Elvaston, Illinois

This township, 5 - 6, is, as its name implies, all prairie land, excepting about two sections of dwarf woodland on the breaks of Long creek. Lying so far inland, it was not settled as early as those portions of the county nearer the borders; but later it began to fill up with enterprising farmers, and has now become one of the best improved townships in the county. It is favored with more railroad line than any other township. It has the T., W. & W. running across it from Elvaston to Carthage, six miles; about the same length of the T., P. & W"., northeastwardly; and fully seven miles of the Q., C. & B. running southwardly. There is no point in the township, except its extreme northwest corner, that is more than two miles from one of these roads.

Passage source: History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws, published 1880.

At Elvaston there are two or three Church organizations, each with small but neat and substantial church edifices. The Presbyterian and the M. E. societies have been organized ten or twelve years, and have now regular services and good and increasing congregations.

Passage source: History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws, published 1880.

Ann (Thome) Boiide, the first a native of Lancaster, Pa., whose father was Joseph Boude, a native of France, and reared in England. He came to America in 1740. Ann (Thome) Boude was a native of Scotland, and was married at Marietta, Pa. Her husband, a farmer, died in Brown county, O., and she died at the residence of one of her children in Bracken county, Ky. The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools of Ohio and at the Academy' of Chillicothe, O. He commenced his medical studies at the age of 21 with Dr. Mackie, of Augusta, Ky., remaining with him about four 3'ears, attending one course of lectures at Lexington, Ky., and one at Philadelphia, Pa., also practicing ^\nth the Doctor the latter part of this four years. In 1826 he moved to Felicity, O., where he practiced medicine 15 years. May 20, 1821:, he married Martha B. Sharpe, a daughter of Thomas Sharpe, of Bracken county, Ky., and formerly of Maryland. Dr. B. came to this county April 8, 1854, locating on sec. 14, this tp., where he has resided to the present On settling here he bought 480 acres of land, a part of which he has since given to his sons, so that now the homestead consists of 187 acres. The improvements on this place were mostly' made by the Doctor. His children are Mary A.,. John Knox, Edgar Austin and Charles Eugene, besides 2 deceased; Thomas, who died in infancy, in Felicity, O., and Euphrasia J., who died at the age of 17, at Oxfoi'd, Butler county, O., where the Doctor resided 12 years. The first 10 years of his residence in this county the Doctor followed his profession, but since then has devoted his attention to farming, in which he has been quite successful. One season he raised 1,800 pounds of honey. Mrs. Boude died Sept. 11, 1875, a member of the Presbyterian Church, and was laid at rest in the cemetery at Carthage. Dr. B. was formerly a Whig, but is now a Republican. He is also a member of the Presbyterian Church, which relation he has now held for 50 years. William Clark, farmer, sec. 18; P. O., Elvaston; was born in Adams county, O., in 1823. His parents, John and Elizabeth (Gall) Clark, were natives of Ireland and Virginia, who settled in Ohio, where they both died. The subject of this sketch came to Illinois in 1847, and located on a farm in Peoria county. In 1863 he moved to this county and settled on his present estate of 100 acres, valued at $50 per acre. Mr. C. has never been married. He is a man of unostentatious manners, and follows a quiet, unobtrusive life in the enjoyment of his home, which is properly carried on by a sister. Politically he was a strong abolitionist, and now is an earnest advocate of Republican administration.

Passage source: History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws, published 1880.

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 Prairie Township - it names this place 9 more 9 times.