USA > Illinois > Christian County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Christian County, Volume II > Part 27
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INTERESTING INCIDENTS.
The pioneers oftentimes suffered severly from exposure, and an incident illustrative of this is as follows: Several of the early settlers, numbering Mylo Skinner, Duanne Skinner, among others, took a sled trip to Taylorville in the depths of winter. Starting for home in the face of a blizzard, they lost their way and traveled the entire night, supposing they were headed for home. In the morning they dis- covered that they had been traveling in a circle. not going outside a radius of a mile. All had suffered severely from the cold, and Mylo had
the misfortune to freeze his feet so severely that an amputation of a portion of each re- sulted.
· The fall and winter of 1861 marked extremely hard times for the people of Greenwood Town- ship, corn then being quoted at eight cents per bushel. As this grain appeared to be a drug on the market, a Mr. Johnson of Greenwood Township decided that it was cheaper to burn than any kind of fuel, and so burned all of his. crop he did need require for the use of his family and stock. This action was published in the papers of the day, and excited consider- able comment in the east, where the outbreak of the Civil War had caused prices on all food . stuffs to soar.
IMPROVEMENTS.
Greenwood Township is essentially an agri- cultural community, and great attention is paid to the raising of high grade stock. The most valuable farms in this township are owned by the following men who have made many im- provements upon their properties : Wm. Klamer, and E. N. Barnes, at present sheriff of the county.
TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS.
The following are the men who have served Greenwood Township in an official position :
ASSESSORS.
Nathan Stevens, 1876-77; Madison Busby, 187S- 79 ; Chris K. Hamel, 1880 ; Nathan Stevens, 1881 ; Madison Busby, Sr., 1882-85; John Chenney. 1886; M. Busby, Jr., 1887; L. Busby, 1888; A. N. Jackson, 1889-90; N. Stevens, 1891; J. B. Mc- Curdy, 1892; Horace Estabrook, 1893; John A. Gibson, 1894; L. Busby, 1895; Charles Meinzer, 1896; Eugene Taylor, 1897; L. Busby, 1898; John W. Atkinson, 1899; William Miller, 1900; J. C. Shaefer, 1901; Madison Busby, 1902; Jo- seph Burchfield, 1903; John W. Atkinson, 1904 ; Joseph Burchfield, 1905; Fred W. Hendricks, 1906; Joseph Burchfield, 1907-09; M. K. Luza- der, 1910-11; Jesse Wyman, 1912-17.
COLLECTORS.
John Morrison, 1866; C. K. Halel, 1867 ; Wil- liam T. Cheney, 1868-73; William Busby, Sr., 1874; C. K. Hamel, 1875-76; James R. Busby, 1877-78; Madison Busby, Jr., 1879-80; F. P.
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IlJohnston
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767
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
Gooden, 1881-83; Madison Busby, Jr., 1884; F. P. Goodan, 1885; John Schafer, 1886; William Kettlekamp, 1887; Moses Luzader, 1888; Wil- liam Brockman, 1889-91 ; Joseph E. Hamell, 1892 ; Thomas Walters, 1893; Frank Bald, 1894; Thomas Walters, 1895; David Shafer, 1896; C. E. Miller, 1897; David Shafer, 1898; William Meinzer, 1899; E. N. Barnes, 1900; William Reineke, 1901; John F. Hendricks, 1902; H. E. Engleman, 1903; C. A. Hitchcock, 1904; Wil- liam Engleman, 1905; Charles A. Pittenger, 1906; W. F. Bollman, 1907; Joseph Grigsby, 1908; William Gray, 1909; W. D. Hunt, 1910-11; Charles Wieneke, 1912-13; John Reineke, 1914- 15; William Shuman, 1916-17.
CLERKS.
George Taylor, 1876-77 ; C. K. Hamel, 1878-79 ; L. Busby, 1880 ; Thomas Taylor, 1881-83 ; Nathan Stevens, 1884-88; Joseph Vonachen, 1889-1905; Henry Beaman, 1891; Nathan Stevens, 1892; P. M. Klinefelter, 1893; H. G. Estabrook, 1894-96 ; Edward Kettlekamp, 1897; Edward Lusket (re- signed) and Geo. Hardy, 1898; Fred Michel- man, 1899-1902; A. H. Kettlekamp, 1903; C. W. Kettlekamp, 1904-08; Leo Von Ruden, 1909; Edward Radamacher, 1910-17.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS.
