USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Princeville > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 8
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Akron > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 8
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Millbrook > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 8
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Jubilee > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 8
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Hallock > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 8
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Radnor > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 8
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Besides these the congregation was served for short periods by Rev. Robt. R. Breese and Rev. James K. Large. Two died in the service: Rev. James K. Large, March 18, 1858, and Rev. George Cairns, June 25, 1863. Their remains repose side by side in Pros- pect Cemetery ; and near by is the grave of Mrs. Mary Winn, wife of Rev. John Winn, the pastor, and daugh- ter of Mrs. Phoebe Hinsdale Brown, the author of that exquisite hymn,
"I love to steal awhile away," etc.
Mrs. Brown died at Henry, Illinois, October 10, 1861.
The spiritual power which this church has exerted cannot be better shown than in the number of its members who have gone into the ministry, including the following: Rev. George Dunlap, 1875; Rev. Thom- as C. Winn, Missionary to Japan; Rev. William Jones, California; William Y. Jones, the son of the latter,
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TOWNSHIP HISTORIES
Missionary to Japan; William Ayling, Kansas; Min- ister of the United Brethren denomination; Franklin Brown, Idaho-six in all.
From June 8th, to 10th, 1900, this church cele- brated its semi-centennial anniversary in a series of exercises of the most interesting character, a full ac- count of which has been published in a small pamphlet of seventy-four pages. This publication, abounding as it does in rich historical facts and sprightly remin- iscences, is worthy of a permanent place in the his- torical relics of the county.
The Methodists held services in this township as early as 1840. Before there were any school houses the circuit riders held meetings at private houses. Their first church was built in the year 1860, about one mile west of where the village of Alta now is. It was called Glendale Church. Its principal members were Wesley Smalley and Geo. Divilbiss. In its pastoral rela- tions it was connected with Kickapoo and Mount Hed- ding, in Hallock. After the village of Alta was laid out, the church was moved to that place, which is sit- uated in Medina Township, the pastor making his home in Kickapoo.
In 1885 the church was built in Dunlap under the direction of the Rev. Webber, and the pastoral resi- dence was changed to Dunlap. The church at Dun- lap still remains in connection with the church at Alta. It has a membership of about one hundred.
In the year 1865 the Methodists built a church called the "Salem Church," on the northwest quarter of Section 16, near the school house. The leading members of this church organization were Wesley Strain, A. J. Gordon and John Jackson. After ten or fifteen years it was abandoned for want of support on
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RADNOR TOWNSHIP
account of removals and deaths. The house was sold and another built on Section 18, near the line of Ju- bilee Township, called Zion Church, which is now con- nected with Kickapoo in its pastoral relations. The leaders in starting this church were William Rowcliffe and Daniel Corbett. The membership is small.
The Catholics have a strong church in Radnor, called the St. Rose Catholic Church. Their church edifice was erected in the fall of 1879 by John Horine. The congregation contains many of the leading citi- zens of the placc.
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ESSEX TOWNSHIP.
Mr. Isaac B. Essex, in whose honor this division of Stark County was named, settled here in 1829, remov- ing in that year from Ft. Clark, now the City of Peoria, where he had taught school the preceding winter. The whole of what is now Stark County was then a wil- derness, and the forest presented its huge trees with- out underbrush, with Indian trails stretching out in every direction. The Indians left Spoon River and Indian Creek soon after this and moved some miles westward, returning later for a few years.
Isaac Essex built a cabin on the south eighty of the northeast quarter of Section 15. In due course of time other settlers came and located farther up Spoon River, as the streams and timber were then considered the most desirable portion of the country. A little to the east of him were Greeley Smith and his father, who came from Ohio in 1830. Next was J. C. Owens, the first justice of the peace in the county, living on what is now the Edgar Miller farm (1906). Benja- min Smith and Major Silliman were also close by. Farther up the river in turn were Thomas Essex, David Cooper and Coonrad Leak. Still farther on was old man Leak who built a saw and grist mill on Spoon River southwest of Wyoming, "where you could get your clapboards sawed, corn cracked and wheat mashed." A freshet in 1836 washed the mill away, but traces of it could be seen within a few years. Still up the river were Sylvanus Moore, on the place long known as the General Thomas homestead; also
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Jesse Heath who kept a little store near by, and John Dodge. Up and west of here, near the Methodist camp grounds, lived Wesley and Peter Miner, and a little northwest of Wyoming, Samuel Seeley.
