McLean County, Illinois - Chapter 4: Towns and Townships, 1924

Chapter 4: Towns and Townships

A condensed story of the early settlement and development of the various townships of McLean County, together with the founding and incorporation of the towns and villages is told as follows:

Allin Township. - Originally this township was called Mosquito Grove, in honor of one of the three groves which were located there. On May 3, 1867, the name was changed to Allin, in honor of James Allin, the pioneer. The groves were Mosquito, Brown's and Brooks' groves. With the exception of these, totaling 1,400 acres, the township was prairie land. The first settler was Miles Brooks, in whose honor the grove was named. William Brown was the man after whom the other grove was named. Mosquito Grove was early inhabited by a family by the name of Reddon, a notorious band of outlaws and horse thieves who were supposed to be one link in the chain of such characters which stretched across Iowa and Illinois. Robert Stubblefield at one time caught one of the Reddons redhanded with stolen horses and he was indicted and convicted. At another time Isaac Funk, Robert Stubblefield, John Stubblefield, Ebenezer Mitchell and others made a midnight call at the Reddon home looking for stolen horses, but found none. It was after a famous murder of one Co?. George Davenport at Rock Island, with which the Reddon gang was supposed to have had some hand, that the decent people of the neighborhood decided to rid the community of them, which was effectively done by a

Stanford, the town located in Allin township, was laid out by John Armstrong in 1867 on the Jacksonville branch of the Alton road, and was incorporated as a village. It was first called Allin, but the name was changed to Stanford. The town is among the richest in the county, having two general stores, a fine school house, one bank, two implement and hardware stores, three elevators, and many other places of business. For many years Stanford has maintained a fair which attracts many people every autumn. The population is about 700.

Anchor Township. - This township is practically all prairie land, and it remained unsettled for many years after other parts of the county were populated to more or less extent. R. M. Rankin entered the first lands in Anchor townshi pin August, 1850, and Robert Cunningham was the second claimant in 1851. Robert Stackpole settled in the township in 1853 and bought a tract of over 2,300 acres. He incurred large expenses for fencing and other improvements, and crops failed for a year or two after, her started farming, hence his lands were sold for debt about the time of the Civil war. Anchor township was first a part of Cropsey, but in 1877 was separated from it, leaving Cropsey only half the area of a congressional township. George R. Birch, its supervisor, gave it its name. After the Civil war the township was rapidly settled up, A. R. Jones acquiring most of the lands formerly owned by Stackpole. Among the earlier settlers after the war were A. S. Dart, John Ingram, N. Brinley, Henry Gilstrap, M. H. Knight, R. H. Arnold, Daniel B. Stewart, W. H. and F. M. Anderson. The settlers of this vicinity were largely of German extraction for the last 30 years, and being of a thrifty character the farms of Anchor are among the best in the county. With the building of a branch of the Illinois Central railroad through this township in 1880, a town, also called Anchor, sprang up on a site covering part of Daniel B. Stewart's land. It formed a trading center for the people of Anchor and Cropsey townships. The village was incorporated soon after it was settled. The source of the Mackinaw river is generally presumed to be in Anchor township.

Arrowsmith Township. - This township has one of the most romantic histories in the county so far as the times before the white settlers came is concerned. It was here that one of the chief Indian settlements in the county is said to have existed, and here too, are evidences of an Indian fort and scenes of battles, either between hostile tribes of Indians or between white men and Indians. The township was first called Pleasant, but afterward named Arrowsmith in honor of Ezekiel Arrowsmith, who was supervisor of the township in 1858, when the change of name was made. Jonathan Cheney entered the first land in the township, having laid claim to a tract near the grove in the southwest part, which was in fact part of the Old Town timber. Here was located, according to evidence of early settlers, quite an Indian town, and also an Indian burying ground belonging to the Kickapoos. John Wells Dawson, the first settler, had personal knowledge of these two Indian habitations. The Indian burying ground was just over the line from West township in Arrowsmith, while the Indian town was a few miles northwest of this, near the home of John Dawson. But the most notable Indian relics were those found near a grove in the eastern part of the township, first owned by Jacob Smith, on section 24. At the headwaters of the Sangamon river in this vicinity is a hill or mound some 20 feet in height and an acre in extent at the top. Early settlers found there many excavations or pits, which later became overgrown with grass and underbrush until they were almost lost to sight. Some distance away, about the distance which may be calculated as a gunshot, are located zigzag pits or ditches. Here have been found from time to time many leaden bullets. From all these evidences the local historians have concluded that a battle occurred here between an attacking party in the ditches and the defenders of the hill with its pits. The course of the Sangamon, the location of the hill and the "rifle pits," and the finding of bullets in the vicinity, all point to a battle. The McLean County Historical Society, under the direction of the late Capt. John H. Burnham, made many attempts to excavate these pits and mounds for historic evidences, and they were in part successful. The society obtained some two pounds of leaden bullets by their several explorations. Those who do not credit the theory of a battle between the Kickapoos and some hostile tribe, say the battle might have been between the Kickapoos and a band of French soldiers from Fort Chartres, who were once said to have been sent out to "chastise" the Kickapoos, known as the "Indians of the prairie." A half-breed Indian of the Pottawatomie tribe, is quoted by one authority as having heard traditions among his people of a battle between the Kickapoos and Foxes on one side and the Ottawas and Chippewas on the other, which occurred in a fortification near the Sangamon river. This seems to identify the Arrowsmith "battle ground" as the site of an ancient struggle of hostile tribes. The late Hiram Beckwith of Danville, a noted Illinois historian, held to the theory that the McLean County Indian battle ground was the scene of a fight between Indians and French garrisons from Fort Chartres.

