Jefferson Township

Jefferson Township

Comprising the southwest corner of, and one of the smallest townships in, the county, is none the less productive and desirable. The country is rolling, with prairie and timber admirably intermingled, well watered, and inhabited by a population who secure for the estates under their control the highest degree of cultivation possible.

Jefferson was originally a part and parcel of Loran Township, and so remained until September, 1859, when, upon the petition of citizens praying for an independent organization, the Board of Supervisors so ordered, since

As a part and parcel of Loran Tovvnship, the settlers who first became identified with that portion of the county are also to be included, without again being mentioned in the brief notice of the township under consideration. Yet those who settled in that portion of Loran now known as Jefferson should be mentioned fully and in detail, because to their efforts belong the honor of developing the country in the first instance, as also for procuring for Jefferson the capacity to act as an independent sovereign.

The first settler of record who became a part and parcel of Jefferson Township is said to have been Hector C. Haight, who came into the country with his wife and family in 1837 ; entered a claim and built a house on the farm at present owned by Samuel Hays, about four miles from the village of Loran, on the road to Freeport.

During Haight's residence in the country, Joe Smith, the founder of Mormonism, established himself at Nauvoo, whence he made pilgrimages about the country seeking to proselyte unbelievers. On these forays, he met many churchgoing people, and so eloquently expressed the doctrines expounded that he not only succeeded in confounding some of the wise men of other sects, but many of the followers of Wesley, Calvin, and the thousand and one orthodox classleaders who flourished in those days on the frontier.

About the same time that Haight settled in Jefferson, a iMr. Pennington came in and opened a claim just east of John R. Housel's present farm. Soon after, though the emigration to Loran was not for reasons mentioned large, quite a number secured claims in that portion which is now Jefferson, and made the improvements usual in such cases, a cabin and corn-patch. George Lashell located a farm in the hollow where the village of Loran now is, Thompson Smith, Henry Aurand, Jacob Gable, now residing in Kent Township, Charles Fleckinger, who resided on the hill near Loran, and a few others whose names are omitted, because of the fact that the survivors of those days were unable to recall them to mind came in also.

Soon after 'the railroad to Freeport was built, emigration increased and improvements were substituted for those made while the township was in its infancy. New houses were built, farms opened, roads laid out and facilities for communication with the outside world projected. Mechanics who came with this second influx of settlers found constant and remunerative employment ; farm hands were in special demand, teachers and ministers of the Gospel were welcomed and aided in the establishment of schools and houses of worship. Among those of the former profession, who came to aid in developing the young idea, was a Mr. Bonneman and George Truckenmiller. A schoolhouse of logs was built near Loran Village, and here the sons and daughters of farmers for miles around were instructed in the rudiments of education. The Rev. Messrs. Kiefer and Chester came about the same time and expounded the Gospel in the barn of Samuel Hays. To-day schools and churches are to be seen at all points of the compass, whithersoever the eye may turn, prime factors in the building up and development of all communities which have the cause of right and justice and civilization to contend for.

The first death to occur in the little colony took place about 1844, when the settlers were interested in the welfare of each other, and the sorrows of one affected all. A young man named Louis Kleckner, in the employ of Samuel Hays, was taken down with a type of the malarial fever prevalent in early days, and, notwithstanding the care and attention he received, yielded up the ghost.

He was buried in a cemetery in the barrens west of Loran, the second interment made in the present village churchyard. Some time previous, a resident of Jo Daviess County named Tiffany deceased, and his burial in the cemetery mentioned, preceded that of young Kleckner.

In the fall of 1845, Henry Doherty was married to Catharine Flickinger, and this is said to have been the first marriage concluded in the present township of Jefferson. It is believed that the Rev. Mr. Kiefer officiated at the ceremony, but whether there were any " fixins " or rejoicings upon the occasion, the settler who furnished the information is in doubt. Most probably not, however, for the days of prosperity were yet unborn, and it required the most constant and diligent attention to cultivating the soil as a means of livelihood, and weddings were regarded as complete without the attendant concomitants deemed indispensable to-day.

