USA > Illinois > Christian County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Christian County, Volume II > Part 25
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SUPERVISORS.
Assumption Township has been represented on the County Board of Supervisors for Christian County by the following men : J. Overholt, 1866- 68; J. R. Pound, 1869; J. M. Birce, 1870-73 ; J. R. Pound, 1874; J. M. Birce, 1875-79; W. L. Cohe- nour, 1880-81; James M. Birce, 1882; R. W. Johnson, 1883-86; David Lacharite, 1887; Isaac Cartmell, 1888; Leo Johnson, 1889; W. J. Craig, 1890; Robert Morrison, 1891-98; Silas Moore, 1899-1900 ; Robert Morrison, 1901-08; W. H. Pad- gett, 1909-12; Edward J. Cushing, 1913-14; Thomas R. Snow, 1915-17.
CHAPTER XIX.
BEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.
BOUNDARIES-EARLY SETTLERS-BOND'S POINT-OLD TIME HOSPITALITY-PIONEER INCIDENTS-FIRST LAND ENTRY - MILLS-EARLY CHURCHES - IM- PROVED STOCK-HARPER'S FERRY-CLARKSDALE- BUSINESS HOUSES OF 1880-PALMER-TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS - ASSESSORS-COLLECTORS-CLERKS- HIGHWAY COMMISSIONERS - CONSTABLES -JUS- TICES OF THE PEACE-SUPERVISORS.
BOUNDARIES.
Bear Creek Township, which is named for Bear Creek which flows through its territory, is bounded on the north by South Fork Township ; on the east by Johnson Township; on the south by Johnson Township; and on the west by King Township. At one time the entire southwestern portion was called Bear Creek, but this territory was later divided into several townships as the increase in population warranted. In the very early days bears abounded in the neighborhood, and tradition states that the killing of an im- mense bear on the creek that bears this name, was the occasion for the attaching of it to the scene of this hunting incident. Prior to the or- ganization of Christian County, this portion of it was included in Montgomery County, being taken from it, and joined to the portion sub-
Francis I Hundley
Lorne E. Hunsley
Ella L. Hunsley.
Thomas B Hundley
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
tracted from Shelby to make the new section in 1839. Some of its earliest justices of the peace and constables were elected while it formed a part of Montgomery County, and Joseph P. Dur- bin and Richard Simpson were for years the magistrates of this region. Bear Creek Town- ship constitutes congressional township 12, north, range 3, west.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Joseph P. Durbin, James M. Logsdon, Nathan Painter and old Grandfather Durbin were the first settlers coming to this section in 1829, they all being related. The year 1830 brought addi- tions in the persons of Sylvester Durbin, Nathan Durbin and Philip Durbin, members of the same family. Old William Durbin and Thomas Dur- bin with their families followed shortly there- after, so that this family formed a nucleus for a settlement just among themselves. At this early day there were no improvements. The country was in a wild state, the grass and rank weeds were higher than the head of the tallest of the men, and in the fall considerable danger was always present because of the likelihood of prairie fires, several of which nearly wiped out the early settlements in this and other towil- ships. Deer and other wild animals were plen- tiful; and wild grapes, plums and other fruits grew in abundance, while the bee trees fur- nished honey and beeswax. Manufactured neces- sities, however, had to be brought long distances. There were no churches, schools or stores. There were no mills to grind the grain and no black- smith shops to shoe the horses and make repairs in the primitive machinery. The pioneer learned how to do without almost everything he and his family could not produce, or endured the weari- some journeys to trading points many miles distant.
The first settlers located along Bear Creek, not then realizing the value of the prairie land, but after the more desirable timber tracts were taken, the pioneers pushed on out into the prairies and proved to their own satisfaction that they had secured the more valuable holdings.
1
Other of the very early settlers were James Logsdon, Walter Clark, John Baker, Col. Thomas B. Bond, Gabriel R. Jernigan, Alfred Currie, Robert McCollum, Lewis H. Jernigan, William Currie, William S. Ricks, Solomon Meads, Hiram Glass and Lewis Elliott. Thomas Anderson ar-
rived in March, 1837, locating on Section 15. It was on this farm that the Anderson log church was erected. A little below it in the ravine was started the first distillery in the township. Wil- liam C. and R. O. Warren came to Bear Creek in 1838. A good many of these men were married, with families, and their wives and daughters felt keenly the hardships, and most of all the diffi- culty in communicating with the dear ones left behind, for there were no postal facilities, and letters were few and far between, and the post- age almost prohibitive. The nearest postoffice in pioneer days was Alton, fifty miles distant, and then that was further away than five hun- dred miles is today. Money was a luxury, nearly all of the trading being a swapping of commodities, and what little currency was in general circulation was script of somewhat doubtful value.