.
Starting west of here on Indian Creek and following the course of that stream toward the south were Sam- uel Merrill, Major McClennehan, Stephen Worley and Benjamin Essex. Henry White lived on what is known as the Peter Sheets or A. J. Simmerman farm, and John Marrow on the James Ballentine farm (now owned by A. J. Scott). Charles Pierce and Thomas Winn were others, the latter building a cabin in 1834 in the old Spoon River fort on Section 16. Jarville Chaffee came here from Michigan in May, 1834. Thinking to get up something extra he split the logs, whitewashed the inside and had an upstairs, reached by a ladder. This was the entire settlement on Spoon River and Indian Creek from 1829 to May, 1834. Dr. Ellsworth came from Ohio in the fall of 1834, and was the first practicing physician in the county. Henry Colwell came from Ohio in 1837, and was the first stock auctioneer in the county.
Mr. Essex, as soon as there were a few neighbors, had been appointed postmaster, and the first within the present limits of Stark County, the office being called Essex. In 1834-5 there was a weekly mail route established from Springfield via Peoria to Ga- lena. This route ran along the bluffs of the Illinois River above Peoria up to Hennepin, to Dixon and on to Galena. Upon this the early settlers were entirely dependent for their mail matter. There was some sort of an office, or "hole in the bluff," just below the present town of Northampton. in Peoria County, and a man by the name of Hicks was postmaster. From
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TOWNSHIP HISTORIES
this office under the bluff the mail was carried on the volunteer system, the settlers taking turns at carry- ing it once a week. It was usually carried in a meal bag and could have been in the crown of a man's hat. "Galena Miner" (as Mr. Harris Miner was often called), generally carried it on foot. The Essex of- fice at this time was an old boot box, set up on pins driven into the wall, high and dry, and above the reach of children in the cabin of Mr. Essex. In 1833 only two newspapers were taken in the county, one by Mr. Essex and the other by Benjamin Smith. At this date two weeks were required to get a paper from Springfield, and a proportionately longer time to get intelligence from Washington. This office was trans- ferred to Wyoming in 1839, where William Godley was appointed postmaster. A number of Pennsylvania families had settled there, and while they did not care especially for the county seat, they did want the post- office. The coming of the railroad (now the C., B. & Q.) brought with it the village of Duncan and with the village returned the postoffice. In addition to Dun- can and part of Wyoming, Slackwater and Stringtown had up to this time formed the leading settlements of the township. Moulton on its northern border and Massilon on its western border long since passed away and their sites were plowed over by the modern hus- bandman.
