Inlet is located in Section 9 and was the first settlement of Lee Center township. It was located on the banks of Inlet Creek, now known as Green River. It was a gathering place for thieves, counterfeiters, fence men and even murderers. One of the particular thief's house was used as a hiding place for all stolen goods. These banditti were not only located in Illinois or Lee Center but also extended from ohio and Kentucky to Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin - but their favorite and main meeting place was Inlet. This part of the country was hilly and rugged with ravines and dense forests which made it possible for giving better protection and hiding places.

A group of settlers in Inlet Grove, namely, Sherman Shaw, Charles Ingalls, Rev. Hitchcock, Dr. R.F. Adams, Moses Crombies, Louis Clapp, Benjamin Whittaker, and a Mr. Starks and his sons, resolved to rid Inlet Grove of these "banditti." Through their heroic efforts, these men freed Inlet of the banditti. This group of settlers were known as the "Vigilance Committee." Because of the banditti, settlers moved further to the northwest and established in 1846 the village of Lee center on the Chicago Road. This caused a lot of rivalry and hard feelings between the two settlements. Lee Center is now the polling place for Lee center township. The name Lee Center was given to the settlement because of its location - approximately in the center of Lee County.

The abolition movement in Lee county had its origin in Inlet and Lee Center. The first abolitionist society was formed in 1846 in a log schoolhouse one mile west of Lee Center. This first movement was led by John Cross, a Congregational minister, who also kept an underground station helping get escaped Negroes into Canada. Owen Lovejoy made a rousing speech against slavery here. A Free Soil club with Russell Linn as president was also organized.

In 1834, Adolphus Bliss came to Inlet and was the first settler in Lee Center township. In 1836, he was followed by Joseph Sawyer, Daniel Miller Dewey and Charles West. Adolphus Bliss and Daniel Miller Dewey were mistakenly sent to prison for supposedly committing a robbery at Troy Grove that two men named Fox and Birch really committed. Bliss died in the penitentiary and Dewey never returned to Inlet. The man named Fox also committed a robbery at the Haskel residence in Inlet. During a severe thunderstorm, Fox crawled on the floor of the Haskel home until he reached the trunk under the bed where the Haskels were lying awake talking. With each clap of thunder, Fox moved the trunk out unheard.

Many hardships struck the settlers of Lee Center in those first fewyears of settlement. In 1844, along with the Haskel robbert, many others took place. Also during the reign of the "banditti" many murders took place. In 1860 a tornado struck the northern part of Lee Center township, taking everything in its path. Isaac Gage, a resident of Lee Center, lost two sons in the storm and his daughter was disabled as a result of the storm. The Lee Center churches were moved from their foundations by the tornado of 1860, but the destruction wasn't complete until 1862 when another more fierce tornado struck again. This tornado destroyed the Methodist Episcopal church.

The first school in Lee Center township was built in 1836 of logs at the edge of a timber near Bliss house. The first teacher was Otis Timothy. There was no bridge across Green river, so that the children on the opposite side had to take off their shoes and stockings and wade across. Lee Center Union academy was started in 1846 and Moses Crombie did all of the carpentry work on the building. The building was constructed of bricks of clay found around Lee Center. In 1853, a stone addition was built onto the old academy. Hiram McChesney was the first principal of the academy, and its affairs were directed by seven trustees and five special directors.

In September, 1913, Mrs. Abigail L. haskel, widow of George E. Haskel, attended a ceremony dedicating a building erected through her generous contribution. The odd Fellows used the upper part of this building for their lodge meetings and banquets. Thee was a kitchen in the basement. On the main floor there was a large store room which has now been converted into a grocery store and is operated by Earl McNinch at the present time.

A lime kiln located at the north end of the quarry east of Lee Center was owned by Conrad Ullrich and operated by his three sons, Chris, George and John. The kiln was used to burn lime and then was sold. These men used to sleep by the lime kiln all night to keep the fire going. At this time there was no water in the quarry and their machinery was in the large hole to collect the lime to burn. One night they went home and the next morning when they returned they found the quarry full of water and their machinery in it. Ever since there has been water in this quarry.