Hiram Glass was a carpenter whose skill was expended in some of the early building opera- tions, and he also did considerable farming. He married Nancy Currie, but died in 1842, and his widow married James Phillips. The Phillips farm was located a little northwest of the pres- ent site of Palmer. Robert McCollum was an- other man who found a wife in Bear Creek Township, he marrying Margaret Jernigan, and he only survived a short time. Mrs. McCollum was married twice thereafter, and lived to be an old lady, dying a Mrs. Mills.
BOND'S POINT.
The property owned and developed by Col. Bond on Section 23, received the name of Bond's Point, and the first post office of Bear Creek was given that name. Col. Bond was noted far and wide for his lavish hospitality and never turned anyone away from his door. He was thrice mar- ried, his third wife being a Miss Nuckols prior to her marrying a Mr. Graham whose widow she was when she became united to Col. Bond. The first two Mrs. Bonds are buried in the old ceme- tery in Bear Creek Township, but after his third marriage, Col. Bond went to Auburn, Ill., and was killed by accident on the Chicago and Alton Railroad, near Berdan, Greene County, this state, in December, 1879.
OLD TIME HOSPITALITY.
Another early settler who welcomed the trav- eler at his home was William S. Ricks, who lived
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
on Section 34 near the head of Bear Creek. These pioneers welcomed all who came their way without a thought of taking any remunera- tion, and sped the parting guest with kindly wishes for future prosperity, and oftentimes sent him on his way materially assisted. This class of men has died out. Changes in conditions have made it impossible for the modern householder to lavish hospitality as did his forebears, so all the more is the memory of those who regarded his neighbor as himself, and had a broad and comprehensive conception of that term neighbor, cherished.
PIONEER INCIDENTS.
The first birth in the township outside the Durbin connection, was that of Marie Currie, a daughter of Alfred Currie, who came into the world in the cabin of Walter Clark on Christmas eve, 1835, when the Clark and Currie families were all in its one room. Pioneer days bore down hard upon the women so it is not strange that many of them bent beneath the burden, and that the old graveyards show that a number of the pioneers buried several wives. The next birth occurred in April, 1838, when William A. McCollum was born.
Several amusing stories were current in the early days relative to the mistakes made by young, inexperienced wives who, coming from luxurious homes in the south or east, found con- ditions so strange and unusual that naturally it took time and experience to develop them into the famous housekeepers they later became. One when called upon to cook a squash, buried it whole in the ashes, just as she had been shown with regard to potatoes. When the squash was disinterred, while the flesh was soft, it was so flavored with the seeds that her husband found it impossible to eat it, and she was forced to seek counsel from a more capable cook as to the best method of preparing this vegetable. An- other inexperienced young wife, was given a sample of coffee which she had never seen in the bean. She boiled it with her beef, thinking it some desirable addition to the stew. While such errors sometimes happened, in the main, the wives of the pioneers bore well the part assigned them in the development of the new country, and but for them civilization would have been re- tarded many years.
FIRST LAND ENTRY.
The first land entry of Bear Creek Township bears the date of July 14, 1832, it being forty acres of Section 9, of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of this section, it being the purchase of Jesse Agee. On November 20, 1835, Mathew Newkirk entered several hundred acres in different sections of the township; while on December 9, 1835, Thomas P. Bond entered the southwest quarter of Section 34, comprising 160 acres.
MILLS.
One of the earliest industries of Bear Creek Township and in fact of the entire county, was milling, for the pioneers had no facilities, aside from the most primitive of hand machines, for grinding their grain, and roads were too unde- veloped to permit of much travel. Joseph P. Durbin was the first in Bear Creek Township to seek to supply this demand, and he first made a crude mill from two stones he found on the prairie, and operated it with horsepower, the patrons furnishing their teams to do the grind- ing. Primitive as this mill was, it was the wonder of Bear Creek, and the people in its vicin- ity felt that metropolitan honors were theirs.
