Marengo, Illinois

This township is surpassed by none for its rich lands and splendid improvements. Go where you will and nothing but beautiful farms under the highest state of agriculture greets the eye, together with the finest of residences and farm buildings. Nowhere in all the country do we see such marked evidence that enterprise has kept perfect pace with time and all its wondrous changes and improvements, and rapid strides in the interests of civilization. The township consists chiefly of prairie land which is so well drained by Nature's own provision that every foot is tillable and productive. For grain and stock raising the township is equally well adapted. The dairying business has grown to be quite an industry here, while thousands of bushels of grain are yearly raised. The township is scarce of timber, except along the branches of streams where some small timber is found, it being more plenty in early times than at present. Kishwaukee Creek crosses sections 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, and is joined on the east by Rush Creek. This is the only township in the county that can boast of a stone quarry. It is situated on section 31, and has proved to be a marked benefit. From it was taken the stone to build the school-houses at Marengo and Union. Near the southern line the railroad traverses the township from east to west, and the location of the depot at the village of Marengo makes an advantageous point for ship ping the products of adjoining townships.

Passage source: History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885.

Calvin Spencer was the first man to take np a claim in Marengo Township. He came from Seneca County, Ohio, in the spring of 1835, accompanied by his sister, who was the first white woman whoever kept house in the township. At the time of Mr. Spencer's settlement his nearest neighbor was Joseph Boyington, whose residence was ten miles distant. Soon after coming to Marengo, Mr. Spencer married Miss Mary Ann Hance. They had a family of eight children. Her death occurred in the year 1875. In the fall of 1835 Moses Spencer, father of Calvin Spencer, located in Marengo Township. In November of the same year he buried his wife. This is said to be the first death that occurred in the township. The next settler was Ward Burley, who came to Marengo during the winter of 1835 and '36. He purchased a piece of land east of the present village bite, which he afterward traded to Frank Safford for a stock of dry-goods, and carried on the dry-goods business for a time in connection with his practice of medicine. He was the first physician to locate in the place, and here he remained in practice till his death, which occurred July, 1847. John Sponable came here in 1836 and made his claim in Garden Prairie, Boone County, where he remained but a short time, when he came to Marengo, where he remained till his death, which occurred in 1846. Among the very earliest settlers of Marengo Township was Bichard B. Simpkins, who came in September, 1835, and made his claim where William Sponable afterward resided. He afterward located in Coral Township. He came from Bradford County, Pa. In 1838 he married Eveline Ames, of Boone County, who made his home a happy one till her death, which occurred in 1860. He died in 1884, leaving a family of seven children.

Passage source: History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885.

Pennsylvania, and bought a claim upon which he resided till 1840 when he returned to Pennsylvania, where he still resides. Amos B. Coon came to Marengo, October, 1835, from Bradford, Pa., and after spending a short time here went South, where he remained till 1837. He is still a resident of Marengo, and has the honor of being the oldest practicing attorney in McHenry County. Theophilus Kenwick settled in Marengo in 1836. He came from New York State, and took up the Vail farm, and after a short time moved to Elgin, and from thence to California. M. B. Bailey came from Vermont and located in Marengo in 1837, where he started a small store which he ran for a time. His death occurred in 1882. George Bennett became a citizen of the place in 1837. Geo. R. Page came to Marengo in 1836 and remained till his death in 1853. J. A. Davis came in 1837 and afterward moved to California where he died. William Barnes, wife and son Charles came to Marengo in September, 1839, and remained here till his death, Feb. 26, 1864. He was born in Litchfield, 1ST. H., June 5, 1797. His wife died in 1882. Their son Charles died at the age of fifteen years. Another son, Charles H., died in Chicago in September, 1884, and left a widow, son, and daughter, residents of Marengo. Timothy McNamara came to Marengo in November, 1839, and was followed the next spring by his wife and three children. He entered the Joel Smith farm. His wife, who was Phcebe Barnes, died May 10, 1851, and he the 10th of the following August. Their children have all moved from McHenry County. This comprises chiefly the early settlers of Marengo though scores settled here in 1837-'9.

Passage source: History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885.

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

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