The village of Arrowsmith was founded when the railroad, afterward known as the Lake Erie, was built through the township, for which Arrowsmith township voted the sum of $25,000 in bonds to aid in its building. Trains began running through the village in 1872, and at once it became an important grain and stock shipping point. The only stone quarry in McLean County was located near Arrowsmith for many years, but was later abandoned, since the stone was of poor quality. The land upon which this village is located belonged to Anderson Young, Jonas Fry, James Crosson and M. Ullmer, ten acres each. When it was decided in 1871 that the railroad would run through this place, the town was platted. S. E. Cline put in a scales the same year and he and James Larimer began buying and cribbing corn. The railroad switch was put in and a depot built in 1872. Larimer & Jones built the first store north of the railroad, and W. H. Thompson moved his store from Cross Roads in 1873. The postoffice was also moved to Arrowsmith from that place. R. S. Crum built the first residence. The village of Arrowsmith was organized in 1890 and since has had a good growth. The population is 400 and it is well supplied with religious and educational facilities.

Bellflower Township. - This township was originally named Prairie when the township organization was effected in 1858. It was the only township in the county which possessed no timber. The first supervisor, Jesse Richards, chose the name of Bellflower, that being his favorite apple. It is the most southeasterly township of the county. It was first used as a cattle range by the pioneers of Cheney's Grove and other sections. The township possessed much wet land, classified by the government as swamp land, and this was donated by the county commissioners in 1857 to secure the location of the Normal University in the county. Springfield parties bought up this land, but it was not drained and occupied until after the Civil war. Much of the land of the township has al- ways been owned by nonresidents and operated by tenants. Nevertheless it has become one of the best farming sections of the county. The people voted in 1871 $30,000 in bonds to secure a branch of the Illinois Central railroad through their township. It was the first township in the county to erect a township high school, the structure costing $9,000, being built in 1905. Its example in this respect was in later years followed by many other townships. With the I. C. railroad running through the center of the township and the Wabash cutting off a corner, there are six shipping stations in the township, namely the village of Bellflower, McNulta Switch, and Laurette on the main line of the I. C. ; and Meharry and Sumner on the Rantoul branch of the Central, and Osman on the Wabash. Just over the line in Champaign County are two others, Harpster and Lotus. M^o^v-^oa-^

The village of Bellflower was platted and laid out by George N. Black of Springfield, who owned much land in that vicinity. The first man who engaged in business in the town was R. E. Moreland, who began buying grain in August, 1871. A. and A. J. Henry started in business there the following winter. John Nichols built the first residence and started a grocery in 1871. A. Libairn started a general store about the same time. T. B. Groves erected a home and started a hardware store in 1872. Other early business men were J. W. Eyestone, E. L. Rush, R. Rome, Hiram Rush, and G. W. Stokes. The first postmaster was A. H. Marquis. Bellflower has always been a great grain market. Many churches and several fraternal organizations are included in the community interests. Originally an entirely prairie township, yet the people have planted many trees and the town and countryside are well supplied. The population is about 500 people.

Bloomington Township. - The settlement of Bloomington township grew out of the original settlement of the county, at Blooming Grove. As stated elsewhere, the grove was first called Keg Grove, owing to the tradition that Kickapoos had found a keg of rum there soon after the white men arrived. Before the whites' came here there had been an Indian village at the timber farther east, known to early settlers as Old Town timber, after the old Indian town. The nearest white settlements prior to that of Blooming Grove were at Peoria, 40 miles distant, and at Starved Rock, old Fort St. Louis, 60 miles north. John Hendrix and

John Dawson came to Blooming Grove in April, 1822, and next year Dawson's family followed. Dawson in 1826 moved to Old Town timber, later named Dawson township in his honor. Other settlers followed the first two, until by the year 1831 there were 50 families living in and around Blooming Grove. Burnham's history of Bloomingto»n gives the names of these families as follows: John Hendrix, Rev. E. Rhodes, Jeremiah Rhodes, William and Thomas Orendorff, Rev. James Latta, Henry Little, John H. S. Rhodes, William Goodheart, William H. Hodge, William Lindley, Mrs. Benjamin Cox, David Simmons, John Benson, James Benson, George Hinshaw, William Chatham, Moses Dunlap, William Waldron, Anthony Alberry, William Thomas, John Canady, James Canady, Oman Olney, Joseph Walker, Sr., William Michaels, John Lindley, Joseph Bailey, Harbord, Achilles Deatherage, William Walker, Timothy M. Gates, William Lucas, John Cox, Dr. Isaac Baker, Maj. Seth Baker, H. M. Harbord, Parr Rathbone, John Mullins, Michael Allington, Nathan Low, John Benson, Jr,. and Benjamin Depew. There were also a number of single men living in the grove at the time. Just north of the grove and within the territory afterward inside the city limits lived Henry Miller, James Tolliver, James Allin, John Greenman, William Evans, John Maxwell, John Kimler and James Mason. The young single men in the city limits when first laid out were William Dimmitt, William Evans, jr., Frank Evans, William Durley, Merritt L. Covell, W. H. Allin, William Greenman, Esek Greenman, Samuel Durley, John Durley and Samuel Evans.