The first saw-mill was built by R. O. and W. C. Warriner, and located on Bear Creek, whose waters furnished the power. It was due west from Palmer, and during 1838-39 a large amount of lumber was sawed and carted to Springfield where building operations were booming pending the removal of the capital. This mill later be- came the property of LeRoy Hill of Sangamon County, and later others owned it. The Warri- ners were also merchants, and had their first store in Col. Bond's house, but later built a store, in the neighborhood of their mill, and combined their two enterprises. Their store later became the residence of Joel Taylor. John Baker con- ducted the first distillery, establishing it in 1835, but two years later sold it to James Logsdon who in turn traded it to Joseph P. Durbin.
EARLY CHURCHES.
Rev. Richard Bird, a Methodist clergyman ; Rev. Joel Knight and Rev. J. W. Bones, Cumber- land Presbyterian clergymen, all preached to Bear Creek settlers during 1836. Revs. Isaac
MOSES HUTCHINS
MRS. MOSES HUTCHINS
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
Haines, Henry F. Luckett, A. M. Wilson and Joseph Barlow were also early workers in this territory, laboring for the good of men's souls. The first Protestant sermon in Bear Creek was preached during the summer of 1836 by Rev. Richard Bird on Alfred Currie's farm, the serv- ices being held in a grove, as there was no resi- dence large enough to hold the crowds. Col. Bond loaned his cabin for services conducted by Rev. Joel Knight in 1837. During that year and the following, several other Cumberland Presby- terians preached in Col. Bond's cabin.
The first church organization in Bear Creek was that established by Rev. Richard Bird, a Methodist clergyman, in 1836. In March, 1841, a temporary organization of the Cumberland Pres- byterians was affected by Rev. Joel Knight, and in 1842 the first Sunday school was organized in conjunction with a log church which was built on the east side of the creek in 1838, or 1839. James H. Boyd was the superintendent of this Sunday school, and Thomas P. Bond was the sec- retary and librarian.
IMPROVED STOCK.
As Bear Creek Township is so admirably adapted for agricultural purposes, it is but nat- ural that the farmers should seek to develop the grade of their stock. Among the men who first introduced improved cattle and hogs in this town- ship were J. C. Dodson and George Armitage. The breeds were Shorthorn cattle and Berkshire hogs. J. M. Simpson brought the first thorough- bred horses into the township. Quint Simpson has been much interested in the development of pure bred stock, and has gained much promi- nence throughout the United States as a speaker on live stock topics. Among the early farmers who attained more than passing importance as agriculturists were: J. C. Dodson, Fletcher Haines, J. M. Simpson, E. T. Leigh, George E. Maxon, George Morgan, George Armitage and William Kline.
HARPER'S FERRY.
At a very early day Harper's Ferry was an important trading point on Bear Creek, and was the first one to be established on this water course. C. M. Leberman was the leading mer- chant, and there was a post office and other busi- ness houses. The town was on the old Edwards- ville road, and the stage line ran through it, but
with the coming of the railroads, it was grad- ually abandoned, and is now but a historical point.
CLARKSDALE.
Located about five miles southwest of Taylor- ville, Clarksdale is conveniently placed on the Wabash Railroad. It was laid out and platted by Richard Powell for Y. B. Clark, for whom it was named, in 1871, although a post office had been established the preceding year, with L. Park as the first postmaster. He was succeeded by E. K. Brock, G. Walton, C. A. Clerk and W. M. Gladish. The flouring mill built by Y. B. Clark in 1872, and operated as the Clarksdale Mill, was burned in May, 1876.
At Clarksdale the business houses are: P. H. Ward, general merchandise; Twist Bros., grain, J. E. Larkin, manager.
BUSINESS HOUSES OF 1880.
During 1880 the business houses of Clarksdale were as follows: An elevator owned and con- ducted by S. S. Sprague & Co., with a capacity of 20,000 bushels; William M. Gladish and Par- rish & Park, general merchants ; Dr. George Wal- ton, druggist; Drs. George Walton and E. K. Fletcher, physicians; C. Parrish & Bro., black- smiths and wagon repairers; P. Ring, black- smith ; and Charles Morey, owner and operator of the Clarksdale Hotel.
PALMER.
