Fairmount, Illinois

Yance township, as now bounded, occupies a position on the western border of the county, and is in the second tier of townships from the southern line, having Oakwood on its northern boundary, Catlin on its eastern, Sidell on its southern, and Champaign county on its western. The Salt Fork of the Vermilion river runs through its northern part nearly the whole length, which is skirted by timber on an average of about one mile on either bank. The township is seven miles long east and west, and live miles wide, and contains one section less than a full congressional township. The State Road from Danville to Decatur runs through, keeping as nearly as possible about one and one half miles away from the Salt Fork ; and the Wabash railway runs very nearly through its center, having the village of Fairmount, a neatly built and pleasantly located town, situated about one mile from its eastern border. Abundance of building-stone is found along and in the bed of the stream, and ledges of calcareo-silicious stone crop out on the prairie near the center of the town, which is the best known material for making roads, and makes an excellent quality of lime for building purposes, and for dressing for wheat lands. This stone is hard enough to withstand natural destruction from the elements, and soft enough to wear smooth under wagon-wheels, giving just the quality suitable for McAdam roads. It is being sparingly used here as yet, but in other places in this state where it has been used for years its value has been thoroughly tested and abundantly proved. There is a mine of wealth in these ledges of stone, such as crop out on the Big

Passage source: History of Vermilion County, Together with Historic Notes on the Northwest, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, Private and Official Correspondence, and Other Authentic, Though, for the Most Part, Out-of-the-way Sources, published 1879.

As soon as the railroad was located, Ellsworth & Co. entered all the land along its line, from Danville to Decatur, that had not previously been taken, and held it for speculation. Owing to the revulsion which, in due course of nature's law, must, and did, follow the flush times of 1836, the speculators did not get an opportunity to sell their land for twenty years. With the actual building of the Wabash road came their opportunity to sell at from five to eight dollars per acre, so that their speculation was not a magnificent one by any means, for though taxation was much lighter then than now, the interest on their investment, and taxes for twenty years, amounted to no inconsiderable part of the receipts.

Passage source: History of Vermilion County, Together with Historic Notes on the Northwest, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, Private and Official Correspondence, and Other Authentic, Though, for the Most Part, Out-of-the-way Sources, published 1879.

The first settler known to make a home within the bounds of Vance was Thomas Osborne, who made a little cabin in section 32, a mile or two northwest of Fairmonnt, in 1825. He did not do any large amount of clearing or farming, but spent his time in fishing and hunting, which latter was by far the most profitable business of that day and age. The skins and furs of a winter's crop were wTorth more than a corn crop. Osborne did not stay here long after the game began to grow scarce, but went on west. Mr. Rowell and Mr. Gazad had cabins near by, and, as " squatters," remained around here a short time. In the same neighborhood James Elliot, James French and Samuel Beaver commenced a year or two later. They also pushed on farther west, and William Davis bought their claims when he came here soon after. Beaver was a tanner, and kept and worked a small tan-yard, the material for which business was plenty here at that time. His house stood exactly where the Baptist church was built, - in fact, the church was, for some reason not now known, built around the house, which was torn down and carried out after the church was enclosed. The church was built in 1*35, and thirty years later was to have been moved to Fairmount, but was burned the night before it was to have started on its journey. Henry Hunter took up a claim in 1828, on section 33, just north of Fairmount. He sold to Jennings in 1833, and after living awhile here, died. His family are gone, some still living in Missouri. Jennings, a few years after, sold and went to the vicinity of Jacksonville, where his widow still resides. He was a peculiar man, and difficult to get along with ; was not, in fact, a popular neighbor, or a very agreeable man. The Catletts now own the land. Win. Steward the same year (1828) took up land near by, and died in 1833. His was the second grave in the Dougherty grave-yard. He is spoken of as being a man of excellent character. His land also belongs to the Catlett farm. Near by were several old cabins of those who had been here for a short time. Thomas Redmond and Joseph Yount came the same year from Ohio, and took up claims in section 3, near Homer. They remained here until they died. Some members of the Yount family live on the place yet.

Passage source: History of Vermilion County, Together with Historic Notes on the Northwest, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, Private and Official Correspondence, and Other Authentic, Though, for the Most Part, Out-of-the-way Sources, published 1879.

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 Vance Township - it names this place 6 more 6 times.