Three Roads to the Mines.

By Greg Carter, OLRHS.

"So much has been said about the Frink & Walker stage coaches, the Conestoga wagons with their oxen, and the pioneer families who migrated west to settle in our beautiful county. But over what sort of roads did these vehicles and those who rode in them travel?"                                --- Phillip I. Kiester, Stephenson County Roads, 1970..

Introduction.
In the mid-1820’s the discovery of larger and larger quantities of lead and copper ore in the upper Northwest portion of Illinois and Southwest corner of the Michigan Territory began drawing more and more potential settlers, speculators and travelers to the region known as “the Mineral District”. This land, bordered on the south and east by the Rock River, the north by the Wisconsin River and the west by the Mississippi, was considered the capitol of the region. Its two chief population centers were Galena and Mineral Point. When in 1825 Chicago had a population of about 90 persons, the Galena area had a population of thousands. The problem with the Lead District was location, and more specifically, getting to that location. A person of some means could take a packet boat north up the Mississippi from a number of cities, however most people traveling to the region were not of much financial means, and as such needed and overland route. In the winter of 1825 the only land route near Galena was a dilapidated road built by the Army following the War of 1812 to connect the two forts in the area. The following article features chiefly the roads in Illinois, as I am far from an expert on the routes in the Michigan Territory. For that information I must defer to my colleagues in the Old Lead Region Historical Society.

The Army Road.
In 1825 the principle road across the region was the US Army route established in 1818 that linked the two principle posts in the area. In Illinois a road ran from Fort Dearborn through the Potowotomi country, to William Ogee’s ferry on Rock River, then down the north side of the River to Fort Armstrong on Rock Island. This road did not, however, provide a clear-cut route into the heart of the mineral district. It did however provide access to the area to the pathfinders who would eventually cut trails and then roads into the heart of the mineral district. These pathfinders, including John Boles, Ossian Ross, Oliver Kellogg and John Dixon, would make the routes that survive in some part or another still today.

In the early spring of 1826 John Boles, traveling from Chicago to the Lead District, decided to blaze a new route and turned off the Army road about 15 miles north of Ogee’s Ferry at a natural “horseshoe” in the Rock River known to travelers as “the grand detour”. After stopping at Stephen Mack’s trading post there he continued north and then northwest in a wide arc. His goal was to reach Galena without crossing the imposing high terrain that is known to today as Terrapin Ridge. Boles determined to find another route. Boles’ route had several major problems that made the route unpopular. First and foremost, the route crossed the Rock at the detour and not at Ogee’s Ferry. This area of the Rock was not considered fordable by wagons. Second, his trail was quite long. It arched so far north that it almost reached the state line and then abruptly turned southwest above the valley of the Apple River, ending at Galena. This extra length added at least 1-2 days to the trip to Galena, and at the time there were no established stops on the way. Chandler’s map of the lead mines from 1829 does not even list Boles’ route. Although his trail was ultimately a failure, he does deserve credit for striking out to make the trail in the first place.

Three Minds, One Objective.
The dawning of the year 1827 brought several significant events to the Lead District. First and foremost, Illinois recognized the formation of a new county, called Jo Daviess. The county seat was Galena, and the county would cover almost all of the Illinois side of the lead district. The discovery of a number of large veins of lead and copper that spring also prompted the beginning of the “Lead Rush of 1827”. In other parts of the state, expeditions were launched to establish routes to Galena. In Havana, a ferry operator named Ossian Ross determined to establish a route from Lewistown, a town he had co-founded some 12 miles distant, to Galena. In Peoria, an enterprising land speculator named Oliver Kellogg and his associate John Dixon were determined to the exact same thing. The two parties would arrive on Rock River at approximately the same time, at two very different points, and begin their trails north.

Ossian Ross and the Lewistown Trail.
Ross’ route overland from Lewistown was fairly direct. It started north from Lewistown and proceeded almost directly toward the village of the Winnebago Prophet on Rock River. Before reaching the village his route abruptly turned northwest and headed towards Fort Armstrong on Rock Island. He crossed the Rock in the swamps at the River’s mouth and proceeded north along the bank of the Mississippi. In Chandler’s 1829 map the Lewistown trail is misidentified as being some distance west of the actual point, and the river road is un-named. Ross’ trail proceeded up along the bluffs along the Mississippi to a relatively low point on the Terrapin Ridge, then followed the ridge northwest into Galena. His trail would be put to use from 1827 to 1837, and several important settlements would spring up along its path, including Henderson’s Grove (1829), Plum River (1827-28) and Hanover (1829).

