USA > Illinois > Livingston County > The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 36
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The first bridge in Avoca was built over the south branch of the Vermilion, in 1844. Isaac Burgit. Road Supervisor on the west side of the river. and Judge
CLERK CIRCUIT COURT PONTIAC
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
McDowell on the east side, called out the road labor and built the bridge. It was all hewed out of the neighboring forest, and was a substantial structure.
The village of Avoca was laid out in 1854, by Judge W. G. McDowell, who owned the land on which it was located. It was surveyed by Amos Edwards, then County Surveyor.
The first store in it was opened just before it was laid out as a village, by the MeDowells, as noticed in the preceding pages, and for several years it was a flourishing business place. But on the laying out of Fairbury, the sun of Avoca began to decline. Many of the houses were removed to the latter place, and the Judge at last got it vacated and discontinued by a special act of the Legislature.
Avoca Cemetery, across the creek from the village, was laid off by the elder McDowell. He and those of his family who have departed this life are buried there. Susan Philips was the first one to occupy the place, and was buried in it in August, 1833.
Moore Cemetery is a private burying ground on the west side of the Grove. Jonathan Moore was the first buried in it, and was interred there in 1839.
Nothing now remains to show where once stood a thriving village but the ". Pioneer Methodist Church," which has already been noticed.
McDowell village is on the Chicago & Paducah Railroad, about six miles south of Pontiac, and has between fifty and one hundred inhabitants. It was laid out as a village in 1873, by Judge MeDowell, who owns the land, and it is named for him. Chas. Hewitson surveyed it. The first house was put up by McDowell before the village was laid out, and was used as a dwelling. The first post office was kept by John Cottrell, and was established in 1872. Hugh T. Pound is the present Postmaster. The first store was built and occupied by Ben Walton, now of Fairbury. The village has two stores at present, one kept by R. B. Phillips and the other by Chas. Danforth ; two blacksmith and wagon shops, the one by Henshaw, and the other by Jacob Schide. Frank B. Bregga is an extensive grain dealer, but the village has no elevator or grain warehouse. One of the principal features of the place is the stone quarry, owned by McDowell, which yields a very good quality of lime rock, quite valuable for foundations, and which makes also an excellent quality of lime. A large kiln is in full operation at present, which turns out about 300 bushels at a burning.
Lodemia Station is on the Chicago & Paducah Railroad, a short distance south of McDowell. It contains nothing but a post office and church. Has no depot, but is merely a shipping point, with switch and side track. The post office was established in August, 1877, with Dr. C. B. Ostrander as Postmaster. It is kept at the parsonage, and the minister, Mr. Underhill, attends to the duties. The church, which belongs to the Methodists, was built here in 1876, and is a very neat little frame edifice, which cost $2,800. The society was organized in 1858, in the school house, under the pastoral charge of Rev. John W. Stubbles, and the church. when completed in 1876, was dedicated by Rev.
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386
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Robert G. Pearce, Presiding Elder of the District at the time. Their present preacher is Rev. Mr. Underhill. and the congregation is large and flourishing for a country church.
Champlin is also a station. or rather a shipping point in this township, and is just south of Lodemia : makes no pretensions beyond a side track for shipping grain and stock.
The first school taught in Avoca Township was by Samuel Breese. com- mencing in the Fall of 1835 and continuing until the next Spring. Mrs. McDowell, the widow of William McDowell, Nathan Popejoy, who first settled in Pontiac Township, and James Blake, built the first school house. It was a little log cabin. 16x18 feet, having a big wood fire-place that would take in a stick ten feet long ; and in this cabin Breese taught the first school as noted above. James McDowell held the office of School Treasurer for twenty-seven years in succession. Lyman Burgit was the first Treasurer, but died soon after his appointment to the office, when McDowell was elected to succeed him, and held the position until his removal into Indian Grove Township. When he was first elected Treasurer, there was but one school district and it embraced the entire township, and the school fund consisted of what was termed the " College and Academy Fund. " from which this township drew annually about $30. The first Board of Trustees were Isaac Burgit, W. G. McDowell and N. Hefner. When McDowell resigned the office of School Treasurer, the fund was about $4,500. At present, R. B. Foster is Treasurer ; and from his last report to the County Superintendent of Schools we extract the following :
Number of males in township under 21
200
Number of females in township under 21.