D. B. Chumley, 1876; William J. Pearson, 1877; Wesley Simpson, 1878; James Hawkins, 1879; William J. Pearson, 1SS0; Wesley Simp- son, 1881; William Kettlekamp, 1882; James Hawkins, 1883; M. L. Dorman, 1884; John Her- wig, 1885; Wert Bauer, 1886; J. N. Skinner, 1887; I. M. Luzader, 18SS; Wert Bauer, 1889; I. M. Luzader, 1890-91; William Brockman, 1892; C. A. Paige, 1893; H. H. Allen, 1894; William Brockman, 1895; C. A. Paige, 1896; James Craig, 1897; William Brockman, 1898; C. A. Paige, 1899; James Gray, 1900; William Brockman, 1901; Clyde Simpson, 1902; James Gray, 1903; Fred Michelman, 1904; Clyde Simp- son, 1905; James Gray, 1906; Fred Michelman and William Klamer, 1907; Alpha Johnson; 1908; James Gray, 1909; C. W. Shafer, 1910; Alpha Johnson, 1911; James Gray, 1912; Perry Woodall, 1913; William Hoffman, 1914; James Gray, 1915; William Reineke, 1916.
CONSTABLES.
Elisha Compton, 1877; Isaac Gorsuch, 1877; James A. Hawkins, 1878-80 . O. W. Thompson 10
and William Chumley, 1881; James Hawkins, 1882-84; John P. Meinzer and W. M. Chumley, 1885-86; John Hendricks, 1887-88; J. B. Pitten- ger and H. H. Allen, 1889-92; J. B. Pittenger and H. H. Allen, 1893-96; J. B. Pittenger and H. H. Allen, 1897-99; John T. Parrill, 1900; John T. Parrill and John Driskhe, 1901-04; John T. Parrill and J. F. Hendricks, 1905; W. Hoffman, 1906; Joseph Shafer, 1907; Cleveland Shafer, 1908; John Allen and William Grigsby, 1909-12; Joseph Shafer and John T. Allen, 1913- 14; Edward Fines, 1915; Charles Landers, 1916- 17.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
James Miller and Madison Busby, 1866-69; H. C. Dickson and Madison Busby, 1870-72; George Taylor, 1873; James W. Estabrook, 1874- 76; William M. Warren and George Taylor, 1877 ; Elisha Compton, 1878-80 ; E. Compton and Jasper Bullock, 1881; D. B. Chumbley, 1882; Jasper N. Skinner, 1883-84 ; Jasper N. Skinner, 1885 ; George Cammon, 1886-88; C. L. Schneider and J. C. Schafer, 1889-92; C. L. Schneider and Joseph Burchfield, 1893-96; C. L. Schneider and Jos. Burchfield, 1897-1900; C. L. Schneider and J. B. Pittenger, 1901-08; C. L. Schneider and Phillip Colonius, 1909-13; William Bollman, 1914; Harry Purcell, 1915; C. F. Kettlekamp, 1916-17.
SUPERVISORS.
G. W. Taylor, 1866; John Miller, 1867-71; A. G. Ament, 1872-76; John Miller, 1877-81; W. M. Warren, 1882-84; M. L. Dorman, 1885-87; Madi- son Busby, Sr., 1888-91; A. J. Taylor, 1892-93; P. M. Klinefelter, 1894-1901; W. B. Watkins, 1902-07; E. N. Barnes, 1908-13; Fred Michel- man, 1914-17.
CHAPTER XXII.
JOHNSON TOWNSHIP.
LOCATION-WATER COURSES-EARLY SETTLERS- CHANGES IN POLITICAL BOUNDARIES-ORIGINAL NAME-PRESENT NAME-FIRST LAND ENTRIES-
768
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
HALF ACRE - ASSESSORS - COLLECTORS - TOWN CLERKS-CONSTABLES- COMMISSIONERS OF HIGH- WAYS-JUSTICES OF THE PEACE-SUPERVISORS.
LOCATION.
