In 1837 these two men plotted the town, Van Zant acting as surveyor. The town was
to be called either "Pennsylvania" or "New Pennsylvania" as both were
used in abstracts that have been reviewed. Other improvements were made during the
remainder of 1837, but are unknown as to what they were or their locations.
In the Spring of 1838 the land improvements including the mill were sold to Robert
McConnell who changed the name to "McConnell's Grove". Galena was tthe nearest
town to obtain goods and mail, so McConnell built a storehouse in town and went to Galena
to buy goods to start a trading post. The name "Bobtown" has also been carried
by the town and is still used today.
As noted before the settlers could only lay claim to the land until the Land
Office was established. On March 11, 1842 the land Robert McConnell received from Dennison
and Van Zant was deeded from the United States to McConnell from the Land Office in Dixon.
It is noted that in 1840 there was a ferry located at McConnell's Grove on the
North Trail to Galena. McConnell had the first fireworks display to honor our country's
independence that was open to the public. In 1843 the New Pennsylvania Bridge Company
built a wooden bridge to span the Pecatonica River. The road to the bridge was Grove
Street, one block north of Main Street.
1848 brought to the vicinity of McConnell's Grove a cabinet maker named Daniel
Wagner. He located about two miles east of town on the now McConnell Road. Prior to his
arrival, furniture was rare except for rough primitive type tables and chairs. The Wagner
descendants still reside on the same farm.
In 1849 a Post Office was granted to McConnell's Grove with Robert McConnell being
the Post Master. A school was also started east of town on the now Orangeville Road, with
Miss Fayette Goddard and Miss Odeline Hulbert as teachers.
McConnell's Grove was on the move. The 1840's were a prosperous time shown by its
three mills within a mile of town. They were the Muddy Creek Saw Mill, the Fisher Saw Mill
and the Soladay (Salady) and Sheckler Mill. There was a cabinet maker and approximately
twenty families in town.
The 1850's continued to bring growth to McConnell's Grove. James Ault built a hotel on 3rd Street in 1855. Gottfried Kilian built a large two story brick home west of the hotel in 1856. Robert McConnell plotted his second addition to the town, this being north of the original plot. The bridge crossing the river was replaced with a new wooden bridge in 1858. Also on February 4, 1857 Robert McConnell deeded approximately 995 acres of land to the Illinois Central Railroad. The town remained his except for the railroad right-of-way through it. The railroad purchased the land because of its thick timbered areas and proximity to the Pecatonica River. The cut timber was floated or barged via the river to Freeport where track was being laid. John C. Conaty was railroad agent in charge.
The 1860's were slow but steady years of growth for McConnell's Grove mainly because of the Civil War. John C. Conaty purchased three lots in town in 1862. In 1864 he purchased all the land that Robert McConnell had sold to the railroad. In 1867 the Salem Lutheran Church was built on the east edge of town. The 1860's also saw J. Walter Linderman operate a steamboat on the Pecatonica River from Freeport to McConnell's Grove. The two day trip by boat was made to gather wood to take to Freeport. The crew for these trips stayed overnight at McConnell's Grove. Probably at the Ault Hotel. There was a saloon next door in the basement of the Killian Home. The soldiers returning home from the "War between the States" also frequented the saloon.
The 1870's saw business growth in the area. Samuel Fisher built a grist a mill
in 1872 on the west side of the Pecatonica River across from his saw mill. A second dam
was installed. These were only the only dams on the river from Freeport to Martintown,
Wisconsin. John Conaty built a large building at the corner of Old Mill Road and Main
Street. It was called the Conaty Business Building. Johnathan M. Stamm operated a grocery
and hardware store in this building in 1875. It is assumed that the second story of the
building was used as living quarters for the Conaty family.
During this time Albert McDaniels operated a grain hauling business. He loaded the
grain on rafts and then transported them to Freeport where he sold the grain and bought
goods to bring back with him. The interesting thing about this was that he pulled the
rafts by horse instead of using the more usual way via river. In 1877 he married Amelia
Kilian and together they ran the old Ault Hotel for many years. Also during this time Dr.
D.W. Scott arrived in town and opened his office.
The 1880's were the most important time in the history of McConnell's Grove.
Johnathan Stamm built his own store on the south side of Main Street, across from the
Conaty Building in 1881. The wooden bridge that crossed the river was replaced with a new
iron bridge. In 1883 the name of the town, McConnell's Grove, was shortened leaving the
present name of McConnell.
The Richland Salem Luheran Church was built on Damascus Road in 1888
approximately 1½ miles southeast of town. The Stamm Brothers (Jacob and Adam) built a
grist mill on the west side of town at the north end for the B. P. Hill Grain Company. A
new school was built on the east end of town in 1889. The most important period was during
1887 when the clearing of timber and track laying for the railroad was done. The train
started running in 1888. The depot was built in 1888.
The telephone was believed to have come to McConnell sometime in the late 1880's.
It was a small "Party Line" service started by a cooperative. There are three
known operators that connected cicuits. They are Lydia Robb, located in the house west of
the milk plant (Barclay's), Cora Kilian who was located in her home at the northeast
corner of Old Mill Road and Main Street and held her position the longest, and Ruth Klentz
who was the last operator in McConnell and was located in the present Post Office
Building.
