In the early years of the 1800's this area, with its broad prairies which were then only traversed in all directions by herds of deer and antelope along with the bands of Indians which lived and hunted in this region. This section of the country was at the time the undisputed home of the red man and no white man was then a citizen of what was to become Lee County. A few white settlers had tried unsuccessfully to stake their claim but were quickly run off by Indians.

In 1818 Illinois attained statehood and was rapidly sectioned off into areas known as counties. It would be some 21 years until the county of Lee would be formed.

The earliest settlement that was made within the county was where the City of Dixon now stands. The early part of 1828 would have a half-breed named Joseph Ogee build a log cabin and establish a ferry across the Rock River. A year later a post office was established with a man named John Gay becoming the postmaster. On April 11, 1830, John Dixon a native of New York came here and located. He and Ogee were the entire population at the time. It was shortly thereafter that Mr. Dixon would purchase the interest of Ogee for a reported $1,800 and the place then shortly became known as Dixon's Ferry.

The Black Hawk War which was a fierce and bloody struggle lasting for several months kept the growth of Dixon's Ferry and the surrounding country from becoming inhabited. But in two to three years after the war, with the Indians having all been removed, settlers began to migrate to this beautiful area.

One such person was Zachariah Melugin who came to Dixon's Ferry on his way to the mining country in Galena. Being out of money he asked John Dixon for help. he was a blacksmith by trade, so Mr. Dixon furnished him with a set of tools. He abandoned his trip to the mines, settled and worked at his trade here until 1834.

James P. Dixon had received a contract for carrying mail from Chicago to Dixon's Ferry and it became necessary to establish a station some distance southeast of Dixon. Mr. Melugin quit his job as blacksmith and went to an area where the station would have to be located and made the first settlement in the county aside from Dixon's Ferry. This area became known as Melugin's Grove.

Organization Of Lee County

Previous to 1836, Jo Davies County embraced all of the northwest part of the state, which included the present territory of Lee and was called the Rock River precinct of Jo Davies County. In December of 1836, Ogle County was organized and now the territory of Lee was part of Ogle County. On the 27th of February, 1839 the act of the General Assembly creating Lee County was approved and it became a law recognizing Lee as one of the counties of the commonwealth.

It was shortly thereafter on the 31st of May that Dixon was selected as the capital of the county. The County of Lee was named in honor of Richard "Lighthorse" Henry Lee, an orator and popular statesman of the Revolutionary Period. The county lies between 41 and 42 degrees of North Latitude. Its Longitude is about 12 degrees and 30 minutes west. It is bounded on the north by Ogle County, on the west by Whiteside, on the south by Bureau and LaSalle, and on the east by DeKalb. The county runs 36 miles east and west, and by 22 miles north and south. There are 22 townships located within which comprises 792 square miles or 506,880 acres.

Pioneering Spirit

The stories of early settlers which ventured across this vast land that we now call the United States along with the recollections of their early treks, some of which have been preserved in family bibles, books and family tales are just as interesting today as when they occurred.

As the population of the country steadily moved Westward, those that perhaps had left many of the cities, towns and villages in the East with the then modern day comforts and conveniences, only to venture into the wilderness were appropriately called pioneers.

For the adventures that would be shared and the trails they would open to others that would follow them, would leave its mark in history. The hardships were many, some giving up and returning to their points of departure. Others, steadfast and unwavering ventured onward to the unknown, but with expectation and hope for a better life.

Those that settled in this area of the Rock River Valley would encounter some hardships but not nearly as severe as others who would venture further West through the plains and mountainous regions. For those that stayed here and started a new life with only what a wagon could carry, would find that there was plenty of good land and an abundance of food and water. But why Illinois? And why this particular area?

There were several reasons why people chose to come to this area later to be called Lee County, in what was designated as the "Great Illinois Country." The love of adventure and the sights of new scenes brought some pioneers West. These were men much in the spirit of Daniel Boone. Others came with the idea of quickly making great profits in the new country. But most of those early settlers came because of the vision that here an opportunity existed to buy cheap land, to establish new homes and to give to their families a far better living than they could back East.

Due to the panic in 1837, times were hard in the Eastern part of the country. In Europe, because of the number of recent wars, times there were bad also. Additionally, many of the Eastern States only allowed property owners to vote. This excluded a vast number of people who were just as interested in their government and its issues.

In Illinois, from its earliest days, the state gave the right to vote to any man who had lived in the state a year and could pay their county tax. Other significant factors were many of the settlers came with the idea of working in the lead mines at Galena, at least part of the year, or of profiting in some way through the seasonal migration of people to Galena. It would be a lucrative business, many thought, for travelers must have food and shelter along their journeys.

In 1837 land was cheap, yet at $2 per acre, with a minimum of 640 acres, few people could buy it. But it was shortly afterward the price of land was lowered to $1.25 per acre, with a new minimum now set at 40 acres. Many could now afford to buy enough land for a really large farm.

The thick groves of tall oak trees and areas along waterways provided the best home sites as these were quickly gobbled up. The trees would provide logs for a home, firewood, material for furniture, fencing and shade during the summer days.

Pioneer homes in the early stages within this region were all very much alike. They were made of unhewed logs, chinked with wood and plastered over with clay mortar. Shakes for the roof were made of split trees, as was the floor. If shelves for dishes and pans were made, they were usually done by boring holes in the logs and driving long pins in, then laying boards across the pins.

The room was warmed by a fireplace which also served for cooking. Bread was often made by being baked in iron kettles with iron covers, the kettle being placed in one side of the fireplace and then covered with coals and ashes.

Corn was the staple food and found its way served in a variety of forms, bread, pudding, hominy and mush. Mills were located far away as a rule, so often the corn had to be pounded into a rough meal at home. Sweets consisted of wild honey and maple syrup.

Wild fruits, such as plums, cherries, crabapples, grapes and berries were used and often were dried for use in the winter months. Nuts were usually plentiful in wooded areas. As soon as settlers were able to raise their own pork and beef, they then did their own butchering. Most of the meat was dried or cured for later use.

The endurance, fortitude and will of the pioneer was strong. And so it was, a simple life filled with hardship and often tragedy, but the "pioneer" endured and conquered the obstacles placed before them. For those that lasted, it opened new trails for those that would follow in their footsteps.

Growth And Prosperity

In 1840 the population of the county was 2,035, by 1845 it had risen to3,282, with 1850 showing a rapid rise to 5,289. By 1870 the county population had grown to 27,252. Homes, places of business, and industrial undertakings were springing up and modern school buildings were replacing cabins.

Undoubtedly the railroads played a significant part in the development of the county. Towns sprang up all along the routes. Compton, Amboy, Ashton, Franklin Grove, all started to prosper for now there was a way of moving farm goods and materials easily and rapidly back and forth with major areas such as Chicago and Peoria.

Gone are the days with the sound of the pioneer's axe, waging destruction to the tall majestic forest trees, the stillness and monotony which later on became broken by the shrill whistle of the "iron horse" or the almost ceaseless hum of machinery that filled the air.

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