programs

Raffle of a sofa pillow made by members, proceeds to the school treasury

Red Cross Work (1940s)

Sewing
Knitting
War‑effort support

This was the Homemakers at their most civic‑minded.

Conclusion

The Dayton Homemakers were practical, musical, literary, dramatic, social, and charitable. They accomplished a lot in their first hundred years.

Cows, Cows, Cows

May 6, 2026May 3, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Green farm – old barn on left

The Greens were Dayton’s cattle people. If there was a cow to be bought, a bull to be shown, or a dairy improvement to be tried, a Green was probably involved.

John Green is where the whole thing starts on paper, but the newspapers only tell part of it. When he died in 1874, the executor’s sale listed more cattle than some townships had: thoroughbred short‑horns, high‑grade cows, bulls with pedigrees. He was building something substantial.

But the person who kept that operation running was his son Isaac. Isaac had been doing the work on the home farm since he was old enough to hold a pitchfork. By the time John died, Isaac was already the one managing the herd, the breeding, the daily grind. John built the foundation; Isaac kept the whole thing moving.

Then came Isaac’s son, Lyle, who took the farm into the modern era. Lyle imported cattle from the Channel Islands, bought expensive bulls from Buffalo, and eventually won Grand Champion at the La Salle County Fair. He was serious about dairying — not just keeping cows alive, but improving them. If Isaac kept the herd going, Lyle made it shine.

After Lyle, the farm went to the care of his brother Ralph — my grandfather. Ralph kept things steady. Not flashy, not experimental, just dependable. Every farm needs someone like that, the one who holds the line between the ambitious generation and whatever comes next.

And then “whatever comes next” turned out to be Charles, who married Ralph’s daughter and inherited the cows along with the farm. He worked with them for fourteen years, which was long enough to be polite about it, but the truth is he didn’t like dairy farming. At all. So the first real chance he got, he sold the cows. That was the end of the Green cattle era.

It didn’t end in disaster or drama. It just ended because the person who had to get up at 4 am didn’t want to do that anymore. And that’s as much a part of the story as the prize bulls and the imported heifers ever were.

“A Useful School House”

April 29, 2026April 28, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

In the spring of 1895, this Dayton school was only a few years old. Dayton had gone without a school building for a year when the old school burned in November1892 and this building filled a definite need. It became the center of Dayton life, although, as shown here, that was not to everyone’s liking.

A Dayton correspondent sends us a complaint about the economical methods adopted by some of its citizens. He says they are making use of the public school building for a dancing hall and club room. He says the young men are backed up by the directors and others. The same building is used for an opera house, and that the directors and their families get free tickets for the dances and shows, but that they and their families are not very largely represented when the school is used on Sunday for Sabbath School. The correspondent is a tax payer, he claims, and does not get in under the canvas.¹

Ottawa Republican, March 21, 1895, p. 3,

A Flood Remembered

April 23, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Clearly no camera captured this scene, but this is what it might have looked like.

The February 7,1857 flood stuck in Dayton’s memory like a marker stone — the kind of event people kept referring to for decades afterward. Not because it was picturesque or dramatic in the usual way, but because it rearranged things. It changed the shape of the town’s work, its riverbanks, and its sense of what the Fox River could do when it felt like it.

The Green family took the worst of it. The newspapers called them the “only serious sufferers,” which was probably true in terms of property loss. Their new dye house was wrecked so thoroughly it had to be rebuilt from scratch. The kilns and kettles were ruined. Six or seven feet of water stood on the lower floor of their woolen factory. And with the Fox River Feeder torn open — sixty or seventy rods of it simply gone — their mills were expected to sit idle for a month.

But what people remembered wasn’t just the Greens’ misfortune. It was the scale of the thing.

Dayton’s own bridge, only four or five years old and costing the community a full $1,000, was lifted off its abutments and carried away. And here’s the part that still shocks me: that same day, every single bridge over the Fox River from the Wisconsin line to Ottawa was washed away.

That fact tells you what the flood meant. Not just local damage, but a whole river corridor snapped in two. Travel halted. Communities cut off. A sense that the river had shown its full reach, and that human engineering — however proud or expensive — was only temporary.

