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The first permanent claims of Government lands made in this town were made in the month of December, 1836, by D. B. Gage, Thomas Q. Gage and Thomas Warner. The first house built within the limits of the town was built in April, 1837, by D. B. and Thomas Q. Gage, on the north side of the creek, in the present village of Antioch. The second was built by Thomas Warner, near Loon Lake, in the month of June of the same year. These persons had located themselves temporarily at Walker's bridge, on the Des Plaines River, in Cook County. In December, 1836, they followed up the river on an Indian trail, to Mill Creek, from whence they proceeded westward to Loon Lake, where they made a claim and put up a log cabin, from whence, after a few days, they proceeded on their return, by way of the Maquonago trail, which was a trail diverging from the great Milwaukee trail at a point near the mouth of Indian Creek, where formerly had been an Indian village, and running from thence northwesterly to an Indian village in Wisconsin, called Maquonago.
Being late in December, the weather had become severely cold and boisterous. They found the trail much obstructed by fallen trees, and, being unacquainted with the route, their progress was slow, in consequence of which they came near freezing to death, but finally succeeded in reaching the house of Willard Jones, at Jones' Point, about thirteen miles from Loon Lake.
The early settlers of this town were D. B. Gage, Thomas Warner, Thomas Q. Gage, Henry Rector, William Fagher, Robert Stalker, E. F. Ingalls, Loami Piersons, E. S. Ingalls, H. P. Nelson, H. Nichols, Charles O. McClellen, F. F. Munson, Parnell Munson, Leland Cook and Hiram Butrick.
The first town meeting held in this town under township organization was held on the first Tuesday in April, 1850, at the tavern of D. B. Gage, in the village of Antioch. Dr. L. D. Gage was chosen Moderator, and Eli S. Derby, Clerk. The following is a list of the town officers elected at this meeting: Harrison P. Nelson, Supervisor; Eli Gage, Town Clerk; Thomas Webb, Assessor; John H. Elliott, Collector; Chas. Webb and Robert K. Colls, Justices of the Peace; Ira Webb, A. B. Paddock and E. C. Stephens, Commissioners of Highways; Robert Pollock, Overseer of Poor; John H. Elliott and Albert Webb, Constables. The number of votes cast at this town meeting was 145. The assessed value of property in this town for 1850, including both real and personal, was $88,904. The amount of tax on the same for all purposes was $1,744.51.
The total assessed value of property for the year 1877 is $399,484.
The village of Antioch, in this township, acquired considerable local notoriety at the beginning, from the numerous attempts made to adopt a name. In the northern part of the township is a small stream flowing from the lakes on the east, westward into Fox River. Darius and Thomas Gage, as before mentioned, built their houses near this creek, at the crossing of the Maquonago trail, and named it Sequoit Creek. They were attracted here on account of the mill site the stream apparently afforded at this point. A saw-mill was soon after built here by Hiram Butrick (1839). This, with other inducements, drew into the vicinity mechanics of various kinds, the first being Eleazer F. Ingalls, blacksmith. The first store of goods was opened by F. F. Munson. The place finally taking rank as a village, an attempt was made to agree upon a name. It was situated in what was then called Bristol Precinct. It was therefore proposed to call the village by that name, but without effect. Among the first settlers--prominent among whom was Wm. F. Shepard--a large proportion belonged to the sect of Religionists called Christians, or Disciples, otherwise known as Campbellites, who were generally very zealous in church matters. Whereupon the wags of the neighborhood who were not of this church, rather in a spirit of ridicule, suggested various Scripture names for the place. Among them Jericho and Joppa. Finally, during a general assembly of the church at that place, it was agreed to take the suggestion of their mischievous neighbors and adopt a Scripture name, and that it should be Antioch--the place where the Disciples were first called Christians. A general acquiescence followed, and the place became known by that name.
In 1846, a Post Office was established here, called Antioch, and Doctor Leroy D. Gage appointed Postmaster.
