USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1 > Part 45
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Shortly after his arrivai L. V. Hollenbeck erected a carding and corn inlll, and a distillery operated by a tread-wheel and located on a small hranch at the north end of Water Street. The town was surveyed and platted by James Greg- ory, December 16, 1831, and L. V. Hollenbeek was proprietor of all north of Main Street.
C. B. Stafford bullt a two-story log-cabin, which became the first postoffice and a stage-stand. Robert Sattley built a log-cabiu west of this near where the Rochester House later stood. A third log-cabln was built hy Minas Johnson.
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IIISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
These buildings were erected before the piat was made, bnt marked tile beginning of the village.
The town of Rochester was incorporated on February 1, 1869, and on June 3, 1873, was ill- corporated as a village under the general incor- poration act. The village has one newspaper, the "Rochester Item," and one private bank, the latter owued by W. G. Browu, but which has recently been incorporated as a State Bank.
The first school within the territory compris- iug the village of Rochester and vicinity was established during the winter of 1823-24, witil Richard E. Barker as teacher, in a log-house built for that purpose. In 1826 tbis building was burned down, and for several years there was no building for sebool or religious meetings. In the fall of 1831 a log-cabin, 18x20 feet, was ereeted and furnished with greased paper for window-ligbts, the fireplace occupying one en- tire eud of the building., Seats and desks were made of lumber contributed by Edward Clark, the owner of a mill. This house was replaced by a more substantiai one in 1837, the first teacber occupying it being Samuel Williams, who had previously taught in a private house. This house was built of stone, but in 1865 it was removed and a two-story frame building was erected on its site at a cost of $3,600. On September 10, 1880, this was destroyed by fire and a brick building 32 x 50 feet was immediately thereafter erected at a cost of $5,000.
Rochester is the only village in the township, but there is another station (Sangamon) near the northwest corner on the Baltimore & Óbio Southwestern Railroad, which extends diagonally through the central portion of the township from the northwest to the southeast.
The population of Rochester village, according to census of 1910, was 444, and of Rochester Township, 1,384.
SALISBURY TOWNSHIP.
Salisbury, which is one of the northern tier of townships in Sangamon County, is the smallest township in the county, embracing an area of only fifteen sections or square miles. It is bounded" on the north by Menard County, east by Fancy Creek Township, south by Gardner and west by Cartwright Township. On its organiza- tion in 1861 it was named Sackett, for one of its leading citizens, but this name was subsequently
changed to that of the only village witmn its limits. Traversed by the Sangamou River near the centrai portion, from the east by Cantraii Creek, from the west by Richland Creek and from the south by Prairie Creck, it is especially weli watered and abnndautly supplied with timber.
The first settlement within the present limits of Salisbury Township was made in 1820, and among the settiers of that period or soon after, were Solomon Miller, Marshall Duncau, Mrs. Abigail Coleman, William Yoakum, Fielding Harrison, William Kirkpatrick, Autos Batterton, Rev. Jacob Miller, James Fisher, John Duncan, Aaron Milier, Isaac Carlock, John Goodman, V. Crite, George Miller and Clawson Lacy.
Solomon Miller was born in Adair County, Ky., abont 1796, there married Nancy A. Antle and theu moved to St. Clair County, Ill., whence, in the spring of 1820, he came to what is now Salisbury, Sangamon County, dying in 1858.
Marshaii Duncan, who was born in Nortil Carolina about 1783, a brother of Rice and John Duncan, moved witin his parents to Cumber- land County, Ky., whence the family came to Sangamon County, Ill., in 1820 or '21, settling in Salisbury Township. He there married Han- nah Miffer, a daughter of John Miller, and died in 1858.
Mrs. Abigail Coleman, whose maiden name was Robertson, was born in Surry County, N. C., and there married Theophilus Coleman, a native of Virginia, who became a soldier in the War of 1812, and disappeared during that period. Iu 1818, with her family of four children, Mrs. Coleman removed to Cumberland County, Ky., and in the fall of 1820 to Sangamon County, Ill., settiing on Richland Creek in what is now Salis- bury Township.
