Forrest Township

Forrest Township

Forrest village was surveyed and laid out by Alfred C. Huetson, County Surveyor, for I. J. Krack, the original proprietor of the place, on the 11th of December, 1866. It originally embraced parts ojt" the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, and the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter, and parts of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 3. He has since made two additions to it. and Bullard has made one addition, February 9, 1876. Forrest is situated on the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railroad, about equidistant between Fairbury and Chatsworth, and has about five hundred inhabitants. The first house was built by Mr. Krack, and he was the first Postmaster and Station Agent of the railroad. The post office was a diminutive affair then, and it is still remembered by many how Krack used to carry the entire office in his hat. Hoyt, who in those early times used to make frequent trips to the village of Eureka dear hunting, says that he would ask Krack to look over the mail, after it was thrown off the train, and give him his, and Krack would empty the mail bag on the ground, sort over the letters, hand out those belonging to him, and he would step on the train before it pulled out.

The village was organized under the incorporation act, in 1870 ; the first meeting held on the 20th of February of that year. At this meeting C. W. Wilson, J. F. Dennis, W. D. Lee, M. Clement, E. Shaw, J. Keller were elected a Board of Trustees, ani organized by electing Elias Shaw, President, and Johnson Keller, Clerk. The Board qualified before S. A. Hoyt, Justice of the Peace. The present Board is L. Bullard, President ; H. C. Twitchell, Clerk : and J. A. Coyner, J. L. Delatour, D. Duckett, S. A. Dunham, P. W. Burgess.

The first hotel in Forrest was built by William Umberfield, in 1870, and is now known as the "Forrest House," and is kept by Robert Russell, while Mr. Umberfield, the original proprietor, keeps a hotel and restaurant on the north side of the railroad. The only mill in the village or township was built by R. B. Wilson, about six or seven years ago. It is a frame building, and cost I ^1,500; has two run of buhrs, and is used mostly in grinding stock feed.

The Methodist Episcopal Church, the first church edifice in Forrest, was built in 1868. The first preacher was Rev. Myron Dewey. When he first came to the charge, Mr. Krack says, he presented a rather unministerial appearance. He was riding an old gray horse, with a blanket, and without saddle or stirrups. He rode up to his place, alighted from his horse and came into the yard, where he (Krack) was dressing a hog; informed him that he was the preacher sent by conference to that charge. Krack looking at him, replied, "Are you? " and continued at his work, thinking, as he says, that he was rather a hard-looking specimen for a preacher. But he was a good man, and labored faithfully in the church at this place. The next minister was Hiram Popejoy, of Avoca Township, who, according to his own story, was rather a hardened youngster in his youth, but being coviverted at Fairbury, finally decided that he was called to preach, and was sent to the charge at Forrest, where he remained two years. Contrary to the saying that " a prophet is without honor in his own country," he was very successful in his pastorate, and left the church in a flourishing condition. The edifice is quite an elegant affair, and cost $8,000. It was dedicated by Rev. Alexander Meharry, of Cincinnati, on its completion, and is, at present, under the pastoral care of Rev. Mr. Eignus. The church numbers about 150 members, and maintains a flourishing Sabbath school, with an average attendance of about seventy-five children, under the superintendency of E. R. Francis.

The Congregational Church was organized in June, 1866, with an original membership of six persons; but the church building was not erected until sometime afterward. It was dedicated June 4, 1874, by Rev. Dr. Roy, of Chicago. Rev. H. G. Pendleton, now of Chenoa, was the first Pastor, and was succeeded by Rev. W. E. Catlin, who continued in charge until 1871, when Rev. David Sherrill became the Pastor, and still remains in charge. The membership, at present, is eighty-six. The Sunday school was organized about the same time as the church society ; at present, it is attended by about ninety children, in charge of E. P. Beebe, Superintendent.

Both the Masons and Odd Fellows are represented in Forrest by flourishing lodges. Forrest Lodge, No. 614, A., F. & A. M., was chartered October 5, 1869, by H. G. Reynolds, Grand Master, and the ofiicial warrant is signed by 0. H. Miner, Grand Secretary. William D. Lee was the first Master. At present Fred. Duckett is Master and W. D. Corrie is Secretary, with forty names on the roll of membership.

Good Will Lodge No. 379, I. 0. 0. F., was instituted January 9, 1869, by J. W. Ellis, Grand Master, and Samuel Willard, Grand Secretary. The first ofiicers were J. A. Fulwiler, Noble Grand, and S. A. Hoyt, Secretary. At present James E. Riley is Noble Grand and R. M. Odell is Secretary.

The elegant village school house was erected in 1869 at a cost of $6,000 ; is a two-story frame building, and a model of architectural beauty. The full corps of teachers for the coming year are not yet selected, but, so far as chosen.

We have written of fires in Livingston County, until it has become an old song. Forrest, as many other prairie villages which have sprung up like Aladdin's castle in a night, as it were, and built almost or wholly of pine lumber, has been deluged in fire. In the early part of the Winter of 1868-69. its

About six buildings were burned, mostly business houses, and some of the largest in the village, including the East grain warehouse. The loss was estimated at between sixty and seventy thousand dollars, which was but partially covered by insurance. However, with that indomitable energy characteristic of the western people, their buildings were at once replaced, and soon all traces of the fire-fiend were completely obliterated.

Source changes here: from Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Livingston County, Vol. 2 by Strawn, Johnson, and Franzen (1909)., by Dale C. Maley, published 1909; 1,119 words in this source stream.

