Fenton, Illinois

J.ENTON Township was organized April 6, 1852. The meeting for perfecting the organization and electing township officials was held at the residence of James M. Pratt, on section 26. Joseph Fenton was chosen temporary Chairman, when the citizens proceeded to ballot for moderator and clerk, which resulted in the election of Zena M. Emery as Moderator, and J. D. Odell as Clerk. In the ballot-box at the close of the election for township officers there were 26 votes, and upon counting them James M. Pratt was found to be elected Supervisor; J. D. Odell, Clerk ; Joseph Fenton, Overseer of the Poor ; Thomas W. Havens was chosen for Assessor ; R. M. Thompson, Collector ; John A. King, D. C. Smith and George H. Peters, Commissioners of the Highway ; Hiram Harmon and Martin M. Potter, Justices of the Peace; and R. M. Thompson, Constable.

Passage source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois : Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States, published 1885.

Fenton embraces all of Congressional township 20 north, range 4 east, except a part of sections 35 and 36, which are attached to Portland Township; and a fractional portion of section i in Portland, and section 6 in Prophetstown Township. Union drove Township bounds it on the north, Lyndon on the east, Portland on the south, and Newton on the west. This territory was originally included in the Lyndon Precinct. The Commissioners of 1849, who were appointed to define the territory and name the townships, gave this territory the name of Eden, which name it retained until the Commissioners of 185 2 changed the name to Fenton, in honor of Joseph Fenton, who was the first settler in the township.

Passage source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois : Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States, published 1885.

Joseph Fenton located in this township, with his wife and four children, Oct. 10, 1835, taking up a claim on section 33. He came from New Jersey, where he was born Sept. 12, 1794. He married Elizabeth Durell, of the same State, in April, 1826. He died at his home in Fenton, where he first located, Sept. 28, 1874. Four children were added to his family after he located in Fenton. They had eight children, born as follows : Ellwood W., born Jan. 23, 1827; Joseph R., March 27, 1829; Elizabeth H., July 9, 1831; John D., Nov. 10,1832; Robert S., Oct. 6, 1834. These were born in New Jersey Alfred W., May r3, 1837 ; Mary E., Dec. 18, 1839 Sylvester H., Aug. 27, 1841, and Henry C., July 3, 1845. All of the latter born in Fenton. They are all still living except Elizabeth, who died in New Jersey. Mrs. Fenton died Jan. 15, 1879. The Fenton farm, which increased in acreage until it embraced 215 acres, is owned by the four sons. Part qf it is on section 4, Erie Township, the balance on section 33, in Fenton. The old house was in Fenton. It has been torn down, and on the site is a corn-field. Mr. Fenton came from Chicago with an ox team. They lived in tents until a house could be built, which was the first house put up in the township. Mr. Fenton, with John Freek, who came with him, and who married Mrs. Fenton's sister, put in the first crop in the township. During their first winter they had for neighbors a party of Winnebago Indians, who located there to hunt. There was plenty of wild game about in those days, which attracted there these Indians.

Passage source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois : Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States, published 1885.

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 Fenton Township - it names this place 10 more 10 times.