No wonder people were still talking about it thirty years later. It wasn’t just a flood. It was the day the river reminded everyone who was in charge.

A Time-Stained Hoary-Headed Deed

April 15, 2026April 13, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

A few days ago O. W. Trumbo, of Dayton, left at this office a document that is somewhat of a curiosity. It is a time-stained hoary headed deed, and was drawn up June 23, 1752, being 133 years old. It is a deed for 400 acres of land given by “Cornelius Murley and Austas Murley, his wife, of Augusta county and parish of Augusta, and colony of Virginia, of ye one part, and Jacob Trumbo of ye county and parish and colony aforesaid of ye other part.” This Jacob Trumbo above referred to was the great-great-grandfather¹ of O. W. Trumbo, and the document had been among some old papers for 30 years unnoticed when Mrs. Trumbo discovered it on the 23d day of last June, exactly 132 years after the paper was executed. Mr. Trumbo brought this paper with him when he went on his visit recently to friends in Rockingham county, VA., taking in the inauguration also. As there were no records dating back half that far he could not trace it. The deed was drawn 23 years before the breaking out of the revolutionary war, when Washington was a young man, and when Virginia was governed by Robert Dinwiddie, who was appointed by the crown of England.²

Two Old Deeds
Jacob³ Trumbo, a native of Rockingham, but now and for thirty years a resident of Illinois, has a copy of a deed for Four Hundred Acres of land, lying on the North Fork of North River, in Augusta county, made by Cornelius Murley and wife to Jacob Trumbo, dated June 3rd, 1752, or 133 years ago. The document is in a fine state of preservation, and both the Murleys made their mark instead of writing their names, which looks as if the people in those days, even large property holders, were not very highly educated.⁴

The image at the top is from the recorded copy of the deed, from Deed Book 4 (1751-1752) Augusta County of the colony of Virginia. You can view the entire recorded copy here.

correction: great-grandfather
Ottawa (Illinois) Free Trader, April 4, 1885, p. 1, col. 3
correction: O. W.
Staunton (Virginia) Vindicator, April 17, 1885, p. 3, col. 3.

A Poetical Evening and a School Vacation

April 8, 2026March 26, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Rural Happenings

Dayton, March 30. – Mr. George W. Gibson, of Rutland, who has purchased Mr. J. Read’s property on the hill, is moving into town this week. Mr. Gibson and family will be welcome additions to our town and society, and will be most acceptable and enterprising citizens.

The Tile Works commenced operations this week and are turning out a fine lot of tile. The popularity of this firm, and their wide-spread reputation for manufacturing fine drain tile, is shown by their receiving a letter of inquiry from a gentleman in Oil City, Penn. Among other orders received this week was one for 4,000 8-inch tile.

The Whittier entertainment at the school house March 18, the second of the series of “Evenings with the Poets,” by the Musical Union, was a good success. The programme passed off smoothly and in a delightful manner. Little Jimmy Ryan and Gertie Grow in a duet captured the audience, and were forced to respond to an encore. The select readings by Mr. James Green and Miss Dessie Root were read with considerable spirit and taste. The remainder of the programme, dialogues, recitations, quartets, etc., was well carried out, and every one pronounced the entertainment a very enjoyable one, and one that reflects considerably to the credit of the committee, Miss Cora Green and Mrs. C. B. Hess. The last of the series, a Lowell entertainment, will be given this Saturday evening, April 1. It is under the management of Miss Dessie Root, who has taken considerable pains in preparing a fine programme, and promises to be an enjoyable entertainment. It should be greeted with a full house.

The Schools are having a vacation this week. We understand the two schools are to be continued under the present competent instructors, and we hope the following summer will witness the erection of a new school building. It is something that is much needed, and as the railroad pays over one-half the school tax, the district is abundantly able to build one. Patrons of the school will do well to consider the matter, and if brought to a vote to cast their ballots intelligently.

The board of town auditors met at the town clerk’s office last Monday to audit the accounts of the town.

Mr. Noah Dunavan has departed for Texas, where he will make his future home.