The village of Palmer is located in Bear Creek Township on the Wabash Railroad. It is the largest station between Morrisonville and Taylor- ville, having a population of 400. This village was laid out early in 1869 by J. H. Boyd and J. M. Simpson and was surveyed and platted by Richard v. Powel. Boyd and Simpson erected the first store, in which the firm of Starke & Hailey put in a stock of goods. J. H. Boyd erected a hotel and his residence was included within the town limits when the place was laid out. James McCauley opened the second store. When the post office was established in 1870, G. E. Starke was made its first postmaster, and among those who succeeded him were : J. W. McCauley, V. E. Davis, W. P. Crockett, A. E. Boyd and G. H. Varnarsdale. The village was incorporated February 25, 1873, at a meeting called for that
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
purpose. Forty-one votes were cast in favor of incorporation and one, that of Mr. B. H. Hailey, against. Mr. Hailey gave as his reason for vot- ing "no" that he wanted to keep saloons out of that neighborhood. The first officers were as follows: Benjamin Crockett, president ; Joseph M. Patter, clerk ; B. V. Carey, treasurer ; Thomas Lantz, police magistrate; Sylvester Schrantz, street commissioner. These men took the oath of office May 5, 1873. The present officers are W. L. Boyd, president; A. L. Shrout, clerk ; A. J. Johnson, A. M. Hewitt, W. R. Holmes, H. P. Brown, H. A. Payne and O. O. Yates, trustees. The first store was opened in Palmer on July 7, 1869, by the firm of Stake and Hailey. Mr. Hailey still resides in the village. Other busi- ness and professional men are as follows : physi- cians, Dr. J. F. Miller, Dr. J. P. Simpson ; stores, Blanchard & Priest, Bradley & Tedrow, A. L. Shrout ; meat markets, Buck Brothers; lumber, J. L. Boyd; grain, Farmers' Grain Co .; livery, W. F. Grauer ; bank, Palmer State Bank. Palmer has a new brick schoolhouse consisting of four rooms. Two years of high school work are done there.
BUSINESS HOUSES OF 1880.
The business and professional men of Palmer in 1880 were as follows: J. H. Boyd, elevator ; W. A. Crowder & Co., flour-mill and elevator ; Drs. J. J. Connor and J. W. Petrie, physicians ; T. J. Hailey, J. C. Dodson and R. O. Suiter, gro- cers and hardware dealers; L. D. Potter, res- taurant; T. J. Lautz, restaurant and barber shop; W. L. Long and D. T. Price, dry goods merchants ; G. H. Vanarsdale and I. N. Tice, drug- gists; J. H. Boyd, lumber dealers; J. M. Potter, harness shop; C. N. Peterson, shoe shop; Mrs. S. J. Higgins, milliner; Benjamin Pearch and William Bock, butchers; J. R. Fitch, W. M. Stam, Fred Wucherpfennig, blacksmiths; J. R. Fitch and J. M. Barnes, wagon shops; J. B. Mc- Ginnis, coffin shop; Philip Stadler and P. J. Cunningham, saloons; and J. H. Bowlsby, pro- prietor of the Bowlsby House, and D. A. Kauerauf, proprietor of the Palmer House.
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MEN OF PALMER.
The business and professional men of Palmer are as follows: Blanchard & Priest, Bradley & Tedrow, general merchandise: A. L. Shrout, dry goods and shoes; J. L. Boyd, lumber; L. I.
Smith, harness; Farmers' Grain Co., William Clark, manager; U. H. Darner, blacksmith ; W. F. Graner, livery ; O. S. Truax, restaurant ; Dr. J. F. Miller, Dr. J. P. Simpson, physicians.
TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS.
The following have served Bear Creek Town- ship as officials :
ASSESSORS.
A. L. Clark, 1876-77; James H. Cisna, 1878; N. D. Hill, 1879-80; James H. Cisna, 1881; Ed- ward Meader, 1882; E. F. Meader, 1883; Thomas B. Funderburk, 1884; Ira R. Sikes, 1885; C. H. Stockon, 1886-87; Gabriel Durbin, 1888-89; J. H. Dailey, 1890; John T. Allen, 1891; Edward Henderson, 1892; Gabriel Durbin, 1893 ; John T. Allen, 1894-95; Gabriel Durbin, 1896; J. W. Pointer, 1897; John T. Allen, 1898; Geo. Hel- mers, 1899; H. E. Davis, 1900; G. B. Nash, 1901; H. A. Best, 1902-03; W. O. Tucker, 1904; Jesse Spangle, 1905 ; J. E. Wenzler, 1906; Gabriel Dur- bin, 1907; H. B. Brown, 1908; Joseph Wenzler, 1909; Jesse Spangle, 1910-11; Isaac Durbin, 1912-15; Peter English, 1916-17.
COLLECTORS.
