Essex Township (part 2 of 2)

Fi-oni that humble beginning the school system of Essex has developed until in 1914 the township had ten public school buildings, valued at $26, 7.50, and employed sixteen teachers. One of the school buildings is in the City of Wyoming.

Two lines of railway - the Chicago, Rock Island iSs: Pacific and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy - furnish transportation to the people living east of the Spoon River, the stations being Duncan and Wyoming, and those living in the northwestern part of the townshij) find their railroad accommodations at Toulon.

Congressional townshij) l.'i, range .5, prior to the introduction o the township system in 18.5:{, was known as "Lafayette Preeinet." In that year it was organized as a eivil township and was named "(iosheii." hecause a number of the early settlers in that part of the county came from tlie Town of (loshen, Clermont County, Ohio. It is hounded on the north by Henry County; on the east by Toulon Township: on the south l)y the Township of West Jersey, and on the west by Knox County. The surface is generally level or slightly I'olling. well drained by Indian Creek and its tributaries in the eastern l)art and by AValnut Ci-eek in the southwest. There is some prairie land in the township and the Walnut Creek Valley is one of the most fertile jjortions of the county.

Probably owing to the fact that this part oi' the county was inhabited by Indians for several years after the ^Var of 1812. fewer enti'ies of land were made by soldiers in Goshen than in the other to\\nships of Stark County. Consequently the early settlers here were not subjected to the uncertainty of titles that attached tt) many other parts of the military tract. Among those who entered lands under the provisions of the JNIilitary Bounty Act were:

Daniel Shattuck, E. B. Ware and James Ware, section 1: Isaac Bingham. Klisha Courtney and Rubull Parrish, section 2; Isaac Foster, section 7; iVlcxander Frazier and Francis Tibbins, section 11; Jesse Bradbury, Daniel Hand and James Matthews, section T2; (ieorge Xewton and Henry Webb, section 13; John Foster, section 24'; Solomon Dodd and Herman Johnson, section 2.5; Jonas Wittiford, section 3.5; Matthew Caldwell and Walter Thornton, section 30. After the removal of the Indians a few of these veterans settled upon their claims, but most of the lands were sold to speculators.

The first settlements in this section were made in 1830, some nine years before the organization of Stark County. ^lichacl Fraker located in the grove a short distance west of the i)resent Village of Lafayette, which still bears the name of Fraker's Cirove. There he erected a hand mill for the use of himself and his neighbors. This mill was afterward purchased by William Dunbar, one of the ])ioneevs of Goshen Township, familiarly known as the "Old Hatter." It is said that settlers from all parts of the county would bring their furs - from rabbit to bea\'er skins - to jMr. Dunbar to have them made into hats. So well did he do liis work his hats would last for years, the owner coming in several times to iiave them cleaned and reblocked. Other early settlers were the ^liners, Parrishes, Ilitchcoeks, Fitches and a few other families, some of whom lived in what is now Stark County and the others just across the line in Knox.

In 18.34 Henry ^NlcClenahan settled in the township, entered 2-1-0 acres of land in section 31, and continued to reside there until his death in Julie, 1857. The next year (1835) Conrad and Jacob Emery came from Ohio and settled in the township. Conrad Emery was a veteran of the War of 1812. Xelson Grant, a native of Connecticut, also settled in Goshen in 183.5. John White came with his family from Ohio in 1836 and the next year Sanuiel Parrisli, the founder of the Parrish family in Stark County, located on lands which he had previously entered in Goshen Township. He served in the Revolutionary war, afterward settling in Canada and coming from that country to Illinois. He joined the ]Mormon Church about a year after coming to Illinois and removed to Xauvoo, where he died. Some of his children remained in Stark County, where their descendants still live.

JNIinott Silliman, the first treasurer of Stark County, entered several tracts of land in Goshen Townshij) and became a resident of that townshiiJ in 1837. Barnabas M. and James Jackson and Elijah Eltzroth were among the settlers of 1838. INIr. Eltzroth was a caliinet maker by trade and made a large part of the fui-niture used by the first families. The first election for school trustees in Goshen Township was held at his house on April 6, 1839, when Luther Driscoll. Charles H. JMiner and Samuel Parrish were elected. Jeremiah Rennett was likewise a settler of 1838.