Occasional¹

Ottawa (Illinois) Free Trader, April 1, 1882, p. 8, col. 1

A Potentially Serious April Fool’s Prank

April 1, 2026March 21, 2026Candace W 1 Comment

PULLED GUN TO FOOL GIRL
April Fool Joke Might Have Had Serious Termination

As the result of being the victim of an April fool prank, 14-year-old Cora Tanner, of Dayton township, is nursing a badly injured limb containing the contents of a 22-calibre revolver, which was shot into her by a companion this morning shortly after 9 o’clock at her home in that village.

William Luce, a cousin of the injured girl, had been planning an April fool joke, and he with another companion fixed it up to scare her with a 22-calibre revolver they had run across. Going into the room the supposedly harmless gun was pointed at the girl, who naturally felt more or less uneasy at its presence. With a laugh the boy told her it was not loaded, then pulled the trigger.

The bullet entered the left limb a short distance above the knee and is still imbedded in her flesh. She was brought to this city and Dr. Hathaway probed for the missile, but was unable to find it. In a few days the X-ray will be used to determine the location of the bullet and in all probability it will be extricated.

This is probably the last April fool joke of that kind the young man will ever play again. It is to be considered fortunate that the weapon was not pointed at a more vital spot, for without a doubt the “joke” would have had a much more serious termination.

Miss Tanner was taken back to her home, where she is resting fairly comfortable this afternoon.¹

Ottawa (Illinois) Free Trader, 5 Apr 1907, p16, col 2

Some Headlines are Just Wrong

March 25, 2026March 19, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

The Dayton friends and neighbors of Joseph Barends must have been surprised to read this. They would have recognized him in the facts given, but not by that name.

JOHN BARENDS DEAD
Well Known Dayton Resident Passed Away Suddenly

HEART TROUBLE THE CAUSE
Deceased was a Resident of Dayton for Half a Century – Was a Charter Member of Local Lodge of Odd Fellows – Funeral on Sunday

Friday at 2 o’clock a. m. John Barends, an old and highly respected resident of Dayton, passed away suddenly, death being due to organic heart trouble. For several years Mr. Barends has been in poor health, and his death, though coming rather suddenly, comes as a shock to his large circle of friends and acquaintances.

Mr. Barends has been a resident of Dayton for over half a century, coming to that village in 1858. He was born in Holland, September 18, 1837, and came to the United States when only 15 years of age, locating in New York City.

Thursday evening, when Mr. Barends retired, he apparently enjoyed his usual health, and not until about 1:30 did the attack come upon him, which, a half hour later, was followed by death. Feeling ill, Mr. Barends called several members of the family but no help could be rendered him, death claiming him shortly after their arrival.

Mr. Barends was a well known resident of Dayton, and enjoyed a large acquaintanceship and was highly esteemed. He was a charter member of the local Odd Fellows’ lodge and was also a member of the local camp of Modern Woodmen of America. He leaves, besides his wife, four daughters — Mrs. W. S. Green, of Joliet, Mrs. E. C. McClary and Misses Etta and June Berends, of Dayton — and one son, William Barends, of this city.

The funeral took place Sunday afternoon from his late home on Dayton road, at 2 o’clock.¹

More information about Joseph Barends can be found in this biography.

Ottawa (Illinois) Republican Times, July 9, 1908, p. 5.

The Railroad Comes to Dayton

March 18, 2026March 12, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

In 1869 the Ottawa Oswego and Fox Valley Rail Road approached Dayton landowners to acquire the right-of-way for a railway line through Dayton. The OO&FVR line started operation in 1871. This Dayton map from the 1876 La Salle County atlas shows the route the railroad took through the village.

The chart below is a railroad map, a condensed profile of the railroad infrastructure most useful to civil engineers, namely gradient, curvature, crossings at grade, overpasses, underpasses, culverts and bridges. In order to be able to read the markings, it has been turned so that south is at the top. Going up means going toward Ottawa.

The red arrow points to the trestle bridge over Washington street, shown in the picture below. It is a 6 span bridge, made of 20 foot I-beams.

The next three grade crossings (in the green box) correspond, in the map above, to Franklin street, Jackson street, which leads up and out to the west to Route 23, and O’Connell street, which leads west and becomes the Dayton lane. There was no crossing at La Fayette street.