James Allin seems to have been the first man to see in this flourishing young settlement the chance to secure the county seat of a new county and to build up here a little city. He therefore platted the town, and on July 4, 1831, the first auction sale of lots was held. There were probably between 250 and 300 people in the settlement at that time. A postoffice had been established at Blooming Grove in 1829, and it was moved to the town in 1832, being named Bloomington, probably as a -natural adaptation of the original name of Blooming Grove. This was the third place in the United States to be called Bloomington.

From Milo Custer's investigations it appears that James Allin entered the east half of the southwest quarters of section 4, township 23 north range 2 east of the third principal meridian, eighty acres, on Oct. 27, 1829. This roughly comprised the land now in the city of Bloomington between East, Monroe, Roosevelt avenue and Oakland avenue. Allin later bought from Robert H. Peebles another 80 acres lying north of his entry. A commission of the legislature in the winter of 1831 had been appointed to investigate a site for the county seat of a new county to be organized under act of the legislature of Dec. 25, 1830, and named McLean County. This commission reported to the county commissioners at their session on May 16, 1831, that James Allin had obligated himself to donate 22 acres at the north end of Blooming Grove settlement. Dr. Baker was employed to plat this tract into town lots and advertise their sale on July 4. The sale was held accordingly at the date advertised. Timothy B. Hoblit, one of the county commissioners, acted as auctioneer, and Dr. Baker as clerk. The people in attendance followed the auctioneer around from lot to lot until all were sold. There were six lots to a block, three fronting each street running east and west, with an alley between. The record of the county commissioners of date Feb. 10, 1833, shows that deeds were executed to buyers of the lots in the original town plat as follows: James Latta, Martin Scott, A. Gridley, Nathan Low, William R. Robertson, John Maxwell, Ebenezer Rhodes, Cheney Thomas, Solomon Dodge, Caleb Kimler, Jesse Frankeberger, Jesse Havens, Fredrick Trimmer, M. L. Covell, John W. Dawson, David Wheeler, Alvin Barnett, Jonathan Cheney, Joseph B. Harbert, Eli Frankeberger, Hezekiah M. Harbert, Richard Gross, William Harbert, Samuel Durley, Orman Robertson, Bailey Kimler, Bailey H. Coffey, Lewis Sowards, John W. Harbert, Isaac Baker, Absolom Funk. Several of the lots offered at auction on July 4 were not disposed at that time but were sold at later dates, as shown by deeds of record.

The block which had been set aside for the site of the court house, bounded by Main, Jefferson, Center and Washington streets, was not all held out from the sale, but two lots fronting on Jefferson street were sold, that at Jefferson and Center to James Latta for. $16, and that at Jefferson and Main to M. L. Covell, who paid $80 for this and four other lots. The buyers of these two lots afterward disposed of them to other parties, and finally the county commissioners purchased the lots for the county, the Latta lot for $100 in 1847, the Covell lots for $210 in 1849. Thus the entire square became county property.

The young county seat had a steady growth at first, and by 1836 had a population of 450 people. It was the center of trade for all the settlements in McLean County. The country around was farmed after a crude fashion, wooden plows being more common than iron, and wheat was cut with a sickle. Markets were distant and not of easy access. Stock, mostly hogs, were allowed to run almost wild, and driven long distance to market. The town had a comparatively slow growth until the advent of railroads in the '50's gave it a new impetus.

The history of Bloomington township and the city of Bloomington were so closely interwoven as to be inseparable for many years. More of the details of the growth of the city is given under its proper heading. The territory of the original town or village was approximately one mile square. It was incorporated as a village in 1843 and elected trustees until 1850, when it was organized as a city with mayor and aldermen. The city council thereafter made many additions to the city.

The city was finally divorced from Bloomington township, when in. 1911 the voters of the city voted favorably on the proposed organization of the township of the city of Bloomington, whose boundaries should be co-extensive with the city limits. This left a strip of land lying on three sides of the city which is now known as Bloomington township. The cutting off from this outlying township of much of its revenue by transferring all the taxable property of the city to the township of the city of Bloomington, left Bloomington township much handicapped from a financial standpoint. Normal Township also lost by the change, for part of the Normal township lay inside the city limits of Bloomington. Since the date of this reorganization, the city and township have been governed jointly, very little difference being made in the procedure except as to the collection of taxes.

The part of the former Bloomington township which was left after the organization of the township of the city of Bloomington maintains its township government, with school trustees, highway commissioners and other necessary officers. Its business relates mostly to roads and school affairs. It is handicapped in many ways by smallness of its revenues due to the exclusion of a large portion of its taxable property from the present township by the formation of the city township. The present supervisor of Bloomington township is George W. Knight.