When the present town was laid off for township organization, in January, 1850, the inhabitants were called upon by the Commissioners to express their wishes as to the name. At a meeting for that purpose, Antioch and Windsor were proposed. The former received a majority of the votes cast, and the town was so named.
The villages in this township are Antioch and Millburn.
The village of Antioch is not incorporated, and therefore has no fixed boundaries. The population of what is properly considered the village is about two hundred.
Millburn is situated in the southeast part of the township, near the north branch of Mill Creek, on the line between Antioch and Newport, a portion of the village lying in Newport. The country about here was known in early days as the Mill Creek Settlement. The place where Millburn now is was known as Strang's neighborhood. A Post Office was established here in February, 1848, and Robert Strang appointed Postmaster. It was called Millburn, as the Scotch word, it is said, for Mill Creek, Mr. Strang and most of his neighbors--by whom the name was suggested--being of that nationality
The first school taught in Antioch was by Welcome Jilson, in 1843. It was in a room over the store of F. F. Munson, at Antioch Village.
Antioch, like most other towns of the county, has had its marked characters who are remembered for the part they have borne or places they filled in its early history. Daniel Head, who settled in Antioch and opened a store of goods there about the year 1843, was of this class. He continued to increase his stock from year to year, and soon built up a large and profitable business. He made the place the center of trade for the country around for a distance of ten to fifteen miles. Everybody knew Dan Head, as he was generally called. Everybody traded at his store. Indeed, there was no reason why they should not, for he gave credit to every one who applied, almost without distinction or reference to their pecuniary standing. He sold his goods at a large profit, and generally obtained his pay in the end. The result was he made money, and became rich. He was a man of generous impulses, and never oppressed his debtors. He afterward removed to Kenosha to engage in wider fields of operation, where he still resides as one of the wealthy and substantial men of the place.
John T. Clark was another marked character of this town in early days, but whose name has, at this time, been nearly forgotten. He was a lawyer by profession, and settled in Antioch Village about the year 1844. He first came into notice as a lawyer, in that vicinity, in the trial of a suit before a Justice of the Peace, just over the State line, in Wisconsin, a short time previous to settling in Antioch. At the time of this occurrence, as the story goes, he was working in the harvest field as a common hand, coarsely clad, and a stranger in the neighborhood. On hearing that a contested law-suit was about to take place in the vicinity, he was heard to remark that he was a lawyer himself, stating that he studied law in the office of Judge Flandreau, who was an eminent lawyer of Utica, N. Y. The result was that he became employed by the defendant to attend to the case on his behalf. He managed the suit with so much vigor and earnestness, and assumed such great knowledge of the law, there being no one present able to dispute his assertions, that he gained a decision of the case in favor of his client. Thereupon his fame spread over the country to a great distance around as a "very smart lawyer" just from the East, who had studied law with Judge Flandreau. He was invited by Daniel Head and others to come and settle in Antioch and devote himself to his profession, which he did, it being the only village or center of trade in that part of the country.
On one occasion, Clark was employed to go down and attend a law-suit before Levi Marble, a Justice of the Peace at Fort Hill, where his fame had preceded him. His library consisted of the Statutes of Illinois, Cowen's Treatise, and a copy of Gilman's Digest of the Reports of Indiana and Illinois. These he carried with him tied up in a piece of common white cotton cloth, making a package of convenient size to carry in his hand, by taking hold of the knot where the ends were tied. In those days, the country being sparsely settled, the roads were not very plainly marked, whereby Clark, when near Squaw Creek, lost his way. The hour for the trial of his cause was approaching and he was in much trouble. He hastened to a house in sight, being that of Elisha Andrews, to enquire the way. He knocked at the door hastily, which was answered by the voice of Mrs. Andrews, "come in." He opened the door hurriedly and in a breathless manner proceeded, "Madam, can you tell me the way to 'Squire Marble's?" Mrs. Andrews, who was an honesthearted and rather unsophisticated woman, noticing the peculiar package which he carried in his hand, mistook him for a peddler, and without answering his enquiry, responded, "I am so glad to see a peddler coming; I have been out of thread for this two weeks." Without apparently noticing her remark, Clark in an impatient tone repeated his enquiry. But Mrs. Andrews, who had suffered inconvenience so long for want of thread, and not wishing to lose an opportunity of supplying herself, without heeding Clark's enquiry, rejoined, "Have you got any spool thread, number sixty?" Clark saw, much to his chagrin, that the woman's impression as to his calling was fixed, and that he had no way out of it but to frankly inform her of her mistake; says he, "Madam, I am not a peddler; I am a lawyer from Antioch; I am going to Esquire Marble's to attend to a law-suit; I am behind time and want to get there as soon as possible; can you tell me the way?" Mrs. Andrews, after expressing her regret that he was not a peddler, stepped to the door and pointed out the way.