The numbers in the column to the left of the tracks show the distance from the origin in Chicago. The line pointed to by the blue arrow shows the height in feet above sea level. Notice that it shows a slight grade going up to the north. In the winter, with water, snow, or ice on the tracks, we could definitely hear the train laboring and slipping as it worked its way north.

The railroad went through a number of incarnations. It was sold to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy in 1899. The CB&Q merged into the Burlington Northern in 1970. BN subsequently acquired the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, forming the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, whose name was later simplified to BNSF Railway. The one-time Ottawa Oswego & Fox Valley Railway was sold by BNSF to the Illinois RailNet in 1999. In 2005, the latter railroad became Illinois Railways.

I owe many thanks to Jon Roma, for all his railway knowledge and his patience in explaining it to me. Any errors in the above are due to me, not to Jon.

Picnic, Tennis, and Euchre

March 11, 2026March 6, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

DAYTON
By Mrs. M. J. Keenan

DAYTON WOMAN”S CLUB TO HAVE PICNIC ON FOURTH
The members of the Dayton Woman’s Club plan to hold an all day picnic the Fourth of July, on the club lawn. Picnic dinner and supper will be served, the clubhouse dining room will be used in case of rain.
A sports committee will furnish games and amusements for young and old throughout the day. Mrs. Earl Gardner assisted by Mrs. James Mac Grogan and Miss Mildred Marten will have charge of the affair which is open to everyone.

MR. AND MRS. VERN WILSON HAVE HOUSEWARMING
Mr. and Mrs. Vern Wilson and family who recently moved into their new home entertained seventy-five friends at a house warming party Thursday evening. Euchre furnished the entertainment for the evening. At midnight refreshments were served. The card favors were presented to Mrs. William Gibson and Jule Pitts.

TENNIS CLUB ORGANIZED BY DAYTON YOUNG PEOPLE
At a meeting held at the Dayton store, Earl Lardner was elected president of a tennis club, which is being organized by a group of Dayton folks. A court has been made and is located east of the railroad tracks near the Gardner home. The president has charge of the membership.

To Entertain Club
Mrs. Dan Hallowell and Mrs. Ed Hill will entertain the members of the Dayton Woman’s club Wednesday afternoon, July 9, in the Dayton hall.

Dayton Briefs
Miss Cora Tanner returned to Aurora Monday after spending several weeks here.
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Mac Grogan and Miss Marjorie Gregory have returned to their home in South Bend, Ind., after a week’s vacation here with relatives and friends.
Miss Catherine Pitts of Joliet has been spending a few weeks in Dayton.
Misses Jennie and Emma Fraine visited at the Ernest Raspilian home in Serena last week.
Carl Edward of Chicago visited at the McHale home here last week.
Miss Mildred Pool has returned to her home near Marseilles after a visit with her grandmother, Mrs. John Reynolds.
Miss Edith Reynolds of Ottawa spent Thursday evening in Dayton.
Miss Jean Ball visited last week in Ottawa with her aunt, Mrs. Harry Zellars and other relatives.
Mrs. Harry De Bolt and Miss Lorraine De Bolt spent Wednesday afternoon in Dayton.
Miss Irene Thompson and Mrs. Edward O’Brien of Chicago, were guests at the Fraine home one day last week.
Ed McHale is spending a couple of weeks in Dixon.
Mr. and Mrs. William Daly of Marseilles spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Earl Gardner and family.
Mrs. William Fleming spent Saturday in Ottawa.
L. A. Green and Miss Maud Green attended a reunion at Walcott Van Etten’s in Mendota, Sunday.
Miss Eleanor Keenan celebrated her fourth birthday, June 26.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dore of Hennepin, spent Saturday with Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Nash.
Misses Emma and Jennie Fraine and Mrs. Edie Thompson were all night guests at the Jule Fraine home in Ottawa.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Fleming and son Marshall, and Miss Catherine Fleming of Aurora called on friends here Sunday.
Mrs. M. Keenan spent Saturday in Ottawa.
Miss Lois Fraine of Ottawa visited last week with her aunts, Misses Emma and Jennie Fraine and Mrs. Addie Thompson.
Miss Loretta Thorson returned home Wednesday after a two weeks vacation at the Casper Larson home in Stavanger.
Garnet A. Cope, operator for the Burlington at Ottawa, spent a three day vacation recently fishing and visiting friends in Dayton township.
Joseph Jacobs of Marseilles is spending a few days in Dayton.
Mrs. Frank Davis was a caller in Ottawa, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Nash visited the latter’s brother, E. Moews at the Spring Valley hospital, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Jule Pitts and family of Joliet were week-end guests at their home here.
Mr. and Mrs. E. Dudgeon and family of near Serena called in Dayton Sunday.
Miss Pauline Parr took part in the recital at the Episcopal church in Ottawa Friday evening.
Mrs. Mark Keenan spent Tuesday in Aurora.¹

