Peotone Mill

In 1858, John F. Pickering erected a house, in which he lived and also opened a small stock of goods. In the Spring of the next year, he erected the first real store-building. Thus opened, business of various kinds began to appear; and, in the Summer of 1859, several families came to the village, bought lots and made some improvements. A post office, the first ever established in the township, was established about this time. In the Winter of 1859-60, as has been stated on another page, the first school was taught. The first teacher was W. W. Clark. Dr. Charles Stedman located here soon after, and was the first resident physician. A warehouse had been erected by Messrs. Harding & Comstock, in 1857 ; but this being the beginning of the "hard times" period, yet fresh in the minds of many of the early settlers, but little, by way of grainbuying, was done for several years. Partially owing to the same cause, the town improved but slowly until the midst of the war or near its close when money was plenty, and produce plenty and in great demand. Then, Messrs. Comstock, Gilkerson & Worden, and Messrs. Schroeder & Rathje, began buying large quantities of grain ; and, in 1868, both firms erected elevators. This was, indeed, the beginning of the period of Peotone's solid growth. Prior to 1866, not more than fifteen houses were to be found here, one of which was the store. From that time forward, for about eight years, the town improved rapidly. New dwellings, stores, shops and churches went up. During that period of prosperity, three churches, a good schoolhouse, and most of the stores and other buildings now found in the lively little town were erected. Then began to be felt another period of hard times, consequent upon the panic of 1873, since which time Peotone, like most other places, has shown no signs of special activity. In 1869, the village was incorporated. The first election was held June 6, of the year named, and the following oiBcers were selected : C. A. Westgate, President; B. S. Smith, Emanuel Wirt, Joseph Imholtz and John F. Pickering, Trustees, and John F. Pickering, Clerk. The present ofEcers are: Philip Sultzbaugh, President; E. B. Cowing, Fred. Schroeder, N S. Beedy, Martin Collins and James Barnhardt, Trustees ; Martin Collins, Clerk ; James Barnhardt, Treasurer ; John Conrad, Police Magistrate, and Fred. Wahls, Constable.

Passage source: The History of Will County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County ... a Directory of Its Real Estate Owners; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics ... History of Illinois ... History of the Northwest .., published 1878.

Peotone Lodge, No. 636, A., F. & A. M., was established October, 1869. The charter members were Samuel Jamison, Charles A. Westgate, John B. Sollitt, Charles Gates, David Grilmore, Benjamin Sellers, Rufus K. Reynolds, August Herbert, Henry Rape, W. F. Hutchinson, D. F. Mason, J. M. French, A. A. Manson, J. D. Downing, J. L. Miller, John M. Tobias and F. Eldei^

Passage source: The History of Will County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County ... a Directory of Its Real Estate Owners; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics ... History of Illinois ... History of the Northwest .., published 1878.

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 Peotone Township - 1,048 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.