Ellis, Illinois

Williams township was organized at same time wnth the remaining townships in the county in 1861, and was named as was the village in honor of Colonel John Williams, a noted pioneer and business man of Springfield. The first election was held on the first Monday in April of 1861. The following named being elected to the offices mentioned: Miletus W. Ellis, Supervisor; George T. Hickman, Treasurer; George H. Brown, Clerk; F. A. Merriman, Assessor; George W. Sutton, Collector; Eben M. Douglas, John O. Towner, Justices of the Peace; George W. Sutton, Meredith Cooper, Constables; James Lester, William Yocum and George T. Hickman, Commissioners of Highways.

Passage source: History of Sangamon County, Illinois; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships ... Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois, published 1881.

In consequence of Mr. Ellis having gone to Oregon, and other officers being needed, in March, 1852, an election was held, and William T. Jones and James Lester were elected elders, and George W. Constant and James Barr, deacons.

Passage source: History of Sangamon County, Illinois; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships ... Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois, published 1881.

The Barclay Christian Church was organized by Elder Robert Foster, September 3, 1837, and was known as the Wolf Creek Christian Church, The following named composed the original officers: Andrew J. Grove, Rezin H. Constant, Miletus W. Ellis, elders; Samuel Wilson, James- Taylor, William F. Elkin, deacons; W. W. Ellis, clerk. The first meetings were held at the house of Isaac H. Constant, in Williamsville township and at R. H. Constant's in Clear Lake. After the congregation was organized meetings were held at Mr. Grove's, about three miles south of Williamsville, then at a school house about a quarter of a mile from R. H. Constant's, then at a school house on southwest corner of the southeast quarter of section two. They then built a church house at Barclay at a cost of |2,700, in size thirty-two by fortyfour. Since its organization the church has been ministered unto by the following named: Elders Foster, Powell, Sweet, Kane, Bowles, Peeler, Wilson, Vawter, Orcott, Mallory, Lindsley and T. J. Burton, ths present pastor. R. H. Constant is at present the only elder, with Isaac Taylor, John Taylor, William Dunavan deacons. R. H. C onstant is clerk. Out of this church has grown in part that of Williamsville, Clear Lake and Cornland. When it removed to Barclay it took upon it the name of that village. The present membership is sixty-five.

Passage source: History of Sangamon County, Illinois; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships ... Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois, published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Williams Township - it names this place 3 more 3 times.