The Daily Chronicle from De Kalb, Illinois • Page 3

DAILY CHRONICLE, Online at Nlsite.com and Daily-Chrorm le.com, Monday, January 6, 2003 A3 ocalisStaie Around the A Journey Through DeKalb County Part 87 lyummuniiy Ml iVUUL CRONKTOWN CUMETURY 1 it V- IP Mm liJ Hicks Mill Cronktown Cemetery was established in 1862 and may not have originally been enclosed. Some headstones are better viewed from outside the fence. I fl -Sr I riiii Red Cross is forming a group for teens DeKALB A high-udyen-ture troop is being formed for young men and women, ages 14-18, interested in Red Cross-related activities to be determined by the group. Activities may include disaster relief and first-aid training and a variety of recreational activities. High Adventure is a coed organization sponsored by the Scouts of America and the DeKalb County Red Cross chapter.

Meetings will be held at 1 p.m. the first and third Sundays of each month at the Red Cross DeKalb County chapter office, 2727 Sycamore Road. For more information, call Roy at (815) 758-0713 or Kelly at (815) 895-3210. Child care workers can learn from workshops DeKALB Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C) is offering several workshops with information on how to start, manage and run child-care businesses. "Bringing Reading Alive" will explore ways to incorporate activities as an extension to reading books.

Activity handouts will be provided, along with some hands-on, make-it and take-it activities. Heidi Muntjanof will present the workshop from 10 a.m. to noon 11 at 4-V, in DeKalb. "Managing Your Family Child ('are" will discuss organizing paperwork, filing and recording systems, and how to manage the business side of a family child care home, as well as planning a daily schedule of meals, naps and activities for the children and communicating with parents. Mary Kowalski will give the workshop from p.m.

Jan. 22 at 4-C in DeKalb. "How to Start a Successful Child Care Business" will give training on the basic tools of home child care. Mary Kowalski and Jami Nguyen will present the workshop from p.m. Jan.

28 at 4-C in DeKalb. To find out about these and courses offered in other areas, or to register, call 4-C at (815) 758-8149, Kxt. 2'2f, or (800) 848-8727, Kxt. 22fi, when calling from areas outside DeKalb, Sycamore, or Cortland. Steve Bigolin i "7 Local Lore short distance south of the John Lyman louse and across the road, is a small This is "I licks Mill" or "Cronktown" Cemetery, one of three such burial grounds located around Franklin Township.

The other two are Maple Cemetery on the southeast edge of Kirkland and Charter Oak Cemetery on Cherry Valley Road, between Bucks and Paulson roads. The Hicks Mill name comes from brothers Charles, Henry and Samuel Hicks, whose saw mill was a couple miles north of here olT Irene Road, along the Kishwaukee River, west of present-day Scout road. The name Cronktown stems from the Daniel M. Cronkhite family, who settled on this land in the late Their house is down the hill on the northeast corner of Quarry and Irene roads. The need for a cemetery in this part of the township had been evident in the 1840s and "1850s and finally led to the acquisition of an acre for such purposes from the Cronk-hites.

The purchase price was $100 on Jan. 24, 18(2, the buyer being the. "Hicks Mill Cemetery Association." )no of its directors was Daniel M. Cronkhite. A total of 101 plots were laid out, the last eight set aside as the Potter's Field "for burial of strangers and indigents." The Cronkhite wives According to the 1850 Census, Daniel M.

Cronkhite was then 4(i and from New York State. His land was valued at $1,000 at that time. His wife was said to be 4.1 and from New Hampshire. She. had a rather unusual first name "Philadelphia" as'in the Pennsylvania city.

Later censuses gave il simply as "Filey" 18(i0i and "Phila" 1870 She died April 5, 1871, at b4, with her tombstone containing the name "PHILA Her death explains, in part, why Daniel came to have his son Daniel B. Cronkhite living with him by 1880, although it was the younger Cronkhile who was listed in the census that year as head of the household. Philadelphia Cronkhite's headstone is located so close to the fence, as is her hus- ABOVE LEFT: The gravestone of William T. Kirk most likely dates to the time of his death and not the earlier date of his wife's death. ABOVE RIGHT: The Riddles were William Kirk's in-laws.

RIGHT: This tall stone obelisk marks the grave of the Gilchrlsts. Provided photos location was, of course, always high ground on the Cronkhite farm and may just have struck Daniel as being a fitting spot to bury his he-loved wife. As Harriet Cronkhite died. July 1). 1848, and was listed in the 1850 census as Daniel's wife, they must have married within two years.

How Daniel and Philadelphia met might be interesting to know, but unless there are still family members who would possess this information, it does not survive otherwise. Although Daniel and Philadelphia Cronkhite never brought any children of their own into the world, she filled the role of stepmjither to his four children hv Harriet, and the words "OCR MOTHERS CRAVE" "are carved in the arched top of her limestone headstone. 'This ranks as quite ii tribute to be paid by one's stepchildren, Stones of a later day The delicate wrought iron picket fence fronting Irene Road is set in concrete, as are the wooden posts. The other sides of the grounds are not '1 Philadelphia Cronkhite was remembered by her stepchildren as their mother. as elaborately enclosed.