Blue Mounds Township. - This township, consisting entirely of prairie land, takes its name from a ridge which was to be seen in the early days located in section 28, but which is now not visible from a distance owing to the obstructions of hedges, orchards, etc. Being prairie, the township was not settled until a later period than sections of the county which had timber. The land composing the township was largely government or railroad lands, which were held off the market for some years after settlements had been made elsewhere. The first settler was supposed to have been Thomas Arnold, who located in 1853 on section 27. In the next year came J. S. Stagner and W. L. Burton and others. There were several farms taken up before the years 1857 and 1858, when the general panic and failure of the wheat crop bankrupted many farmers. James H. Doyle was the first supervisor when the township was organized in 1858, and David Wheeler was supervisor when the civil war broke out. Many soldiers went into the army from this township, but owing to there being no postoffice their enlistments were credited to other townships. After the close of the civil war was the great rush of settlers, and most of the farms were taken up by 1867, many by returning soldiers, who married and established homes.

When the Kankakee branch of the Illinois Central road was built in 1884, it resulted in establishing two villages or grain shipping points. One was Cooksville on the eastern border, the other Fletcher, on the western. Cooksville was named after F. W. Koch of Bloomington, who owned land in the vicinity. The German form of the name was anglicized. The village was incorporated in 1901 with about 300 inhabitants. Blue Mound township possesses on an average about the best prairie soil in the county, and its farms are prosperous and well kept of late years in spite of early hardships. Money Creek flows through the southwestern part of the township, while two small streams unite in the northeast and flow into the Mackinaw river.

Cheney's Grove Township. - Jonathan Cheney, who with his family had lived at Blooming Grove, set out to find another location in 1825, and decided to build his home at another grove to the north and east. This grove of 3,000 acres of timber ever after took the name of Cheney, and his home became the center of the new settlement which grew into a township and the town of Saybrook. The grove is located at the headwaters of the Sangamon river, which flows through it and makes a delightful place in pioneer times or the present. Until about the year 1829, the Cheneys were the only settlers at this grove, but in the latter year came James Van Scoyoc and the Robert Cunningham family, followed the next year by the Means, Riggs and Myers and the Ball families. During the year of the Black Hawk war, 1832, some of the families were removed to locations farther east in Champaign County, for the sake of safety. The settlement grew in permanent character, and many of the families intermarried. The land of part of this township is not as rich and deep as some of the other black soil townships. Being hilly and rolling, it suffered from hard rains. The settlers in the early years had to go long distances for their milling and supplies, to Bloomington or Mackinawtown, or eastward to the Wabash river, since most of the mills of the time were run by water. A village called Saybrook was established, but it had a very slow growth in the first years, until after the railroad was built in 1871. Robert Cunningham built a grist mill and a saw mill on the banks of Sangamon, but the flow of water was uncertain. In 1850 he changed to steam power. The postoffice which was established in 1831 under the name of Cheney's Grove was changed to Saybrook in 1865. The Methodist church and school board united and built a twostory building along in the '60's.

Cheney's Grove furnished many soldiers for the civil war, and one company recruited here became Co. F of the 116th Illinois. In the world war the township furnished its full quota of soldiers for every branch of service.

A new era dawned for Cheney's Grove when the charter for the railroad was obtained from the legislature in 1867 through the efforts of W. H. Cheney, son of Jonathan Cheney, who was then state senator. Senator Cheney was elected in 1865 to fulfill out the unexpired term of Isaac Funk, who died that year. Cheney defeated Col. John McNulta, who ran as a»n independent republican. Cheney tried to get the road built through 'the south side of the grove near his own farm. By the gift of $10,000 from the village of Saybrook and $50,000 from the township, a station was secured for Saybrook, deflecting the line to the south a considerable distance from a straight line. After the railroad was built, Saybrook had a more rapid growth than formerly, and became one of the flourishing towns of the county, in spite of several bad fires it experienced.

Saybrook's business section is among the best built of any town in the county. It has several large brick structures of two and three stories. Flourishing lodges of Masons and Odd Fellows are located here, and a live post of the American Legion. The churches are the United Brethren, Methodist and Christian. The school system includes a community high school and the grades, with a gymnasium in a separate building where basketball and other sports are carried on. There is a live Parent-Teachers' Association. Two live clubs for women are the Fortnightly and the Progressive Literary club. They are both devoted to serious studies. The little park in the center of the city is the scene of annual chautauquas, band concerts and other public entertainments. The Weekly Gazette supplies Saybrook and vicinity with readable weekly news, conducted by Frank Woolley. J. S. Harper, a veteran newspaper man of McLean County, made his home at Saybrook for many years. The city has a volunteer fire department of ten men, with horse-drawn gasoline pump for equipment. In case of emergencies, water from the railroad tanks can be used.

