History of Byron, Illinois

On July 1, 1835, as Jared W. Sanford traveled through the unsettled valley of the Sine-sepo or Rock River, he came upon a great horseshoe bend which caused the river to run east to west for a short distance. Sanford was traveling from Dixon's Ferry (now Dixon, Illinois) to Midway (now Rockford) where his brother Joseph was then employed. Impressed by this region with its rich soil, abundant water, and plentiful lumber, he paused long enough to place a claim stake and went on his way. His tales of the beautiful region to the south of Midway village so intrigued his brother and their friend Perry Norton, that the three of them then returned there ten days later and claimed nearly two sections of land along the river. That same day, all three returned to Midway, where Joseph went to work and Jared, along with Norton, prepared to return to the claims to erect cabins.

Returning to Fairview, the name given to the future settlement by Jared Sanford, the men laid the foundations for two cabins, a task which took them four days to complete. Both then returned to Midway. Norton then set about to purchase oxen to cultivate his claim, not an easy task, as he had to travel to Indian Creek, fifteen miles north of Ottawa, to find the needed animals.

In October, he returned to Fairview along with Miner York, Pardon Kimball, and a Mr. Rogers. York had purchased an interest in the earlier claim, and he, along with the others, proceeded to make rails for fencing their claims. While working on their fencing, the men lived in a crude rail shanty and bed of a wagon for 23 days. Upon completing the fencing, the men returned to Midway for the winter.

In the Spring of 18356, Norton returned to his claim. He found that others had arrived in the new settlement, and Fairview was a rapidly growing community. Pardon Kimball, Miner York, Sebra Phillips, and Jared Sanford spent part of the winter and spring together in a small log cabin measuring about 10 feet by 14 feet. This was located across the river from the present city. Other pioneer families began to arrive later in 1836, among them Silas St. John Mix, Asa Spalding, Allan Woodburn, Hiram Maynard, David Jevenal, Andrew Shepard, WIlliam Illingworth, and J.L. and Simon Spalding.

By the fall of the year, Mix had built a home in the community, which became the first house in the settlement. Other early settlers to arrive in 1836 were John Morrison, a Mr. Salvin, Lewis Carr, Samuel Patrick, Erastus Norton, and Seth Noble. Of these early settlers, Silas St. John Mix, Lucius Read, and Perry Norton lived out their lives in Byron and were buried in the Byron Cemetery.

Growth in the community was aided in 1836, when the Illinois State Legislature created a separate county of Ogle (containing present day Ogle and Lee Counties). Prior to this time, the area was part of Jo Davis with the county seat at Galena.

The new county contained settlements at Florence (Oregon), Dixon's Ferry (Dixon), and Grand Detour. Additional settlements were located at Brodies Grove (Creston), Flagg Township and Lafayette. In 1839, with the creation of Lee County, Ogle County reached its present boundaries.

Mail delivery to the community was slow, as Dixon's Ferry was the nearest post office, a distance of 25 miles. Sometime during late 1836, or early 1837, the name of the community was changed to Bloomingville and the United States Postal Service granted establishment of a post office in the settlement. Asa G. Spalding was chosen as the first postmaster.

The mail remained irregular until a new stage coach cline run by Frink & Walker opened up between Dixon's Ferry and Midway. Within a short period of time, the community would boast of twice a day mail, a far cry from the earlier weekly delivery. With thee establishment of the new post office, however, the Postmaster General insisted upon another change in the name of the community, since the newly chosen name might be confused with the already existing Bloomington or Bloomingdale. In 1837, the Sanfords and a Mr. Brown built thee first sawmill one and a half miles from Byron. This mill helped supply lumber for the growing community. William Wilkerson and Mr. Spoor followed soon after with a grist mill just west of town which ground the large quantities of wheat being raised in the area. By 1838, it was operating full time. This eliminated the need to travel to Dayton (near Dixon) or Elkhorn Grove or Newburg (on the Kishwaukee River) to have milling done.

The house built by Silas St. John Mix also became the first store to serve the community, as Mr. Mix sold goods out of the house beginning in 1837. The next home built was one of Byron Brick, which was built by Pardon Kimball for Lucius Read. The north portion of this house was maintained as a tavern, thus becoming the first of this type of establishment in Byron. The Lucius Read home remains in the community today, and is owned and operated by the Byron Museum District. Across the street, just south of the Read home, Samuel and Dudley Wood built a beautiful two-story hotel, later called the Pacific House.

When the War of Rebellion broke out in 1861, many Byron citizens stepped forward to enlist. Ogle County had no need to use a draft to fill a quota of men called by President Lincoln. Most volunteered in the 92nd Illinois Volunteers.

Familiar family names in the 92nd include Mix, Norton, Campbell, Spoor, Spalding, and Kimball. Major Albert Woodcock, a Byron teacher in 1855, helped organize Company K, 92nd Volunteer Mounted Infantry. Company K saw service at Franklin, Tulahoma, Chattanooga, and Chicamuaga. The Rev. Barton H. Cartwright of Byron served the 92nd regiment as Chaplain.

The community generally supported the efforts of the North during the War. There is only one report of a "peace meeting" being held in the community, and it was not well received by the citizens. The meeting was held in Deaver School House, and when the speaker was late, the citizens moved to adjourn the meeting and go home.

On September 27, 1865, a meeting was held in Byron to discuss the possibility of erecting a monument to the men who had served in the Civil War. As a result of this meeting, a Byron Monument Association was formed with I.W. Norton as president. A committee was empowered to begin the work on the project. The completed monument was dedicated on October 18, 1866, and stands as one of the first in the state in honor of those who "sacrificed their lives that we might enjoy the blessings and privileges of a country where equal rights prevail for the human race". (Byron Tribune, July 4, 1941)

The original monument was erected at a cost of $950, which increased to $1400 with the addition of the iron fencing and foundation work. The twelve foot tall marble shaft was topped by an eagle and stood on a stone base on a small grassy knoll at the intersection of Second and Chestnut streets. On three sides of the plinth reads the inscription, "In memory of the patriotic boys of Byron, who fell in subduing the Great Rebellion - 1861-1864". Along with the inscription, are the names of those who died in service during the Civil War.

In 1877, a second plinth was added with additional names at a cost of $300. In 1897, two cannons were added to the monument, one of which was used in service to the United States during the war.

On May 30, 1899, a bolt of lightning struck the monument shortly after the annual Memorial Day ceremony had concluded. The lightning bolt shattered the shaft and seriously damaged the eagle. When repairs were made, it was determined that replacing the eagle was not feasible. In 1963, the Byron Women's Club undertook the task of repairing the monument a second time. A new four-tiered cement base replaced the older, deteriorating one and the rusted iron fence was removed. The monument now stands largely as it was then, with the addition of a new wrought-iron fence.

Like other communities in thee region, Byron grew slowly, being largely dependent on agricultural interest. Two ferries provided access through the south and the east, but travel remained difficult over roads that were subject to the whims of nature. When the railroad arrived in Rockford by means of thee Chicago and Galena Railroad (Chicago and Northwestern), farmers could haul grain to that locale rather than longer, more difficult trips to Chicago.