In 1832-3 the question of establishing a school in the Essex settlement was brought before the legislature and on March 1, 1833, an act was approved creating Isaac Essex commissioner of the school fund and au- thorizing him to sell Section 16. On February 4, 1834, this section was sold for $968.70. The day prior to this sale, the voters assembled at the Essex cabin and
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elected Sylvanus Moore, Greenleaf Smith and Benja- min Smith, trustees. Moses Boardman was elected in 1835. Madison Winn in his paper of 1886, says: "On the fourth day of July, 1834, the people came to- gether for the purpose of building a school house. The site chosen was near the northeast corner of the northeast quarter of Section 15, in Essex Township. The building was planned to be twenty feet square, and all went to work with a will, some cutting, some hauling, some making clapboards, and others build- ing. By noon it was built up waist high; and there coming a shower, we arranged the clapboards over the wall and underneath ate our Fourth of July dinner. The first day the walls were built up to the roof, which was soon covered, and from Leak's mill slabs were brought for seats. A post was driven into the ground and a slab laid on it for a teacher's desk, while mother earth was the floor. Adam Perry commenced school about July 15th, with about thirty scholars. (This Perry received $55.50 for teaching the winter school of 1834-5 for three months. Sabrina Chatfield, later Mrs. Hilliard, received $13.00 for a three months' sum- mer school in 1835, and Mary Lake $6.34 1-4 for six weeks' teaching during the fall term.) In the fall the house was finished-a floor put in above and below, three windows sawed out, the east one having a light of glass in it, the other two covered with cloth, cracks plastered up with yellow clay, holes bored in the walls in which pins were inserted and slabs laid on for desks, and a sod chimney built. Sabrina Chatfield, better known as Grandmother Hilliard, of Lafayette, now taught, and was the first female teacher conducting a school in the county. Next were Jesse W. Heath, Mary Lake, Joseph R. Newton, William Samis and
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TOWNSHIP HISTORIĘS
James Dalrymple. At the close of Mr. Dalrymple's school in March, 1839, he gave a school exhibition, the first in the county. The first Sabbath school was organized in this building by one Seigle, in 1837. The Methodists held meetings here for some years, com- ing from Lafayette and Princeville, bringing their dinners and staying all day.
On June 30, 1840, twenty-three votes were cast in favor of organization for school purposes. In De- cember, 1856, Cox's school house, Essex Township, was completed on ground donated by Joseph Cox. In 1872 the districts were readjusted and increased to ten in number, thus settling the district boundary lines, which had been a troublesome question previously and which have remained thus settled with practic- ally no change to the present time. They have recently been renumbered, however, by the county system.
The earliest church in the township was the Meth- odist, its establishment being contemporary with the settlement of the Essex family in 1829, although a class was not regularly organized until 1835. In these days the school house was, of course, used as a place of meeting. Rev. Wm. C. Cummings writes: "In 1835 I was appointed by Bishop Roberts from the Illinois conference of the Methodist church to (what was then) Peoria Mission. It extended over a large territory- nearly embraced now in Peoria and Kewanee districts, being parts of the following named counties, viz. : Peoria Fulton, Knox, Stark and Marshall. I preached at Father Fraker's, whose name is of precious memory in the churches, and rode from there over the ground where Toulon and Lafayette now stand, though they prob- ably hadnot then been thought of. Not far from the pres- ent site of Toulon lived Adam Perry, whom I appointed
.
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ESSEX TOWNSHIP
class leader of a small society in the Essex settlement, and where we held a quarterly meeting in 1835, at which W. B. Mack and Stephen R. Beggs were pres- ent. The circuit preachers who attended here from 1830 to 1839 are named as follows: S. R. Beggs, 1830; Rev. Wm. Crissay, 1831; Zadoc Hall, 1832; Joel Ar- lington, 1833; Leander S. Walker, 1834; J. W. Dun- ahay, 1836; W. C. Cummings, 1835-7; A. E. Phelps, 1837; S. R. Beggs, 1839. After Mr. Beggs' last term the history of Methodism drifted to Toulon and Wy- oming, until the M. E. church of Duncan was organized in 1888. Rev. F. W. Merrill came from Princeville for the purpose and Mr. Ezra Adams superintended the building of the church.
The Methodists were soon followed by the Latter Day Saints, who made some converts here, and, it is said, led some members of the Essex family and others equally prominent, away from their allegiance to Methodism.
United Brethren Church of Essex Township, or Pleasant Valley church, was regularly organized in 1867, and the present house of worship erected that year. The Pastors have been: 1867, B. C. Dennis; 1868, J. L. Condon ; 1869, F. J. Dunn; 1871, John Wag- ner; 1872, P. B. Lee; 1874, Geo. H. Varce; 1875, A. Norman; 1877, J. K. Bradford; 1879, A. A. Wolf; 1881, A. W. Callaghan and J. S. Smith ; 1883, J. Lessig; 1885, E. O. Norvill; 1886-9. W. E. Rose, and later in succes- sion, Reverends John Weigle, Kosch, Schomp, Valen- tine, Bruso, Lindsy, O. Marshall, Kemp and Spurlock; until recently there have been no services at this church, although Sunday school is still held.
