The History of Peru

Situation of the City-Its early Settlement and Settlers-Passage of the Internal Improvement Act and Commencement of work on the Central Rail Road-Election of H. P. Woodworth to the Legislature-Election for Organization under the Borough Act-First Census-First Election of Trustees-First Religious Meeting.

The City of Peru is situated in the Westerly part of La Salle County, Illinois, on the Northern bank of the Illinois River, at the head of Navigation, and at the Junction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Distance from Chicago 100 miles, and from Saint Louis 230. The territory embraced within the corporated limits, is Sec. 16 and 17, and all those fractional parts of 20 and 21, which lie north of the river, Town 33, Range 1, East of the Third Principal Meridian, comprising an area of 1462 Acres.

The settlement of the site occupied by this City was commenced in the Spring of 1836, shortly after the passage of the act incorporating the Illinois and Michigan Central, which was to terminate at or near the mouth of the Little Vermilion, on land owned by the State. It was probably the most eligible site on lands owned by individuals. The Southwest quarter of Sec. 16 was laid out and sold by the School Commissioners in 1834, and called Peru. Ninawa Addition, located on the South East quarter of Sec. 17, and the North East fractional part of 20, upon which the most business part of Peru is at present situated, was owned originally by Lyman D. Brewster, who died in the fall of 1835. It was plated and recorded in 1836, by Theron D. Brewster, at present a leading and influential citizen.

In 1835 the only residents of that portion of territory now occupied by the cities of Peru and La Salle were Lyman D. Brewster, his nephew T. D. Brewster, John Hays and family, Peltiah and Calvin Brewster, Samuel Lapsley and Burton Ayres. In the Spring of 1835, the first building-a store-was erected in Peru by Ulysses Spaulding and H. L. Kinney, late of Central American notoriety. On the 4th July 1836, the first shovel full of earth was excavated upon the Canal. No considerable population was attracted to the town until 1837. Among the people who made this place their home in that and the following years, were Wm. Richardson, J. P. Judson, S. Lisle Smith and his brother Doctor Smith, Fletcher Webster, Daniel Townsend, P. Hall, James Mulford, James Myers, Wm. and Chas. Dresser, Harvey Wood, N. B. Bullock, Jesse Pugsley, Ezra McKinzie, Nathaniel and Isaac Abraham, J. P. Thompson, John Hoffman, C. H. Charles, Asa Mann, Lucius Rumrill, Cornelius Cahill, Cornelius Cokeley, David Dana, Zimri Lewis, Daniel McGin, S. W. Raymond, Geo. B. Martin, Wm. H. Davis, Geo. W. Holley, Geo. Low, M. Mott, F. Lebeau, A. Hyatt, Ward B. Burnett, O. C. Motley, Wm. Paul, H. P. Woodworth, H. S. Beebe, Harvey Leonard, &c.

At the Session of the Legislature of 1836, the Internal Improvement act was passed, incorporating the Central Rail Road, which was subsequently located upon the same general route as is followed by the present Illinois Central Rail Road, crossing the river at Peru. Operations were commenced on both sides of the river in 1838. During this season very extensive improvements were made, large accessions of population took place, and the settlement began to assume the appearance of a town. In 1839 the whole country was on the top wave of prosperity. Large forces were employed upon both the Canal and Rail Road-numerous other works being contemplated, all terminating at Peru, of course-and the disbursements were large. The town shared the general prosperity. In this year H. P. Woodworth was elected [Transcriber's Note: Error, he was defeated, see the Errata] to the Legislature from La Salle County, which then embraced the present territory of Kendall and Grundy, receiving in Peru 528 votes, being the largest vote ever polled in the precinct, before or since.

On the 6th of December 1838 the inhabitants assembled at the tavern of Zimri Lewis, and organised a meeting by the appointment of H. S. Beebe, Chairman, and J. B. Judson, Secretary, and voted to take the preliminary steps for organizing the town as a borough under the general Incorporation Act. At a census taken the same month there were found to be within the limits proposed to be embraced in the Borough, to wit: The South half of Section 16, the South East quarter of Section 17, and all that part of Section 20 lying North of the river-about one square mile.

Males over 21 years of age 175

Females and minors 251

Total 426

On the 15th of December an election was held to decide upon such organization with the following result.

For organization 40

Against organization 1

On the same day an election was held for Trustees which resulted in the election of M. Mott, F. Lebeau, C. H. Charles, Z. Lewis and O. C. Motley. The Board elected Z. Lewis, President; T. D. Brewster, Clerk; Z. Lewis, jr. Constable; and James Myers, Assessor. On the 1st of April 1839, O. C. Motley resigned and H. P. Woodworth was elected in his place. D. J. Townsend was afterwards appointed Street Commissioner.

The first religious meeting assembled in the locality was held in the early part of this year, in a log shanty, in the western part of the town. This meeting was attended by about a dozen young reprobates who concerted, that if the preacher should confine himself to what they should judge to be the "appropriate sphere of his duties," should preach piety and righteousness in the abstract without making any particular application thereof, or rebuking any particular practice cherished by these self constituted censors, and should abstain from all offensive personal or local allusions, the most decorous propriety was to be observed. But if, on the contrary, he should see fit to indulge in any reproof of evil practices which they were conscious the community had credit for, whether justly or not, the indignity was to be instantly resented. In pursuance of this concert they repaired to the place of worship, each provided with a tobacco pipe well filled, and a match. During the preliminary exercises and a portion of the sermon the most respectful attention and devout bearing were manifested; but when the preacher unfortunately indulged in illusions, believed by these censors to be intended to have a direct local application, a rap on the bench was made as a signal by the leader, and instantly twelve matches were struck and twelve pipes lighted. No smile was seen and no word was spoken; but twelve sedate and imperturbable smokers tugged vigorously at their pipes. The room was soon filled with the smoke and aroma; and after a few attempts at rebuke, ejaculated between stifled spasms of coughing, the preacher incontinently left; but not without making a stand at the door, where a few comparatively pure respirations were obtained, and hurling back some rather unchristian anathemas upon the graceless and sacrilegious scamps, whose scandalous conduct had so unceremoniously put him to flight, and upon the people by whom they were tolerated. Of course, "the better part of community" set the seal of their disapprobation upon such disreputable and disorderly proceedings.

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