Kellogg and Dixon Make the High Road.
Oliver Kellogg and John Dixon set out for Galena from the north side of the Illinois River at Peoria. Their route aimed for William Ogee’s ferry on Rock River. Kellogg has speculated land for some time and was instrumental in forming the present-day town of Oswego, IL. He undoubtedly knew that for any route to be successful it had to have a crossing on the Rock River. He was ultimately correct and his trail became the most popular for several decades. From Peoria he and Dixon headed north towards the Bureau Creek settlements, then northeast to Ogee’s Ferry. This road would also attract settlers and subsequent settlement, including Wyanet (1828) and Smith’s Grove (1828). On arrival at Ogee’s ferry, Dixon and Kellogg saw two different future venues. Dixon saw a money-making opportunity, Kellogg saw new settlement. Dixon would later buy out William Ogee’s interest in the Ferry and continue business at that point until his death. The lone ferry would become a settlement by 1836, a town by 1848, and in 1852 changed its name to Dixon, as it remains today. Kellogg would continue on to Galena.

Kellogg elected to take a new route. If he did any research at all prior to undertaking his quest, he knew that the high ridge that began just north of Ogee’s Ferry continued all the way north to Galena. If he did not know that much, he was blessed with foresight. He decided to use the ridge as a road, and blazed a trail to Galena using this natural landmark. His trail wound northwest from Ogee’s Ferry to a large grove of trees called “Nanusha” or “Buffalo” by the local Winnebago Indians, then northwest again towards the foothills of Terrapin Ridge, and on to Galena. At a point some 30 miles northwest of the Buffalo Grove he stopped to camp overnight on a bald knob amongst a thick stand of burr oak trees overlooking the valley of the Yellow and Pecatonica Rivers. He decided that he would establish himself at that point as soon as he finished his route to Galena.

After crossing into Jo Daviess County he turned directly west towards Galena. He would continue along the top of Terrapin Ridge until he passed the Apple River settlements. After that point his trail joined with the Lewistown trail and continued on to Galena. Upon finishing his quest, he returned to his burr oak grove and commenced building a tavern and the footings of what he planned to make a great settlement. His settlement never matured, but his tavern continued operations from 1828 to the late 1840’s. Kellogg’s route proved immensely popular. His route was navigable by stage and wagon, making it the most logical choice of travel. A man named Hardy established a tavern on the road at Buffalo Grove in 1828 and the construction of stone bridge over some swampy terrain at the foothills of the ridge above Buffalo Grove was completed in the spring of 1830. By 1830 Kellogg had also extended the amenities of his route by blazing a trail down to the Plum River settlement and north to Gratiot’s Grove in the Michigan Territory. From Gratiot’s one could travel on to points north.

Traveling the Roads to Galena Today.
One can easily travel the various roads or at least portions of them today, with some exceptions. Today little remains of John Boles’ 1826 route. A marker recognizing the route can be viewed on Pines Road between Polo and White Pines State Park in Ogle County, and Galena Road/Stagecoach trail, a winding route that crosses through Lena and Warren, Illinois before ending by entering Galena from the northeast.

The Lewistown Trail can be followed generally by following Illinois Highway 97 north to Interstate 74, then north to Illinois Highway 84, then north to US Route 20, ending by entering Galena from the southeast. Portions form the Great River Road. An historical marker recognizing this road is posted in Savanna, Illinois near the US 52/IL 64 bridge.

The Kellogg Road is the most intact route remaining today. From Peoria one must simply drive north on Illinois Highway 40 to Marshall County, then take a back road called Wyanet-Walnut Road north into Bureau County, through the former town of Providence, along the west side of Wyanet and north to Walnut, Illinois. After entering Walnut travelers must jog northeast using back roads until they reach Illinois Highway 26 just west of the Green River Conservation Area. From there one must follow 26 north to Dixon. An historical marker denoting Dixon’s Ferry, a large statue of Abraham Lincoln and a log cabin mark the Ferry site on the north side of the Rock River under the west abutment of the IL Highway 2/26 bridge. After leaving Dixon the road runs north to Polo. At the intersection of Illinois Highway 26 and Judson Road there is an historical marker denoting the location of the road. Once in Polo, travelers should turn left on Milledgeville Road and proceed to Galena Trail. At this intersection on the SE corner there is another historical marker. Travelers should then proceed north on Galena Trail. A short distance down the road on the right hand side before the railroad embankment is an historical marker denoting the location of the Hardy Tavern. Approximately 100 yards past the embankment on the left side of the road is the burial site of William Durley, a dispatch rider killed by Indian on May 19th, 1832, during the Sauk War. After viewing this site, travelers should return to IL 26 and continue north out of Polo.

