South Paw Paw, Illinois

Wyoming, the southeastern township of Lee county, is the congressional T. 37 N., E. 2 E. of the 3d P.M., and is bounded north by Willow creek, on the east by Paw Paw in De Kalb county, south by Earlville in La Salle county, and west by Brookljai. In the days of precincts it formed the south third of Paw Paw precinct, and when set off and organized as a township in 1850 was named Paw Paw township, and since the beautiful grove, hereafter described, that gave this name stands almost wholly in this township, and the post-office is named Paw Paw Grove, it would seem that this name should have been retained. But as the township next east chose the same name, it became necessary that one of the contending parties renounce its favorite name. It is reported, but by no means verified, that when contention began to wax hot the question was left to be decided by lot, and that the lot fell on our time-honored Paw Paw of Lee county. And it ma}^ be thought by some that this ill turn of luck is what has tended to give to the citizens of Wyoming their proverbial love for w^hatever is straight and honest and of good report, as opposed to games and " options " of luck and chance. Be that as it may, it cannot be doubted that the citizens of township 37 did then, and do to-day, fervently love their pioneer name. On the plat of their chief village we read : " Town of Paw Paw Grove." Two other villages on the township lines are designated South Paw Paw and East Paw Paw, and naturally the term West Paw Paw is much used, while the abrupt business man everywhere seems partial to the short old name, and the railroad authorities, in deference to a prevailing sentiment, so named the station. " But what's in a name," gays the poet, and so said the people. No ill-will seems to have been engendered. The change was ordered here, so at the suggestion of James Goble, and in deference to the wishes of the many w^ho came from the beautiful valley of Wyoming, the present name w^as adopted by the county commissioner's court, Isaac Harding, Warren Badger and Lorenzo Wood comprising said court, and on May 14, 1851, the board of supervisors ordered that "the township formerly called Paw Paw shall hereafter be called Wyoming."

Passage source: History of Lee County, published 1881.

The following picturesque description of the man is by Andrew Breese : " David A. Town was a remarkable man, known all over this country. Smart, energetic, jolly,drank a little when away from home,but not so much as not to know what he was about ; square man ; wanted to rule; wanted others to come to him for advice; very resolute, large size, strong, rough man, cock of the walk ; as long as he lived was for Paw Paw."

Passage source: History of Lee County, published 1881.

About the time that Butterfield was making the first beginning in the township, on the present site of Paw Paw village, John Ploss made a small improvement on the south side of the grove, and in like manner led the way to the settlement of south Paw Paw. He built his house in the woods, on the bank of the creek, some forty rods north of Deacon Hallock's, and fenced five acres of ground, but remained not later than fall, when he went back to Michigan. Eber St. John bought the claim. This man had some property, was inoffensive, and too forceless to keep the best company. In a little while he moved to Shabbona, where he mysteriously disappeared, and it was supposed that he had been murdered for his money. His claim embraced the larger part of South Paw Paw, and was purchased by Deacon Orlando Boardman.

Passage source: History of Lee County, 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 Wyoming Township - it names this place 23 more 23 times.