USA > Illinois > Woodford County > History of Woodford County > Part 5
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John Bloodsworth is one of the pioneers, coming from England at an early date and working in this and Tazewell counties. He now owns a farm in Roanoke and another in Palestine townships.
Among the later comers is one of the most widely traveled men in the county, Thomas JJones. A native of England, the years of his early manhood were spent on the sea, where he made a number of voyages. Since coming to Palestine township he has resided southeast of Secor.
Among the churches in the country may be mentioned the Christian church erected on the prairie in 1874. The German Evangelical built in 1875 and the Centennial church created by the Methodists and United Brethern in 1876. Rev. James Robeson and Rev. John Oatman were the pioneer preachers of the township. Another minister whose name has been connected with the township for many years, was A. Q. Wilson. He has but recently answered the summons to go into the great beyond. Ile has been connected with the church of Christ for almost a life time. His widow still re- sides in Secor.
The officers are as follows: Supervisor. Wm. Colburn ; (Jerk, William Dehority : assessor, O. J. Gish ; commission- ers. J. W. Brown, John VanSevoc; collector, HI. R. Brown : justices. B. E. Tribbey. Joseph Woods. Sr .; constables. G. E. Ileinrich and Walter S. Sparks.
Clayton.
Clayton township belongs to that part of the county which was of more recent settlement. Sixty years ago it was an unsettled prairie. today its prairie lands are worth
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TOWNSHIPS-CLAYTON.
more than $200 per acre, since they lie in one of the richest sections of the county.
The first actual settle- ment made within the borders of Clayton town- ship was by John Linn, who belonged to the family of Linns who set- tled the township which bears their name. This settlement occurred in 1854, and shortly after- ward James Livingston came and made his home in the township. As so frequently occurred, the coming of one member of a family brought others and in 1857, Mi- chael Livingston, a brother of James, came from New Hampshire and
D. H. DAVISON.
settled in the township. Other settlers soon followed and at once began to improve their farms, humble tho these improvements were. Milton Ilicks and Jefferson Shepler were among these early comers.
The year following witnessed the coming of the Davi- son family from New York. There were four of the Davi- son brothers who came to illinois. Three of them settled in Woodford county, the fourth, Asa, settled in Fulton county and became editor of the Canton Register. In 1855 John M. Davison settled in Clayton township, and two years later was followed by Norman L. Davison. The other brother, Rowland, had come at an early date from New York for the purpose of investigating Illinois, and purchas- ed government land near Groveland. In 1856 he moved to Linn township. The Davisons have been closely identified
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
with the interests and growth of the county. They descend- ed from patriotic parents, their grandfather having been a soldier in the revolutionary war. John M. Davison was elected school trustee at the first election in the township. Three of the Davison family have served as county officers, P. II. Davison as treasurer, D. W. Davison as coroner, and D. H. Davison has served all fold 30 years as surveyor.
The year of 1855 witnessed the coming of many set- tlers. Among these was Jacob McChesney, who came from Rennselear county. New York. He still resides in the county having retired from the farm, and is living in Mi- nonk. His son, Edward D. McChesney, still resides in the township. The same year that these came to Woodford Wait Uphoff came to Peoria from Germany and two years sons. Adam W., Bart W., John W. and Bernhard W. Uphoff. These with numerous grand-children have been closely con- neeted with the farming community about Benson.
Ilenry Lohnes was among the carly settlers from Rennselear county, New York, being attracted here by re- ports of the productiveness of the soil.
In 1856 Henry Memmen came to the township, having come from Germany to Peoria in the early '50's. He resided there for a short time before moving out to the prairies. Ilis widow, who now resides in Benson, has many pleasant memories of the little house that was their first home in this county. There were pioneer hardships to be sure, but there were pleasures, too. that counter-balanced these. Other set- tlers of this region were Josiah Gardner, Samuel Knowles and Jacob Robinson.
In 1858 F. D. Learned came to the township from Lee county, having originally come from New Hampshire. For many years he identified himself with the business and politieal life of the county. Ile has been succeeded by his son. F. E. Learned.
In 1857 the Tallyn family came to the western part of the township. Joseph and Anthony Tallyn coming from
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TOWNSHIPS-CLAYTON.
Kickapoo in Peoria county, within a few months of each other.