Chenoa Township. - The name of this township was meant for Che- -nowa, which Matthew T. Scott, its earliest settler, gave it. He came from Kentucky, and Chenowa was the Indian name of Kentucky and he bestowed it upon his new settlement. The postoffice department made a mistake in first noting the name, leaving out the "w", and refused ever afterward to correct it, hence Chenoa was the word that stuck. The prairie lands of Chenoa Township long remained unsettled after other portions were taken up. The Chicago & Alton railroad having been built through the township in 1854, settlers began to come after that. By 1856 there were rumors of a new road to be built east and west. Matthew T. Scott, a you»ng man from Kentucky, had taken up a large tract of land in the vicinity, and he wanted to found a town where the new road would cross the Chicago & Alton. To locate the spot, he went east and found engineers running lines. Being an amateur engineer, he was able to calculate about the place where the line would reach the Alton road, and there he took up land and laid it out in town blocks. Meantime, another man, W. M. Hamilton, formerly a friend of Mr. Scott, started a rival town east on his own land lying considerably east of the Scott tract. The Hamilton plat was called "East Chenoa." The latter plat became the more popular section of the town for residences. In 1854, J. B. Lenney, then living in Pennsylvania, was informed by friends living along the Mackinaw river that there was a good site for a town at the new railroad crossing. He sent his brother-in-law, John Bush, to erect a building there for store and shop, but after arrival Bush was dissuaded from building. Next year Mr. Lenney himself arrived and put up the building which became known as the Farmers' Store, west of the Alton and south of the T. P. & W. tracks. Mr. Bush erected a building for a hotel known as the Bush House, and Mr. Lenney put up a residence in "East Chenoa." John M. Bryant built the "National Hotel" in 1856. The first drug store was built back of the Bush House in 1857 by Dr. Stevenson, the first practicing physician. In the same year George Lounsberry built a blacksmith shop and he with Louis Ziegler erected a wagon shop. The first depot was built on the Wye, some distance north of the present one, and occupied by Samuel Emery as a hotel along with the station uses. But it caught fire while the first meal was being prepared and burned down. The town was organized in Aug., 1864, and elected J. B. Lenney as president, Thomas Sandham as clerk, and R. C. Rollins as treasurer. The town's charter of 1868 forbade sale of liquors within the village, but in 1873, the place was incorporated under the general law for towns and villages, which permitted saloons, resulting in Chenoa having saloons for many years when other towns of the county were without them. The first mayor under the city corporation was J. R. Snyder. In fixing the boundaries of the town, the board included the plats of both Chenoa as laid out on the Scott land and East Chenoa on the Hamilton land, with the territory lying between. The election on organization as a city was held Aug. 5, 1873, with 150 votes cast for it and 18 against. Chenoa has many churches. The Presbyterians organized a congregation in 1860, the Catholics in 1863, and the Methodists built a church in 1867. A Congregational church was organized July 21, 1867. The Masons formed a lodge in Chenoa in 1859, and The Times was started as the first newspaper in 1867 by Silas P. Dryer and James McMurtrie. Chenoa now has a population of 2,000, has many good business buildings, a fine school house, many blocks of paved streets, a modern brick railroad station and one newspaper, the Times-Clipper, edited by W. H. Hawthorne.

The township of Chenoa formerly comprised the territory now included in Yates Township, which was later separated and formed a separate organization. Being located within a mile of the Livingston County line, much of the trade of Chenoa is drawn from Livingston. The farms were taken up in large tracts in the early days, and even yet much of the land is farmed by tenants rather than by owners. The estate of Matthew T. Scott still owns a large tract of land, Mr. Scott having left it to his widow, Mrs. Julia G. Scott, who died in 1923.

Chenoa at present is a modern little city, having much pavement, good schools and other advantages. It is on the main line of the Illini trail state hard road. It has several churches and one newspaper conducted by W. H. Hawthorne. The Roman Catholic church was built in 1869, the Baptist church founded in 1866 and the Methodist church the same year. One of the strongest Congregationalist churches in the county existed there for many years, and there was a Presbyterian church also. Chenoa has suffered much from fires, having been swept by several which were very destructive.

Chenoa adopted the commission form of city government in 1916, and in April, 1917, held its first election for commissioners. Park C. Gillespie was elected mayor over John H. Ketcham, and the commissioners elected were W. A. Chapman, C. F. Churchill, S. T. King and L. J. Schultz. The second election for mayor and commissioners was held in 1919, when the following were elected: Mayor, W. A. Chapman; commissioners, Jacob Balbach, B. F. Elfrink, L. L. Silliman and T. W. Weatherwax. In the quadrennial election of 1923, Mayor Chapman was re-elected, and Messrs. Balbach, Silliman, Elfrink and Weatherwax were also chosen again. The city clerk in 1923 is F. M. Power, the treasurer V. L. Nickel, and the police magistrate is M. F. Quinn. The 1923 supervisor for Chenoa was V. L. Nickel.

Cropsey Township. - Col. A. J. Cropsey came to this county in 1854 from Joliet and settled in the northeasternmost part, which was- named Cropsey Township in his honor. It was nine miles by six, in 1877, the six miles to the south was cut off and named Anchor township, leaving Cropsey only half a township in extent. After a short residence in Cropsey, Col. Cropsey moved to Fairbury, where he became an influential citizen and was elected to the Legislature. In the Civil War he became major of the 129 Illinois regiment, which was made up in Livingston County. However, many of the enlisted boys were from McLean County. Being far removed from the county seat, the people of Cropsey in 1858 sought connection with Ford County, but the project was voted down by the voters of other sections of McLean County. In the year 1877 the Illinois Central railroad projected a branch from Kankakee to Bloomington which should pass through Cropsey township. For this road the people gave liberally, Daniel B. Stewart donating $10,000 for the ten miles in McLean County. The first extension of the Kankakee line in Mc- Lean County was to Colfax, giving both Cropsey and Anchor a road ; then the line was later extended to Bloomington. This was the first connection by railroad between the county seat and the neighborhoods to the extreme northeast of the county. At one time a village named Potosi was started on the line between McLean and Livingston counties, but twenty years afterward, when the railroad passed some miles away, it dwindled and died. The village of Cropsey is almost on the county line, and draws as muf.h trade from Livingston and Ford as from McLean.