A Hag pole is situated olT to the north. A very new-looking wooden sign with the cemetery's name and date of establishment, and a carved dove on it. is just inside and to the left of the gates. Entering the cemetery, walk straight ahead, then ajit-tle to the right is the last resting place of pioneer Franklin Township settlers William T. and Ixmisa Kirk, he leing the founder of the town of Kirkland.

Their striking granite marker probably dates from the time of his death. Its smooth-faced masonry, with the name "KIRK" at the base in raised letters, was popular at the beginning of the 20th century. As Mrs. Kirk died in 1882. there may well have lieen a small, earlier marker here just for her, which this -stone replaced.

To one side of he Kirk plot are the parents ol Iaiisa Ku John and Susan Riddle. It is interesting to note that he was 10 years younger than his wile. This marker is also 'of a smooth laced nature, with names, dates and stales of origin ut into the stone, as bands and that of Daniel B. Cronkhite and his wife, il makes nie wonder if these grounds were originally enclosed or not. The markers are better viewed, as a result, from outside the fence.

Philadelphia Cronkhite was the second wife 'of Daniel M. Cronkhite. The records of Cronktown Cemetery include the name of a "Harriet Cronkhite," with dates of as that of Daniel's wife also. His headstone-has on it not only his own name and dates, "DANIEL CRONKHITE 1S011MS7," but also those of wife "HARRIET CRONK-HITE 1805-1818." This means that Philadelphia was the stepmother of Daniel 15 Cronkhite. She has her own separate marker from that of Daniel and Harriet.

As this cemetery was not established until 18(i2 however, I wonder if Harriet was buried here immediately follow ing her death or whether her remains were reinterred from somewhere else at a later time, such as the older Charter Oak Cemetery, dating hack to at least .184.1 This hilltop The names of Daniel D. Cronkhite and his first wife, Harriet, are carved Into this stone marker. is the case with the Kirk monument, too. The Kiddle tiiai ker rests atop mi older limestone block, possibly part of an earlier structure whi( weathered poorly and needed replacement Tliis cemetery has few monuments standing taller han a couple feet or so above the ground, but one that does has been here since 1871-Near the south fence line is the historic limestone obelisk of Daniel M. Gilchrist.

A couple years prior to his death, the old family home bad been skelt lied in he 'oinbm-alion Atlas Map ol DeKalb 'ouiity, Illinois." It passed from the scene, however, during the early years of the PtIHIs; The obelisk was a cemetery marker form taken from ancient Egyptian funerary 'traditions. 'An epitaph is carved in the badlv weathered stone "WE TRUST IN A .11 'ST COD." Slvw lUniilin is uh expert ill or a Itislnrw WHAT'S Chirkni Caesar S.iI.mI Wrap 1 1 1 lit i'tr D. 'finical a initunulh rcwu neJ ryert (inj ffctmrr on Attention Deficit. Vvte rai fit if Diwrder. heal otters i Ik 7 i.

m. i ff -M, I 1 1 www. aily-Chronicle com "COMMUNICATIONS WirS Nrw AUTHORISED RkPRtSf Nl AIIV6 1013 W. HillcreslDr. DeKalb (815) 756-4CEL (4235) We Fix Flip Phones On The Spot! ADHD to be topic of KCH HealthMatters DeKALB Clinical Psychologist Dr.

Thomas W. I'helan will discuss the myths and misconceptions about Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder at a Kishwaukee Community Hospital HealthMatters program from p.m. 15. in the hospital's Murphy Education Center at the hospital. Dr.

I'helan has more than 25 years of experience study-'; ing AD1 ID and child pline. A lecturer on the disor- der, he is the author of six books and videos and tains a private-practice. I Information on services provided at Kishwaukee Community Hospital for children diagnosed with AD1 ID will also be discussed at the HeallhMattersprogram. The fee is 1 5 for singles and $25 for couples. For more informations to Jaskula.spe- cial projects coordinator, at -1815) 756-1521, Ext.

4000: or e-mail tal.org or register online at www.kishhospital.org. History society to hold annual meeting SYCAMORE The annu- al meeting of the Sycamore i Historical Society Museum will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 I. at St.

Peter's Episcopal Church, 201 S. Somonauk St. Thousands of parmts and professionals have examined Dr. Thomas W. PheUtn's explanation and treatment of A DUD, A tttntion Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and found them to be "simple, sane and effective.

Mvtlis tk MisiotKipiiims include: A I It nrmthvirrv hyprr.njie Al 'I ID i dm- lo faulty parenting Al 'I II will be outgrown Al )l II is ranted by brain d.inugc Al'flD rrtiiM he diagnosed by a nhys'cian or tuiirt)logit; st hot ils i an dutiiiosc Al II rAt II i5 i fjhnratrd dttiptmw all kwls lik dit Al '1 II kids respond well to soti.il skills training Al ID ili.ijiiiosis cm be made hjLi diu-lur Ivtlkinp to the thild in o(li Al )l II) will iilsvays show up during psyiliologii.il testing ADHD boys outnumber A 1)1 ID girls by about to 1 I tor singles. tor couples, for moie ititivnn.itinn or rc gisti-r Cub-N-Spanks I 1.1 N. Maple St. Sycamore. 11.

60178 H'S 4015 (West ol the Courthouse I I ommiinltv Hospllal mm. ut iininiuniiy I iluiaiieii I ootdin.itei )o Jaskula at 7S( l.M x. 000, jjaskul.tO' kislilvspii.il orj or register (inline at ww'w kislilvspiial.org. i.