William Worthington came in 1855. Another family that has taken a prominent place in the life of the county has been that of John G. Hindert, who came to Marshall county from Germany in 1854. In 1858 they settled in the eastern part of Clayton township on the farm occupied by Mrs. U. J. Hindert. When Mr. Hindert came to this county, Minonk had but twenty-four houses. Ilis daughter, Mrs. Barney Broekling, resides across the road from her father's farm, while his sons, George, JJoseph and John Hindert, are later came to the township. Ile was the father of four
residents of Minonk township. A later settler, whose Family has been prominent in the affairs of the county, was Adam Eckhart, whose sons, J. E., Henry and Edward, are connect- ed with the business affairs of Benson. That the growth was at first gradual, may be conelnded from the fact that when Peter Gommels settled there in 1869, there were but few houses. These were small and frequently had but two rooms. The prairies were covered with sloughs and ponds in rainy seasons, that made a great deal of waste land. Now the entire township is drained, and practically all is under cultivation.
The early political life of Clayton township was in con- nection with Linn, as they did not have a sufficient number of inhabitants to form two voting precincts in 1855. For this reason the minutes of the first meeting of the board of supervisors at Metamora April 16th, of that year, show Linn and Clayton townships represented by a single supervisor, Isaac Fisher. This did not continue a great while, however, for in 1859 the townships were divided. The first officers of Clayton elected that year were as follows : Supervisor, J. P. Robinson ; Clerk, Henry Lohnes ; assessor, James Living- ston ; collector, J. Forney; poor master, Thomas Shreeves; magistrates, F. P. Tuthill. and F. II. Lockwood ; commis- sioners, Iliram Livingston, William Linn and C. N. Darling ; constables, C. H. Robinson and W. Cole.
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
The first church to organize in the township was south- east of the present site of Benson.
In 1859 the Clayton Baptist church was founded by Rev. M. L. Fuller. Services were first held at the home of James Huxtable. Later services were held at the school house. The organization gave promise of growth, and in 1866 a church was erected two miles east and one mile south of the present site of the town. The organization had about thirty-five members, and the following winter a large num- ber were converted. Their first pastor was Rev. William Parker, who was followed by his brother. Rev. Moses Park- er. Services continued to be held there until about twenty years ago, when they were abandoned, and the church was moved away. The site of the church is marked by the Clay- ton cemetery.
On the establishment of the town, churches multiplied and the new structures were located in town.
The first school in the township was taught by P. Il. Davison, but there was no school house at that time. A year later, in 1855 a little school house was erected with Jacob Mc- Chesney as teacher. This later become known as the Jef- ferson school. In 1856 the township was divided into nine districts, altho some of these had no school for several years. There are now eight rural and one graded school in Clayton, and they expend $6,500 annually for school purposes.
The northern part of the township has been known for many years as Yankeetown. The road east from the Wash- ington school house was bordered by houses erected by settlers from the eastern states, hence the appropriateness of the name. For many years there was a postoffice at Yankeetown, but on the institution of the rural mail service this office was abandoned and the patrons were attached to one of the Minonk routes. The office was in the home of P. II. Davison and later of his son, Paul. The mail was carried from Minonk by a carrier.
The following are the township officers: Supervisor,
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TOWNSHIPS-GREENE.
Bartlett W. Uphoff; clerk, J. W. Heiken; assessor, Frank Vogel; collector, William Reinken; justice of the peace, J. ('. Silldorff and D. Davis; constables, Enn Oliman and W. C. Monk ; commissioners, Joseph Bucklear, Mike Fisher, W. F. Uphoff.
Greene.
Greene is one of those townships that has no town lo- cated within its borders, altho there were stores there at an early date. The timber lands along Panther Creek proved an inviting field for early settlers, who believed that lands on which timber would not grow were not fit for farming. The township was settled at an early date, but was not set- tled rapidly. In 1840 there were but a dozen families with- in its borders. The first settlers came to that region in 1829, from the vicinity of Overton, Tenn. William, Allen, Wins- low and Almira Patrick were among those, who made a permanent settlement. Amasa Stout settled there but only remained a short time. Of the former family, two, William and Winslow Patrick, lie buried in the cemetery on the west. bank of Panther creek. The latter met his death while as- sisting young Bilbrey, who came in 1830, in the erection of his cabin. llis head was crushed between the wagon and a log. Mr. Bilbrey remained there several years before mov- ing to Money Creek in Melean county. In 1831 the first child born in the township was born to them. His daughter, Mrs. Armstrong, who resides in Secor, tells many interest- ing stories of their pioneer life, altho she only remembers them as they were told to her. The early comers met with many trying experiences. They had to build their own cabins, and while they were doing this, they slept in rail pens, covered with slough grass. There were dangers from exposure, from privation and from the Indians, altho the latter never really molested them. The Black Hawk war came on and stories of massacres created a feeling of dread among isolated settlers, and caused them to seek shelter in the older communities.