210
Total. 410
Number of males in township between 6 and 21
153
Number of females in township between 6 and 21 163
Total. 316
Number of males attending school
86
Number of females attending school. 114
Total.
200
Number of male teachers employed.
8
Number of female teachers employed.
10
Total
18
Amount paid male teachers $1,061 30
Amount paid female teachers 1,303 00
Total $2,364 30
Estimated value of school property.
$4,006 00
Amount of tax levy for support of schools. 2,053 87
Principal of township fund .. 5,366 49
There are eight school districts in the township containing good, substantial school houses, in which schools are taught for the usual number of months in each year.
387
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
The county adopted township organization in 1857, when this town took the name of Avoca. from the village and post office which bore the same, and had been given by Nicholas Hefner, who was the first Postmaster. It is an Indian name, but what its signification is, we are unable to say. The first Supervisor was Wm. Fugate. and the first Town Clerk, Isaac R. Clark. Gideon Hutchin- son is at present Supervisor, and J. W. MeDowell, Town Clerk. Formerly, this and Indian Grove Township composed one election precinct. At that time, it was largely Democratic and contained, it is said, but seven Whig votes. But in the revolution of political parties, things have changed in Avoca Township, as well as elsewhere, and it now goes as largely Republican as it did Democratic in the old times. In the " eternal fitness of things," it is the Whig sections that have generally turned out to be the strongest Republican, and not often that a Democratie stronghold has made a change of this kind. During the late war. its record was as good as that of any township in Livingston County, according to the number of its population, and it turned out many brave sol- diers to battle for the Union. So far as can be obtained, their names are given in the general war record of this work : their deeds are engraved upon the hearts of their countrymen, and need no commendations here.
Judge McDowell was Collector of Revenues in 1844, when Avoca and Indian Grove were all one district, and at that time, as we were informed, there was a premium on wolf scalps. A man who had killed a wolf could go before a Jus- tice of the Peace and make affidavit to that effect, when he would receive a State warrant or order for one dollar, which was good for State taxes, and on presenting this document to the County Auditor, would get an order, which was current for all county taxes. The Judge says he collected almost the en- tire revenue that year in county orders and wolf scalps, not getting money enough to pay his own per centage on collecting it.
The Chicago & Paducah Railroad was built through this township in 1872, and has been of paramount importance and benefit in uniting this part of the county with the seat of justice. The township of Avoca took $10,000 stock in the road, and has always shown the greatest interest in the enterprise and its success. There is but one regular station and depot in the town-McDowell- with two other shipping points, viz. : Lodemia and Champlin. These have switches and side tracks, but at present are not provided with depot buildings and telegraph offices.
The only representative of the legal fraternity in Avoca Township was Judge McDowell, who lived in this town, where he practiced, as occasion required, until 1860, when he removed to the village of Fairbury. In 1859, he was elected County Judge, an office he filled with credit. He was Recording Stew ard of the Methodist Church at Avoca for twenty-five years in succession.
388
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
CHATSWORTH TOWNSHIP.
Chatsworth is in the eastern tier of townships, and is known as Town 26 north, Range 8 east of the Third Principal Meridian. It is fine rolling prairie, with the exception of Oliver's Grove in the southern part, a grove of, perhaps, as fine natural timber as Livingston County can furnish. Like all the prairie country, the people have devoted a great deal of attention to the plant- ing and cultivation of trees, until beautiful groves of timber are to be found on every section of land in the township. Originally, Chatsworth embraced For- rest and Germantown, and was known as Oliver's Grove Township. But many of the citizens disliking a compound name, petitioned the Board of Supervisors for a change, at their annual meeting, the second year of township organization. William H. Jones, who was the Supervisor at the time, gave it the name of Chatsworth, which it has ever since borne. The name is said to have been taken from an English story he had read, in which "Lord Chatsworth " figures as a principal character.
The first settlement made in what is now Chatsworth Township was by Franklin C. Oliver, who, at the age of 92 years, still occupies his original claim.
"The ghostly shade of a man he seemed : His teeth were white as milk ; And the long, white hair on his forehead gleamed Like skeins of tangled silk."