Johnson Township, which comprises all of township 12 N., range 2 W., is bounded on the north by Taylorville Township; on the east by Locust Township; on the south by Green- wood Township, and on the west by Bear Creek Township. | The township is amply watered by the South Fork and its tributaries, and in early days there was plenty of timber.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Prior to 1837 Johnson Township had no set- tlers, but in that year John Z. Durbin and Jesse Hinkle settled here, and they were later followed by John Vinson, Abram Lantz, Wil- liam Durbin, Benjamin Harris, Lemuel Raney, John C. Clark, Dr. J. H. Clark, Jeremiah Welch, Benjamin Vinson, Samuel McKinzie, W. S. Berry, Noel Rape, Samuel Angel, John Kel- ler, J. W. Morgan, Henry Baker, Jacob Funder- burk, Joseph Dawson, John Bowman, Alexan- . der Johnson, Henry Rape, Richard Johnson, Dr. U. C. McCoy, A. J. Willey, Thomas E. Voss, Peter Brown, Samuel Large and J. H. Calloway.
CHANGES IN POLITICAL BOUNDARIES.
When Christian County was organized, John- son Township was included in the precinct known as South Precinct, and the voting place was at the home of John Z. Durbin, but soon thereafter the northern two-thirds of the pre- cinct was attached to Taylorville Precinct, while the southern part formed a portion of Nevada Precinct, and this division was maintained until 1866, when with the adop- tion of township organization, the present ter- ritory was laid out. Johnson Township first bore the name of Douglas, being named in honor of Stephen A. Douglas, but later the present caption was adopted in honor of the old Johnson family of this section.
FIRST LAND ENTRIES.
According to the records, the following are the first land entries of the township: January 9, 1836, Thomas Young, Sr., lot 1, N. E. 14 sec-
tion 5, eighty acres; May 10, 1836, Jesse Mur- phy, N. 1% N. E. 14 section 6, eighty-six and ninety-six hundred acres; May 18, 1836, Hiram Rountree, N. 1/2 N. E. 14 section 1, seventy- eighth and sixty hundred acres.
HALF ACRE.
One of the noted places of Christian County bore the name of Half Acre, and was on the bank of the Sangamon River on the public road which runs between Taylorville and Bear Creek, in the northeastern part of Johnson Township. Edward Bradley, an Irishman, bought a half acre of land, and on it founded the town, which bore this peculiar name. Mr. Bradley opened a grocery, and according to the custom of the times, obtained a license to sell liquor. The town obtained the location of a sawmill, owned by Bell and Christian, and sev- eral log cabins grew up about the little set- tlement. Unfortunately the lawless element gained supremacy, and the place became known by the highly objectionable title of "Hell's Half Acre." During a storm the nucleus of the town, the saloon was struck by lightning, and burned, and with it gone, the place declined, and now nothing remains to mark the spot.
TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS.
The following have served Johnson Township as officials :
ASSESSORS.
S. J. Shivers, 1876-77; Moses Oller, 1878 ; James Lamb, 1879; Moses Oller, 1880-87; John Hill, 1888; Moses Oller, 1889; John Hill, 1890 ; Moses Oller, 1891 to present time.
COLLECTORS.
Andrew J. Roper, 1866; James Lamb, 1867 ; C. T. Linxwiler, 1868; Moses Oller, 1869; T. J. Locker, 1870; G. W. Shivers, 1871; T. J. Locker, 1872; Fuel Marshall, 1873; C. T. Linx- wiler, 1874; Fuel Marshall, 1875; Samuel Cul- ley, 1876 ; J. B. Foy, 1877; S. T. Marshall, 1878; Fuel Marshall, 1879; H. N. Underwood, 1880; John Fleming, 1881; W. B. Oller, 1882-83; J. Micenheimer, 1884; John Berry, 1885-86; W. B. Oller, 1887; Winifield Marshall, 1888; R. W. Marshall, 1889-90; W. H. Porterfield, 1892; W.
769
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
B. Oller, 1893; S. T. Hawkins, 1894-95-96; Henry Reever, 1897-98; D. L. Dunbar, 1899; C. A. Hammond, 1900; J. A. Minnis, 1901; J. F. Lamb, 1902; Nathaniel Durbin, 1903-04; Syl- vester Berry, 1905; T. W. Ginger, 1906; Henry Parrish, 1907; B. R. Dorman, 1908; J. A. Berry, 1909; L. D. Hartar, 1910; J. A. Berry, 1912 ; Horatio Durbin, 1914; B. R. Dorman, 1916.
TOWN CLERKS.