In 1832 Thomas McCord, who was a relative of the early
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
comers, came to the township. Originally he had come from the same place in Tennessee, but had lingered on the way. Abram Hahn and Jacob Kindelsbeyer came from Ohio, and F. Y. Barnard, from Tennessee. Others followed slowly, but the real growth of the township did not begin until the construction of the Illinois Central. Prior to 1854 there was a postoffice at the home of Francis Y. Barnard, known as Josephine, but upon the completion of the Central road it was transferred to Panola.
The name of Armstrong has figured prominently in the history of the township. John and Alex Armstrong were the pioneers, and had much to do with the development of the neighborhood. Among the younger generation were, William, Garret, Alex, Steven, James, Rankin, John and Miles Armstrong. There are still four representatives of the family residing in Greene, John, Festus, Henry and Grant. Several reside in Secor, among them being Mrs. Rankin Armstrong, John and Miles Armstrong. These with their children, have been well known in that vicinity for many years.
In 1854 John Cauley came to Greene township from Roanoke, Virginia, and in 1856 they were followed by An- drew Ruddell. The widow of the latter still lives in the county, being a resident of Benson.
Michael Evey came to Woodford county from Ohio in 1852. The family originally came from Pennsylvania, but. had remained a short time in Ohio before coming on to Illinois. John Evey, a son of Michael, came on the train with the women and children of the party, which was made up of twelve families. The men drove overland to their des- fination. The family of Mr. Evey settled in Greene township where they resided many years. Among the children. who were well known in the county, were, Mrs. William Megin- nis, Mrs. John Frantz, Michael Evey, Jr., David and John M. Evey. Of the family, S. M. Evey, a son of the last named, is the sole representative in Woodford county, and still resides
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TOWNSHIPS-GREENE.
in Greene township, where he is a prosperous farmer.
James Huxtable came to the county in the latter part of the fifties, and at once took a prominent part in the affairs of the community, being especially interested in the work of the Clayton church. His children have been identified with the political and business life of the county in many ways, being especially connected with the interests of Clay- ton and Greene. One of his sons, Thomas, held the office of county clerk at the time of his death.
Sebastian Vogel settled in the township in 1857, He was the father of Frank, John, William, Tony, Henry, Joseph and Sebastian Vogel, Mrs. Caroline Kapraun and Mrs. Macy Ilummell. The descendants of Mr. Vogel occupy a wie scope of territory in the township and own hundreds of acres of its best lands. This region is known as the Vogel settlement.
Mathias Williamson came to Greene township from Butler county, Ohio, and settled a mile north of Secor. He had four sons, who still reside in the county, two in Secor and two in ElPaso : James A. Williamson, present postmaster of Secor; William N. Williamson, also of that place; John II. and Louis Williamson of ElPaso. Other names promi- nent among early settlers were those of William Marshall, James Miller, Samuel and Richard Patton, Simpson and Wil- liam McCord. An old settler in the county, altho a more recent comer in the township, is Abbo A. Koerner, who from- erly lived between Eure'a and Secor.
Judge George W. Patton, who has since won a high position as an attorney and judge, was born in Greene town- ship. He is now judge of the circuit in which Woodford county is located and resides at Pontiac.
Jonathan Wilson came with his father, Nathanial Wil- son, to Metamora in 1835, and moved to Greene township in 1850. Hle carried the chain while engaged in the survey- ing of county lines almost seventy years ago. Ile was quite young at the time, but remembers many experiences met with while he was engaged in the work. They ran across
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
Giant Tree Found on C. M. Stephenson's Farm in Greene Township.
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TOWNSHIPS-GREENE.