William Yoakum, born in Virginia, in 1791, was brought by his parents while an infant to Claiborne County, Tenn., where his father died. Later his mother moved with her family to the - vicinity of Edwardsville, Madison County, Ill., whence they came to Sangamon County, settling, in June, 1819, on the north side of Richland Creek in Salisbury Township.
. Fielding Harrison was born in Rockinghain County, Va., about 1777, married Anna Quinn in Culpeper County, Va., and in 1805 moved to Christian County, Ky., and thence, in November, 1822, to Salisbury Township, Sangamon County, settling on the north side of Richland Creek. He died in 1839 or '40.
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Amos Batterton, born in Loudoun County, Va., May 3, 1772, married Nancy Guthrie in Madi- son County, Ky., moved thence to Adair County, and in 1818 to Madison County, Ili. Thence in 1820 they came to Rock Creek in what is now Menard County, and In the spring of 1882 settied in the vicinity of the present village of Salis- bury. He died in 1835.
Rev. John Antle was born in Cumberland County, Ky., April 15, 1789, there married Eliza- beth Buchanan, and in 1829 moved to Morgau County, Ill., but in January, 1830, came to Sanga- mon County, settling in Salisbury Township. Mrs. Antle died August 30, 1864. Mr. Antle was a Baptist minister and preached in various churches in Sangamon, Menard and Morgan Counties.
Christopher Mosteller, who was a native of Buncombe County, N. C., as a young man went to Butler County, Ohio, and there married Phoebe Sackett, resided for a time in Union County, Ind., but in the spring of 1830, removed to what is now Salisbury Township, where he died in 1834.
Jacob Miller came in 1820 and settled on Sec- tion 20. In 1845 he moved to Iowa and there died in 1852. Aaron and George Miller came about the same time with the rest of the Milier family, the former moving to Iowa, where he dled in 1858, and the latter to Lincoln, Iii., where he died in 1880.
William Batterton, born in Kentucky, Decem- ber 14, 1801, came to Sangamon County, Ill., in 1818, there married Eliza Gaines, and had a family of thirteen children. Two of his sons- Robert and Madison-were members of the One Hundred Fourteenth Illinols Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.
Other early settlers in this section were : James Fisher, who later moved to Arkansas; Isaac Carlock; John Goodman, dled on his farm in 1843; John Davis came in 1827 and died in the village of Salisbury in 1881; Tobias Goodman, moved to Iowa and later to Oregon, where he died ; V. Crites settled on what was later known as the Rhodes farm and there died about 1851.
Other later comers or descendants of early settlers of the township and members of a later generation are: George W. Bailey, Philo Beers, Joseph S. Cantrell, Francls M. and Marion M. Duncan, Balthus Faith, George Gillen, William H. Gordon, John Hale, Marsden and William Hopwood, William F. Irwin, John M. Keltner,
John A. Milier, Johanna Mulcahy, Nelson Oison, Conrad Pfoffenbach, Elisha Primm, Dr. A. F. Purvines, William H. Rhodes, George Sharp, Enoch Walker, James H. Wells, and George H. Yoakum.
SOME FIRST THINGS .- The first school house, buiit of logs, was erected in 1823, and Casseli Harrison was the first teacher. There are now three school houses in the townshlp, valued at $4,000.
Rev. James Sims, a Methodist itinerant, has been credited with being the first preacher in this region as early as 1822. He was soon followed by Rev. John Antle, a Baptist, and this de- nomination Is said to have erected the first church building in the village of Salisbury. There are now three church organizations In the township-Methodist, Baptist and Christian.
