HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
641
Probably the first saw-mill to be operated in the county was built by Captain C. B. Dodson and Mr. Archibold Clybourn, at Clybournville, on Mill Creek a little below the fine city of Batavia. Some twenty or thirty rods above the present highway and tramway bridge over Mill Creek, a portion of the foundation timbers of the old mill-flume may still be seen at the bottom of the east side of the creek, and a part of the carriage that guided and conveyed the logs to the saw, with the iron-dogs that held one end of them in place, are exhibited near the pavilion of the park. A few of the stately white-oak trees of the olden time still stand as beautiful souvenirs of the former splendid timber of the country, in the lovely "Mill Creek Park," that is now the easily accessible resort of thousands of pleasure-seekers during the summer picnic season. Dodson and Clybourn also opened a store for trade with the Indians, and it was often well filled with pelts taken in exchange for goods. The mill was a marvel and delight to the Indians. In amazement they would silently watch the log press forward against the swift up-and-down flying saw, but when the man in charge stopped and reversed the motion, and the log started back to be reset for another cut, their astonishment was beyond stoic bounds, and they would break forth with expressions and antics of the most extravagant amazement and delight. The old mill and store, and all they who then acted there their little part in that half-civilized, half-savage life, are but memories of man's puny efforts on the shoreless stream of time. A little longer the old oaks will stand, yet soon they too, with these men and their works, shall pass and be no more, but the beautiful brook shall murmur on forever.
About 1838 or 1839 George and Calvin Tyler began operating a saw-mill on the creek bearing their name, and John Hill commenced running a like mill on Popple Creek. It should be remembered that all these constructions were upon Government land to which the occupants had no title whatever, depending simply upon occupancy.
The first bridge to span the river was erected at Aurora in 1836, and in the same year one was built at St. Charles. Bridges were constructed at Schneider's mill, at Batavia, at Geneva and at Elgin in 1837, and at Dundee in 1838. The first Carpentersville bridge was built in 1851.
These bridges also stood upon unsurveyed Government land and they were built by individual subscriptions of money, material or labor, and the copy of the papers relating to the Dundee bridge indicates substantially the method of operation in each case. They read as follows:
"We. the subscribers, promise to pay to Thomas Deweese, Charles Metcalf and George McClure the sums by us respectfully subscribed, for the purpose of building a frame bridge across Fox River at or near the present crossing of said river, a little above T. Deweese's mill. We also authorize the said Deweese, Metcalf and McClure, or a majority of them, to let a job of said bridge to the lowest bidder, and generally superintend the erection and completion of the same, and to see generally to the faithful expenditure of the money. Those who subscribe to pay in cash are not to be called on for payment until the frame of said bridge is erected, but those who may subscribe payable in labour or materials, will pay when called on by said committee. Payments are to be made to the person contracting on" the order of the committee, surplus money, if any, to be expended in improving the road." Signed, "John Oatman, $100; Jesse Oatman, $25; Hardin Oat-man, $25; Joseph Oatman, $25; John Oatman, $15; Charles Metcalf, $15; Thomas L. Shields, $25; Benjamin Bell, $10; Seth Green, $10; Ira Earl, $5; David Deweese, $5; George Hammer, $5; Isaac Hammer, $5; Jesse H. Newman, $10; Thomas Deweese, $100; Samuel Underbill, $25; James B. Parker, $15; Thomas H. Thompson, $10; Benjamin Moore, $10; Thomas Burbank, $10; Fred Ashbaugh, $10; Thomas Perry, $10; Salisbury Lang, $10, together with a number of other names so worn and obliterated as to be undecipherable.
The above paper bears no date, but a supplemental subscription, dated August 1, 1838, was circulated, in which money, material, work or grain was solicited; and this paper named as the building committee, Increase C. Bosworth, Jesse Oatman, Seth Greene, Thomas Deweese and Edward W. Austin. This committee let the contract for constructing the bridge to Edward W. Austin, George W. Hoit and Thomas H. Thompson, who agreed to erect a bridge with abutments "190 feet apart, with four piers between, ten feet high and made of hewed timber," etc., and complete the same by March 1,