Dale Township. - This township was settled among the first in the county, along about 1827 or '28. Robert H. Johnson was among the early settlers, and William Beeler came to this section about 1830. There were still many Indians in the vicinity when Beeler settled here. This township was blessed with much timber, Twin Grove being one of the larger tracts, located on the northern border; Hougham's Grove, or Harley's Grove in the center, and the west point of Blooming Grove in the eastern. Dr. Isaac Baker and Deacon James Tomkins of New York were among the first settlers on the prairie lands. Sugar Creek and its branches furnished the water courses of the township. A water mill for grinding corn was built by Abraham Harley about 1847 on section 47, which ran for several years. There are two unincorporated villages in the township, Shirley and Covell. Shirley has two elevators, a school house, -two churches, stores and several residences. Covell has a union church, a school house, stores and some residences. A Methodist church which stood on section 2 was blown down in the big storm of 1902.

Danvers Township. - This township contains more territory than the ordinary one, having 45 square miles. It is located in the northwest part of the county, containing much prairie land and over 10,000 acres of timber, of which Stout's Grove is the most important part. The timber attracted early settlers, and Ephraim Stout came here from Tennessee in 1825, being followed in 1827 by Matthew Robb, Robert McClure and Peyton Mitchell, Jonathan Hodges and his sons, U. S. and W. F. Hodges. Five years later Stout built a mill, which was a head- quarters for farmers for many miles during several years. Wheat was a staple crop of the farmers of this section for many years, and is still raised to some extent, but not so profitably. The old state road from Danville to Peoria passed through Danvers, and much east and west travel went that way. An early tavern was Wayside Inn, located in the west part of the township and kept by Alvin Goodenough. The first school was a private one taught by Archibald Johnson in 1832-33. The second teacher was Lyman Porter and the third Hosea Stout, who was converted to Mormonism and went to Nauvoo and became an apostle. Matthew Robb acted as school treasurer and justice of the peace. He was also elected to the legislature. James Wilson was the first supervisor from Danvers township. The present supervisor is Chester R. Ewins, who served many years and was chairman of the board for a time. There have been many religious organizations in Danvers, the Friends, Cumberland Presbyterians, United Brethren, Methodists, Congregationalists, Christians, Baptists and Mennonites being represented. The fifth house built in the settlement was erected by Thomas Walker for a church, building it of hewn logs. Many earlier religious bodies have disappeared. The Friends moved away, leaving no organization. Lutherans and Mennonites have prosperous organizations. Danvers had honorable records in all the wars, from the Mexican War to the World War. George H. Fifer, a brother of Governor Fifer, who went from Danvers in the Civil war, was killed in battle in Texas. Several young men from Danvers lost their lives in the Word war.

The village of Danvers, laid out in February, 1836, was first called Concord, for the sake of Israel W. Hall, who came from Concord, N. H. The name was changed to Danvers in 1861. The first postoffice was called Stout's Grove, founded in 1848. Danvers is now a progressive and modern little city. It has a water works deriving its supply from wells; a public library, two banks, three elevators, an electric interurban road and steam road, and for years the Willow Park sanitarium, a drink and drug cure, was run by Dr. Parkhurst. The Danvers Independent is a weekly newspaper. The village population is about 650.

There are lodges of the Masons and Modern Woodmen in Danvers, and a post of the American Legion. The Danvers club is a progressive social organization. The schools are up-to-date, and live parent-teachers' association keeps the women in touch with the schools. Five churches are functioning, the Presbyterian, Zion Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist and Baptist. Danvers has no pavement, but the streets are well oiled.

Dawson Township. - This township was named in honor of John Wells Dawson, one of the two early settlers of Blooming Grove, who made his home for a time in 1826 in a site that is a part of the area of the township. The Dawson home was on the land afterwards occupied by John Wirt, near where the Old Settlers picnic was held for many years. There were many Indians in the vicinity when Dawson settled there. In fact, they had a small village near his home, having moved from the older site at Old Town timber. The Indians remained in this vicinity for a few years, when they moved to Livingston county. Other settlers joined Dawson in 1827 and 1829 in the persons of William Goodheart and Jesse Frankeberger, the latter a local preacher. Dawson was but one of the several townships which were formed from the settlements grouped about Old Town timber, a body of 12,600 acres of fine grove. There were 4,600 acres in Dawson, 6,620 acres in Old Town, about 250 acres in West, 320 acres in Arrowsmith, 300 acres in Downs and 600 acres in Empire. The Indians naturally grew attached to this fine grove, and great was their grief when they finally departed. The late Hon. Simeon H. Wist donated to the county 20 acres of the timber which he owned in West Township, to be a perpetual county park. About one-fourth of the total area of Dawson Township was originally in timber, much of it being very wet and needing drainage to make it good farming land. The headwaters of the Sangamon River and Money Creek were in this township.