Lafayette is the only town or village in the township. It is situated near the Avestern border, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, which runs almost due east and west through the central part of the township. A history of the village will be found in the next chapter. Goshen is therefore an agricultural community, though considerable attention has been given in recent years to fruit raising, and there are two large nurseries near Lafayette.

The nine jniblic school buildings in the township, including the one in Lafayette, are valued at $17,500 and twelve teachers were employed during the school year of 1914-15. The population in 1910 was 1.145 and in 1914 the assessed value of the property was $1,063,077.

Osceola Town Ship

The Townslii]) of Osceola oeci]])ies the novtlicastern corner of the county, including' Congressional township 14, range 7. It is bounded on the north and east by Bureau County; on the south by Penn Township, and on the west by the Township of Elmira. The East Fork of the Spoon River flows iliagonally across the township from northeast to southwest, Silver Creek drains the northeastern portion and across the southern part Cooper's Defeat Creek Hows westwardly initil it empties into the East Fork in section ."Jl. ]More than 80 per cent of the 2."{.()40 acres of land lying within this township is capable of being cultivated and yields abundant crops, owing to the great fertility of the soil. ^Vhen the first white men came to this part of the county they found here a beautiful ])rairie, which may account in a great measure for the large number of soldiers' land warrants being filed between the years 1817 and 1820. In those years lands were entered in this township by veterans of the War of 1812 as follows:

In section 1, Daniel Prestman and John Wingtield; section 2, John Cochran and Richard INIarsliall; section 3, Levi Spaulding and John Spencer; section 4, Isaac Irvine and George Rowland; section 5. II. J. Balch and Jacol) Seeders: section 0, John section 7, Timothy Carter and Daniel ^Vhisker; section 8. ^Vlanson Adams, Samuel Adams, John Pilsbury and 3Iargaret Smith ; section 9, James C. Angell, Alexander JNIcConkey, John T. Swords and Stephen \\'hip])le: section 10. Charles Aveiy, Nathan Brown, Samuel Shannon and William \Veavcr; section 11, Stejjhen Bridges, John Gowen, Rensselaer Lee and Shelton Lockwood; section 12, Joseph Cutler; section 1.3, David Flagg and Jonathan Pike; section 14, William JJrower, Andrew Campbell, Frederick Devoe and Asahel Stanley: section 1.3, John Barker, Fj^hraim l*ratt. Timothv Thompson and Gerard Tracy; section 17, John Carroll, John Langfitt, Jacob Sticker and James Wiley; section 18, Amos Bunnell and Asa INIanning; section 19, William Kurnin: section 20, James Bush; section 21. Fli Brady and Andrew (iroynne; section 22, William Crowson. William Graham and Jabez Graves; section 2.*J, Samuel Allen. I'hilip .Andrews, Isaac McCarter and James Taylor; section 24, Frederick Ilomi. Samuel Neal, Elijah Nickerson and George Stall; section 25, Job Haskell, Hudson Knight and F. K. Robinson; section 26, John Coon, Josiah Brantley. Orson Menard and J. C. Parker: section 27, E. F. Nichols, Richard Hardy. \\'illiam F. Reed and Amos Small; section 28, Wilh'am Eaton and George Stanton; section 31, Zachary Gray; section

The eighty-seven soldiers' claims of 160 acres each absorbed 13,920 acres, or a little more than 60 per cent of the entire township. When actual settlers began to come in there were several disputes and lawsuits over title to the lands, which retarded to some extent the development of the township. The vexed question was finally settled, however, and since then Osceola has grown to be one of the wealthiest, most populous and prosperous townships of Stark County.

When the first settlers came to the townshij) in 183.5 they found a beautiful grove in the northwestern j^art, extending into what is now Khiiira Township, and it was here that they located. At that time the Seminole Indians in Florida were at war with the United States under the leadersliij) of the half-lireed chief. Osceola. This chief was the son of a white man named \Villis Powell and a Creek squaw. He Avas born in Georgia, but while he was still in his youth his mother deserted her own tribe and joined the Seminoles. Some of the early settlers, admiring the skill and bravery of the adopted chief in resisting the removal of the Seminoles from their favorite hunting grounds in Florida, named the grove "Osceola Grove," and this name was afterward conferred upon the civil township established in 18.53.