The Methodist Protestant church, adjoining the Sheets cemetery, is of more recent organization, hay-
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TOWNSHIP HISTORIES
ing been in existence only some ten years at this writ- ing.
Pleasant Valley church lot and cemetery were plat- ted by Edwin Butler in August, 1873, on two acres in the northeast corner of Section 32, given by Coon- rad Smith. The Sheets cemetery, the oldest in the township, had been in existence long before this. There is also the Schiebel cemetery near the school house, on what was formerly the Sewell Smith farm.
The town of Duncan was surveyed by Edwin But- ler for Alfred H. Castle in June, 1870. Monroe, Adams and Jefferson streets running north and south; Main, Washington and Galena streets running east and west; but block one forming the extreme northwestern part of the village and all Galena street with northern ex- tensions of Monroe and Adams, have been vacated.
The Essex Horse Company was organized in April, 1858, on cavalry plan, but not for military purposes. It was to compete with the other townships for the agricultural society's premium for the best twenty- six horses. H. Shivvers presided, with J. W. Drum- mond, secretary.
In 1834-5 the Indians cultivated their cornfields along Camping Creek and near its mouth; but their old village on the borders of the Josiah Moffitt farm was then deserted, and their council-house in ruins. Even the mimie fortress built at the close of 1832, to commemorate the war, was then going to de- cay. A new era was introducing itself, which, within fifty years, and much more within seventy-five years, effected a total change in the customs and manners of the people, as well as in the country which the pio- neers found a wilderness. Throughout this state there cannot be found a more beautifully located township
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than this of Essex. Within its limits many of the early settlers made their homes; there also, that natural lo- cater, the Indian, built his wigwam, and squatted, so to speak, in the midst of plenty. The streams of the township offered the lazy red men their wealth of fish, the forest its game, and the soil its wild fruits, herbs, and in some cases corn.
VALLEY TOWNSHIP.
This township was given its name by the commis- sioners in 1853. The prairie character of the soil and its. location at the foot of the highest divide in the state, as that from Lawn Ridge to Wyanet is said to - be, suggested the name "Valley." The streams of the township are small and have comparatively few trees along them. This perhaps accounts for the fact that the early settlers, who were always seeking the timber, did not settle this township as early as the neighbor- ing one of Essex by some fifteen or twenty years. Mud Run courses through the south side of the town- ship and Camp or Camping Run is farther north. Camp Run received its name because it started in the grove of trees now Camp Grove, which used to be the "camp- ing grove" of the Indians. These streams form at once a good water supply and drainage system. Deep wells afford a never failing supply of excellent water and this in connection with a most fertile soil, tend to ren- der Valley one of the finest agricultural townships in Illinois.
The township was organized for school purposes in 1847, and on July 17th, five voters assembled at David Rouse's house and elected David Rouse, William Cum- mings and Z. G. Bliss, trustees. At this time there were only nine families, comprising forty-one children, in the township. In 1851, twenty-three of the twenty- seven voters then in the township, petitioned for the sale of the school section, which was granted. On January 21, 1856, the trustees organized by appoint-
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VALLEY TOWNSHIP
ing Charles S. Payne, president; W. D. McDonald, . treasurer; J. S. Hopkins, secretary, and Wesley King. In March, 1856, the large districts were subdivided into six school districts, each two by three miles. In April, 1864, R. S. Kilgore and Peter W. Van Patten petitioned for the formation of two new districts; and a ninth district has since been added. The southeast corner of the township also furnishes part of the land for a union district with Marshall county.
