La Clede Township

La Clede Township

HIS township was formed in 18 - ; it comprises the congressional township of 5, range 4, and is bounded on the north by Effingham County, on the east by Clay County, on the south by Marion Co., and on the west by Lone Grove Township. The first cabin in the township was built by Jerry Gilmore on section 2 near where the town of La Oede now stands; the second was built on section 3 in 1832, by a Mr. Hawkins, and on the farm now owned and occupied by Samuel C. Spencer, who moved and settled there soon after. Among the old settlers who came in directly afterwards, were Wm. Loughborough, Thomas Keene, Paris Harrison, Wm. Pancrost, Jacob N. Rush, Wm. Hoffman, and John Todd, they coming to the township prior to 1850. Up to that time there had been but few improvements made in it, and even as late as 1860, at which time the Germans commenced settling the prairie lands; now it is very near all under cultivation, producing corn, wheat and grass, in great abundance. At no distant day it will be one of the best agricultural townships in the oonnty.

Farina is situated on the Chicago Branch of the Illinois Central R. R. and was organized as a town in 1867 and reorganised as a village in 1875; it has a population of about 400, and amongst its enterprises are one steamflouring mill with three run of burrs, five general stores, two drug stores, two hotels, three blacksmiths, two shoemakers, one shirt fectory, one grain merchant, two schools, two churches and three church organizations, two physicians, one masonic lodge and one paper, the "Farina New." The present village officers are W. L. Arnold, President of the board, J F. Green ua an, R. W. Austin, D L. Schaeffer, R. A. Brown and B. Booth, trustees, with W. 8. Dunham as clerk.

Farina claims the credit (if it be a credit), of having onoe been the home of Victoria Woodhull. Her husband, Dr. Woodhull, was the first station agent for the Ill. Central Railroad at that place. She is well remembered by many of the citisens, who relate some amusing anecdotes about her.

The town of La Clede is situated on sec. 13, and on the line of Chicago Branch of the Ill. Central Railroad, about four miles north-east of Farina. It has a population of about 150, with the following oommeraal internets represented: one general store, one millinery store, one harness and shoe-shop, two blacksmith shops, one flooring mill and one hotel.

The first sohool-house was built on Sec. 8 in 1855 of round logs, a rough old-fashioned affair. The first teacher wa9 Anthony Bennet, and the second, Pina Halliday; the first school district was formed in 1855 by Samuel C. Spencer and Jerry Gilmore; the schools in the township are now in a flourishing condition.

The Methodists, Cumberland Presbyterians, Missionary Baptists, and the Seventh Day Baptists have organizations in the township. The first sermon was probably preached by John Cleaveland, a missionary Baptist about 1835. P. W. Halliday was the first preacher to settle in the township. He was a member of the Methodist Church and a man of more than ordinary intelli¬ gence and energy, settling near La Clede, in 1857. He organized a church there in 1859, and continued to work in its interests during the remainder of his life. The Methodists also have another church at Farina, with a member¬ ship of about 20 and a good building. The Cumberland Presbyterians organized a church at Farina Jan. 21st, 1875, with W. N. Girard as pastor, and 15 members. They have about the same number now.

Seventh Day Baptists. There being several persons adhering to the faith of the Seventh Day Baptists in and around Farina, they organized themselves into a church in 1866, with a membership of forty-five, and the Rev. Leman Andrews as pastor. This is the only church of the kind in the county. It now has a membership of about two hundred, owning and occupying a nice frame church in the village of Farina. The church is in a flourishing and prosperous condition; their present pastor, W. C. Tistsworth, is beloved by all for his many Christian qualities.

The first saw-mill was built on Section 12 by a Mr. Meer in 1853, and the first grist-mill by Booth & Spronoe in the town of La Clede in 1858 or 59.

W. T. Spronoe opened the first regular store in the town of La Clede in 1855, although Wm. Vipond, a railroad contractor, had sold some goods there prior to that time. The first Post-Office was called Dismal Creek, now La Clede, with W. E. Robinson as post-master.

Among the first blacksmiths in the township we find the names of John Todd, who built a shop on Section 2, and Linders on Section 1 at an early date.

The first tavern was built by Jos. Renner in Farina, about 1865. It is still kept as a hotel, with mine host, M. D. Hewitt, at the head of the estab¬ lishment

Geography, Inhabitants, &C

This township did not settle up at as early a date or as rapidly as did some others in the county, for the reason that it is mostly level prairie land and inclined to be wet although with a thorough system of drainage it can, and doubtless will, be made good tillable land. There are no streams in this township of any importance; it being the dividing line for the waters running east and west into the Wabash and Kaskaskia Rivers.

