Source: Portrait & Biographical Album of Whiteside County, IL
Published 1885
Chapman Bros.
Chicago, IL

Transcribed by: Denise McLoughlin
Tampico Area Historical Society
www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com

Pages 807-809

CIVIL GOVERNMENT

January 16, 1836, an act was passed by the General Assembly of the State naming and establishing the present boundaries of Whiteside County, as follows: “All that tract of country within the following boundary, to-wit: Commencing at the southeast corner of township No. 19 north, of range 7 east, of the fourth principal meridian; thence west with the said township line to Rock River; thence down the middle of Rock River to the middle of the Meredosia, with the line of rock Island County, to the Mississippi river; thence along the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River to the point where the north line of township 22 intersects the same; thence east with the said last mentioned township line to the southeast corner of township 23; thence south with the line between ranges 7 and 8, to the point of beginning, shall constitute a county to be called Whiteside.”

The question has frequently arisen as to whom the honor was conferred upon in naming the county. Hon. E. B. Washburne investigated the question most thoroughly. After giving the opinion of Hon. John T. Stuart, of Springfield, that the county was named for no member of the

Whiteside family in particular, and of Hon. William Thomas, of Jacksonville, who said that he “had a distinct recollection of being informed when the bill was pending in the Senate that it was called for the father of John D. Whiteside, afterwards State Treasurer,” Mr. Washburne said: “The John D. Whiteside alluded to by Judge Thomas was a very prominent man in the history of our State and time, and was the son of the old pioneer, Col. William Whiteside. He was a member of the State Senate, from Monroe County, at the time the bill was passed creating Whiteside County in 1836, which might have given color to the idea that the county was named after his father. But my judgment is that it was named after Gen. Samuel Whiteside. He had resided at an early day at what was then called the “Galena country,” was known by the people, identified with their interests, and had been a leading figure in the Black Hawk War. I am strengthened in this belief from the fact that the bill creating Whiteside and other counties, was introduced in the Senate by the then Senator from this district, Col. James M. Strode, who himself commanded a regiment in the Black Hawk War, and who was attached to the command of Gen. Whiteside, and knew him well. It was, therefore, much more natural for him to give to the county the name of General Samuel Whiteside, who was so familiar with this section of the country, and who had been identified with its struggle, rather than to Col. William Whiteside. This is the opinion of Hon. Joseph Gillespie, who was an early pioneer of the Galen mining region, and mined for lead at “Snake Diggins,’ now Potosi, Wis., before the Black Hawk War.

“Distinguished as a lawyer and judge, Mr. Gillespie is probably as well posted in the early history of our State as any man in it. My acknowledgments are due to him for the following sketch of Gen. Samuel Whiteside. After enumerating the services he rendered in a military capacity, and which I have already stated, he says of him: ‘He never put any value on promotion in civil life, but seemed, indeed, to despise it. He could undoubtedly have succeeded to any civil place in his county if he had striven for it. He did, however, act as one of the Commissioners who selected Vandalia for the seat of government of Illinois, and I think aided in selecting the Canal lands. In matters of religion he sided with the Baptists, and in political affairs he co-operated with the Democrats. He was an honest man, and the only thing he was afraid of was being in debt. He believed with all his powers that what he believed was right, and it was rather a hard task to convince him that the opposite side might seem to be right. He thought there was but one right side to a question, and that all honest men would be apt to see it I the same light.

“He was a famous hunter and followed the chase as long as his strength permitted. He was thoroughly versed in wood-craft, and knew all the haunts and habits of wild animals to perfection. He loved to make long hunts and live in camp for weeks gether, and eat nothing but game. His hunting dress in early life was buckskin, and he wore moccasins while in the woods. It would have delighted him to attack a lion, or tiger, or grizzly bear. I believe he would have gone into the fight with as little dread on his mind as if he had a rabbit to contend with; and I have no doubt he would have employed the skill and means, in every instance, to enable him to come out without any risk or scratch. The writer knew of his killing three panthers on one occasion, and he did not seem to think he had performed a feat worthy of mention. He died Jan. 3, 1866, one mile and a half east of Mount Auburn, Christian Co., Ill., at the house of his son-in-law, John A. Henderson, with whom he had been living since 1855. Whiteside County, I have no doubt, was named in his honor. The county was formed in 1836, and he was the only Whiteside of note at that time.”

At the time the act was passed fixing the boundaries of the county, the territory comprising it formed a part of Jo Daviess County. By the latter county it was divided into three election precincts. What is now Gordon Township was attached to Elkhorn Grove precinct, which comprised also parts of Ogle, Lee an Carroll counties. Harrisburg precinct comprised the present townships of Sterling, Coloma, Montmorency, Hahnaman, and the est half of Tampico, Hopkins and Hume. Crow Creek precinct comprised all the rest of the county. An election was held in each of these precincts in August, 1836.

By the same act defining the boundaries of Whiteside, the county of Ogle was created, and on its organization Whiteside was attached to it for county and judicial purposes. The latter county reorganized the precincts, and in 1839 there were seven in number: Albany, Elkhorn, Fulton, Genesee, Little Rock, Portland and Union Grove.

Early in 1839 it was thought best the county of Whiteside should organize. Accordingly an election was ordered to be held May 6, 1839, for the election of county officers. It resulted as follows: Nathaniel G. Reynolds, Elijah Worthington and John B. Dodge, County Commissioners; James C. Woodburn, Sheriff; Daniel B. Young, Probate Justice; David Mitchell, County Treasurer; Charles R. Rood, County Surveyor; Augustine W. Newhall, Recorder; Ivory Colcord, Coroner; Guy Ray, Clerk of the County Commissioners; Court.

At this time of the organization of the county the civil government of counties was vested in a board of county commissioners, consisting of three members. In this connection are given some of the most important acts of the commissioners, as well as those officers who subsequently discharged the same duties.