The first birth could not be ascertained, not even from those who usually make merry upon occurrences of this character, hence the historian is denied the pleasure of perpetuating the name of the distinguished offspring who first made his bow before an admiring constituency in Jefferson Township.

Jefferson contains one village, with a population of about eighty souls. In 1854, George Lashell, occupying a farm in the hollow, near Jo Daviess County, conceived the idea of laying out a town and attracting population by the sale of lots at a price within the means of the least ambitious. He accordingly procured the services of the County Surveyor and laid off and platted the village of Loran. The town originally contained five blocks of twelve lots each, but, finding a limited sale for his realty, he subsequently vacated a portion of the property, reserving for village purposes only so much as equaled the limited demand then made.

The Methodist Church was built in 1875, and cost $1,600. It is 30x40, of frame, with a capacity of seating of about 150 worshipers. The congregation, which numbers about seventy-five communicants from the surrounding country, belongs to the Yellow Creek Conference. Services ere held twice a month, at which the Rev. J. B. Smith officiates.

The Evangelical Church is also of frame, 30x44, with an attendance similar in point of numbers, and services on every other Sabbath. The Rev. Mr. Fair, of Shannon, Carroll County, is the minister at present in charge.

The schoolhouse, which, as stated, is of stone, is located on the main street of the village, employs the services of one teacher and enjoys an average daily attendance of about thirty pupils.

ROBERT BAKER, farmer. Sec. 2 ; P. 0. Yellow Creek ; born Aug. 23, 1815, in Yorkshire, Eng.; in 1830, he came to Canada; here he learned the carpenter trade, and has followed it about fortyyears ; in 1860, he came to Stephenson Co. ; they own 240 acres of land. He married Margaret Muir in 1840 ; she was born in Ireland ; they have six children - three sons and three daughters ; his son Albert enlisted in 64th, Co. M, 8th I. V. C. served one year.

PHIIiLiIPP BEHRIXGER, farmer, Sec. 10; P. 0. Loran ; his father and mother were both born in Wurtemberg, Germany, 1824, and te came to this country 1864 ; they were married in 1847. Mr. B. has five sisters ; they are Hannah, now Mrs. Figi, aged 33 ; Dora, now Mrs. Kiester ; aged 31 ; Christina, now Mrs. Backer, aged 26 ; Rachel, aged 19, and Katrina, aged 17, all living. Two of the family are buried in Germany, and one in Loran Township. Mr. B. was born in 1852; his father's name is Christian, and his mother's Magdalena Bicker.

ISAAC BOGENREIF, farmer, Sec. 1 ; P. 0. Yellow Creek ; born Jan. 19, 1840, in Union Co., Penn. ; in 1844, he came with his parents to Stephenson Co., where he has since lived. He owns 200 acres of land. He enlisted in February, 1865, in Co. E, 7th I. V, C, and served to the end of the war. Has been School Commissioner ; he is also Justice of the Peace, and has held this office for the past eight years. Married Catharine Wingert in 1862 ; she was born in Union Co., Penn.; they have nine children - three sons and six daughters.

JOHN S. BOOP, farmer, Sec. 2 ; P. 0. Yellow Creek ; born Dec. 28, 1842, in Union Co., Penn. ; in 1858, he came to Stephenson Co. ; he owns 109 acres of land. Enlisted in 1865, in Co. C, 7th 111. V. C, and served to the end of the war. Married Sarah C. Bottarf, in 1866 ; she was born in Stephenson Co. ; they have three children - Laura M., Mary E. and Frank S. ; lost Willie in infancy.

CL.ARLES FL.ICKINOER, farmer. Sec. 15 ; P. 0. Loran; born Dec. 14, 1818, in Union Co., Penn, ; in 1843, he came to Stephenson Co., where he has since lived ; he owns 175 acres of land ; when in Pennsylvania, he learned the tanning trade, and worked at this business till coming West. He married Mrs. Sank, March 28, 1855; she was born in Germany ; have two children - Aaron C. and Lydia A. ; she has two children by a former marriage - Louisa and Charlotte.

