Aaron Hawley and the Galena Road

[usscairo]

I was looking through the old postings of 2002 and came to oneof Aaron Hawley.

Now, I have contacted his living relative in San Fransico Calif. And se was kind enough to mail me the family tree, in which it states Felix St. Vrain and company were killed on the Galena road.

And Higgenbottom made it to Galena with 2 or 3 compainons.

And St. Vrain was last seen with his head turned back, in a act of speaking with the Winnebago's.

At last Hawey was never found but in the family tree as well as a couple of source's say he was burned at the steak, by the Winnebago's.

It sounds a little barbraic to be burned at the steak but i believe this is the most accurate. Unfortanually I dont think Hawley made it to Dixon.

Also, Phobbe Sattery was his wife she is buried with the Spafford Farm vicitims. There is no record of any one else realted to him buried in that cementary.

Now, what I'm trying to figure out is where the Galena Road inteceted Kellogg's Grove. Does any one know or have an idea??

I know a bridge still stands there out side Polo, Illinois
on Highway 52.
To do with the Galena Road other than that i dont know.

Matt Kestel

[Greg Carter]

According the map I found in the 1970 edition of The History of Stephenson County and Stephenson County Roads, by Philip Kelster-

The "Sucker Trail" from Dixon to Galena, established in 1827, cut across Ogle and Stephenson county in a north by northwest directed arc. The sucker trail ran from the southeastern-most corner of Yellow Creek Twp. to the northwestern-most corner of Yellow Creek Twp. in Stephenson County. After that point it split into three trails- one leading southwest to Plum River, one leading north to Gratiot's Grove and one leading northwest to Galena. I am not aware of it's route through Ogle or Jo Daviess Counties, excepting that it passed present-day Polo, IL about one mile to the west, and Polo is almost immediately north of Dixon.

The Galena Road ran through Freeport and Yellow Creek Twps. of Stephenson County. It passed Oliver Kellogg's cabin, located near Burr Oak Grove, just south of Yellow Creek. Near this point it intersected with the Sucker Trail.

The Galena Road bridge is actually on the Sucker Trail, not the Galena Road.The direction of the Galena Road on my map seems to indicate that the Galena Road followed the trail blazed by John Boles in 1827, which crossed the Rock River near the Grand Detour, above Dixon's Ferry.

GMC

[usscairo]

Thank you for your help.

Now, i was reading the book "Galena the old stockade"
and it metioned that St. Vrain and Hawley,Fowler, Hale.
Where all killed 4 miles west from Kelloggs Grove on the Galena Road.

And Capt, Stephenson found all of their bodies (including Halwey) and buried them. ( this seems a little odd)

The battle that happened on June 25th started off 2 miles west from Kellogg's Grove.
I just figured the Road ran along the 2 miles west area.

2 miles from the Monument (Kelloggs Grove) there is on the left a run down house and like 6 cars in the yard.

On the right of the 2 miles west a thick patch of woods that is metiones in all the accounts on the 25th.

And most of them state the road is 2 to 3 miles west of that area.

What is your take on that?
any feed back would be great.

Matt K.

[germanmike]

There were several trails across nw illinois in that time period, although I couldn't be quite sure which of these were present in 1832. I am quite sure the Kellogg's Grove incident happened along the Kellogg Trail. This trail ran from Dixon north through Buffalo Grove, White Oak Grove (near present day Forreston), to Crane's Grove (Baileyville). From there it turned west along the Yellow Creek until it came to Kellog's Grove and then went north again towards Waddam's Grove. There is a book out there by a Mr. Carpenter (of which title I can not recall) that does a much better job of explaining these early trails.

The place where the memorial to Mr. Durley is is about
1 mile south of 52 on Galena Trail Road.


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