He came from the State of New Jersey in 1832, and settled here among the Indians, with whom he ever remained on the most friendly terms. When other white people in the surrounding settlements, becoming frightened at the warlike reports of the Black Hawk campaign, retreated toward the Wabash settlements, Oliver remained upon his claim, and "went in and out" among the red men without molestation. His father, he informed us, was a Quartermaster in the Revolutionary war, and many of the old soldier's official papers were in his possession until some years ago, when his house was burned and they met the fate of much of his household property. Many of these papers, he said, were rather quaint, and would present a marked contrast, doubtless. to the ponderous accounts and vouchers of a Quartermaster in our late war. Mr. Oliver and his family were the only white people in the township for many years. A number of settlements were made in Indian Grove and other timbered localities, but not till away up in the "fifties " were other settle- ments made in Chatsworth. In 1855, Job H. and George S. Megquier settled in this township. They were from Maine, and the former now lives in the village of Chatsworth ; the latter died in 1871.
David Stewart came here from the State of New York in 1856. He bought land and settled in the town, where he remained for a number of years, when his wife died and he became dissatisfied, sold out and moved away.
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389
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Romanzo Miller was a Vermonter, and settled here in 1855. He finally sold his land and removed to Iowa, where he still remained, at last accounts of him.
John Snyder and Trueman Brockway were from New York, the Empire State of the Union. Snyder came in 1856 and made a settlement, upon which he died about 1863. Brockway had settled in El Paso in 1855, but came here in 1857. He was a single man when he came to Chatsworth, but after per- manently locating, went baek to New York, married and brought his wife here to share his Western home.
Addison Holmes came from Indiana in 1855. After remaining for several years, he sold out and removed to Champaign County, in this State, where he still resides.
John P. HIart was from the blue-grass of Kentucky, and came in 1856. A young man named James Greenwood came with him, and worked on his farm as long as he remained here. Hart owned a large tract of land, but finally sold it and removed to Arkansas.
Peter Van Weir came from the "Faderland" on the banks of the Rhine. He settled here in 1858, but had lived for a while in Panola, Woodford County, before coming to this settlement. He finally removed into Charlotte Township.
Wm. H. Jones came here from La Salle County in the Fall of 1857. His family still reside here, but he, at present, is doing business at Burr Oak Station, in Ford County.
The first birth and death are supposed to have occurred in Mr. Oliver's family, as he was here so long before any other white people settled in the town. The first marriage particularly remembered was Samuel Patton and Miss Nellie Desmond in 1861, and they were married by the Baptist minister, sta- tioned, at that time, in Fairbury. The first birth among the more modern settlers, was a child born to Trueman Brockway. The first death also occurred in his family in 1861. A man-a stranger that no one knew-was struck by lightning soon after the death of Brockway's child. He came to the village of Chatsworth, looking for work, and had been down on the prairie, where his . efforts had failed, had come back, and while walking near the railroad track, was killed by lightning, not far from where Felker's store now stands. The first blacksmith shop in the town was opened by Samuel Patton in 1859. It was then the only shop between Fairbury and Gilman. William H. Jones was the first Justice of the Peace in the town, and held the office when Forrest and Germantown were included in Chatsworth. Dr. D. W. Hunt was the first resident physician. He came here, and still resides in the village of Chatsworth, and practices his profession in the township.
From the school records, we find the first meeting was held at the house of John R. Suyder, the 12th of April, 1858, when the town was still called Oliver's Grove. The following Board of Trustees were elected : Franklin Oliver. J. H. Megquier and Franklin Foot. On the 20th of the same month,
390
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
the Trustecs held a meeting and elected Wm. H. Jones, School Treasurer. In the Summer of this year, the first school was taught in the township, by Miss Jennie Adams. At present, there are seven school districts, with good, substan- tial frame houses in each district. The office of Treasurer was held by Jones until 1872, when J. T. Bullard was elected and still has the office. The follow- ing facts are taken from his last report to the Superintendent of Schools : Number of males in township under 21 years of ago, 491 ; females, 444 ; total, 935 ; number of males attending school, 198 ; females, 208 ; total, 406 ; number of male teachers employed, 5 : female teachers, 11, total teachers employed, 16 ; estimated value of school property, $15,600 : estimated value of school appa- ratus, $225 ; principal of township fund, $8,133.01 ; tax levy for the support of schools, $3,365 : highest monthly wages paid teacher, $110; lowest monthly wages paid teacher, $25 ; average monthly wages paid male teachers, $66.88 ; average monthly wages paid female teachers, $37.50 ; whole amount paid teach- ers, $4,751.25. The present Board of Trustees are J. M. Roberts, President : L. T. Stoutmeyer and S. T. Compton. The schools of Chatsworth Township are in a flourishing condition, and compare favorably with those of any other section of the county.
