Channahon Township

Channahon Township

The village of Channahon is situated on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, and on the Du Page River, a little above its junction with the Des Planes, and has the double advantage of a most excellent water-power, and a cheap freight transportation. It was laid out by Myrvin Benjamin, in 1845, and was called Du Page, after the first post office established in the township. During the building of the Canal, it is said that the Canal Trustees had something to do with the village, in some way or other, and called it " Swifton," after one of their number ; but this story is disputed by some of the old citizens of the place, who say that its name still stands upon the records as Du Page, although the name of the present post office is Channahon, and the village is usually called by the same name. The first house erected in the village was put up by Benjamin, about the time of the laying of it out, and was used as a hotel by Mrs. Story. It is now occupied as a residence by David Billsland. Chauncey Stickney opened the first store in the village in 1845, which was the first mercantile venture in the township as well as in the village. After the laying-out of the village, Du Page post office was removed into it and the name changed to Channahon, and at present Charles Fowler is Postmaster. The following is the business summary: Four stores, by C. & C. E. Fowler, J. Lewis, Dr. Joseph Fitch, Timothy Gorman ; one grocery store ; two blacksmith-shops ; one wagon-shop and hardware store. For a small place like Channahon, there is quite an extensive business carried on, and a good trade maintained. They have the advantage of a daily mail, which is brought across the country from Minooka, a point on the Rock Island Railroad. The Channahon Mills were built by Joseph Lewis, and after passing through the hands of several parties, are now owned by a man named Sprague, and at present operated by a Mr. Eversoll. They are frame buildings, containing two runs of buhrs, for flour and feed, and run by the water power of the Canal.

The Methodist Episcopal Church, located in the village of Channahon, is the only church edifice in either township or village. It was built in 1852-53, and is a large and handsome frame building. Rev. R. K. Bibbins was the Pastor last year, but the session of Conference just closed sent to the charge Rev. Mr. Gillespie. There is a membership of between eighty and ninety, with a Sunday school equally strong, under the superintendenee of Dr. J. Fitch. Although this is the only church-building in the township, religious services are frequently held in the schoolhouses, as well as Sunday schools. The first schoolhouse built in the village of Channahon was in 1839, before the village was laid out, and is now degraded by being used as a stable ; the next one was "built in 1854, and burned in 1868, when the present handsome edifice was erected and opened in 1869. It is an elegant and substantial two-story frame building, finished ofi' in the most approved modern style. The school is graded, with a high-school department, and is in charge of Prof. Layburn, assisted by Misses Brown and Blount.

The Masonic Order is represented by Channahon Lodge, No. 262. It was chartered in 1857, and the present ofiicers are as follows : Albert Randall, Worshipful Master ; Nelson Bedford, Senior Warden ; R. C. Miller, Junior Warden, and C. Fowler, Secretary, with forty-five names on the roll of membership. -

This comprises the history of the pretty little village, nestled among the bluffs of the Du Page and Des Planes Rivers. It is a beautiful location for a town, but, owing to the railroads which pass within a few miles of it, there is but little probability of its ever growing to the size of Chicago.

Shermanville is a place only in name. A stone quarry was opened here a few years ago, and an effort made for a village ; but for some cause the quarries were discontinued, and the prospects of a town became extinguished. There is not, we are told, a house or even a cabin to designate the spot laid down on. the map as Shermanville. Gravel Bank Station is another place of like proportions, and consists chiefly of a side-track on the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railroad, for shipping grain and stock.