MILLS .- The first mill of any description was a horse-mill erected by William Kirkpatrick in 1821. Robert Fieiding and Reuben Harrison buiit a water-mill on Richland Creek, near the village of Salisbury at an early date. In 1833 Milas Goodman, John Sackett and a man by the name of Holmes built a saw and grist-mill on the creek east of the village, and it underwent several changes in ownership. In 1839 Thomas Kirkpatrick built a saw-mill on Richland Creek half a mile south of the village, but abandoned it several years later.
VILLAGE OF SALISBURY .- The village of Salis- bury was surveyed and platted January 9, 1832, on land belonging to Solomon Milier. A sale of iots was held soon after and, in the spring of that year, Simeon Clark erected a building for a dwelling and a store and there sold the first merchandise.
In 1825 George Davis started a blacksmith shop near the village, which was also the first in the township. In 1832 this was removed to the village.
Matthew Morehead opened the first cabinet shop on coming to the village in 1833. It was in such shops that all household furniture was man- ufactured in those days. A second cabinet-shop was opened there by Henry Shepherd.
A postoffice was established in Salisbury in 1833, with David McMurphy as first Postmaster.
The first school building was constructed of logs soon after the platting of the village. Later a brick building was erected, which some years later gave place to a larger building of the same materlal.
ALBERT SCHAMEL
MRS. MARIA SCHAMEL
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
The Baptists orgaulzed a congregation here in 1831, and in 1835 they erected a house of wor- shlp, which they continued to use for many years. A Methodist class was organized in 1837 by a Rev. Mr. Knoll. In 1881 the Christlan deuom- ination had the only church building in the vil- lage, which was also nsed jointly by the Baptists and the Methodists.
Although Sallsbury has been on the map for mauy years, it is uot on record as an incorporated village, having an estimated population of about 125.
The population of Salisbury Township, accord- ing to census of 1910, was 476.
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP.
The territory embraced in Springfield Town- shlp is identical with that of governmental Township 16 N., R. 5 W. of the Third Principal Meridian, excepting the portion of the latter within the limits of the city of Springfield. As organized in 1861, the city constituted a part of the township of Springfield, but was set apart by act of the Board of Supervisors, on January 22, 1879, under the uame of Capital Townshlp In/ accordance with the General Law of 1877, au- thorizing the organization of citles having a population of not less than 3,000 as separate townships. . As provided by the State law, the area of Capital Townshlp is the same as that of the city.
The townshlp as it originally existed consisted of about equal proportions of timber and prairie. With the maln channel of the Sangamon River ex- tending through the uorthern tier of sections In the township, and Spring Creek through the cen- tral portion from southwest to northeast, the surface is moderately undulating, and in some cases, especially near the streams, somewhat broken, though generally rich and well suited to agricultural purposes, especially the growing of graln. As may be readily Inferred, the supply of water for irrigation and stock-growing is abundant.
To the Kellys-Henry Kelly, the father, and five sons, John, Elisha, Elijah, William and George W .- has been awarded the credit of establishing the first permanent white settlement in the locality where the city of Springfield now stands. This is said to have been the re- sult of a trip made to Illinois by Ellsha Kelly,
of this family, about 1817, first stopping In what Is now Macoupin County-theu a part of Madl- son County-whence he came to the Sangamou region in 1818. Being favorably impressed by what he saw of the country, he shortly afterward returned to Rutherford County, N. C., and In- duced hls father and a portion of the rest of the family to join In forming a new settlement. Elisha Kelly was theu a bachelor of forty years, and he and hls older brother John are reported to have been the first of the family to come to Illinois. After spending the winter of 1818-19 in what Is now Macoupin County, in the follow- Ing spring they came to the present location of the city of Springfield, and there John built the first cabin on the site of the future State Capl- tal, located about what is now the northwest corner of Second and Jefferson Streets, and in which the first court in Sangamon County was held in 1821. The first court-house and jall were also built in this locallty, after the organization of the county in 1821-the cost of the latter (a log building) being $84.75. John Kelly had been married In North Carolina to Mary Whitesides, and before coming to Illinois they had a family of five children. Mrs. Kelly died a few months after coming to the Sangamon region, and Mr. Kelly, soon afterward returning to North Caro- lina, iu 1821 there married Margaret Waldrup, who came with him to Illinois. Ellsha Kelly, the bachelor brother, who had been the first to visit the Sangamo Country-as It was then widely known-married iu Sangamon County, on Feb- ruary 24, 1823, Nancy Sims, a sister of John Sims and niece of James Sims, the pioneer Meth- odlst preacher. .