In 1837, the Methodist Episcopal congregation was organized at the residence of C.R. Dewey. The church building was erected in 1842, and services were carried on in this building until 1858, when it was necessary to build a larger one.

The Congregational society was organized at the residence of Moses Crombie, near Binghamton in 1843. It consisted of 11 members. The Rev. Joseph Gardner was the first pastor. The church building was built in 1856 at the cost of $1500.

The Episcopal congregaiton was organized in 1855, and the building was erected in the same year at the cost of $2500.

The Masonic lodge, No 146 was organized July 28, 1854. It obtained its charter in October of the same year. This lodge was the second of its kind organized in Lee county.

The first post office was run by a Mr. Barker, where William Hart now lives on the Lee Center high school property. Mr. Barker had a Negro boy who carried the mail from either Galena or Dixon before Amboy was established. After this, a Mr. Chadwick ran the post office in the present place where Mrs. Ada Carlson resides.

Sabin Trowbridge ran a general office too. He ran both until his death. Then his wife sold the store to Sylvester Shaw, who in turn sold it to the Leavens and Gray company, which consisted of William Gray, Mr. Leavens, Charles Champlan and A. F. Jeanblanc. It was run for a number of years under the company's name. Then a Mr. Peterson bought the store and ran it for a few years.

After Mrs. Trowbridge sold the store to Mr. Shaw, Shaw's daughter took over the post office for a number of years. After she discontinued the post office, S.L. Fair ran it. At this time all mail was being brought from Amboy by horse and buggy. A.F. Jeanblanc carried the mail for four years. Then the mail was carried by a Mr. Dixon. After him Mrs. Mary Riley carried it for about four years. Then came free delivery from Amboy.

The old store building known as the Blake property, was rented as a school in 1909 and 1910. The board of directors consisted of S. L. Shaw, John Smith and B.F. Lane. the first principal in 1909-1910 was Mr. Moon. In 1910-1913, the principal was John Price, Miss Steinacker followed Mr. Price and started a two year high school. In 1913, a three year high school was started. Mr. Helbish became principal in 1920-23 and during his term a new addition was added and was known as "the little room." The gymnasium was the Odd Fellows hall. During 1831-34 Mr. Jones became principal. Duirng this time the bus system was started and the school building burned down. For a time then school was held in a large building known as the Carlson home.

An election to issue $30,000 worth of bonds to build a school large enough for both grade and high school was held on August 31, 1931. Even though this bill was defeated, a determined board of education went ahead with plans for building. With the addition of a gymnasium in 1935, the building was completed at an approximate cost of $51,000. In 1938 there were 50 pupils in grade school and 60 in high school. In 1951, there are now approximately 120 in grade school adn 80 in high school. Walter Wilson now serves as principal.

A railroad was built in 1910. It was a street car route from the main street of AMboy through Lee Center to Middleberry. The street car stopped operating in 1916. A steam engine then took its place and pulled cars from Amboy to Lee Center and on to Middleberry. This railroad was taken from Lee Center in 1942. Now the grain elevator uses the railroad to pull cars of grain and coal, etc. to Amboy and return.

Lee Center is surrounded by rich farming land. Land which was once a combination of swamp, prairie grass and forests has been turned into productive soil. In 1850 the population of Lee Center was 292. In 1860 it was 763; in 1870 it was 1028; and in 1880 it was 1229. At present, 1951, the population is a little over 250. The community has declined probably as a result of the C.B. & Q railroad not being put through Lee Center, and because it was not made the county seat.

The quaint little village of Lee Center today contains a general store, two garages, an elevator, a trucking business, a telephone office, a post office, one church and one school building. Part of the church is at the present time being used as a temporary addition to the school and houses the first and second grades. Because the town is not incorporated, Lee Center lacks many modern improvements, such as city water and street lights. Driving through Lee Center today may take you a step back into the past, for it is indeed a picturesque village with its old homes and buildings and the aura of old folk lore only adds to its charm.

Dixon Evening Telegraph 1951 by Mrs. Wayne Albers

Out of the rivalry and fear of bandits, Lee center was placed on the map right in the center of Lee County. Named because it was the "center" in 1846, Lee Center m ight never have been the quiet little community it is today if bandits, thieves and murderers had not forced people out of nearby Inlet in the early days of the village.