The first township meeting was held at the house of Franklin Oliver on the 6th of April, 1858, and officers elected for the year for the "Town of Oliver's Grove." The first election resulted as follows : James G. Meredith, Super- visor ; W. H. Jones and J. G. Harper, Justices of the Peace ; C. Hart and B. Harbert, Constables ; John Towner, Assessor ; J. B. Snyder, Collector, and Charles Cranford, Town Clerk. At the next election, April 1, 1859, William H. Jones was elected Supervisor : Charles Cranford, Town Clerk and Assessor also, and R. R. Miller, Collector. At the meeting of April 3. 1860. Jones and Cranford were re-elected Supervisor and Town Clerk ; I. J. Krack. Assessor, and J. G. Meredith. Collector. The officers of the Township at pres- ent are as follows : G. W. Cline, Supervisor ; J. H. Megquier and Peter Shroyer, Justices of the Peace; Charles Weinland, Assessor ; Charles Reiss, Collector, and Thomas Nash, Town Clerk.
As already stated, Chatsworth, at the time of township organization, em- braced the town of Forrest and the fractional town of Germantown. At the meeting of the Board of Supervisors in 1861, Forrest, on petition, was set off, and became a separate and distinct township, and at the September meeting of Supervisors for 1867, Germantown petitioned for separation, and was set off at this meeting, since which time it has been a separate town. Since these divi- sions and separations, Chatsworth remains still a complete Congressional town- ship of thirty-six sections.
When the settling up of the town began, about 1855, deer and prairie wolves were the almost undisputed possessors of the soil. In portions of Oliver's Grove, there are still deer to be occasionally seen, but they are becom- ing very scarce, and will soon all be gone, while the wolf. the natural foe of the settler, is almost if not wholly exterminated.
391
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
The first preacher to proclaim the Word of God in this section was Old Father Walker, as he was called, of Ottawa. who in 1832 established a mission among the Indians, whose lodges were then spread in Oliver's Grove. The following extraet is from an address delivered before the Old Settlers' Society by Judge McDowell, of Fairbury, at the annual meeting in 1877 : " The early footprints of Methodism began in this part of the country in 1832. Old Father Walker, who established a mission at the Kickapoo town (now Oliver's Grove), where there was, at that time, a village of ninety-seven wigwams, one large council house. several small encampments, and 630 Indians in all, men, women and children. Father Walker came out occasionally and held meetings with them. appointed and ordained a missionary minister of their own tribe, who always held services on the Sabbath, when Father Walker was not there. Their prayer book was a walnut board, on which were characters carved with a knife, and at the top an engraving. They had a great respect for the Sab- bath, and no Indian thought of retiring at night without consulting his board." These ministrations of Father Walker were the first we have any account of in this section, and were probably the first in Livingston County. As there are no church buildings in the township, outside of the village of Chatsworth, this part of our history will be again alluded to in connection with the village.
The old Indian trail that marked the dividing line between the Kickapoo and Pottawatomie tribes was plainly visible through this town, long after settle- ments were made and the pale-faces had become numerous. And there are still settlers living here who can point out the line along which the trail led.
The Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railway was completed through the township, and trains commenced running regularly in 1857. This brought immigrants to the neighborhood, and was the means of the rapid settling up of this town and the surrounding country. The amount of grain and stock shipped from Chatsworth Township over this road is truly wonderful. The Kankakee & Southwestern Railroad. projected to run from Kankakee City, through Chats- worth Township, tapping the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield, at Gibson City, will probably be in process of construction in a short time. It is supposed that the Illinois Central is the "power behind the throne" in this new road, and will push it forward to completion, in order to open to them (the Illinois Central) a more direct route between Chicago and St. Louis. The new Company only ask the right of way through Second street, in the village of Chatsworth, which has been unanimously given.
Politically. Chatsworth is pretty evenly divided on national questions. prob- ably Republican by a few votes. Its record during the late war was good for so thinly a populated section as this was at that time. N. C. Kenyon. the present Postmaster of Chatsworth village, was Colonel of the Eleventh Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, one of the brave regiments of Illinois, that it is said, did as much hard fighting during the war as any regiment from the State. Conrad Heppe, a resident at present of the village, has served nine years in the
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
United States army, mostly in New Mexico. Many other brave fellows shoul- dered their muskets and went forth from this and from Charlotte Township (which at the commencement of the war was a part of Chatsworth), to the front. where "war's red blast raged the fiercest."