In pioneer days this district was a part of Spoon River precinct. The first town meeting, under the law of 1851, was held on the 4th day of April, 1853, at the brick schoolhouse in what now is school district No. 7. Z. G. Bliss was chosen chairman and James H. Hathaway clerk of said meeting. Charles C. Wilson (later Judge Wilson of Henry County) was chosen su- pervisor, George Marlatt, town clerk; J. S. Hopkins, assessor ; Harry Hull, collector; Paul Rouse, Jr., over- seer of the poor; E. C. Stowell, Joseph Eby, James M. Rogers, commissioners of highways; David Rouse, over- seer of roads; P. Chase, Z. G. Bliss and D. Whiffin a committee to divide the town into three road districts.
About 1869 $30,000.00 aid was voted to the Peoria and Rock Island Railroad. Here began a controversy that has continued to the present time, the rivalry be- tween Wady Petra and Stark villages. The story is told differently by different parties, and the writer " cannot undertake to decide all the points between them. Some say that the depot was to be located "as near the center of the township as practicable;" others that it was to be in the south part of the township, anywhere provided it were not nearer than one-half mile to the county line. The east and west road at the first mile north of the county line had not been extended through,
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TOWNSHIP HISTORIES
because it would have to cross Mud Run several times. It had instead been run one-half mile north (through what is now Stark), and the topography of Camp Run had thrown the next road one and one-half miles north of that.
Some claimed that the logical point for the depot was at the last named crossing, just north of Camp Run, exactly in the center of the township from north to south. The residents there at that time, however, were largely renters who had no particular interests to make them get out and hustle, while the land owners at the Stark crossing claimed theirs to be the logical point, and thought the depot coming to them. Mr. Philander Chase did more hustling than any of them, however, and got the depot located on his farm, mid- way between the south one of the two crossings and the county line.
The east and west road through Wady Petra was petitioned for a number of times, but always refused by the road commissioners, who lived in and sided with the northern part of the township. The road was opened by Mr. Chase and adjoining land owners vol- untarily, however, and in the course of time accepted by the township as a public highway.
Be these matters of history as they may, the first depot was at Wady Petra and the farmers north of that were not contented. In the course of a few years the railroad, being financially weak, fell into the hands of a receiver, Mr. J. R. Hilliard. He was favorable to the Stark project, and proceeded to build a switch and depot as soon as he could, and to assist the new town as much as possible. C. T. Newell and John Dawson were the chief local promoters. A company elevator was built and run by Joseph Anderson. Adam Seed
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VALLEY TOWNSHIP
came from Princeville and put up the first dwelling, . that now owned by Richard Gorman. John Berg built the second house and Joe Anderson the third, now the Ella Hull property. John Brumbaugh moved some smaller buildings from Wady Petra about this time, then Thomas McConn built a house, the one known as the Sam Schiebel place recently destroyed by fire, and Erastus Morrow built the post office dwelling. The first depot at Stark burned; a new one was completed in October, 1886, and that having since burned, the present one is No. 3. The first elevator also burned, soon after it was built, and Mr. Anderson built an- other.
Stark village was never platted, but Wady Petra was platted and surveyed by Edwin Butler, for Mrs. Anna K. Chase (widow of Philander Chase) in 1875. At this time an osage orange hedge formed the north- ern and southern boundaries. Twenty aeres were in- eluded in the plat, with Chase and Front streets run- ning north and south, and Main and Hamilton stretch- ing east from the depot grounds.
Mr. Heber Chase's father, Philander Chase, was for many years a missionary preacher in Peoria and Stark counties, and in November, 1852, he settled with his family in Valley Township where, with one or two intervals of absence elsewhere, he raised his large family and resided until his death. He was the young- est son of Bishop Chase, the first Episcopalian bishop of Illinois, who had founded Jubilee College in Peoria county.
