Election in 1849--First appearance of Cholera--Elections in
1850--Project for a Rail Road to Aurora--Burning of the
National Hotel--Establishment of the "Peru Democrat"--The
issue of $25,000 Bonds authorized on account of Peru and
Rock Island Rail Road--United States Census--Incorporation
of the City--Territory embraced in City Limits--Elections
under the Charter in 1851--Question of issuing Bonds on
account of subscription to the Stock of Chicago and Rock
Island Rail Road decided unanimously in the affirmative at
an Election--Resurvey of the City--Issue of $40,000 of
Bonds--Organization of the Central Rail Road Company--
Protest of Peru against the place of crossing the River--
Peru and Grandetour Plank Road.
At an election held on the 2d April, 1849, P. M. Kilduff, Frederick
Kaiser, S. N. Maze, Noah Sapp and David Lininger were elected Trustees.
Whole number of Votes 159. This Board elected P. M. Kilduff, President;
Erasmus Winslow, Clerk; Ezra McKinzie, Assessor; James Cahill,
Collector; J. P. Thompson, Street Commissioner, Constable and Fire
Warden; and H. S. Beebe, Treasurer. In consequence of the absence of
Beebe, H. L. Tuller was elected Treasurer in his place.
In the Spring of this year the cholera first made its appearance in the
West. In the months of April and May several citizens fell victims to
the disease. On the 20th of June it suddenly assumed a malignant and
virulent character, and some hundreds were swept off in the course of
three or four weeks. The citizens were generally panic stricken, and
many fled. It suddenly ceased, and the season thenceforth was healthy.
In the summer of this year the second permanent and substantial
warehouse, directly upon the river, was erected by Churchill Coffing,
Esq.
At an election held on the 1st April, 1850, T. D. Brewster, I. D.
Harmon, William Paul, Erasmus Winslow and William Roush were elected
Trustees. Whole number of votes 49--This Board elected William Paul,
President; P. M. Kilduff, Clerk; H. L. Tuller, Treasurer; Geo. Low,
Assessor; J. P. Thompson, Street Commissioner; Michael Griffith,
Constable; Edmund Pennington, Fire Warden; James Cahill, Collector; and
Erasmus Winslow, Health Commissioner. During this year the subject of
Railroads began to attract the attention of the people of Illinois. The
inhabitants of the town were a good deal excited about the location of
one from Aurora, in Kane county, to Peru, via. Ottawa. Subscriptions
were raised, and one hundred dollars were appropriated from the treasury
to defray the expenses of the survey. This road was never constructed,
but the interests of the town were afterwards satisfied by the
construction of the Aurora Extension, and Chicago and Burlington,
crossing the Illinois Central at Mendota.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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