Henry Kelly, the father, came soon after his sons Jolin aud Elisha, aud dled in June, 1832, being then a resident of Curran Township, and having reached the age of about ninety years. John Kelly lived only about four years after coming to Springfield, dying there about 1823, while Ellsha survived hlm until 1871, when he dled In Curran Township, his wife having pre- ceded him in 1855.
Willlam Kelly, a younger brother, came about the same time the father dld in 1819, but In 1836 moved to Jasper County, Mo., where both he and his wife died. The two younger brothers, Elijah *and George W., came about 1821 or '23, where the former died about 1832. The latter married a member of the Orendorff family and finally moved to Missourl, where both he and his wife
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
died. Two daughters, Eleanor (Mrs. Joseph Reaves) and Sally (Mrs. Greenawalt) also came to Illinois, but after remaining only about tbirty days, went on to Missouri. They had each in- herited three slaves from their father, and in order to retain them, probably thought it neces- sary to remove to a slave State.
A family named Daggett came in 1820, and set- tied withiu the present limits of the present city of Springfield. Others who came soon after the Kellys and located In the surrounding conntry Included Andrew Elliott, Arthur Watson, Elijah Dunn, Lewis McKinnle, William L. Fowkes, David Newson, George and Jacob Donner.
The early history of Springfield Township is so closely identified with the bistory of the city of Springfield, and of which the latter formed so large a part, that it is difficult to separate them, though the latter will be treated more fully in otber chapters of this work. Some of the most noted comers about the time of the organization of Sangamon County were Cbaries R. Matheny, who was appointed the first County Clerk of Sangamon County, and became the head of the Matheny family, one of the most widely known in his section of the State; Captain Elijah Iles, wbo opened the first store in Springfield; Pascal P. Enos, who became first Receiver of Moneys in the Land Office at Springfield ; John Taylor and Thomas Cox, who were associated with Iles and Enos in platting the first town under the name of Calboun, hut jater changed to Springfield.
Andrew Elliott, mentioned In a preceding para- ' graph, was a uative of Rutberford County, N. C., born in 1792, and came with his fatber-in- jaw, William Kelly, to Sangamon County, In 1819, and entered eighty acres of land in what is now the northwest corner of the city of Springfield. He served in the War of 1812, In the Winnebago and Black Hawk Wars, and the Mormon War of 1845, and kept the first hotel in Springfield. He died in 1864.
Eiljah Dunn, born in Fieming County, Ky., in 1792, came to Sangamon County, in the fall of 1825, and settied two and a half miles west of Springfield, and three years later moved north of Spring Creek, and died August 7, 1866.
Arthur Watson, was born in Berkeley County, Va., in 1770, in young manhood went to Mason Couuty, Ky., served in tbe War of 1812, In 1825 came to Sangamon County, and entered land in what is now the northern part of Springfield, on
which the water works and watch factory are located.
Lewis McKinnie, born in Virginla October 11, 1767, married Nancy Saunders In Fayette County, Ky., In 1820 visited two of his children who had come to Sangamon County, and in 1826 removed to the county, settling four miles northwest of Springfield. His death occurred in Juue, 1855.
William L. Fowkes, horn in Loudoun County, Va., January 17, 1793, in 1813 married Mrs. Margaret B. Saunders (nce Saunders), served a term as soldier in tbe War of 1812, in 1817 moved to Warren Connty, Ky., and in October, 1826, to Sangamon County, first settling some three miles west of Springfield, but a few years later located in German Prairie, four miles northeast of Springfield, where he died Novem- ber 26, 1864.
