Cahokia Township

Cahokia Township

Cahokia township constitutes what is known as town 7, range 6 west, and is bounded on the north by Honey Point township, on the west by Gillespie, on the south by Staunton township, and on the east by Montgomery county. It lies in the southeastern portion of the county and the land is rolling prairie, well drained by Cahokia creek and its tributaries. There is also some timber to be found.

Ephraim Powers settled near the southeastern corner of the township about 1828. and in 1830 Thomas Kinder and his family located on section n. In 1831

Peter B. Karnes and family settled here. Soon afterward others who came were John Kinder, Amos Snook, B. L. Dorsey, John Blevins, Tolton Blevins, Lodwick Jones and Nathan Duncan. All these settlers at once made improvements and developed good farms.

The first religious services were held in 1834 at the home of James Caulk, by William Burg, a United Baptist minister. Larkin Craig was also a pioneer minister of this locality.

The United Baptist people erected the first church here about 1840. It was located on section 2, on land belonging to Thomas Kinder. It was built of logs and served as well for school purposes. A man by the name of Arnold was the first teacher here. This building was finally destroyed by fire.

The first schoolhouse was built of logs, on section 10, about the year 1835. The first teachers in this school were Evan Hazzard and John Wilton.

The first entries of land were made as follows : John Blevins, eighty acres on section 10, April 22, 1831 ; Peter Kinder, eighty acres on section 10, May 9, 1831 ; George A. and John Kinder, the same amount on the same section on that date, while Jacob and William Kinder entered at the same time eighty acres on section 14. Others of the early settlers were Nancy Snook, Larkin Craig, Nancy Keel, George Bayless, Hugh Rice, William Anderson, William Eickmeyer, E. S. Holme and J. M. Rhoads.

Clyde

The village of Clyde lies on section 3, in the northeastern part of the township and is located on the Indianapolis & St. Louis railroad. Robert J. Hornsby was proprietor of the village and it was surveyed and platted by F. H. Chapman in 1854.

Benld is one of the growing mining towns of Macoupin county. In the census of 1900, it was not mentioned, but the census of 1910 gives it a population of 1,912. Most of this population is made up of foreigners who gain a livelihood from the large mines located there. The village is substantially built, with probably a half dozen brick business structures in the center of the place.

The Macoupin County railroad passes through the town and the Illinois Traction System's electric road passes on its western border, giving its people easy access to the outside world.

First National Bank

The First National Bank of Benld was chartered in 1905, with a capital stock of $25,000. Its president is F. W. Edwards and cashier, C. R. Eagle. The last published report of this national institution showed deposits to the amount of $65,000.