When a railroad was proposed to be run through this region from Bloomington east, many of the townships voted bonds to aid in its construction, and of this sort of aid Dawson voted $30,000. The road was first called Lafayette & Bloomington, later the Lake Erie, and finally absorbed as part of the Nickel Plate system. Two stations were located on this road in Dawson Township, one in the east called Ellsworth, the other to the west called Padua. The township was also called Padua at first, but the board of supervisors in 1891 changed the name of the township to Dawson on request of the citizens. Ellsworth was named for Oliver Ellsworth, who with Jonathan Cheney and A. B. Ives owned the land on which the town was located. Cheney and Ives were directors in the new railroad. The station of Holder, just across the line in Old

Kickapoo Indian Fort Marker Near Arrowsmith

Town, was named for' Charles W. Holder of Bloomington, another director in the railroad. At one time there was a settlement called Stumptown south of Ellsworth, where a mill had been erected in the timber; it disappeared after the railroad went through. A village settled largely by Quakers was named Benjaminville, in the northwest corner of the township, but the station of Holder attracted nearly all the business that Benjaminville formerly enjoyed. Annual meetings are still held at the Quaker church at Benjaminville. On July 11, 1885, there was an Old Settlers association formed by a body of citizens assembled in Shinkle's hall in Ellsworth, and for 25 years an annual meeting and picnic was held at Betzer park, south of Ellsworth. The first president was Mark Banks, who served till 1902, when he retired. He died in 1907. The organization was incorporated in 1898, the incorporators being Mark Banks, William Van Gundy, H. R. Arrowsmith, C .H. Whitaker, and G. W. Bane. The continued interest in the picnic was remarkable, the attendance often reaching from 5,000 to 8,000. In the years of its prosperity, many notables addressed the meetings, including Judge Weldon, Gen. McClernand, Hon. T. C. Kerrick, President David Falmley, Gov. Joseph W. Fifer, Hon. J. H. Rowell, Judge Thomas F. Tipton, Rev. J. J. Burke, Hon. John A. Sterling, Judge Roland A. Russell, L. H. Kerrick, I. N. Phillips, Dr. Richard Edwards, Dr. A. E. Stewart, Hon. Simeon H. West, and many others. Judge Tipton served as president of the day from 1891 until his death. On Aug. 8, 1901, the McLean County Historical Society met with the Old Settlers association and the papers on this occasion were of great historical value, recounting the early history of that region. They have all been preserved in the archives of the Historical society, and will some day be published, no doubt. The paper of Simeon H. West on the history of Old Town Timber was the best ever given on that subject. The farming lands of Dawson Township are not so large in extent nor so rich in soil as some other townships, but values have gradually increased with the years.

Downs Township. - When township organization was perfected in 1858, this township was named Savanna, but owing to there being another township of that name in the state, the name was changed to Downs in honor of Lawson Downs, who settled in 1829 at a tract of timber known as Diamond Grove, part of this township. There were 1,300 (5) acres of timber land in the county originally. Downs served under Captain Covell in the Black Hawk war shortly after he settled here. Henry Jacoby became one of the first neighbors of Downs. Thomas Toverca, a preacher, settled here in 1830 and John Price came in 1836. The village of Downs as first laid out was called Priceville, but afterward changed to Downs. Sylvester Peasley was an early settler who left his mark upon the community. He began farming in a crude way in 1837, breaking the ground with an iron plow drawn by oxen. He raised cattle and razorback hogs, which he drove to market in Chicago. He was elected supervisor for 15 years, and served as chairman of the board two years. John Cusey was another influential early settler who came here in 1836. He was employed by Jesse Funk in the cattle business. He was a republican, an anti-slavery man and was elected state senator. Several saw mills were erected in Downs Township along the Kickapoo Creek, but they thrived awhile then died out. Sevier Stringfield built a grist mill in 1831, using stones picked up from the land. In 1840 John Rice built another mill. The village of Downs was laid out in 1870 by P. B. Price. It thrived from the first, and is one of the prosperous villages in the county. It was incorporated about ten years ago.

Dry Grove Township. - This is one of the few townships of the county which has no town or village. Its name is taken from the grove of timber which is located in the southwestern part. William McCullough and his son, Peter, first came to the neighborhood in 1826. The son of Peter McCullough, William McCullough, became circuit clerk and sheriff. He served in the Black Hawk war in his youth, and at the time of the Civil War was lieutenant colonel of the Fourth Illinois cavalry, being killed in battle at Coffeeville, Miss., on Dec. 5, 1862. Henry Van Syckle came in 1828 and was afterward one of the county commissioners. James Garton and Wilton Williams were among the first teachers who conducted schools in this township. Matthew Harbord built the first mill, which ran with horse power, and known as the "corn cracker" variety. A Mr. King built another mill which ground flour for years, and which was later abandoned and used for a barn, which is still standing. Stephen Webb, one of the earliest settlers of this vicinity, came from Tennessee in 1827 with William McCord, George and Jacob Hinshaw. Stephen Webb was one of the characters of the settlement, tall and