David Newsom, born in Greenbrier County, Va., December 28, 1805, baving Iost his fatber by deatb in hoyhood, learned the trade of a tan- ner at Galiipolis, Ohio; after teaching school iu Meigs County, that State, two years, returned to Virginla, there married Polly Houston, and in the fall of 1828 came with his father-in-law, John Houston, to Sangamon County, and im- proved a farm near. Springfield, for a time being the owner of a part of the land now included in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
One of the historic families connected withi Springfield Township was that headed by James Latham, a uative of Loudonn County, Va., born October 25, 1768, as a young man emigrated to Kentucky, there married Mary Briggs and, in 1819, came to Sangamon County. Ill., and with his son Richard, huilt a horse-mill at Elkhart- uow in Logan County-tbis being the first miii north of the Sangamon River. Mr. Latham served hy appointment as first Judge of the Probate Court at Springfield, was aiso a Justice of the Peace, and was later appointed Superin- tendent of the Indians at Fort Ciark (now Peoria), where he died December 4, 1826. His son Richard, born in Bowling Green, Ky., Decem- ber 23, 1798, came with his parents to Sanga- mon Connty In 1819, in 1825 married Mrs. Mar- garet Broadwell, at Elkbart, but later resided in Springfield, where he died June 5, 1868. leaving a numerous family.
Many other early residents of Springfield Township are mentioned with muore detail in the biographical department of this work.
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
Population of Springfield Township (1910), an earlier day in the townshlp, in the upper 2,881.
TALKINGTON TOWNSIIIP.
The township of Taikington, situated in the sonthwestern corner of Sangamon County, eni- hraces approximately the whole of Town 13 N., R. 7 W., and three fractional sections from Town 13 N., R. 8 W. The township was organized on the adoption of township organization iu 1861, and given Its name in honor of Joh Talkington, one of its earliest settiers.
Owing to the fact that its surface is mostly pralrie land, and remote from a pientiful supply of tinher, its settlement hegan late and was very much retarded, although it has developed as one of the most fertile portions of the county, and especially well adapted to stock-growing. For tlils reason the farms are extensive and popu- lation rather sparse.
One of the first settlers was Willlam Eustace, who settled in the northwestern part of the town- shlp ahout 1835, near the present city of Waverly ou the eastern horder of Morgan Connty. Ahout 1838 to '40 a settlement was made near the cen- tral part of the township hy Ahijah Pete, Theo- dore Watson, Asahel Coe and Hezekiah S. Gold. Between 1840 and 1845, John Alishury, Jacob Leonard, Daniei Leach, a Mr. Calhoun and a Mr. Broady settled on John's Creek In the north- eastern quarter of the present township, and this settlement grew up slowiy until after the Mexi- can War, when a number of land warrants were located in that vicinity. About this time also came Elisha Tanner, Ephraim Wemple, William T. and Amerlens Blaney, Michael, James A. and Henry Summer, Richard Fisher, David and Enoch Haddix, George W. Lowder, William L. Deatherage, William Post, and others, and from that time the development was quite rapid. The land in this part of the township is high and rolilug, with excellent drainage and a deep, fer- tile soil.
The first officers after the organization of the township in 1861 were: James E. Dodd, Super- visor ; Benjamin F. Workman, Assessor; William P. Campbell, Collector ; Robert D. Smith, Cierk ; and John R. Spires and J. W. Lowder, Justices of the Peace.
The first huiiding for school purposes in what is Low Talkington Township, was erected in 1851, though a school appears to have heen taught at
story of a dwelling-house of Mr. Charies Hop- pins, by a Miss Parsons. There are now slx good school houses in the township.