S. A. FREY, Postmaster and general merchandise, Loran ; born Jan. 6, 1836, in Juniata Co., Penn.; in 1850, he came with his parents to Stephenson Co. ; in 1864, he opened a grocery at Yellow Creek, continued this two years ; he then removed to Loran and commenced his present business ; he was appointed Postmaster in 1867 ; he has been School Treasurer the past ten years ; has been eight years Township Supervisor, and ten years Justice of the Peace. Married Ann M. Higley, in 1858 ; she was born in New York ; have four children - Flora I., now Mrs. Dr. Knoll, Lillie E., George D. and Daisey.

SAMUEL HAYES, farmer, Sec. 24; P. 0. Yellow Creek ; born Dec. 15, 1804, in Northumberland Co., Penn. ; in 1844, he removed to Stephenson Co., where he has since lived ; he owns 183 acres of land ; he learned the tanner's trade in Pennsylvania, and followed it there about twelve years. He married Mary Hutchinson in 1836; she was born in 1806, in Columbia Co., Penn.; they have six children - five sons and one daughter ; his sons, John, Russell, Samuel and Robert, served in the late war.

PETER KERCH, farmer, Sec. 27 ; P. 0. Loran ; born March 1, 1817, in Germany; in 1846, he came to New York City; in 1848, he removed to Pittsburgh, Penn. ; in 1855, he came to his present farm ; he owns 187J acres of land. He married Mena Oman in 1843 ; she was born in Germany ; they have six children - Jacob, John, Albert, Kate, Mary and Anna.

JOHN KOCH, farmer. Sec. 12; P. 0. Yellow Creek ; born in Wurtemberg, Germany, Aug. 13, 1843; came to this county in 1854. He was married to Miss Katharine Flickinger in 1869 ; she was born in Stephenson Co. June 24, 1850 ; Mr. and Mrs. Koch have six children - John William, born Dec. 1, 1869; Mary Ann, May 12, 1871 ; Charles, Aug. 24, 1873 ; Edward, July 23, 1875 ; Samuel, June, 1876; Peter, March 17, 1879. Samuel died Sept. 10, 1878, and Peter died March 25, 1879 ; they are buried in the Loran Cemetery of the German Reformed Church. Mr. Koch enlisted, Feb. 22, 1865, in Co. H, 15th I. V. I., and was mustered out at Leavenworth, Kan., Sept. 30, 1865. He has been School Director for three terms, Constable for three years and Commissioner of Highways three years ; he owns 114 acres of land.

DR. W. F. KNOIili, physician and surgeon, Loran; born Aug. 24, 1851, in JeflFerson Township ; at about the age of 25, he commenced studying medicine with Dr. R. F. Hayes, of Freeport, and graduated in the class of 1878-79, at the Chicago Homoeopathic College ; he then came to Loran and commenced practicing. He married Miss Flora I. Frey Oct. 5, 1879; she was born in Kent Township.

JACOB OFFENHISER, farmer, Sec. 27 ; P. 0. Loran; born Sept. 27, 1848, in Wurtemberg, Germany; in 1869, he came to Stephenson Co.; he owns 120 acres of land. He married Anna Kerch in 1874 ; she was born in Freeport ; they have two children - Nathan E. apd Tra Austin.

SIMON SCHESTER, farmer. Sec. 25 ; P. 0. Loran; born Oct. 19, 1819, in Germany ; in 1848, he came to New York City, thence to Chicago, and, in the fall of this year, he went to Beardstown, LI.; remained here till 1866, when he came to Stephenson Co. ; he owns 80 acres of land. He married Carolina Swetman in 1860; she was born in Germany ; they have four children - one son and three daughters.

SIMON F. TOIiLMEIER, farmer, Sec. 35 ; P. 0. Loran ; born May 18, 1839, in Germany; in 1857, he came to Stephenson Co.; he owns 224 acres of land, with improvements equal to, if not t\ie best, in the township ; he is a Director of the Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Loran. He married Caroline Gearke in 1871 ; she was born in Jefferson Township ; they have three children - Eddie, Louisa and Lydia ; he has four children by a former marriage - Mary, Fred, and Rachel and Maggie, twins.