The 1890's were years of growth for McConnell both in business and residential
areas. Catherine Henen plotted her first two additions in the town. One addition was
located north of the original town including both sides of Olive Street at the east corner
of Grove Street and Hulbert Road. There were 18 lots in this addition. The second addition
was at the south side of Conaty Street and included 12 lots. Addition one was recorded
August 8, 1895. Catherine Henen was the daughter of John Conaty the railroad agent for the
I.C.C.
During the same period Frank Mau built a hardware store on the southeast corner of
Hulbert Road and Main Street. Also William Wachlin took over as manager at the mill in
town. His horse "Sam" was to power to turn the stone.
The 1900's were prosperous times for McConnell. In November of 1901 Catherine
Henen recorded her 3rd addition of town. It consisted of 10 lots on the east
end of the north side of Conaty Street. In April of 1902 she recorded her 4th
and last addition to the town this consisting of 5 lots on the west half of the north side
of Conaty Street. 1903 saw a larger grain mill erected on the west side of the tracks
along with a coal yard, a lumber yard and a feed store. Jake Stamm built a hardware store
at the southeast corner of Main Street and Hulbert Road. It replaced the Mau store that
burned down in 1902. In 1905 or 1906 the Modern Woodmen of America built a lodge at the
northwest corner of Main and 3rd Streets. The lodge was on the second floor,
the rear of the first floor was occupied by Dr. Korber's office, and the front of the
building housed a drug store. The Danielson Brothers, Peter and Nelson, built a creamery
from their Orangeville address. A Farmer's Association built a sack feed store and coal
yard on Main Street across from the creamery. Albert and Amelia McDaniel built a 16 room
hotel on Main Street replacing the old 4 room Ault Hotel in 1909.
The 1910's in McConnell saw continued growth. Myron Smull recorded his addition to
McConnell in September of 1910 on the east edge of town, north of the Salem Lutheran
Church and Cemetery. McConnell finally had a bank open in November of 1911 with its
location in the Jake Stamm Building on Main Street. Howard D. Price was its president and
A. E. Seise was the cashier. Myron Smull recorded addition in December of 1914 which was
located east of his first addition. These additions are referred to as "Smull
Town", McConnell's suburb, and included East Street and First Street. In August of
1919 the final addition to McConnell was recorded by Oscar Wells. This addition was
located north of Robert McConnell's with Hulbert Road on the west and Smull's addition to
the east. It included Oak Street, Elm Street and Maple Street. The lots east of Oak Street
were never developed.
The 1920's were a slow but steady building period for McConnell. The Danielson's
built a brick building to replace the wooden sctructure at the same location. Numerous
homes were built in town, mostly in the Smull addition. Sanford and Zartman Co. Took over
as managers of the mill. The McConnell Bank moved to the Woodman Building. Electricity
came to town in 1923. A new school house was built at the north edge of town on Hulbert
Road in 1926. Also in 1926 the opera house burned down along with Ernest Groosenbecker's
blacksmith shop and residence.
The 1930's provided the biggest face lift to the town of
McConnell. In 1935 fire destroyed the United Bretheren Church of McConnell and the Van
Matre Garage and Hardware Store. The McConnell Bank closed during the depression of 1932.
In 1937 and 1938 a new county road was constructed through McConnell from Hi-Way Rt. 26.
The road was raised west of town 10 to 12 feet to protect the road from floods. A new
concrete bridge was erected across the Pecatonica River after the river was dammed,
rechanneled and a dike built. This was a major achievement. The Grove Street Road and
bridge were no longer needed. In 1939 Fred Schafer took over the grain mill. John Holmes
ran the feed store and coal yards for the McConnell Shipping Association at their
building.
The 1940's were lean years because of World War II. The railroad pulled out of McConnell for the last time in 1942. The coal yard was converted to livestock pens and Holmes Trucking was started. A tornado hit McConnell on June 22, 1944. German prisoners of war held at Rockford were sent out to help out in the clean up. It is rumored that a few tried to escape but realized that there was nowhere to go and so they came back. In 1946 J. D. Rozelle Company of Peoria erected a bulk milk receiving plant on Main Street in McConnell across the street from Holmes Feed Store. Ervin Rupnow built a cheese factory in 1948 or 1949 at the east edge of McConnell at the junction of McConnell and Orangeville Roads. Ordie Manigold ran the tavern on the north side of Main Street. Floyd Wells started a tavern at the south side. Bill Gift, Raymond and Marjorie Stamm ran grocery stores. George Riess operated the grain mill starting in 1948. Helleum Killian had a harness shop in town located in the alley behind his home on Grove Street directly behind the hotel. The train depot was torn down during that decade.
The next thirty years plus saw a disappearance of businesses and buildings in town, most notably on Main Street. The Conaty home was taken by fire. The Killian home, the Jesse Hulbert home and the Gus Retzlaff blacksmith shop were all taken by demolition. The south side tavern, Cookie Wells' tavern and another home were all destroyed by fire. The garage, milk plant, cheese factory and creamery all closed. The feed store closed but moved to a new location east of town, now called the McConnell Coop. The last home to be built in McConnell was in 1962 in "Smull Town".
(Excerpt from the McConnell Sesquicentennial History Album. Written by Steven W. Kohn . 1988)