[Ottawa Illinois] Daily Republican Times, July 2, 1930, p. 18.

Amanda Stadden – An Anniversary

February 25, 2026February 22, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Today is the 170th anniversary of Amanda Stadden’s death. Her tombstone in the Dayton Cemetery gives her death date, Feb. 25, 1856, and her age, 39 years, 1 month, 4 days, which implies a birth date of January 21, 1817. She was born in Licking County, Ohio, the sixth child and third daughter of John Stadden and his wife, Elizabeth “Betsey” Green.

Her father moved the family to La Salle County by 1840, where he purchased land in Dayton township. Amanda never married; she lived with her parents in Dayton until she died.

John Stadden wrote his will May 17, 1853. Since all of his children except Amanda were already established, he left the residue of his estate, after paying his debts and funeral expenses, to his beloved wife, Elizabeth, for her support during her lifetime, with the proviso that at her death, it would all pass to his daughter, Amanda, absolutely. If Amanda should predecease his wife, then Elizabeth could dispose of any of his effects in whatever way she chose.

John died January 26, 1855 and his estate was probated in March. Unfortunately, Amanda did not outlive her mother, and in October 1857 Elizabeth sold the land to her son Richard.

Ice, Valentines, and Music

February 18, 2026February 9, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Dayton Points

Dayton, Feb. 16. – The “thaw” of last week was unable to start the ice at this place, with the exception of that on the rapids above the woolen factory, which moved down and broke up our ice bridge. We are thus left without any means of communication with the other shore. The great snow storm on last Friday and Saturday has given a new impulse to sleighing and the “merry sleigh bells” are again heard all over the land. East and west lanes and the roads are, however, most of them, impassable on account of deep snow drifts. The thermometer at this place last Monday morning recorded 14 degrees below zero.

Newcomers have arrived in the families of J. B. Root and C. H. Hudson. Both are girls and are doing well.

The Library Association has adopted a constitution and is receiving many new members. The library is at the store, and Harry is the librarian. He will issue cards of membership at fifty cents each, and allow the holder to read any and all of the hundred volumes in the library.

On account of the snow storm Prof. Boltwood was unable to fill his appointment last Sabbath.

The attendance at the literary last Friday evening was small on account of the storm. The regular exercises were postponed one week. Questions were drawn from the hat by the members, and the speeches caused considerable merriment. One on the subject of “taffy” was particularly noticeable; not, however, for its soundness, but for its sweetness and its freeness from “taffy.”

The woolen mill is running on cassimeres.

Williams & Co. shipped a car load of paper to Vermont a couple of weeks ago.

C. B. Hess, Esq., received a severe sprain of the ankle last week, and in consequence has been lame for a few days. But since his desperate encounter with the “wild animal of the prairies” last Monday, we are glad to hear he has entirely recovered.

St. Valentine’s day passed quietly in this neighborhood. The P. M. was not kept very remarkably busy distributing valentines. Judging from the number received at this postoffice we would say the interest manifested in the day is passing away. But when we learn that 75,000 were distributed in Chicago, we must conclude otherwise.

The Musical Union will give an entertainment at the school house next Wednesday evening, Feb. 23, the proceeds of which will go towards procuring chorus books for the Union. Duncan McDougall, Esq., of Ottawa, will deliver an address upon the subject of “Controversies and Verdicts.” Mr. McDougall is a young man of considerable ability as an orator, and his address no doubt will be listened to with great interest. Mr. Frank Fitzgerald will assist in the entertainment with his cornet solos, and, with Mr. Harry Hammond, will give a musical sketch and minor comicalities. The Union will also furnish music in the way of quartettes. A good enjoyable time is promised, and everybody is invited. There will be no lack of fun. You will miss a treat if you are not there.