Empire Township. - Ever since the settlement of the county, Empire has had a leading part in its history. It formed a desirable place for first settlers, being provided with timber, water and rich prairie land. John Buckles came to this section in 1827 and settled at the grove which bears his name. This and other groves in the township comprise 8,700 acres. Buckles and his family of thirteen children always bore a leading part in the township's history. Michael Dickerson came in 1830. He had two sons, Henry and Frank, who were leading citizens. The Greenman family settled at Blooming Grove in 1829 and afterward removed to Buckles Grove. The Crumbaughs came in 1830. Henry Crumbaugh kept a noted pack of hounds. David Crumbaugh was another well-known member of the family. Squire Hiram Buck was a settler in 1837 and was the first postmaster at Leroy. He also served as justice of the peace for eighteen years and was one of the members of the county court in the '50's. Mahlon Bishop came to Buckles Grove in 1835 and was elected to the legislature in 1837. He was one of the first known "farmer candidates." A school was built in 1837, known as the Clearwater School, of which William Johnson was the first teacher.

Empire Township was early the home of the most prosperous farmers and cattle raisers of the county. There was timber for building, water for the stock and rich prairie lands for grazing. The earliest mill in this township was built in 1835, and shortly afterward there were mills built on Salt Creek by David Phillips and Isaac Williamson. They were crude affairs, but helped to grind the grain of the settlers.

A new era dawned for the township on the construction of the first railroad, the Danville, Urbana, Bloomington & Pekin, later the Big Four and now part of the Ntcker-Ptete/ The township donated $75,000 toward the construction of the road, and got two stations, Leroy and Empire. Later a branch of the Illinois Central was built from Leroy to Rantoul and West Lebanon, Ind.

Asahel Gridley and Merritt Covell laid out the village of Leroy in 1835, but owing to hard times it made slow progress the first few years. In 1838 Edgar Concklin built a frame store and next year a post route was established with Hiram Buck as postmaster. The route ran from

Danville to Pekin via Leroy and Bloomington. John W. Badderly had started a town called Monroe a mile south of Leroy, but moved to Leroy when that place was laid out. Badderly and Amos Neal were Leroy's first merchants. Other early merchants were Baker & Greenman, L. H. and B. F. Parke, E. L. Morehouse & Son, and T. J. Barnett. Joseph Keenan was merchant, farmer and banker. The first church was established about 1830 by James Latta. In 1838 the Methodists built a church on a lot given them by Edward Concklin. In 1902 the Methodists built their present large and modern church. The Christian church was organized in 1888. Universalists have carried on services for many years and erected a chapel. The Cumberland Presbyterians organized a congregation very early and in 1898 erected a brick church, also conducting the Leroy Seminary for higher learning for some years. The Spiritualists had a flourishing congregation at one time, and the late J. T. Crumbaugh left them an endowment for a church which is to be built at some time in the future. In 1904, on April 22, the McLean County Historical Society sponsored a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the settlement of Buckles Grove, at which papers recounting all the early history of Empire Township were read by Simeon H. West, Thomas L. Buck, John McConnell, George Hedrick, Mrs. J. V. Smith, Mrs. Adam Murray, Mrs. E. B. Young, Mrs. John McConnell, Mrs. A. L. Rike, John M. Harper, Nelson G. Humphrey, J. R. Covey, Charles Williams, Joseph Keenan, S. D. Baker, Rev. W. E. Leavitt, A. B. Conkling. Leroy had several grist and saw mills in its day, the owners of these being Elisha Gibbs, and Buckles & Farmer. The first burned down and the second was eventually dismantled. Leroy has always had a good school system. It now has one of the best township high schools in the county. The Eugene Field school houses the grades. Leroy has one large factory, a branch of the Bloomington Canning Company, which is a busy place in certain seasons. It has one newspaper, the Journal, run by Melvin A. Cline. There are all kinds of retail stores. Leroy is the third largest town in the county, having a population of about 1,700.

Modern Leroy has some two miles of fine paved streets and one of the best city water plants in the state for a place of its size. Just at the west end of the main business section is a pretty little park and fountain, the gift of Simeon West, a pioneer. The city has several fine churches, flourishing lodges of Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias,

Red Men, Modern Woodmen, Eastern Star, Rebekahs, and a large post of American Legion named for Ruel Neal. The churches are the Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, and Universalist. Leroy is one of the few places of its kind which maintains a Commercial Club, it being ten years old and having a record of much activity. There is a women's auxiliary to this club. Fine club rooms are kept up. The women of the city maintain an active Parent-Teachers' Association for co-operation with the schools. Other organizations of women are the Woman's Relief Corps and the Garden Club, besides several strictly social and literary bodies. There is a Country Club in Leroy, with a fine golf course and club house. Some day the city will enjoy a public library as a gift from the Crumbaugh estate. They have a splendid new high school building.

The Leroy fair is one of the best managed and most prosperous public enterprises of its kind to be found anywhere. It has continued for many years and drew great crowds for a whole week by its agricultural exhibits and entertainment features.