This, like nearly all the other townships in the county, was first settled by families from Tennessee and Kentucky. From 1850 to 1860, a tide of emi¬ gration began to come in from the 8tate of New York and settle in and around Farina. Since that time the Germans have taken posession of nearly all the vacant lands and are cultivating them, until now about one-third of the entire population is German.

Biographical Sketches A. S. Coon

Was the fifth child of Asa and Sarah (Green) Coon, and was born in Renselaer County, New York, May 8th, 1823. He lived at home with his pa¬ rents until his majority, working on the farm in summer, and attending school in winter. His educational advantages in early life were very limited; although through the efforts of himself and family, he managed to acquire a pretty thorough English education, especially in mathematics. He com¬ menced teaching school at sixteen years of age, and continued, without intermission, for ten yean; but finding this occupation did not agree with his health, he abandoned it and went to gardening in Jefferson County, New York; continued in that business five yean, then engaged in general farm¬ ing until 1865, when he sold out and moved to Fayette County, Illinois, and purchased the farm where he now lives, about one mile east of Farina.

Mr. Coon was married February 7th, 1847, to Eliza M. Green. They had bom to them five children; four of them are yet living. Mrs. Coon died March 9th, 1873. He was again married October 4th, 1874, to Elizabeth Zim, and has had one child by his second wife.

In early life Mr. Coon was an old-line Whig, but upon the organization of the Republican party fully identified himself with their cause, and became an active and efficient member thereof. He was elected and served as town¬ ship supervisor from 1867 to 1873. In the fall of 1873 he was elected to the office of county clerk; served one term efficiently; positively refusing, how¬ ever, a renomination, he settled down as a farmer, fully determined to de¬ vote the rest of his life to the mutual benefit of himself and his family.

He is a gentleman who enjoys the esteem and respect of all who know him - genial and affable in his manners, and holds a good position among the intelligent farmers of the county.

Dr. Asa Snyder

Asa Snyder, son of Elias and Elizabeth (McLees) Snyder, was born in Albany County, New York, June 7th, 1825. When about four years old his parents moved to Canada West and went to farming; Asa living at home with his parents and working on the farm until he commenced the study of medicine, at about eighteen years of age. Prior to that time he had attended the district schools in the neighborhood, in addition to being placed under the charge of a private tutor, by these means becoming thoroughly fitted for the study of medicine, having decided to adopt that as his profession. He commenced its study under Dr. E. Cook, of Canada West, in 1844, attending lectures at the Geneva Medical College in 1846 and '47. He finally graduated in the Medical Dipartment of the Buffalo University June 14th, 1848.

Soon after graduating he associated himself with his old preceptor, Dr. Cook, in business, and continued with him until 1852, when he nloved to Wisconsin, practicing in Chester and Beaver Dam until 1875, and building up a fine reputation. But finding that his constitution would not stand the , severe northern winters, he concluded to move farther south, coming at once to Farina where he settled, and resuming the practice of his profession has made it a lucrative one.

The Dr. was married February 14th, 1852, to Miss Elizabeth Triffry, an English lady of fine culture. To them seven children have been born. Wm- T. died when eleven years of age. The others, Frank H., Emma T., Lilia, Elva Bell, Lizzie Jane, and George are all at home living with their parents, excepting Frank, who resides in Peoria, this State. Politically A. Snyder is a staunch Republican, although he takes no active part in politics, preferring to find happiness and usefulness in his profession and his family.

For twenty years the Doctor has been a busy and zealous member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows' orders. May he live and become a perfect stone, until the Grand Architect of the Universe calls him to complete that temple above.

Was bom in Richland County, Ohio, on the 16th of February, 1839 He is the son of J. F. Pealer and Margaret Pooler, both of whom were natives of Hesse-Darmstadt, in Germany.

J. P. Pealer received a good education in early youth, which enabled him at a later period to become a teacher himself, which position he filled most creditably for five years, namely, from 1861 to 1866. In addition to his English education he acquired a knowledge of the language of his ancestors, speaking the German tongue most fluently.

In September, 1863, he was married to Mary S. Gillmore, by whom he has a family of six children. By profession Mr. Pealer is a farmer, owning and cultivating a good farm of eighty acres on Section 2, Township 5, Range 4 (La Clede Township). His politics are Democratic, and being an enter¬ prising, public-spirited man, we can foresee in Mr. Peeler's career for the future a successful issue to any office of trust in the county to which he may aspire. He has served as Township Treasurer three years. His religious views are those of the Lutheran Chnreh, of which denomination he is a member.