Addison L. Clark, 1866-69; James L. Clark, 1870-71; A. C. Clark, 1872; H. Mundhenke, 1873; A. E. Boyd, 1874; M. E. Johnson, 1875-76; J. C. Dodson, 1877; James B. McGinnis, 1878; M. E. Johnson, 1879; James W. Leigh, 1880; N. D. Hill, 1881; W. P. Shrout, 1882; Thomas D. Fun- derburk, 1883; Gabriel Durbin, 1884-86; J. B. Traylor, 1887 ; V. H. Deardorff, 1888; D. D. Fet- ters, 1889; William Clark, 1890; John Seelbach, Jr., 1891; E. B. Shrout, 1892; Marion Lamb, 1893; Fred C. Best, 1894; W. M. Clark, 1895; Samuel Peat, 1896; Edward Hill, 1897; Fay R. Best, 1898; William Seelbach, 1899-1901; James McKneeley, 1902-03; Oscar O. Yates, 1904; Fred Lahr, 1905; Edward Curvey, 1906; Oscar O. Yates, 1907; Alsome Lahr, 1908; Isaac Durbin, 1909; L. E. Corn, 1910-11; R. W. Priest, 1912-13 ; W. L. Boyd, 1914-15; Alpha Lahr, 1916-17.
CLERKS.
Renford Stanley, 1876; John A. Weeks, 1877- 78; L. D. Potter, 1879-82; B. H. Hailey, 1883-84 ; John Stadler, 1885-87; James Shrout, 1888; J. R.
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RESIDENCE OF MOSES HUTCHINS, PANA
759
C
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
Newberry, 1889-92; Harry Davis, 1893-94; A. Starkweather, 1895; Aaron Willhite, 1896; J. D. Offlighter, 1894-1904; S. T. Hawkins, 1905; Lewis Radford, 1906; A. L. Shrout, 1907-15; J. Clyde Miller, 1916-17.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS.
V .. E. Davis, 1876; R. E. Hill, 1877; James Conover, 1878; R. E. Hill and S. W. Hawkins, 1879; B. F. Parish, 1880; J. H. Myrns, 1881 ; John Hull and T. C. Morton, 1882; George Bra- mer, 1883; Christian Wenzler, 1884; John Hull, 1885; William Burke, 1886; John Klamm, 1887; John H. Dey, 1888; B. F. Parish, 1889; B. Loch- nitt, 1890; George Arbogast, 1891; B. F. Parish and John Gessell, 1892; John Gessell, 1893; A. J. Johnson, 1894; John Green, 1895; George Wahl, 1896; A. E. Boyd and Albert Morgan, 1897 ; John Green and Thomas Steel, 1898; Thomas Steel, 1899; George Arbogast and Benjamin F. Parish, 1900; William Millslagle, 1901; Wilber Hayes, 1902; George Arbogast, 1903; William Millslagle, 1904; John McKinney, 1905; William H. Bates, 1906; Otis Nelson, 1907; Thomas Steele, 1908; M. T. Lamb, 1909; Joseph Edmunds, 1910; Thomas Steele, 1911; George W. Edwards, 1912; Robert D. Taylor, 1913; Noah T. Leigh, 1914; L. E. Nash, 1915; O. O. Yates, 1916-17.
CONSTABLES.
