SOME THINGS WHICH HAPPENED FIRST
During the infancy and growing stages of Lee County, events and
happenings occurred which were catorgized as a "first" for the county
and in many instances for the individuals involved. Here are but a
few of the many things which occurred for the first time.
The first and only term of court for Ogle County held while
joined with Lee, was held in Dixon, in September of 1837, with Judge
Dan Stone presiding. He appointed Thomas Ford to act as state's
attorney, and the first term of court was held in the blacksmith shop
of James Wilson, which by that time had its floor laid.
The act by the state legislature creating the county of Lee fixed
the time for an election of county commissioners on the first Monday
of August, 1839, at which time Charles F. Ingals of Inlet, Nathan R.
Whitney of Franklin Grove and James P. Dixon of Dixon were elected as
our first county commissioners. In the absence of a courthouse, the
first schoolhouse was selected in which to hold the first session of
what then was denominated the county commissioners' court.
For some unexplained reason, odd dates figured conspicuously in
the early affairs of Lee County. It was on Friday, the 13th of
September, in 1839, that Lee County began business. The first
business of the commissioners was to lay off Lee County into election
precincts.
The first precinct laid out which became No. 1 was known as Gap
Grove precinct and it comprised the territory known today as the
township of Palmyra. The house of William Martin was selected for the
first polling place in Gap Grove precinct and Thomas J. Harris,
William Johnson and William Martin were appointed first judges of
election.
Even in those days the subject of better roads was one of
paramount importance. The county commissioners' court which had
jurisdiction of the subject quickly became flooded with petitions to
review and relocate roads and parts of roads and also locate new
roads. The first road to come up for consideration before the court
was one leading from Dixon's Ferry to Bush's Ferry, down stream a
couple of miles.
Plans for the county,s first courthouse and first jail were taken
up and considered on Dec. 2, 1839. On December 26, the clerk was
ordered to make out specifications for building a courthouse and
jail.
On the next day the clerk submitted them, noting that the
courthouse must be of stone or brick and the jail of stone and
timber. The plans were accepted and filed and the clerk was ordered
to advertise for sealed proposals to be opened on Jan. 6, 1840.
This may well have been the county's first attempt at sealed bids
The contract for building the jail was awarded to Zenas Aplington and
G. G. Holbrook for the sum of $1,495 and for the faithful observance
of the contract, bond was required. Samuel M. Bowman was given the
contract for building the courthouse for the stipulated price of
$6,800 and bond was required. The extras which were not included in
the original specifications showed that Mr. Bowman was to receive an
additional $450,
On what was a day of joy with the promise of new buildings and a
growing community also came a day of sorrow. The first official
record that the county has of a death. Records show that Christopher
Brookner was ordered paid the sum of $9 for making a coffin in which
to bury Daniel Bremridge, and it became a county charge.
From the records it may be interesting to note that the first
marriage license in the county was issued Sept. 24, 1839, to Gustavus
Witzler and Louisa Dombach, who were married on October 10, by Smith
Gilbraith, and the license was registered with the clerk on October
16. But Mr. Witzler was not the first bridegroom. That honor goes to
the second man to get a marriage license. On Oct. 3, 1839, William
Hopps who had obtained license number two, was the first to wed, so
the record says. He and Miss Martha Smith were married by Rev.
Charles Morris, minister of the gospel, on October 5, and his license
was registered on October 9, thus taking the recognition of becoming
the "first."
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