Logan County, Illinois - Chapter 27: Lake Fork Township, 1886

Chapter 27: Lake Fork Township

Lake Fork is the smallest township in Logan County, and has the least population. It is six miles east and west, and three north and south, making eighteen sections. It occupies the southeast corner of the county, and is bounded on the north by Laenna Township, on the east by Macon County, on the south by Sangamon County, and on the west by Elkhart Township. Its northeast corner is just touched by the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railroad. The township is drained by Lake Fork of Salt Creek.

1881 - Supervisor, William H. Gasaway; Clerk, Nicholas W. Howe; Assessor, Nicholas P. Gasaway; Collector, John S. Mann; Highway Commissioner, Jacob A. Shyer; Justices, Noah Allison and Erastus Gasaway; Constables, James Shores and Erastus Gasaway.

Statistics Political

Lake Fork is in political sentiment almost solidly Democratic. The following table shows the vote for President since the adoption of township organization;

James Birhs, farmer and stock-raiser, section 15, Lake Fork Township, is a native of this township, born February 19, 1843, his father, William Birks, now of Decatur, being one of the pioneers of Logan County. He has been a successful agriculturist.

and now owns 400 acres of valuable land. He was married August 2, 1864, to Jane Gasaway, daughter of James D. Gasaway, of this township. Mrs. Birks died January 4, 1885. She was a member of the Baptist church, and an exemplary Christian woman. Mr. Birks is an active member of the Baptist church. He has four children - John, Mary E., James W. and Albert M. One daughter, Sarah Y., is deceased.

James D. Gasaw^y, farmer and stock-raiser, section 11, Lake Fork Township, was born in Ross County, Ohio, May 29, 1824. His father, Nicholas Gasaway, was a native of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, and a pioneer of Ross County, Ohio, and in 1855 moved to Logan County, Illinois. James D. remained in his native county till manhood, and in 1852 came to Logan County and settled where he has since lived, in Lake Fork Township. He owns 680 acres of valuable land, all under cultivation, and, although a poor man when he came to Illinois, is now one of the most prosperous farmers of Logan County. He has always followed agricultural pursuits, with the exception of three years, when he was engaged in the grocery business at Latham, and during that time was assistant postmaster. He was a member of the first Board of Supervisors of Logan County, and has since served as highway commissioner, township treasurer, school treasurer and director. He is a public-spirited, influential citizen, always zealous for tlie success of any enterprise of benefit to his township. He was married in February, 1846, to Martha J., daughter of William Colwell. To them have been born ten children, but seven of whom are living - Nicholas P., William A., Thomas A., Sophia, Mary, Estella and Anna. The deceased are - Curtis, Jane and Sarah.

Nicholas P. Gasaway, section 14, Lake Fork Township, was born in Ross County, Ohio, March 4, 1848, a son of James D. Gasaway, of this township. He was reared on a farm, and has always given his attention to agriculture. He was married February 12, 1867, to Eliza J., daughter of David Shyer, an early settler of this county. They have five children - Thomas P., James D., Carrie E., Levi and John H. Mr. Gasaway has served the township two terms each as collector and assessor, several years as school director, and is now serving as supervisor. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and Knights of Pythias.

Henry EaLl, section 2, Lake Fork Township, was born in Rensselaer County, New York, April 16, 1829, a son of Gideon Hall, In December, 1839, his parents moved to Des Moines County,

Iowa, and thence, in 1847, to Madison County, Illinois. In 1860 he went overland to California, and worked in the mines till the fall of 1851, when he returned to Illinois, and in the fall of 185^ came to Logan County and settled on the farm where he now lives. He owns 639 acres of fine land, and hia improvementsare among the best in the township. He has been one of the most prominent citizens of the township, and has i-epresented the people in several official relations. He has been a member of the Baptist church since March, 1852, and for about twenty years has been deacon. He was married September 23, 1852, to Yiolet C. , daughter of Thomas "Waddell. To them have been born ten children; but seven are living - Gideon, Abigail P., Mary F., Hattie E., Ida B., Oliver R. and Walter H.

Huston, farmer and stock-raiser, section 4, Lake Fork Township, is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Logan County. His father, John Huston, came to Illinois from Ohio in January, 1830, and camped by the side of a log in the woods, on what is now section 4, Lake Fork Township. Here he built a cabin of round logs, 14 x 16 feet in size, with puncheon floor, clapboard door, stick and mud chimney, and a hole cut in the logs for a window. The furniture was of the most primitive kind, the bedstead being made of poles fastened in the walls. In this rude liouse James Huston first saw the light of day June 9, 1880. At that time there were no schools in the township, and the first that our subject attended was a subscription school, taught in a rude log cabin. Their markets were Decatur and Springfield, and their nearest mill was on the Sangamon River. James Huston in his boyhood was obliged to assist his father in the labors of the farm, and was early inured to the mysteries of hard work. He thus learned lessons of industry that in later life have made him one of the successful citizens of his township. He now owns a large farm of 490 acres, a part of which was his father's old homestead. He pays special attention to breeding fine horses. His thoroughbred stallion, Sam Powers, is noted for his speed, and is one of the finest horses in this part of the country. Mr. Huston was married September 19, 1853, to Catharine A., daughter of George L. Poe. But fourof the ten Children born to them are living - Annie A., Jane, Eli D. and Lovina Alice. Jane married W. B. Gasaway and has one child - James Lewis. One daughter, Carrie Ellen, and one son, John L., died after reaching maturity. Carrie E. was the wife of J. A. Colvin. John married Emma N. Allison, and his widow and child, Lewis Ethel, make their home with Mr. Huston. Mr. Huston has served his township as assessor two years, and several terms as school director.

James Whiteside, section 13, Lake Fork Township, was born in Eutherford County, North Carolina, April 6, 1817, a son of William F. Whiteside. He was reared in his native county, attending the log-cabin schools when his services were not required on the farm. In 1848 he came to Illinois, and lived in St. Clair County eleven years, and in 1859 moved to Logan County and settled on the farm where he now lives. He began life in limited circumstances, working by the month several years, but by good management and frugality has been successful, and now owns a fine farm of 105 acres, all under cultivation, and his residence and farm buildings are among the best in the township. He was married in June, 1849, to Elizabeth Pullin, daughter of John Pullin. She died June 2, 1862. Of their five children four are living - Sarah, Elizabeth, Louisa and John F. Elizabeth married Columbus Williams, of Macon County, Illinois, and has two children - Rosa and Ida. Louisa married John J. Giant, of Laenna Township, and has one child - Jennie. June 9, 1864, Mr. Whiteside married Mary J., daughter of Hardy Johnson. Their five children are all deceased. Mr. Whiteside has been a member of the Baptist church thirty years.