Enoch Flemming, 1876; G. J. Osborne, 1877- 78; John B. Foy, 1879-80; W. K. Nicodemus, 1881; John Micenheimer, 1882-83; W. H. Por- terfield, 1884-89 ; A. J. Stevens, 1890-91-92; Rob- ert Berry, 1893; John Micenheimer, 1894-95; Peter English, 1896-99; Clifford Shehan, 1900; D. L. Dunbar, 1901-02; Frank Bozarth, 1903; George Oats, 1904-06; W. A. Johnston, 1907; Geo. D. Oats, 1908-09; Sylvester Berry, 1910 to present time.
CONSTABLES.
Leander Scott and Joseph Dawson, 1873; Thomas Howard and Isaac Garsler, 1874; Ste- phen Brown, 1876; W. S. Messenger, 1877; Adolphus Scott, 1878; W. C. Carpenter, 1879; M. C. Shivers, 1880; William Porterfield and William W. Ives, 1881; W. B. Oller, 1884; M. Micenheimer and J. W. Waddle, 1885; James Crowder and James Rape, 1886; Jeff Fleming and J. H. Folke, 1889; A. M. Dunbar and T. J. Durbin, 1890; I. S. Henry and A. C. Bowman. 1893; Peter Chumley, 1894; Charles Driskel, 1895; W. A. Oller and W. W. Ives, 1897; Geo. L. Smith, 1898; Thomas Grant, 1899; G. R. Smith, 1901; Hiram Durbin, 1902; Hiram Dur- bin and George Hill, 1905; Josiah Parrish and J. M. Dunbar, 1906; Marion Dunbar, 1907; Charles Hammond, 1908; Leslie Hanauer, 1909; Charles Oats and Samuel Hawkins, 1910; Dan- iel West, 1912; John Schwab, 1916; W. E. Kel- ley, 1917.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS.
J. H. Hawkins, 1876; A. J. Wilkinson and D. A. Dunbar, 1877; Enoch Fleming, 1878; Wil- liam M. Coe, 1879; D. A. Dunbar, 1880; F. Schneeberger and Philip Bulger, 1881; John Rinken, 1882; B. S. Brownell, 1884; John Rin- ken, 1885; Michael Oats, 1886; W. D. Shehan, 1887; John Rinken, 1888; E. B. Keller, 1889 ;
John Micenheimer, 1890; John Rinken and J. R. Thompson, 1891; J. W. Johnston, 1892; S. E. Oats, 1893; F. W. Duval, 1894; William Rus- sel, 1895; S. E. Oats, 1896; Robert Pointer, 1897; George W. Parrish, 1898; P. S. Marshall, 1899; W. B. Oller, 1900; Rube Albright, 1901; Henry Reever, 1902; James Rape, 1903; George Parrish, 1904; Henry Reever, 1905; J. L. Rape, 1906; G. W. Parrish, 1907; S. E. Oats, 1908; George L. Smith, 1909; Walter Brandon, 1910; W. H. Stumm, 1911; Arthur Pointer, 1912; E. A. Brookens and J. F. Lamb, 1913; C. W. Keller, 1914; E. A. Brookens and Elmer Harmon, 1915; John Deweese, 1916; E. F. Harmon, 1917.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Samuel Shivers and Richard Culley, 1866; Joseph Smith, 1871; William H. Ives, 1874; S. M. Goodson, 1875; William H. Ives and S. M. Goodson, 1877; Joseph Dawson, 1878 .; James L. Lamb and W. H. Ives, 1881; Josepli Dawson, 1882; Joseph Dawson and W. H. Ives, 1885; Joseph Dawson and Enoch Fleming, 1889; S. E. Oats, 1892; Enoch Fleming and J. L. Lamb, 1893; P. L. Marshall, 1894; G. W. Shivers, 1895 ; Robert Pointer, 1896; Enoch Fleming, W. H. Ives, 1897; J. H. Durbin, 1898; R. O. Haw- kins and J. A. Berry, 1899; John Micenheimer and James Berry, 1901; R. O. Hawkins, 1902; Robert Thompson, 1904; Geo. L. Smith and P. L. Marshall, 1905; G. W. Shivers, 1906; Hamilton Pound, 1907; W. B. Oller, 1908; J. L. Shivers, 1909; John Oller and Elmer Shivers, 1910; J. M. Dunbar and Elmer Shivers, 1910; J. M. Dunbar and James Hamel, 1911; I. Z. Shivers, 1913; Elmer Shivers, 1916; A. E. Shivers, 1917.