There Is no record of the earllest religious ex- erelses in TalkIngton Township, but Rev. John Allshury held services in private dwellings and odlsts were the first to organize a church con- later lu school houses at an early day. The Meth- gregation and erect a house of worship, which they did in 1867. The city of Waverly, in Mor- gan County, helng adjacent to the northwest- ern corner of the township, and Virden, lu Ma- coupin County, to the southeastern, afford church privileges to many residents In the rural dis- tricts of Talkington Township.
Other names which have heen prominently lden- tified with the history of Talkington Township have been those of William H. Beatty, who was born in New York in- 1832, came to Illinois in boyhood and lived on a farm in Jersey County until 1872, when he came to Lowder, Talkington Townshlp, there built an elevator, and later served as Postmaster and agent for the Jack- sonville & Southeastern Railroad; Leander MI. Bumgarner, born in North Carolina November 14, 1819, In the fail of 1850, came to Morgan County, Ill., and 1858 moved to Talkington Town- ship, where he died in 1881; George Evans Cole, Charles Cowden, John J. Eunis, Sedgwick HI. Gold, Daniei B. Kessler, Austiu Landon, Wil- llam Lowder (son of George W., the founder of Lowder village), Alfred W. Moulton, the Plow- mans, Henry S. Stone, Walter Taylor, William B. Worth and many more.
VILLAGE OF . LOWDER .- Lowder, the only village In Talkington Township, was surveyed and platted in March, 1872, on iand In Sectlon 26, purchased in 1852 by George W. Lowder and uamed in honor of the founder. It is situated on what was originally the Jacksonville & Soutli- eastern Rallroad (now a branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy), 25 miles southeast of Jacksonville.
The first huilding was erected in the village in 1872, hy James McCormick for a store-room and a dwelling. The first store was opened in the fail of the same year hy George W. Cox and William White, and in June, 1873, Matthew Lowder opened another. Cox & White soid out to Sanford Peck, who iater sold to John W. Gray, and Lowder sold to Howard & Company. A post-office was estabilshed iu the vlliage the
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
year it was platted and Charies Cowan served as first Postmaster.
A church building was erected by the Meth- odists in the village in 1874 and a prosperous church and Sunday School are maintained there.
The vlilage has two blacksmith shops, a wagon-shop, a generai store and two groceries. There is aiso a graln-elevator near the station, from which iarge shipments of grain are made annuaiiy.
The population of the village (estimated) is about 150, and that of the township according to the census of 1910, 821.
WILLIAMS TOWNSHIP.
The township of Williams was organized at the time of the adoption of township organiza- tion in Sangamon County, In 1861, and named in honor of Coi. John Williams, a pioneer merchant and leading citizen of Springfield. It consists of the whole of Town 17 N., Range 4 W. and the southern tier of sections from Town 18 N., Range 4 W., embracing an area of forty-two square miles. It is bounded on the north by Logan County, east by Logan County and Buffalo Hart Township, south by Clear Lake Township and west by Fancy Creek Township. The surface of the country is level, mostly prairie, with fer- tile soii especiaiiy weli adapted to the growing of grain and ralsiug of stock. The township is watered by Fancy and Wolf Creeks and their tributaries.
Among the early-if not the earilest-settiers in what is now Williams Townshlp, were the Stewart and Stillman families, who came here in 1820. James Stewart was born at Fort Ann, Washington County, N. Y., September 28, 1777, and while an infant in his mother's arms, nar- rowiy escaped being captured by Indians. In 1803 he married Roxana Stiiiman and in 1806 went to Buffalo, N. Y., and after spending several years at other points in New York, in 1819 em- barked on a flatboat at Olean Point on the Alie- gheny River, in company with two other families -those of Joseph Inslee and Jesse Southwick, each occupying separate boats descended the Ohio River at Shawneetown, Iii., arriving on the last day of December, 1819. From there they came on through mud and water, finally arriv- ing on Sugar Creek in Sangamon County. A few weeks later Mr. Stewart was joined by his
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