A. H. BRUBAKER.
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IHISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
some Indian corn eribs that were nothing more nor less than trenches dug in the ground. Mr. Wilson has made his home in the county since that time with the exception of the last few years, which have been spent in California. Three of his children, Frank and Ed. Wilson, and Mrs. Emma Kindig still reside in the township.
Wm. W. Wood settled in Greene township in 1856. His son, J. G. Wood, has resided in the county the entire time, with the exception of four years. He now resides in Secor.
A. II. Brubaker came there in 1856 and became a promi- nent figure in the political life of the township and county. Ile has held numerous prominent positions, having been supervisor several terms and in 1886 was elected to the state legislature. In 1884 he moved to Benson and has been close- ly connected with its business interests, being now at the head of the Farmers' Bank. Mr. Brubaker was the first man to haul a load of tile onto a Greene township farm. His plan was ridiculed by some of his neighbors, but its success soon led them to follow his example.
The lammers family also came to Greene township at an early date, Joseph, Samuel and James Hammers being among the pioneers. Isaac Hammers, a younger member of the same family, is now a well known attorney of ElPaso, and at one time represented this district in the state legislature.
During the '50's a store was conducted near the come- tery on Panther creek. It was owned and managed by Gabe Woods and as a result the vicinity was known as Gabetown. A saw mill was operated there by James Carroll. There was also another store conducted by Isaac Hammers and William Crosley, but it was moved to Panola, when the Central was completed.
In 1855 Greene township was created in the division of the county into townships. the following officers were elected as the first township officiary: Supervisor, J. R. Gaston ; clerk, G. S. Wood; collector. D. T. Patterson ; magistrates, Benjamin Sample and William Harper; constables, J. F. Stephenson and J. F. Mohr.
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TOWNSHIPS-GREENE.
The first school was taught in a little log school house in 1840, with William Armstrong as the first teacher. This met the needs of the township for many years. In 1856 the Willow Tree school was built. Schools have multiplied since then, until there are now seven schools in the township, with an annual expenditure for school purposes exceeding $2,500.
There are no churches in the township, altho for a nuum- ber of years services have been held in the town hall, the Christian, Methodist and Evangelical churches having held services there at various times. In the early days many of the people worshipped in what was afterward known as the Clayton Baptist church. Still others formed the begin- ning of the Panola Baptist church, it being first known as the Willow Tree church. Many of the people worship at the Dunkard church, which is just across the line in Roanoke township. Still others worship in the adjoining towns.
In 1876 the town hall was erected near the center of the township, and has since served the purpose of a general meeting place for the people. It is also used as a place of worship.
Altho Greene township has no city in its boundries, it has sent forth an unusually large number of men prominent in political life. Among these may be named the following : A. II. Brubaker and Isaac B. Hammers, members of the leg- islature; T. W. and L. C. Gish, sheriff's ; L. C. Gish, treasurer; G. W. Patton, circuit judge; Thomas Huxtable, county clerk ; L. II. and F. A. VanAlstine, circuit elerks. These were not all residents of Greene township at the time of their elec- tion, but had at one time resided there.
The township officers are as follows : Supervisor, Frank Vogel ; clerk, W. II. Kindig; assessor, C. E. Miller ; collector, J. W. Cawley; commissioners, Frank Hummel, John II. Swatsley, Ben Bohlander, II. A. Redenius; justices, C. E. Miller, J. J. Kapraun.
Mr. and Mrs. V. Honseworth are among the oldest resi- dents of Greene township. Mrs. Houseworth, whose name was Reedy prior to her marriage, has lived on their home farm fifty-two years.
CHAPTER VII.
Hardships and Pleasures.
T HIE broad fertile prairies of Woodford county, dotted with handsome farm houses, with here and there a pros- perous town, give little sign of the hardships endured by the pioneer in bringing them under cultivation. These can never be fully realized by a generation surrounded by the comforts and luxuries of the modern farm home. The early settlers aspired to nothing better than the log cabin, frequently made from rough, unhewn logs, notched and laid together in a hur- ried manner. The cracks left between these logs were stopped with a crude plaster made of clay, mixed with straw and the roof was made of elapboards. Windows were made by cutting out a part of a log or two. In the early cabins these openings were covered with oiled paper, but later some indulged in the luxury of a pane of glass, which was so arranged that it could be taken out for ventilation.