Source changes here: from History of Stephenson County, Illinois : a Record of Its Settlement, Organization, and Three-quarters of a Century of Progress, by Fulwider, Addison L, published 1910; 783 words in this source stream.

Jefferson Township

Jefferson Township occupies the southwestern corner of Stephenson County, and comprises an area of eighteen square miles. Although one of the three smallest townships in the county, it contains some very desirable land, and is most attractive as a place of residence. The ground is rolling, and the hills rise to considerable height. Jefferson's only village, Loran, is picturesquely situated, lying among and between the green hills, near the source of the Plum River.

Jefferson Township was originally included in Loran Township. As late as September, 1859, this condition of affairs prevailed, and then, obeying the numerous petitions of the citizens of the western section of Loran, that portion was subdivided off, and Jefferson became a separate and independent township.

The settlers did not come into either Loran or Jefferson very early, and the land was strangely neglected. The first settler who came into the part of the township which afterward became Jefferson was Hector C. Haight, who made his appearance with his wife and family in 1837. He entered his claim and established his farm about four miles from the present village of Loran, on the Freeport road.

Very soon after Haight's settlement, M. Pennington came in and opened a claim in the eastern part of the township. The immigration to the southwestern corner of the county was for some unknown reasons not very large, but the section which afterward became Jefferson received the biggest quota of settlers. George Lashell settled where the village of Loran is today. Thompson Smith, Henry Aurand, and Jacob Gable, who later went to Kent, all settled in Jefferson, also Charles Fleckinger, who built his cabin and planted his corn patch on a hill near Loran.

After the coming of the railroad to Freeport, the section quickly filled up with settlers. The names of the early settlers are for the most part lost, but it is certain that they came in large numbers. Ministers of the gospel, and teachers began to be in large demand ; and a number of them are listed among the early settlers of Jefferson Township. Two teachers who are known to have migrated to this section of the country were a Mr. Bonnemann and George Truckenmiller. The first schoolhouse in the township was a log cabin, built near the village of Loran, and the children for miles around attended it, as the only institution which their portion of the country possessed. Two ministers who are on record as pioneer preachers of the gospel were Revs. Kiefer and Chester, who came soon after the advent of the school and teachers and preached to the people (so says tradition) in th barn of one Samuel Hays.

In 1844 occurred the first death of the township. Louis Kleckner, a laborer in the employ of Samuel Hays, was taken ill with a sort of malarial fever, which seems to have been prevalent in the early days of the county. He received the best of care and attention, but notwithstanding, he died, and was buried in the cemetery in the wilderness west of Loran. The records seem to indicate that the death of Kleckner was greatly mourned in the county side round about and was considered a deplorable tragedy. We have stated that Kleckner's death was the first to occur in Jefferson Township. His burial was however preceded by that of a man named Tiffany, living in Jo Daviess County, who died at his home across the county line and was buried in the Loran cemetery. His headstone bears a date earlier than that of Kleckner's.

The first marriage took place in the fall of 1845, tne contracting parties being Henry Doherty and Catherine Fleckinger. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Mr. Kiefer at the home of the bride's father. Tradition says that the celebration of the event was meagre, for the times of prosperity had not yet come in the vicinity of Jefferson, and the settlers lived in the meagrest and closest manner possible. But after 1845 the township began to fill up. It continued to be part of Loran until 1859, when, as before stated, the division was made, and Jefferson went on its way rejoicing.

The township does not contain any railroad, but the line of the Chicago and Great Western passes less than a quarter of a mile from the northwestern corner of the township. The land is well supplied with streams, and contains the source of the Plum River, which flows down into Carroll County. Though small in size, Jefferson Township, has always played an important part into county politics. It is always largely democratic, which distinguishing feature has perhaps served to differentiate it from the other townships of the county.