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Community of LeRoy
Reminiscences
Thomas Buck
McLean County, Illinois

(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

An interesting paper was read on May 14. 1915 by Thomas Buck at the McLean County Historical Society meeting: The original town of LeRoy, 28 blocks, was laid out by Gridley and Covel in 1835, and has been enlarged until it covers more than one section of land and is still growing. A few families were in LeRoy in 1836: Edgar Conkling, Dr. Moran, Amos Neal, Hiram Patterson. Moses Kimler. and Leonard P. Morron. Hiram Buck came to Illinois in 1833, and to LeRoy in 1837; James Wiley in 1837; Daniel Proctor in 1837; Stephen Conkling, Harmon Buck and families in 1839. They were millwrights by trade and built the first steam saw and grist mill on the south side of town in 1840. It was of great benefit to this community to have our wheat and corn made into flour and meal at home. A little later, Josiah Horr introduced a wool carding machine and we thought it great when we could have our wool made into rolls right here. All the farmers kept some sheep, and homemade clothes were in style, and the spinning w-heels were kept whizzing. The first schoolhouse was built in 1839. and David P. Bunn taught the first school in it in 1840. It is still standing only a few rods from where it was built, two blocks north of the park on the Pete Hendryx block, west of the Thompson house and facing north on the I.C.R.R. The Methodist Church was built about the same time just west of the Alfred Morris residence. John Baddely started a town one-half mile south of the southwest corner of LeRoy, and named it Monroe. He was running a general store there in 1834, but Gridley and Covel gave him a certain number of lots if he would move his building to LeRoy. He did, on the ground where the Christian Church now stands, and continued in business. Dr. David Edwards, also a Methodist preacher, came to LeRoy in 1840 and was pastor in the old church several years. Edgar Conkling put up the first lightning rod near his residence which is now the Emily Pray home. It was a large white oak pole set in the ground, was about 50' high, and his thought was lightning would strike the highest object and thus protect his house. I well recollect when grass grew a foot high in two business stores of our city. I remember when the small town of LeRoy was on the inside of a half-mile race track. There is one man who looms up in my estimation, head and shoulders above any of the pioneers; Edgar Conkling and his wife, Belinda, who was his equal in every good work. He put up a frame building on the old Park's corner, now Gilmore's restaurant, and was doing business as a general store in 1837. He invested his money in land and laid out a large number of blocks on the north side, known as "Conkling's addition to LeRoy." He was a hustler and seemed to have faith that LeRoy was going to be a big town. He employed carpenters and partially built about 25 small houses on the different blocks of his additon, supposing it would help the sale of lots; but the houses were never finished. The hard times began in 1838, and for about six years, LeRoy stood still. Later he sold out his holdings and went to Cincinnati and became quite wealthy, lived to a good old age, and was called to the higher life many years ago. There were lots of snakes here in the early days. The Dickerson boys killed a bull snake that measured eight feet in length. One snake, the blue racer, we boys were afraid of. When we came to the tall grass, we would roll up our pants to our knees, spit on our hands, and then run for life to the short grass. The blue racer ran with his head about a foot from the ground, and it was said he would run as fast as a horse. Two boys went north of town for their horses; they had rope halter, heard a rustle in the grass and ran about a mile thinking a blue racer was after them...but it was only the rope which had dropped down, making a rattle. Frank Kimler says that in 1836 the dogs chased a wolf through Main Street to the woods and lost it. Charles Whitaker is the best posted man on dates in LeRoy. Frank Kimler was here in 1835. before there was any town. Amanda (Buck) Crumbaugh and myself were here in 1837. Mrs. Ellen (Buck) Kline and Charles Whitaker were here in 1838. These four persons with myself are the only ones left who attended school in the old schoolhouse; are still living in LeRoy, and are as sound as a dollar. On the 4th of July, 1840, LeRoy had a celebration and barbecue. General Asahel Gridley of Bloomington gave the address. One thing he said was that it would not be many years until there would be a railroad through McLean County; north, south, east, and west. Gridley smiled and so did the people. In 1854. the cars were running from the south part of ihe state on the I.C. through McLean County through Chicago. In 1870. cars were running on the I.B. & W., now the Big Four, from Indianapolis, west to Peoria. The city of LeRoy is beautifully located, almost surrounded by fine groves of timber. Buckles Grove is on the southwest, south, and east; Old Town Timber on the north; and Kickapoo Timber on the northwest, leaving a small opening on the west. All these groves have fine streams of water. I think something should be done to stop destruction of the growing timber of Buckles Grove. Every growing bush and every grove tree should be protected from the woodman's axe. If not, those who are here later on will look to the south and to the east as something artificial. But the beautiful forests of Buckles Grove will be gone. The groves were God's first temples and we have no right to destroy them. We must not forget the early pioneers and their families of what is now Empire Township. They are the Buckles, Johnsons, Conoways, Dickersons, Merrifields, Bishops, Clearwaters, Whitakers, Crumbaugh, Brittins, Murphys, Gilberts, Rices, Dunlaps, Halls, Martins, Rutledges, and Jacksons. These are the ones who built the cabins and tore up the tough prairie sod and made it produce grain and vegetables for food and flax and wool for clothing. You may say what you please of the early settlers of LeRoy, and tell of the wonderful things they did. That is all right, but don't forget the early pioneers of Empire Township. They had problems to solve and they solved them. I will say to you people gathered here to the McLean County Historical Society, that this little history I have given from memory as a boy, since 1837, to the present time, is about the last you will ever get from anyone who was here in those early days. The time is near when there will be no one to go back to the 30s and tell you the story as I have. Later, what you learn of early times of LeRoy and vicinity will be second-hand. - Thomas L. Buck [Heritage of the prairie : a history of LeRoy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois (1976) LeRoy Historical Society; LeRoy Bi-Centennial Commission]

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