Early Days in Lyman #1

Bela Foster of Roberts wrote about 50 different "Installments" for the Roberts Herald in 1935.

 

EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN

Bela Foster who is one of the early settlers in the community which is now Lyman Township has consented to write some of his impressions of those early days. As he came to the community in 1865 the earlier incidents were gotten by him from conversation with those who preceded him. Even the events of the later dates he secured in many cases from others... and many from his own personal observation.
In 1856-7-8 many people of the New England States came to Illinois some of them stopping in what is now Ford County, others going to other parts of this state. Some remained here and many returned to their eastern homes. It is very interesting to read of those early settlers who came to make a home for themselves and their posterity.
There were about fifteen or twenty families settled within the limits of the present town of Lyman during that period. One company of them came from New Haven, Connecticut. Mr. S. K. Marston was chosen captain of this group. They stopped at Chicago and ordered 100,000 feet of lumber to erect the necessary buildings. There were no houses here then except the Lyman House. Each family erected a temporary shanty to use until their houses could be erected. The land was bought from the Illinois Central Railway Company and the lumber was shipped on that road to Onarga. This road had recently been built and received a grant of land as mentioned later in this article.
The houses were framed in Chicago and were all alike except the slant of the roof and the ell and lean-to. These houses are all gone now except the one north of the L. G. Chambers farm and the one known as the Iler home.

 

--L. G. Chambers Farm, Section 4. 1916 Plat Lyman Township.

 

--B. F. Iler Farm.  Section 10.  1916 Plat Lyman Township.

 

The last three years of the sixth decade of the nineteenth century were very severe on these early settlers. Crops were short and the people were poor. The interest on their land purchases was due and they had no funds. It was said that the only man who had a respectable suit of clothes was Mr. Marston. He was sent to Chicago to interview the railway officials and succeeded in getting an extension of payment. By the use of faith and a large portion of economy they pulled through. Peas and rye were used for coffee, red root for tea, sorghum for sweetening, corn meal for bread, and meat was secured from the wild animals.

In the summer of 1859 feeling that they had a part in this great country they concluded that they ought to celebrate Independence Day. Collecting their best clothing and with rushed needle and thread made them look as neat as possible for the Fourth of July. They were to meet their neighbors perhaps dressed in their best. To the surprise of all they were all dressed alike, none void of patches. They collected at School Section Grove where Lyman Park is now which was then in heavy timber. (This was an error.  Bela F. describes in next issue.) Being their first public meeting they were shy of each other but soon became sociable. Mr. Eno read the Declaration of Independence. Their dinner consisted of baked beans, wild turkey, and corn bread. After this they had frequent public meetings.

(To be continued)

--Roberts Herald. 13 March 1935. Bela Foster.