The cabin usually consisted of a single room with a loft reached by a ladder. In one end was a fireplace, the chim- ney of which was on the outside. It was made with a wooden frame, plastered on each side with a mud plaster. The glow- ing red fire in the fireplace cast a bright glow over the en- tire room and served for light as well as heat. Great piles of wood from the neighboring timber supplied the eager flames. Large quantities of fuel were required, for the holes in the walls let in the cold air, chilling the room. It was no uncommon occurrence for the sleeper to awaken on a winter
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HARDSHIPS AND PLEASURES.
morning and find his bed covered with snow that had sifted thru the cracks.
The cook stove and range were unknown luxuries, and all cooking was done on the fireplace or in a Dutch oven, In spite of the disadvantages of the fireplace, the housewife could cook dishes that were both healthful and appetizing. Corn bread and johnny cake baked in a Dutch oven have an enviable reputation to this day, while pancakes baked on the hot griddle furnished an appetizing breakfast for the pion- eer. Hasty pudding, hulled corn and hominy boiled in the pot with all the savory meats cooked in a dozen different ways furnished a meal fit for a prince. Who has tasted such fare and not wish he was back in the log cabin of the pioneer enjoying the thrifty housewife's cooking with an appetite sharpened by toil.
The fireplace was frequently supplemented by a Dutch oven, which was formed by building a frame work of the size desired, and covering the inside to a considerable thick- ness with a kind of cement, while the outside was covered with mud. When ready for use a fire was built in the oven until its walls were hot, the temperature being ganged by experience. The fire was then removed, and bread, cake, or pies were put in. The walls retained sufficient heat to bake them to a nicety. Those who depended on the fireplace for baking had an iron pan in which bread or cake was placed. A nice bed of coals was arranged, and the pan placed on them and covered with a lid, over which live coals were scattered. Often potatoes or even corn bread was baked in the hot ashes. The well to do had pots and kettles, but those who were less fortunate roasted their meat on a spit or twig, held over the fire and turned to secure even roasting. Canned fruit was an unknown luxury, for within the memory of older people, glass jars for canning have been introduced. The furnish- ings of the cabin were almost all hand made. A few simple tools and timber from the neighboring woods supplied all that was necessary for furnishing the usual home for use of the pioneer and his family.
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
Hardships within were not to be compared with hard- ships without. Broad prairies untouched by the plow were to be broken. Oxen were used in breaking, five, six or even eight yokes, being attached to a plow, breaking a wide furrow. The driver of an ox team required considerable skill in the management of his oxen. He carried a gad, which consisted of a long pole, at the end of which was a lash. By means of this he could touch up the lazy or refractory ox that was trying to shirk its share of the load. The head yoke was picked from the best trained oxen of the Farm, while the raw animals were used as followers. The gad was frequently used to cut off the head of some noisy prairie bird or of a snake that happened to raise its head above the grass.
Snakes formed one of the greatest dangers the settlers had to face. The country was over-run with them. There Were numerous varieties and various sizes, and the pioneer was constantly on the lookout for the warning whir of ven- omous rattlers. The black and bull snakes and racers were quite large, frequently ten or twelve feet long. The racers possessed great speed, and the black snake had remarkable strength. It was no uncommon occurrence for a settler to do battle with a snake that taxed both his strength and courage before it was dispatched.
The only tombstone in the cemetery at Panola marks the grave of Horace Allen who died as the result of the bite of a deadly copperhead snake. The silent motion of the grass was a warning and the boldest was cautious about appoach- ing until he had determined the direction in which the snake was headed. There were thousands of little snakes that were harmless, but infested every part of the prairies.
The territory that is now so well drained was formerly covered with sloughs and ponds. Hundreds of acres of land now under cultivation were formerly under water a great part of the year. These, together with the slough grass, which was frequently eight or ten feet high presented a seri- ous barrier to a successful breaking of the prairie.
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HARDSHIPS AND PLEASURES.
The farmer's stock was in danger from prowling wolves that infested the country. It was even dangerous for a man to be alone on the prairie at night with a pack of hungry wolves on his track. This trouble from wolves was so great that a bounty was offered for a wolf's scalp. Foxes were also frequently found in the timber region but these were never so harmful as wolves, altho a bounty was also offered for a fox scalp. The day of the wolf is past and the fox is now but rarely seen, altho occasionally one is found with her little ones in the timber.
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