THE VILLAGE OF CHATSWORTH.
Chatsworth is situated on the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railway, about forty miles from State line, and seventy miles from the city of Peoria. It was sur- veyed and laid out by Nelson Buck, County Surveyor, June 8, 1859, for Zeno Secor and Cornelia Gilman of New York, who owned the land on which it is located. In 1853, the land was entered by Solomon Sturges, who. in 1857. conveyed it to Wm. H. Osborn, and Osborn and wife in turn conveyed it to Secor and Gilman. The original town occupied 160 acres of land, embracing the south half of the northwest quarter, and north half of the southwest quarter of Section 3. Since then several additions have been made to the original plat at different times. It has been organized as a village under the Incorporation act, and the first board of officers were Jacob Titus, E. A. Bangs. John S. McElhiny. W. W. Sears and Albert Tuttle. Jacob Titus was elected Presi- dent of the Board, and George E. Esty. Village Clerk. At present its offi- cial board is as follows : John Young, President; W. F. Dennis, A. M. Roberts, C. Spiecher, Samuel Crumpton and C. Guenther; R. M. Spurgin. Clerk ; W. H. Wakelin, Treasurer ; J. M. Myers, Superintendent of Police. and T. S. Curran. Police Magistrate.
The first building was put up in the village in 1859. by Chas. D. Brooks and Trueman Brockway, both of whom were from New York. It was a store and residence combined, a frame building one and a half stories high. with rooms over the store. They afterward went into partnership. and after Brock- way got married, he lived over the store. A post office was established in 1860. the first, not only in the village, but in the township. Chas. D. Brooks was the first Postmaster, an office he held several years. when Matthew H. Hall received it. He was succeeded by Col. N. C. Kenyon, who is at present Post- master. The first hotel was built by C. W. Drake, in 1859. It has been con- verted into a dwelling house, and is now used as such. The only hotel in the village is the Cottage House. kept by Wm. Cowling. The first blacksmith, as mentioned in the history of the township, was Samuel Patton. who is still in the business, on the same old stand. He came from Ohio in the Fall of 1859. and there was at that time but one house in the village (Brooks & Brockway's store), a little grain house and an old carpenter shop. There were two others in sight-the section house, and one two miles out on the prairie, owned by Franklin Foot. Mr. Patton is the inventor of a corn husker, which seems to be a good thing. It husks corn as fast as horses will walk, and can be sold at about $225. He has not commenced the manufacture of them. but designs doing so.
393
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
The first school house was built in 1858, on two lots donated by Osborn for school purposes. This was the first school house in both Chatsworth Township and the village. The present clegant school edifice was built in 1870. Two years ago additions were built to it, at a total cost of buildings and additions of $11,000. It is a two-story frame building, with stone basement, and is finished off in fine style. The teachers and Principal of the school for the year just closed* were as follows : Prof. J. T. Dickinson, Principal ; Miss M. J. Speer. Grammar Department : Miss Brown. Miss Aiken and Mrs. Tuckerman : Mrs. Palmer, Primary Department.
The Germania Sugar Company built their large factory here in 1865, for the purpose of manufacturing sugar from the beet. The capital stock of the company was $50,000, which was all owned in Springfield. except $1,000 held in Peoria. The enterprise was projected by a man named Jennet, a German, and. after the company was organized, he had the management. It proved unsuc- cessful from the lack of water. One well bored on the premises, 1,200 feet deep. cost $6.000, and afforded an insufficiency of water to meet the require- ments of the business. It is believed that, with plenty of water, it would have proved a valuable business. The beets yielded about eight per cent. of their weight in sugar. The factory was in operation here for about five years, when the machinery was taken out and removed to Freeport, where it is devoted to the same purpose as here. The property fell into the hands of Jacob Bunn, of Springfield. who furnished the funds for its operation and removal to Freeport. Though the capital stock was originally $50,000, it cost while here, we are told. about $175,000. The "vacuum pan." as it was called, alone cost $6,000 in Germany, and was an extraordinarily fine piece of machinery. But it was a losing speculation as long as it remained in this village.
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