SUPERVISORS.
Those who have served Johnson Township as supervisors have been as follows: T. B. Ander- son, 1866; H. C. Johnson, 1867; W. S. Berry, 1868; Benjamin Howard, 1869-70-1; William S. Berry, 1872-3-4; C. T. Linxwiler, 1875; D. W. Johnson, 1876-80; Enoch Fleming, 1881-82; D. W. Johnston, 1883-84-85; J. L. Lamb, 1886-87 ; John T. Berry, 1888-1893: L. D. Hewitt, 1893- 1899; John Kennedy, 1899-1903; William D. Shehan, 1903; C. C. Howard, elected in 1905, resigned and Charles Oats was elected in 1905- 1907; John Kennedy, 1907-11; L. F. Peek, 1911- 15; J. A. Klinefelter, 1915-18.
770
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
CHAPTER XXIII.
KING TOWNSHIP.
BOUNDARIES - EARLY SETTLERS - TOWNSHIP OF- FICIALS - ASSESSORS - COLLECTORS - CLERKS -COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS-CONSTABLES -JUSTICES OF THE PEACE-SUPERVISORS.
BOUNDARIES.
King Township is composed of the east one- half of township 11 north, range 4 west, and township 12 north, range 4 west, and contains thirty-six square miles, or 23,040 acres of very fertile farm land. It is bounded on the north by South Fork Township; on the east by Bear Creek and Ricks townships; on the south and west by Montgomery County, and it is drained by Bear Creek, Prairie Fork and Clear Creek. In 1819 the United States government surveyed the land now comprised in King Township, but not until many years later, were any permanent settlements made, possibly owing to the fact that considerable of the land was low, and until modern drainage systems came to be adopted, submerged lands were regarded as al- most worthless.
EARLY SETTLERS.
King Township is the youngest in point of settlement, so that those who located here did so at a much later date than in other sections. Among those who are numbered among the pioneers of what was once included in Bear Creek Precinct, but is now King Township, may be mentioned : Captain Jesse Hanon, J. H. Adams, M. F. Cheeney, W. A. Potts, and Hatten Gaskins. The King family was a very promi- nent one in the township and when township organization was adopted in 1866, this division was named King in honor of one of its most respected families.
HARVEL. The village of Harvel lies partly in King Township, Christian County, and partly in Harvel Township, Montgomery County. The entire village has a population of about 400. Probably twenty per cent of the people live in Christian County. The school, which consists
of four rooms, is on the Christian County side of the line.
TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS.
The following men have served King Town- ship in a public capacity :
ASSESSORS.
T. F. Clower, 1876; John C. Clower, 1877-80 ; J. H. Kent, 1882-83; J. C. Clower, 1884-89; E. Dunfee, 1890-91; B. P. Wade, 1892; John Slo- man, 1893-94; B. P. Wade, 1895; John Sloman, 1896; Charles Lemmon, 1897; John Sloman, 1898; 'Benjamin Wade, 1899; Chas. Lemmon, 1900-01; H. P. Smith, 1902; John Sheedy, 1903 ; F. W. Weitekamp, 1904; Arthur Clower, 1905; George A. Deal, 1906; J. F. Thunhorst, 1907; Arthur W. Clower (died), 1908, J. W. Hardy (appointed), James Stablow, 1909, Edward Dickey, 1910-11; Edward Dickey, Robert. E. Schwendeman, 1912-13; Kinsey C. Kent, 1914- 15; Alfred Swinger, 1916-17.
COLLECTORS.
Samuel Lemmon, 1866; C. H. Van Dike, 1687- 69; O. H. Parrish, 1870; J. H. Kent, 1871 ; D. H. Jackson, 1872; E. L. Van Dike, 1873; G. N. Al- bin, 1874; C. K. Doyle, 1875; Israel Morton, 1876; J. S. Morton, 1877; J. M. King, 1878; J. S. Morton, 1879; Henry McKee, Jr., 1880; H. P. Lents, 1881; L. D. Wells, 1882; J. W. Kline, 1883-86; William Spratt, 1887; J. W. Kline, 188; William Spratt, 1889; Henry Webber, 1890; W. R. Washı, 1891; Henry Webber, 1892; John Sheedy, 1893; William R. Nash, 1894-96 ; John C. Well, 1897-99: Otto Hendricks, 1900; Heye E. Fahrenholtz, 1901-02; P. H. Coen, 1903; John Beer, 1904-05; C. C. Rhodes, 1906; John Beer, 1907; F. W. Weitekamp, 1908; Arthur A. Reeves, 1909; Theodore Minnis, 1910-11; Frank Osterholt, 1912-13; Miss Flora Rogers, 1914-15; C. L. Scoggins, 1916-17.