With all his self-assurance in conducting a law-suit, Clark was a man of a sensitive nature. He was sedate and candid in his demeanor and could never enjoy nor indulge in a joke, especially at his own expense. This occurrence--mistaking him for a peddler--becoming generally known, gave him much annoyance, the more so for occurring, as it did, in a neighborhood where his fame had reached as a "smart lawyer."
The first religious meeting in the town was in the summer of 1839, in the newly finished barn of Darius B. Gage, in the village of Antioch, being then the only building in that part of the country of capacity sufficient for a public meeting. It was conducted by two Elders of the Christian Church, named Young and Davenport, from Kentucky. At this meeting, a church organization was formed, consisting of about fifty members.
A Baptist Church was organized in the village about the year 1862, with about twenty-five members, Rev. Mr. Stimpson, Pastor. A house of worship was built during this year.
A house of worship was built by the Christian Church organization, in 1863. This church has now about one hundred members. Elder T. Johnson is the present preacher.
In Antioch Township, aside the village, are now the following churches and church organizations:
The First Congregational Church, of Millburn, organized in September, 1841, by Rev. Flavel Bascom, acting at the time as agent of the American Home Missionary Society.
The following persons constituted the original members: William Abbott, Mark Pitman, Jr., Merrill Pearson, Robert Pollock, George Trotter, Samuel M. Dowst, Alexander Kennedy, Eliza F. B. Abbott, Harriet Pitman, Lydia Pearson, Elizabeth Pollock, Jane Trotter, Mary Thayer, Abigail Berry. Samuel M. Dowst was chosen Deacon and Clerk. Rev. E. G. Howe supplied the congregation as Pastor, a part of the time, for two years from that date. He was succeeded by Rev. Lucius Parker, who supplied the congregation until July, 1844. At that time, Rev. William B. Dodge commenced to supply, and, at the close of a year, received a call to become their pastor, which he accepted on condition that a house of worship should be built before he was installed, which was accordingly done. On the first of June, 1847, the house was dedicated, and Mr. Dodge was installed as Pastor. He continued in that relation until December, 1862, when, at his own request, he was relieved. Rev. Calvin Selden supplied from January, 1863, until May, 1864, when he was succeeded by Rev. H. Bross as Pastor. He has recently been succeeded by Rev. Mr. Bingham, who is the present Pastor.
Under the ministry of their Pastor, Rev. Wm. B. Dodge, the membership of the church was increased from sixteen to seventy-two, and now numbers about one hundred members.
The first church building or house of worship was built in what is now the village of Millburn, in the Township of Antioch, but near the line of Newport; the members residing in the four towns of Antioch, Newport, Warren and Avon. The present house of worship was built in 1866, and opened for public worship on the first Sabbath in 1877. Rev. W. B. Dodge, generally known as "Father Dodge," was one of the landmarks in the history of the Protestant Church in Lake County. He was also active in the Anti-Slavery movement, and noted for his zeal in the Anti-Slavery cause. He died a few years since, at his home in Millburn, respected by all who knew him.
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