Actually bandits, thieves, counterfeiters and murderers were the first to settle in Lee Center Township, at a settlement called Inlet on the banks of Inlet Creek, now known as a branch of the Green River. A vigilance committee finally ousted badmen from the area and later moved northward to establish Lee center. Inlet, the village of thieves, was set on the hilly banks of the creek with the houses built and owned exclusively by thieves. One of these home was also designated as a hiding place for stolen goods and where machines used to make counterfeit bills were stored. The bandits were not just from Lee County and the surrounding area, but were from Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin. Inlet was the favorite place to meet because of the hilly and rugged land, dense forests and ravines. Most settlers agreed the terrain made it a great place for bandits to hide.

Sherman Shaw, the Rev. Mr. Hitchcock, Dr. R.F. Adams, Moses Crombie, Louis Clapp, Benjamin Whittaker and a man known as Stark formed the Vigilance Committee and their goal was to oust the thieves from the area. These and other settlers succeeded in running most of the bandits out of the area. It was after the badmen had been run out that the rivalry between Inlet and Lee center began. Early Inlet settlers moved to the northwest out of the bandit infested settlement and established Lee Center. For a long time the rivalry continued until the population of Inlet dwindled and the community of Lee Center grew. Starting in 1834 the Lee Center and Inlet area was terrorized by bandits. The first known settler of Lee Center Township, Adolphus Bliss, who arrived in 1834, was branded as a thief and sent to prison for a robbery he never committed. Bliss and a man named Daniel Miller Dewey, who came in 1836, were wrongfully accused of a robbery at Troy Grove. Bliss died while in prison and Dewey never returned to the area. A man known as "Fox," along with another man named "Birch," actually committed the robbery. "Fox" was one of the more daring robbers in the area and committed a notorious robbery at the Haskel home in Rural Lee center. "Fox" was alleged to have crawled on the floor of the Haskel home during a severe thunderstorm and with each clap of thunder, moved a trunk out from under the bed whee the Haskets laid awake talking.

Lee Center and Inlet have been acknowledged as sites where the county abolition movement originated. In 1846 an old log school house west of Lee Center was used for the forming of the first abolition society. The Rev. John Cross, a congregationlist, led the movement. The Rev. Mr. Cross maintained an underground station to help Negros flee into Canada. The robberies and the bandits were only part of the hardships the community had to survive. Murdes were committed, with the killers escaping convictions, and then, just when it seem the badmen were gone, a tornado struck the area. It was in 1860 when the tornado struck the northern part of the township. It took many homes and established buildings. The Isaac Gage family of Lee Center was the hardest hit. Gage lost two sons and his daughter was disabled as a result of the storm. The storm moved churches from their foundations, but they were not damaged beyond use. Two years later a second tornado swept through destroying more homes and demolishing the Methodist Episcopal Church. A school built of logs was all it was in 1836, with the first schoolmaster of Lee center being Otis Timothy. Since there was no bridge to cross the INlet Creek, children had to take off their shoes and wade across the river or skate across durng the winter to get to school. Residents of Lee Center did not wait long to establish a school at the academy level. The village laid out in the mid 1840's planned and built the school in 1847 with finishing touches coming in 1848.

Known as the Lee center Union Academy it was constructed of bricks and clay found around the Lee Center area. Moses Crombie did all the carpentry work. A stone addition was later build in 1853. The first principal of the academy was Hiram McChesney. The school was headed by seven trustees and five special directors. In the early days the school attained such an outstanding reputation that students from Mt. Morris and Rockford attended classes. The educational institution of Lee Center also drew students from out of state. The academy flourished during the 1850's and at one time employed four instructors for an enrollment of 200. Simeon Wright was the man given the most credit for raising the Lee Center Union Academy to such high standards. Wright later became the state superintendent of schools. As the village grew, new buildings popped up. First the new school and then in 1913 a building was dedicated thanks to contributions from Mrs. Abigail L. Haskel, widow of george E. Haskel. The upper level of the new building was used by the Old Fellows. The basement was a kitchen and the main floor was basically used as a storeroom which was later transformed to a grocery stoor.