The first land entries made by actual settlers were in the grove above mentioned and along the East Fork of the Spoon Kiver. Nicholas Sturm and Henry Seely located claims in section 28 in 183.5. The following year Robert and ^^'^illiam Hall entered land in section 6; James Buswell in section 7: Isaac Spencer, section 18: James Clark and Samuel Love, section 19: Mathias Sturm, section 21, and Joseph Xewton, section 28. In 1837 Myrtle G. Brace located in section 6, John Watts in section 19, and W. H. Boardman in section 31.

Although Osceola is an agricultuial comnumity, considerable coal mining has been done in the township. As early as 1861 John ]Mc- Ivaughlin was mining coal at a place known as Foster's coal bank, about two and a half miles west of Bradford, and there were other mines along the Spoon River and about Lombardville. A more complete account of the mining interests of the county will be found in the chapter on Finance and Industry.

The Buda & Rushville branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railway system runs through the eastern part of the township, with stations at Bradford and Lombardville, and furnishes transportation facilities to the people living east of the Spoon River.

The first election of school trustees in Osceola Township was on Jimc ;5. 1840, when Liberty Stone, 1. W. Searl and Zebnlon Avery were elected. Immediately after their election the trustees divided the township into three school districts. In I'Jl.J there were nine pnl)lic school huil(lin<-s, valued at $1(),«0(), and during the precedingschool year sixteen teachers were employed. The population of the townsliip in lUlO, including the incorporated Yilhige of Bradford, was 1,.")77. and in 11)14 tlie pro])crty was valued for tax ])urposes at ,*l,()'.tO,874.

This is the middle township of the eastern tier and embraces Congressional townshi]) i;5 nortli. range 7 east. It is bounded on the north by Osceohi Township; on the east by Marshall Covuity, on the south by Valley Township, and on the west by the Township of Toulon. The surface is moderately diversified and originally a large part of the townshi]) was ])rairie land, with a soil above the average in fertility. Coal deposits underlie the township and in a few places have been found beds of a good quality of tire clay, but they have not been devehtped. The only stream of any consequence is a tribntary of Cooper's Defeat Creek in the northeastern portion. Cajjfain Ilaaeke, one of the early settlers of Peoria, several years ago told the story of how this creek received its name. His account is as follows:

-'The winter of lH.'31-3-2 was the winter of the deep snow. Tlie M-eather before Christmas being pleasant a party of four men was ecjuipped by a trader by the name of John Hamlin, then of Peoria, wh.o was buying furs for the American Fur Com])any. Fitting them out with an ox team of two yoke and provisions for their journey trom I'eoria to the Winnebago swamjjs, with goods to trade to the Winnebam) and Pottawatomi Indians, thev started on their journev. Soon snow connnenced to fall, the air grew colder, and continued to grow more so as they went along, until they were compelled by the fierce cold and driving snow to abandon their team. In fact the snow was so deep that the cattle got swamped and they were left to their fate. With BoycTs (irove in view, the men started, guided by a large tree and a light at the grove. A man named Ridgeway was the only one of the party who succeeded in reaching the grove. The other tiuec. two ol' whom wvvv AVilliam and Jerry Cooper (the other name forgotten), perished on the prairie near a stream southwest of lioyd's Grove. The bones of the men and the cattle were seen in the springfollowing, also the sled, as the soldiers of the Black Hawk war were marching, all mounted, 260 strong, to make battle with the Sac and Fox Indians. The stream where the men jierished has since been known as 'Cooper's Defeat.' "

Township 1.'}, range 7, seems to have been a favorite field for the veterans of the War of 1812, as nearly one hundred land warrants were located in what is now Penn Township. Following is a list of entries made betMeen the years 1817 and 1820:

Section 1, AVilliam Y. Knapp, Elizabeth I^eonard (soldier's Avidow) and James Rogers; section 2, Daniel Robertson; section 3, Francis Cook and James Scandling; section 4, John and William Owen; section ,5, William A. JNIcLane and Samuel Tyler; section (!, Benjamin Howard; section 7, Peter Kerns and Job Price; section 8, Charles Brewster, William H. Fann and John Hoagden: section 9, Samuel Earl, Samuel Ellis, William Kelly and Levi Pratt: section 10, George Coates, Ebenezer Cobb, William Loomis and Stephen Xewburg: section 11, Richard Carver, William Gordon. Philip Plielps; section 12, George Kindle, Elijah Loveless, jMoses Taylor and Thomas Tyler; section 13, Patrick Freeman. John W. Ingersoll and ^Villiam Trottenberger; section 14. Daniel Bennett. John Connor, John J. Jewell and William Sheets; section 1.5. John Beals. John Cook, JNIathias Boyd ajid Robert INIcIntosh: section 17, Ira Ilolman, Thomas Johnson, Henry Parker and George Suter: section 18, Nathan Convers and Aaron ^Voodworth; section 19, Abiezer Washburn and Asa Winslow; section 20, Richard Bayard, Jonathan Drake, Shelby Hobbs and Nathan Shepherd: section 21, Alvin Dillingham, Samuel Lane. Joseph INIcFarlin ;nid James Parks; section 22, Benjamin Brown, Samuel Lewis, William Stewart and Joseph AVindell; section 23, Moses Heath. Archibald McCrary and Christian Right; section 24, Amos C. Babcock, John W. Ingersoll, Bernard JMc^NIahon and John iMason; section 25, John Norfleet and Jacob Skinner; section 26, James Giles, Paul Green. Thomas ^NIcCov and Joshua Register; section 27, Timothy Dixon. Richard Eml)ley, Josc])h ]Morse and Warren Sartwell; section 28, AVilliam Briggs, John Adams. Thomas Dennis and Richard Edmunds; section 29, Giles C. Dana, George Decker, Joseph Dockham and John Nichols; section 30. Horace Clark and Harvey Gaylord; section 31. Adonijah Ball and Peter Ricker; section 32. John Brandon. Christo])her Brockctt and Jacob Trishour; section 33, Peter Brown, Robert Devine, Jeremiah Gillilan and William ]Matthews; section 34, Adam Sufford, Nathaniel Yarnuin, Thomas AValden and Horace Witheville: section 35, jNIoses

Thv actnal settlement of the township began before the organization of the eonnty. One of the earliest settlers was James Ilolgate, who was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Jnly 26, 1804.. and when sixteen years of age went to Lnzerne County, in his native state, where he learned the miller's trade. In 18.*}.'} he left Pennsylvania and came to Illinois, locating in section 19, in what is now Penn Township. lie held tile otHce of county judge for eight years; was justice of the peace and a member of the Legislature; was one of the democratic leaders in Stark County, and was an energetic and useful citizen. He died about 188.J.

Henry Seely, anoliier pioneer of I'enn, was a native of New ^'ork State, but came west while still a young man and was mari'ied in Indiana. Soon after his marriage he came to Illinois and acquired :i-20 acres of land in what is now Penn Township. His place was long known as "Seely's Point" and is located in sections 27 and 28. He Mas elected to several otRces on the republican ticket and was an active member of the Methodist Church. His death occurred in JSIarch, 187().

Others who settled or entered land in this townshi]) in the '.'JOs were Dexter Wall, Benjamin and Uavid Newton. John T. I'henix. Henry lireese, I^emuel S. Uorranee, Sylvanus ]Moore, Klisha C. and Nehemiah ]Merritt. Then came the Averys, the Bunnells, the Snares, the Bococks and other families, many of whose descendants still reside in the township.

Prior to the introduction of the township system in 18.).'J the territory comprising Penn Township was included in the "Spoon River Precinct." After the people of Stark County had voted to adopt the township organization, Henry Breese was appointed one of the comim'ssioners to divide the county into civil townshi{)s. He was from Pennsylvania, as were a number of his neighbors, and suggested the name of "Pennsylvania" for his township, but the other two commissioners thought the name too long, so it was shortened to "Penn."

Castleton, a little northwest of the center of the townshi]). is the only town. It is located on the line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, which runs from northeast to southwest thi'ough the township.

Perm reported a population of 931 in 1910, Avhich was a slight decrease from the census of ten years before. In 1914 the pro])erty was valued for taxation at $88.5. .501. The nine schoolhonses are valued at $9,3,50, and ten teachers are emploj-ed in the public schools.