Let's go on an imaginary trip through La Salle county early in the
nineteenth century. We are on horseback and have just arrived in La Salle
county.
As we near an opening we hear sounds. Chop! Chop! Upon drawing
nearer we see a log cabin which was recently erected, and another whose erection
has just been started. As we proceed still nearer a man comes to meet us, and in
a hospitable manner asks us to stay awhile and rest. Being weary, we accept the
invitation. We tie our horses in a barn which is made of logs and somewhat
resembles the log cabin in appearance. We wander off to watch the erection of
the cabin. Of course, we ask a few questions:
"What is this tool?"
"Why, it is a frowl, used to split logs into clapboards and shingles. It is
driven by this wooden hammer."
"What is this bench used for?"
"That is used to hold the shingles while shaving them."
"How does it
work?"
"You put the shingles under that extending plank. Then sit on the
plank on the legs, press on the little foot pedal (that holds it). Have your
drawknife handy and shave it to the thickness desired."
We then walk
over to watch the erection of the cabin. There are several men at work, some
cutting logs, others carrying them, while others cut notches in the logs, and
still others fixing notches in the logs so that they fit tightly together, and
then tacking them with wooden spikes.
We must now go on into the
occupied cabin, for the wife has called us to dinner. Upon one glance around the
room we see a large fireplace projecting from the center of one side of the
room, with a blazing log in it. On the other side of the room stands a table
made of a log. There are two log benches at its sides and several benches at its
ends. In one corner sits Granny spinning at a large spinning-wheel. After we
finish our dinner we sit around the exterior of the cabin and talk.
By
one o'clock we are again continuing our journey. How beautiful the region is,
with its leaved trees and birds singing at their tops, with here and there a
nest among the branches, while around the trunks of the trees the violets,
spring beauties, leopard tongues and many other wild flowers can be seen in full
bloom.
Just at the dusk of day, when the sun sends forth its radiant
rays at setting, we see in the distance a log cabin. We soon stop here and
inquire about a night's lodging. They first ask us if we can play a violin.
Answer, yes. They give us as a reason for asking the question the announcement
of a dance which is to be held that evening and their need of an extra player,
and add: "If you will play you may have a night's lodging."
We eat
supper and just finish when the violinist and caller come. It is quite a while
before the dancers will come, so we sit around and talk. The dancers begin to
arrive, so we tune up the fiddles. When everyone arrived the violins broke forth
with "Turkey in the Straw."
"Now your partners for a square dance! Form
a circle. First couple up to the center and back again, up to the center and
cast off, six with three on a side! Swing as you meet! Up to the center and cast
off four, two on a side," etc., called the caller.
We dance all evening,
and to at least one or two o'clock in the morning.
After we eat our
breakfast next morning we are on our way again, but we are not alone, for some
members of the family who are going to visit a sick neighbor several miles away,
ride with us. We ride along, when all at once one remarks, "Why not stop and
view Starved Rock?" "We can if you like," is the reply.
So we stop for a
while. We climb up on top of the rock, which is the place where many Indians
plunged into the Illinois river when they were driven upon the rock to starve.
'Twas thus it got its name, Starved Rock. We wander around and pick flowers. We
walk until we come to a beautiful canyon, now known as French canyon.
But we must now be on our way, for it is getting late.
One of the aged
men tells us a little more about the history of Starved Rock. He said, "The
Iroquois, a large and forceful tribe of Indians, had their main location in
Illinois. Large villages were established all over the state. Some in La Salle
county were at Utica, near Starved Rock, Ottawa and La Salle. One site was
located in the Starved Rock vicinity, which has stood so majestically for
thousands of years, washed by the swift current of the river, bathing its feet
on one side, its summits overlooking the broad valley and many wood-clad
mountains for many miles above and below it. It is a fit monument to the great
departed who had during many long years of peace and security looked upon its
hugeness as a safe refuge in case of disaster. Alas! if it was to be secure
against the approach of human hands, famine could scale it and do its deadly
work. There is and ever will be a charm about the place, both for its own
romantic surroundings and the melancholy story of bloody scenes it has looked
upon. This cruel deed was done by many of our ancestors who drove the Indian
upon that bare rock to starve. Some of the Indians even leaped off the rock to
keep from getting into the hands of the whites and to not have the suffering of
starvation. Thus 'twas named Starved Rock."
Our trail now brings us to
the parting place. We say good-bye and proceed on to the end of our journey,
which ends with this story and sets us forward to 1932.
Extracted 08 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from Stories of Pioneer Days in La Salle County, Illinois, by Grammar Grade Pupils, published in 1932, page 103.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
 |
Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