Forrest Township

'Although the Peoria and Oquawka Railroad, now the Toledo, Peoria and Weston road, was completed through Forrest Township in 1857, it was not until December 11, 1866, that the village was surveyed and platted by I. J. Krack, He built the first house in the village, was the first station agent and the first postmaster. He later laid out two additions. The village was incorporated in 1870. The village, as well as the township, was named in honor of Mr. Forrest, of New York. Forrest did not grow much in population until after the Wabash road passed through, when it was made a division and a round-house erected. The village has several blocks of brick buildings, a $30,000 brick school house, and several fine churches. The streets are lighted with electric lights furnished from the plant at Fairbury. Several efforts have been made to sink a coal mine, but have resulted in financial loss. It has one newspaper, the Rambler. The village has had two disastrous fires, each time in the business district, one occurring in the winter of 1869 and the other on December 31, 1872. Among the secret and fraternal orders there is located here the Odd Fellows, Masons, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen and Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. It has one bank, of which J. V. McDowell is president.

Among those who have taken a prominent part in the building up of the village we mention Stephen A. Hoyt, E. P. Beebe, H. B. Watson, Bronson Smith, Lucian Bullard, Daniel Duckett, Fred Duckett, James B. Hinman, J. P. Knight, Jacob L. Spoor, Allen A. Burton, W. D. Lee, H. C. Twitchell, J. L. Delatour, J. G. Fitch, J. A. Coyner, J. A. Fulwiler.

I. J. Krack erected the first elevator and later sold it to Hoyt and Beebe. R. B. Wilson erected a mill in 1870. It was used mostly in grinding feed. William Underfield built the first hotel in 1870. A two-story frame school building was erected in 1869. This was torn down and a brick building, costing in the neighborhood of $30,000, was erected on the site.

The village has four churches - Methodist, Catholic, Congregational and Christian. The Methodist church was erected in 1876, the first minister being Rev. Myron Dewey. The Congregational church was built in 1874. The Catholic and Christian churches have been built in recent years. The cemetery is located on the John Wallace farm, about one-half mile south of the village.

Forrest Lodge. No. 614, A. F. A. M. was chartered October 5, 1869. William D. Lee was the first master. Good Will Lodge, No. 379, I. 0. O. F. was instituted January 9, 1869. J. A, Fulwiler was the first noble grand.

The early supervisors were John Towner, John G. Harper, Bronson Smith, Lucian Bullard, Stephen A. Hoyt, Israel J. Krack, J. P. Knight, E. W. Dickinson.

Thayer and Nickerson conducted a blacksmith and wagon shop; H. C. Twitchell was an insurance agent; W. D. Lee and J. L. Spoor were justices of the peace.

One of the most prominent citizens was Judge Allan A. Burton. He was born in Kentucky and became a noted lawyer in his native state. In politics he was a Whig, of the antislavery type, although of a pro-slavery family, and co-operated with the Republican party from its earliest formation and long before the party had any regular organization in Kentucky. He was defeated for the legislature in that state. He was one of the delegates to frame the new constitution of Kentucky, and favored the insertion of a clause of prospective emancipation. In 1860 he was a delegate from that state to the convention at Chicago which nominated Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, and was a candidate for presidential elector for the state at large on the Republican ticket in the campaign of that year.

Lincoln appointed him United States Judge for the Territory of Dakota, and a short time afterward he was appointed United States Minister to Bogota, in the United States of Colombia, South America, which position he held for six years. After his return from Bogota, he resumed the practice of law in Lancaster, Ky., with an office in Washington, D. C. In 1871, President Grant appointed him secretary and interpreter of the San Domingo commission, and he furnished a report of the proceedings of the commission to the government. He was stricken with paralysis on July 29, 1876, and shortly afterward moved to Forrest, His residence was located in a grove on the south edge of the village, in which was located a park stocked with deer. His library contained over 1,000 volumes, in which were many valuable books rarely found in a private library. He received a second stroke of paralysis on July 9, 1878, from the effects of which he died four days later. His remains were buried in the cemetery near Lancaster, Ky., the home of his childhood.

This township is located in the extreme southeastern corner of the county. At the September meeting of the board of supervisors for 1867, this township petitioned for separation from

Chatsworth Township, and the same was granted. It was first called Germantown, but in recent years has been known by its present name. Fully three-fourths of the residents are Germans, they being the first settlers, and for that reason it probably derives its name. The township has neither a railroad nor a postoffice. Citizens receive their mail from Chatsworth, Strawn and Melvin, and their trading is done at these places,

The first actual settler in the township was Thomas Y. Brown, who hailed from Jefferson County, New York, arriving in 1855, purchasing 1200 acres of land at $5 per acre. Nicholas Froebe and William P. Goembel settled here the following year, both being natives of Hesse-Cassel, Germany. Goembel was the first supervisor of the township. Mr. Froebe also served in that capacity. John Leggate, a native of Scotland, came with his family in 1857, from Ontario, Canada. He was commonly called "Squire," having been elected to the office of justice of the peace for over twenty years. Samuel T. Fosdick arrived in 1858. He later removed to Chatsworth. Thomas Curran settled here in 1859, Among those who settled later, many of whom are still living in the township, are George Koestner, Charles Storr, Philip and Henry Rupple, Jacob Schade, A. B. Minnerly, Henry Netherton, Daniel D. Moore, Peter P. Freehill, J. G. Lockner, Henry Hornickle, Henry Hummel, Fidel Hummel.

There are six school houses in the township, and a German Evangelical (Methodist) church located on the farm of Henry Rupple. The first school was taught in 1859. In politics, the township is about equally divided between the Republicans and Democrats.