Occasional ¹

The Free Trader, February 19, 1881, p. 8, col. 1

Good Sleighing Weather

February 11, 2026February 4, 2026Candace W Leave a comment

Rural Happenings

Dayton, Feb. 1, 1881. – Good sleighing still continues. Two weeks of good sleighing and an excellent prospect for two weeks more. pretty snug winter, isn’t it?

Mr. Noah Letts, of Iowa, has been visiting at Geo. M. Dunavan’s a couple of weeks. He is spending this week among acquaintances in Dayton. Mr. Letts appears to be a fine young man and is gaining many friends.

Mr. Wm. McMillan and Mr. Bell, of North Aurora, spent Sunday in town.

Prof. Boltwood delivered an excellent sermon last Sabbath on the “Bible,” The Prof. has many warm friends in this vicinity who welcome his semi-monthly visits.

Mr. John Breese had the misfortune last week to lose one of his children, a bright little boy. The little fellow had an accident which bruised and sprained one of his limbs, which began swelling and finally caused his death.

The Library Association has reorganized and will soon add a few more volumes to their catalogue. The following officers were chosen for the ensuing year: Mr. Isaac Green, president; Chas. Green, secretary; Harry Green, librarian. An initiation fee of fifty cents for the year will be charged, with no monthly dues. An invitation is extended to all to join the association and enjoy the privileges of the library. It contains many readable and instructive volumes.

The Literary Society held their regular meeting at the school house last Saturday evening. A good programme was given and considerable interest seemed to be manifested in making the society a success. The following is the programme for next Saturday evening:

Music – Miss Jennie Dunavan
Debate – Messrs. D. L. Grove and Chas. Green
Essay – James A. Green
Recitation – Miss Jessie Trumbo
Song – Mrs. C. B. Hess
Select Reading – Frank Dunavan
Recitation – Miss Cora Green
Essay – Mr. Horace Ivey
Music – Miss Jennie Dunavan

Our citizens were pained to hear of the death of County Surveyor Brumbach. Wash had many friends in this vicinity.

Following the death of Surveyor Brumbach came the sad news of the death of Mrs. Booth, of Peru, well known to our people by her maiden name of Ellen Kendall, she having taught very successfully two terms of our public school. Mrs. Booth, during her residence here, had formed many warm friendships, and the sad news of her death fell like a pall upon the hearts of all. She was greatly beloved by the children, whose love and friendship she gained by her many acts of kindness. She was greatly missed when she left us to take upon herself the duties of the wife and mother. But how much more sadly will she be mourned now by her family and friends, since she has departed no more to return. But they should be comforted in the fact that her life on earth was one of kindness and benevolence, and that she is now at rest with the angels in that bright home above, where there is neither sorrow nor pain nor any more death.

Mr. John Shenck and family, of Braidwood, are visiting at George W. Green’s.

Mr. Joseph Green spent a few days at Washburn this week, buying wool.

The Free Trader, February 5, 1881, p. 8, col. 2-3.

A Network of Relationships Found in the Dayton Cemetery

February 4, 2026February 3, 2026Candace W 1 Comment

This network chart shows relationships between many of the persons buried in the Dayton Cemetery. The tiny green tombstone next to a name indicates a burial in the cemetery.

Knowing the family name is not enough to identify relatives. Many of the relationships center around the Green, Dunavan, Trumbo, and Stadden families but marriages have changed names and the connections are sometimes rather remote. For instance, little Ida Belle Brunk, on the extreme left, is a second cousin once removed of Mabel Green in the lower right hand corner. Both are direct descendants of Benjamin Green (green highlight).

Not all members of each family are shown on the chart. Only the names needed to connect to a person buried in the cemetery are included. I’m afraid the chart would have been illegible if I had included everyone. (There are those who will argue that it is illegible now, but I’ve done the best I could. Zooming in will help. Certainly it is best when viewed on a large screen.)

Dayton and the Greens

John Green and the history of Dayton, La Salle County, Illinois

Author: Candace W