CLERKS.
J. L. Morton, 1881-83 ; George M. Wilson, 1884- 86; William K. Garretson, 1887-88; L. D. Wells, 1889-92; Geo. W. Lemmon, 1893-94; Archie H. Greer, 1895-96; John D. Kahm, 1897; J. B. Potts, 1898-99; John D. Kahm, 1900-01; Chance Wells, 1902-04; T. W. Frederick, 1905; Chance
Élias J. Jolmann
771
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
Wells, 1906; W. F. Rich, resigned, succeeded by O. L. Ulery, 1907; J. D. Kahm, 1908; Donald Wells, 1909; L. D. Wells, 1910-11; John E. Haywood, 1912-17.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS.
E. L. Van Dike, 1876; W. Wells, D. L. Wright and R. H. Shiflet, 1877; Jesse Hanon, 1878; T. C. Morton, 1879; R. H. Shiflet, 1880; Ruben Morton, 1881; William Anderson and T. L. Mor- ton, 1882; J. M. King and T. C. Martin, 1883; J. H. Thunhorst, 1884; William K. Rovey, 1885; Wade J. Zimmerman, 1886; Jacob Rathgebber, 1887; J. L. Kline, 1888; Hatton Gaskins, 1889; S. Bergschneider, 1890; Richard Barry, 1891; J. L. Kline, 1892; Samuel Balesly and Harmon Hendricks, 1893; Henry Reish, 1894; Samuel Balesly, 1895; J. F. Thunhorst, 1896; Charles Potts, 1897; S. A. Balesby, 1898; Fred E. Reineke, 1899; W. J. Massey, 1900; Geo. W. Kline, 1901; F. C. Reineke, 1902; Fred Kunart, 1903; J. D. Kahın, 1904; W. H. Hardy, 1905; Fred Kunart, 1906; J. L. Perrim, 1907; F. C. Reineke, 1908; Charles D. Meyers, 1909; Peter Cashen, 1910; J. F. Thunhorst, 1911; C. D. Meyer, 1912; Peter Cashen and T. L. Bethard, 1913; J. F. Thurnhorst, 1914; T. L. Bethard, 1915; John Lyles, 1916-17.
CONSTABLES.
C. C. Young, 1876; William Spratt and A. J. Nash, 1877; W. S. Lorton, 1869; C. C. Young, 1880; William Spratt and M. T. Curvey, 1881-83 ; C. C. Young, 1884; Addison King, 1885-86; J. J. Carey, 1887-SS; James Eliason, 1889; John Miller, 1890-96; C. C. Young, 1897; John J. Red- mond, 1898-1900; L. P. Kent, 1901-17.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Thomas F. Potts, 1866; Jesse J. King. 1866; W. A. Potts, 1867-69; W. A. Potts and Stephen Alexander, 1870; John A. Curry, 1872; Jesse Hanon and John A. Curry, 1873-76; John A. Curry and A. May, 1877-80; Abraham May and J. A. Curry, 1881-83; John Rogers, 1884-85; N. M. Vansandt, 1SS6; Daniel E. Adams, 1887-88; Enoch Fleming, 1889 ; D. H. Sample and James Almond, 1890-92; Jacob Kline. 1893-95; James French, 1896-97; B. F. Harris, 1898; Albert Kline and D. H. Samples, 1899-1902; Albert
Kline, 1903; Robert Thompson, 1904-07; R. L. Vanfossen, 1908-17.
SUPERVISORS.
WV. A. Potts, 1866-68; William Wells, 1869 ; Charles H. Van Dike, 1870-74; F. F. Potts, 1875 ; G. W. Lowrance, 1876; D. H. Jackson, 1877-79; J. J. Carey, 1880-85; Jesse Hanon, 1886; George M. Wilson, 1887; Jesse Hanon, 1888-89; Joseph Forrester, 1890-91; W. J. Zimmerman, 1892-95 ; Wm. G. Lemmon, 1896-1905; John Haywood, 1906-09; C. II. Prange, 1910-17.