After leaving Polo IL 26 will divide from US Route 52. Travelers should follow US 52 northwest. Just after passing the crossroads of Brookville and and the junction of US 52 and IL Highway 64 travelers will find a roadside table with another historical marker. Approximately 200 feet south of the marker on the right hand side of the road is the stone bridge built in 1830, and about 150 feet of the original Kellogg trail. It is all that remains of the original road. After viewing the bridge, travelers should continue on US 52/IL 64 to Lanark, Illinois and turn north on Illinois Highway 73. Follow IL 73 north to Pearl City, Illinois and turn left, or west, onto Goldmine road, located on the northern edge of downtown Pearl City. Follow Goldmine Road’s curving route west to Boop School Road and turn north again. This road will take you straight to the Battle of Kellogg’s Grove Marker. This site was the location of the ambush of the St. Vrain party and the attack on Captain Adam Snyder’s Company and John Dement’s Battalion during the Sauk War. After viewing the site, turn west on Blackhawk Road. Follow Blackhawk Road west until it ends at Curtiss Road, then turn north. Almost immediately turn west again on East Morseville Road. Take Morseville Road west until it ends at Massbach Road and turn southwest on Massbach. Take Massbach to East Bethel Road, then turn west onto Bethel. Take Bethel Road west until it ends at US 20. Follow US 20 into Elizabeth. Just before reaching the center of Elizabeth travelers will find the Apple River Fort State Historic Site, location of the June 24th, 1832 battle between Sauk Indians and Illinois settlers and militia. From Apple River Fort continue west on US 20 until you reach IL Route 84, just before the Long Hollow Scenic Overlook. This is where Kellogg’s trail ended at the Lewistown Trail.

The Plum River Trail Today.
A traveler on Kellogg’s Trail in 1832 had only to turn left at the fork in the road to go down to Plum River. Much of the original trail to Plum River is still intact today. After leaving the Kellogg’s Grove monument, one has simply to follow Blackhawk Road west until it ends at Curtiss Road and turn right, or south. After about 100 yards travelers should turn west again onto Piroke Road. This road is unmarked and can easily be confused as a driveway. Piroke winds southwest until it ends and becomes Ridge Road. Ridge continues southwest and ends at Illinois Highway 78. Travelers should turn south on IL 78, then turn west onto Knapp Road. Knapp ends after a short time at Goodmiller Road. Travelers should take Goodmiller until it ends at Good Hope Road and turn south, or left. When Good Hope ends at Zion Road, travelers should continue on Zion Road until it ends at Scenic Ridge Road, then turn south on Scenic Ridge and follow it until it ends at IL Highway 84 just north of Savanna, the site of the former "Plum River settlement."

Gratiot’s Grove Trail Today.
Much like the road to Plum River, the trail to Gratiot’s Grove was entered from Kellogg’s by simply turning right and heading north. While much of this road is gone today, travelers can cover much of it. The trail to Gratiot’s Grove, south of present-day Shullsburg, Wisconsin, included parts of the 1826 Boles trail. From the Kellogg’s Grove marker one must drive north on Kent/Waddam’s Grove Road until it connects with Galena Road, then turn northwest onto Galena Road. Take Galena Road to Carr/Charles Mound Road and turn north and drive into Wisconsin. From the state line, take Monticello Road north to Highway W and turn left. After a very short distance turn north onto White Oak Cemetery Road and continue north until it ends at Rennick Road. Turn left on Rennick, and after a short distance turn north onto Teasdale Road and continue into Shullsburg from the south.

Sources.

BOWEN, ALICE M., The Story of Savanna, Savanna: Alice M. Bowen, 1928.

BURCHARD, EDWARD L., Early Trails and Tides of Travel in the Lead Mine and Blackhawk Country, Springfield: Illinois State Historical Society, 1925.

Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer, Yarmouth: DeLorme Publishing, Ltd., 2003.

KEISTER, PHILLIP L., Stephenson County Roads, Freeport: Stephenson County Historical Society, 1970.

KIRKLAND, JOSEPH, The Chicago Massacre of 1812, Chicago: The Dibble Publishing Company, 1893.

TROTTER, MAXINE, “Our Town” A History of Wyanet 1828-1973, Wyanet: Maxine Trotter, 1974.

Wisconsin Atlas & Gazetteer, Yarmouth: DeLorme Publishing, Ltd., 2002.

Map of the United States Lead Mines on the Upper Mississippi River, Drawn and Published by R.W. Chandler of Galena, 1829.