T. P. Dunning and J. T. Allen, 1873; Miles E. Johnson, 1874-75 ; John T. Allen, 1876-77 ; H. W. Johnson, 1877-80 ; T. B. Funderburk, J. T. Allen and Thomas Mundhenke, 1881-83; William Tucker, 1884; Thomas Langley, W. C. Jones and Z. Hopson, 1885-88 ; Calvin Jones and Z. L. Hop- son, 1889-91; W. A. Tucker, 1892; Thomas Smith and William Tucker, 1893; James Tobin and James A. Hawkins, 1894; E. E. Purvey, and Edgar J. Wilson, Jr., 1895; Frank Barnes and E. A. Peed, 1896; Henry Payne and George Hel- mers, 1897-99; T. S. Smith, 1900; H. C. Payne, 1901-04; H. C. Payne and Edward Shehan, 1905; John Deweese, 1906; William E. Kelley, 1907-08; F. A. Shoup and William Kelley, 1909; W. E. Kelley, 1910; Josiah Parrish, 1911-12; William A. Tucker and Otis Edwards, 1913; T. A. Hill, 1914-15; J. B. Brooks, 1916; Jesse Spangle and J. B. Brooks, 1917.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Henry Mundhenke, 1866-70; William Logsdon, 1870-72; J. B. Sullivan and Jesse Elgan, 1873 ;
E. K. Brooks and Charles A. Clark, 1874-76; R. E. O'Neil and M. D. Hill, 1877-78; Robert O'Neil and Joel P. Speer, 1879-80 ; H. Mundhenke and H. W. Johnson, 1881; J. B. Sullivan, 1882; E. W. Stout, police magistrate, 1883-84; V. K. Deardorff, 1885-86; George W. Walton, 1887-SS; J. B. Sullivan and George Walton, 1889-92; James Estabrook and James B. Thompson, 1893 ; Melle Margraves, 1894; Hugh L. Hammers, 1895 ; William Hawkins, 1896; John T. Allen and George Walton, 1897-98; W. A. Tucker, 1899- 1900; J. T. Allen and Patrick Clear, 1901-04; James A. Boyd, 1905; A. M. Hewitt and Peter English, 1906-08; A. M. Hewitt and Peter Eng- lish, 1909-10; M. E. Durbin, 1911; Fay R. Best and Charles F. Flood, 1912; Edward J. Quinn and Peter English, 1913; L. C. Priest, 1914; George J. Holland, 1915-16; A. M. Hewitt and Hiram Durbin, 1917.
SUPERVISORS.
A. L. Clark, 1866-69; James L. Clark, 1870-71 ; A. S. Clark, 1872; H. Mundhenke, 1873; A. E. Boyd, 1874; M. E. Johnson, 1875-76; J. O. Dod- son, 1877 ; James B. McGinnis, 1878 ; M. E. John- son, 1879; James W. Leigh, 1880; W. Long, 1881; James M. Simpson, 1882; J. L. Boyd, 1883; Henry Mundhenke, 1884; P. B. Spooner, 1885; Edward Purcell, 1886; James M. Simpson, 1887 ; C. H. Stockon, 1888-94; F. C. Best, 1895-96; Wil- liam M. Clark, 1897-1902; I. T. Kramer, 1903-08; William M. Clark, 1909-12; Joseph Edmunds, 1913-14; James N. Bradley, 1915-17.
CHAPTER XX.
BUCKHART TOWNSHIP.
BOUNDARIES - WATER COURSES-RAILROADS-ORIGI- NAL DIVISION-FIRST SETTLEMENTS-ROBINSON'S POINT-BLUE POINT-BLUEVILLE-EDINBURG-VIL- LAGE INCORPORATION-BUSINESS AND PROFES- SIONAL MEN OF 1880-PRESENT DAY BUSINESS MEN - SHARPSBURG - CAMPBELLSBURG-TOWN- SHIP OFFICIALS - ASSESSORS - COLLECTORS -- CLERKS-COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS-CON- STABLES-JUSTICES OF THE PEACE-SUPERVISORS.
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
BOUNDARIES.
Buckhart Township is one of the oldest sec- tions of Christian County, for within its present confines some of the earliest settlers made their home. In fact they located here very soon after the land was surveyed by the national govern- ment, long before the land was open to entry. This township is in the northwestern part of the county, and contains all of township 14 north, range 2 west, and that part of township 14, range 3 west, that lies east and north of the South Fork of the Sangamon River, its western boundary. The other boundaries are Stonington Township on the east, Mt. Auburn Township on the north, and Taylorville Township on the south.
WATER COURSES.
The principal water course is Buckhart Creek which takes its name from the township, and enters township 14 north, range 2 west, in section 24, from whence it flows in a northwesterly di- rection until it passes out in the northern part of section 5. South Fork has several small affluents in the western part of the township, so that there is excellent drainage and sufficient water for all practical purposes. Originally the timber was in a belt three miles at its widest point, and one mile at its narrowest which was found along the east side of the South Fork, and also in small patches along Buckhart Creek. The soil, a black, deep loam, is very fertile, and the land is a roll- ing prairie. No township in the county is better adapted for agricultural purposes, and here are to be found some of the most productive and valuable farms in this part of the state.
RAILROADS.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, formerly the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, traverses the town- ship, with stations at Edinburg and Sharpsburg.
ORIGINAL DIVISION.
When Christian County was organized, the ter- ritory now comprising Buckhart Township was included in West and South Fork precincts, but owing to the inconvenience caused by having to cross the river, especially during periods of high water, led the people of this section, under the leadership of I. A. Halford, to petition for a
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