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Wilmettes 75th Anniversary 1872-1947WILMETTE LIFEFIVE WILMETTE PIONEERS Five of the pioneer settlers whoMcDaniel,planned, surveyed, and laid out the original village are pictured here.Before Wilmette was surveyed, six men, John Gedney Westerfield First(upper left), Alexander McDaniel (second from left above), MatthiasA. Gedney (third from left above), Samuel M. Dingee (upper right),Postmaster,Simon Veeder Kline (at side), and Henry A. Blodgett (not shown), Wasmet to plan the village.Truefence, afterwards became knownMr. Westerfield, first president Pioneerasand afterwards clerk, surveyed and Dr. Childs house.platted the original village. Mr.WilmetteEarly Postal ServiceGedney, first police magistrate, sup-s first postmaster andIn the real estate business, Mr.ervised laying out the streets, cut-village treasurer from 1872 to 1874,AlexandeMcDaniel had an office in his home.ting down trees, and diggingr McDaniel, was born Feb-Hung on the wall of this office wasditches for surface drainage.ruary 13, 1815, at Painted Post, N. Y.HtMr. McDaniel became the vil-e was the eldest son of Daniel Mc-DanielWheil mfiersttte wooden postal box used in. To and from this officelages first postmaster and first, a farmer who was of Scot-early settlers would come with thetreasurer. Mr. Dingee served fortish descent, and Rachel Taner, amail. Because of his early postalsix years on the village board. Mr.descendant of the Mohawk Dutchservice to Wilmette, Mr. McDanielBlodgett suggested the name for theHe spent his boyhood familiarizingwas appointed first postmaster shortlyvillage. Mr. Kline was long a civichimself with all the duties of farmafter the village was organized. Heleader.life. Aiding in the cultivation ofheld the office for 19 years. Mr. Mc-his parents farm until he reachedDaniel was a member of the villagethe age of 21, Mr. McDaniel thenboard of trustees from 1872 to 1875.started out for himself. He left theNorth Shore of 1836In addition to attending to realEast upon the tide of emigrationwhicestate and land transactions, Mr.hRecalled by McDaniel was steadily moving west-wardsaloon now ist. When we got there. Accompanying a wagon trainWMcilDmaentiteel, in his earlier years in, split wood, banked logs,61 Years Afterwardsmy Indian, guide pointed North andfrom New York to Chicago, hewalkeand freighted merchandise by horseSaid Shemoka Man Lake Shore Two d most of the way and arrivedand wagon to Chicago.Alexander McDaniel, WilmettesMiles. I then concluded that I v/ouldin Chicago in May, 1836.Mr. McDaniel died in 1898, and isfirsi postmaster, wrote a lettergo there first.Mr. McDaniel worked in Chicagoburied at Rosehill cemetery, Chi-describing his first visit to theuntil August of that year, when hecago.Gross"We then followed what was after- Point area. The letter, tuhichwards called Hills Ridget and Struckwent to New Trier township to lookis printed below, was addressed tothe lake where Garlands Chuich-*-up lands on the Ouilmette Indianthe "Ye Olde Towne Folkes" andreservation. After several days, heIs Life Too Tough?wasnow Stands. There we fond a man read at their annual meeting,returned to Chicago and stayed untilMarchby the Name of Patterson Just 11, 1897. Mr. McDanielsrolling up a log house with ^erryOctoberHow About Grandma?, when he returned to Newpunctuation and spelling are fol-Scant help with only three men be-Trier township and pre-empted 1G0Wilmette cooks of pioneer dayslowed:sides Patterson. I concluded to Slayacres of government land. (Wherecertainly would be surprised atand help roll up the house. 1 then"My Friends and old Settlers youthe Village of Winnetka is now.)frozen foods and modern push-buttonwildismissed my Indian and Gave himl have to Excuse me for notBuilkitchen conveniences.t Log CabinAt first they baked their bread inmeetinga dollar for what (he) had dore. with you this Evening. IOn this land, Mr. McDaniel builtiron kettles hung on a tripod over aam"I Staid the Next day and helped sick and it is Impossible for meroll up the house Sleeping on thea log cabin, one of the first four orfire and later they did their bakingto do So. But I have plucked upfive houses which stood between Chi-on brick ovens constructed in aCourageGround over night under a tree. Enough to write a few linescago and present Winnetka, andseparate building away from theoThen I followed an Indian trail tof my Early arrival to what wasthe displains river and found Mylived there for the next four years.house. Usually a half dozen house-then Called Gross point.DuringFriends and Staid with them Two the first year, his only neigh-wives shared these larger brick"On August 14, 1836, 60 years agoborsdays, then went to Chicago., except for Erastus Patterson,ovens.last August* I left Chicago ther> aa tavern owner, were the Indians.Most of these early homemakersvillage"In October 1836 I came to Gross of 700 people and walked outHe was the only young white mandidnt have very good cellars either,4Point again and took up a Govermt miles to the first house Calledin the locality.and the food potatoes, apples,ButterfieldsClaim of Land directly East of Win- inn. The Next hruseAsauer kraut, etc. stored away inswasneka Station? where that Largo just at the South End of Grace- shown on an 1850 map of Ridge-them would freeze and have to be| amount of Evergreen are andvilleland Cemetery. The Next house was (now Evanston), Mr. McDanielchopped before ready for cooking.choped and Cleared up 25 acres oflater purchased land on Green BayOftewhere Evanston Stands. The fourthn the pioneer housewife also hadhouseheavy timbered Land and lived on was the Ouilmette Residenceroad in Evanston. His home was sit-to melt the snow to get water forit until it came to market and thenuatedjust where Westerfield Pier is." on the northwest corner ofher work.ChurchThepurchased it from the G6verment. House Stood at least as far street and Ridge avenue.MovedEas"The Government Land Sale tookt as where the pier is The Bank to WilmetteSCHOOLplace Feb. 1841. I lived on the land NAMEShaving caved off at Least 20 rodsThe McDaniels moved to WilmetteThree Wilmette schools have beenafrom Oct. 1836 and kepjt Bachelorst that point some years aftor-in 1853. They occupied the Joelnamed after prominent Wilmettewardshall untill I was married in Nov..Stebbins log cabin at the southwest1842."citizens: Dr. Byron C. Stolp, first"I arrived at the Ouilmettes aboutcorner He was 21 years old at the time. of Linden avenue and Sheri-resident physician; Arthur H. How-noon and after partaking of as fine** About the foot of Lake avenue.dan road, until their home at theard, a president of the board ofa dinner with my hosts as could bet Wilmette avenue and Ridge road.northwest corner of Maple avenueeducation; and J. Robb Harper, forgot Now Ridge road.t up by an American Family. Iand# Christ Episcopal church, Sheridan Sheridan road was erected.34 years superintendent of schools.then hired a half breed Indian withroad, Winnetka.Later, about the time the villagehis poney to pilot me through the Elm street, Winnetka.was platted, Mr. McDaniel con-WHY NOT?woods to the displains River iuststructed a more commodious homeNo woman has ever been electedbelow where the Methodist CampCLOSE ELECTIONon the southeast corner of Centralvillage president, clerk, treasurer,Ground now is. I had some friends-One of the closest village electionsand Wilmette avenues, the presentpolice magistrate, park commis-livein there.occurred in April, 1913, when Johnsite of the Walgreen drug store. Thissioner, or president of the board of"We followed an Indian trail th.-\tD. Couffer defeated Harry G. Colsonproperty, surrounded by a picketeducation in Wilmette.Struck the Ridge just where Myersby three votes.