CHAPTER XXIV.
LOCUST TOWNSHIP.
BOUNDARIES - EARLY SETTLEMENTS - EARLY INCI- DENTS - OWANECO - VELMA - MILLERSVILLE - TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS - ASSESSORS - COLLEC- TORS-CLERKS-COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS -CONSTABLES-JUSTICES OF THE PEACE-SUPER- VISORS.
BOUNDARIES.
Locust Township lies midway between Pana and Taylorville, and is bounded on the north by May Township; on the east by Assumption Township and Pana Township; on the south by Rosemond Township, and on the west by John- son Township. Its area is six miles square or 23,040 acres of land, and it comprises township 12 north, range 1 west. The name comes from the stream which drains a portion of the town- ship, and along this stream in early days there was found an ample supply of timber.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
The first recorded settler was Wesley West- brook who arrived in 1835, and in 1839 Josiah Anderson located in the timber. G. Washington Cheek and a Mr. Harlick, Thomas D. Chastain, Matthew Durbin, James Bradley, Thomas Brad- ley and Joseph P. Durbin were all residents of
772
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
this section by 1850. Other early settlers who came a little later were: James Durbin, Elisha Durbin, Elisha Logsdon, Martin Overholt, W. H. Madison, James M. Painter, B. C. Cochran, John McCune, Edward Lawton, John White, William Hunter, Achilles Morris and William Lawton. Prior to the adoption of township or- ganization in 1866, the territory now embraced in this township was known as Locust Precinct, and was formed September 10, 1858, by the County court, which appointed Joseph P. Durbin, James Bradley and Seth W. Vermillion as the first judges of election, with the first voting place at the Benepe schoolhouse on section 16.
EARLY INCIDENTS.
As the farmers of this locality were so far from the markets, they did not find it profitable to grow more corn than they needed for their families and to feed their stock, and even their market for cattle and hogs was limited. In order to sell their produce it was necessary to drive the stock over rough roads to St. Louis one hundred miles distant ; and oftentimes wlien this destination was reached, the hard trip had so reduced the weight of the stock as to make tlie profits practically nothing. Of course with the opening up of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road which traverses this township, conditions changed very materially, and now the farmer can sell all he can raise of both grain and stock.
The first hogs shipped over the Terre Haute, Alton & St. Louis Railroad, as it was then called, left Pana in the winter of 1855-6, and the shipment comprised six carloads sent by Dr. U. C. McCoy, Joshua Pepper and John White to St. Louis. It is interesting to note that the first threshing machine in Christian County was brought here by William Hunter in 1855. He was one of the farmers of Locust Township, and the fame of his "Marsilon Separator" went all over the county, and his services were in constant demand during the season.
VELMA.
Velma is a small station on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad about four miles southeast of Taylorville. Twist Bros. have an elevator here and Jerry McNeal conducts the only store. It is an important grain and stock buying center.
OWANECO.
In 1857 the post office of Owaneco was estab- lished about the corner grocery store, and the mail was brought by the tri-weekly stage. This settlement was on the public road on the way between Pana and Taylorville, and to it came settlers from a wide region. J. M. Weaver was the first postmaster, and he had his post office in a little frame building, and kept a supply of dry goods, groceries, and as was the custom, also sold liquor. His house was sold at one time by the United States deputy marshal on account of failure to pay the whisky tax.
Owaneco is now a flourishing little village of about 400 inhabitants in Locust Township on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, half way between Taylorville and Pana. It was laid out and sur- veyed by Elisha Gimlin on October 1, 1869, for J. C. Helmick and John Foggitt. The name Owaneco was derived from a post office on Locust Creek. This village is located in the midst of a rich agricultural district and is an important grain and stock center. About ten years ago a handsome four-room school building was erected in the northeastern part of the village, which affords excellent educational advantages through the first ten years of the school course. The high school which offers two years work, is affiliated with the Taylorville Township high school and is recognized by the Illinois Depart- ment of Public Instruction. Owaneco was in- corporated in 1902 with the following trustees : J. S. Eaton, J. C. McShea, W. H. Barret, Cal Shetlar, J. C. Neal and George Ritscher. The present officers are as follows: Gale Long, president ; M. L. Danford, clerk; Cleve Work- man, treasurer; William McClusky, L. C. Hone- fenger, W. H. Barret, J. C. Large and Art Ward, trustees.
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