All of the building stone in this region was pro- cured at this time from what is now Fred Streitmatter's "Chase eighty," a half mile south in Akron Township. Philander Chase needed
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TOWNSHIP HISTORIES
considerable stone, and not wishing to take from . this quarry without knowing to whom the land belonged, hunted up the owners and bought the eighty-acre tract in question. Having thus assured himself of a supply of building material, which was scarce in those days, he built his residence, that now owned by John Nickolls, of this material. In 1854 he gave forty acres of land to the Episcopalian church, and with money donated in different localities and the East, started to build the stone church which stands yet, near the southeast corner of Section 31. This build- ing was never finished because of lack of encourage- . ment, and partly because Mr. Chase realizing the need of good schools for his children, moved about that time to Wyoming.
The Congregational Church of Stark originated in a series of meetings, which from 1880 to 1885 were held in various places in the vicinity. The first effort to organize a meeting was made by holding services in the warehouse of Simpson & Smith, but subse- quently held in an unused cheese factory. Here a Sunday school was started in 1883, which, in connec- tion with regular services, continued until it was pro- posed to build a church. The enterprise was to be known as the Union Church, and on the evening of Feb- ruary 19, 1885, many citizens of Stark and vicinity met to complete arrangements.
M. S. Smith presided, with W. F. Speers, secretary. A committee of five, consisting of M. S. Smith, II. Blood, W. F. Speers, Charles Hampson and L. Dixon, were elected as a financial committee. By February 26th, $620.00 was subscribed, and April 19th a meeting was called to consider the question of organization. A committee to call a council to organize a Congrega-
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VALLEY TOWNSHIP
tional Church, comprising H. F. Blood, M. S. Smith and L. E. Brown was appointed April 28th, and a Con- gregational Church was organized. On May 31st, Rev. J. Mitchell of Wyoming was called as pastor to preach once each Sunday for the consideration of $300.00 per annum, and H. F. Blood, William Peter- son and William Simpson appointed a committee to so- licit subscriptions. On September 20, 1885, the church, which in the meantime had been erected and finished at a cost of about $2,000.00 was dedicated, the sermon being preached by Rev J. K. Tompkins of Chicago. On the day of dedication, $334.78 was collected to liquidate all the indebtedness of the church, and from its founda- tion the church has continued to grow.
In Valley Cemetery, known also as the Fox Ceme- tery (the only one in the township, as the Lawn Ridge Cemetery is in Marshall county,) are interred the fol- lowing old settlers: W. Down, died in 1878; James Jackson, 1871; Jane Hodges, 1859; Margaret Jackson, 1882; Lovina Ann Eby, 1870; Harry Hull, 1878; Sally Hull, 1862; Carlton A. Fox, 1872; Wm. Marlatt, 1886, At Camp Grove, Lawn Ridge, Wyoming and other rest- ing places for the dead in the vicinity, many old set- tlers are at home, while throughout the West others have found the end of life's journey.
The neighboring settlement of Lawn Ridge in Mar- shall county, dates its settlement back to 1845, when Charles Stone made his home there. He was followed by "Deacon" Smith and Joshua Powell, the deacon being the first blacksmith. Alden Hull settled in the township about 1845, and shortly after the United Pres- byterian Church was organized there. In 1846 the Con- gregational Church of Blue Ridge was founded, and in 1850 the Methodists organized at the Center. On Octo-
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TOWNSHIP HISTORIES
ber 5, 1864, Lawn Ridge Lodge No. 415, A. F. & A. M., was chartered.
In the summer of 1901 the Peoria branch of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad crossed Valley Township from north to south, locating its station on the Captain John Speers farm. The new town named Speer, has developed a thrifty growth, furnishing an outlet for the corn and corn-fed hogs and cattle of the productive townships of Valley and La Prairie. Land values have gone up in Valley as in other parts of the corn belt, and many farm owners realize that it would not be safe to price their land at $150.00 to $200.00 per acre.
INDEX
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Page
Princeville Township .. 3
Akron Township. 42
Millbrook Township. 52
Jubilee Township 64
Jubilee -The Little Place in the Woods
73
Hallock Township
79
Radnor Township
95
Essex Township
110
Valley Township.
118
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844 1
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