La Moille Township

La Moille Township

La Moille i.s one of the best townships in Bureau county. It has an intelligent and progressive citizenship. She has always been an important factor in the affairs of the countv. From 1857 to 1898, the township of La l^Ioille had the honor of furnishing the county treasurer for twenty-five out of the forty-one years. The first settler is supposed to be Daniel Dimmick, who laid a claim a little south of the village on May 19, 1830: this claim was on what was known for a long time as the Collins' farm, and the timber near him was known a.s Dimmick's Grove. In the fall of this year, :Mr. William Hall made a claim where La Moille is now located ; he lived there a little over one year, when he sold to Aaron Gunn, and moved to Indian Creek, in La Salle county, about twelve miles north of Ottawa, where he, with a part of his familj', fell victims of the terrible massacre at that place a short time after his arrival; two of the daughters escaped death, l)ut were carried away prisoners by the Indians. Matson says in his history: "At the commencement of the Black Hawk war, Dimmick left his claim and never returned to it again, and for two years Dimmick"s Grove was without inhabitants; the cabin and fences went to decay, and the untilled land grew up in weeds. When Dimmick tied from the grove he left two sows and pigs which increased in a few years to quite a drove of wild hogs that were hunted in the grove years afterwards, and from tlieni some of the early settlers obtained their supply of pork." In 1834, Leonard Kotli and David Jones came; in July of this year Jonathan Holiirook mill Horace ]?rown settled at the grove. Perkins" drove and the La Moille settlements were so clo.^eiy united that it is difficult to separate them. In the fall of 1834 Jo.seph Knox, Greenliury Hall, Closes A. Bowen arrived. In 1835, Benjamin Townsend, Robert Masters and other settlers in and near the immediate vicinity of La Moille. In 1836 Tracy Reeve and Dr. ,Tohn Kendall came and bought the Bowen farm and laid it off into lots and gave it the name of Greenfield, but it was afterwards called La Moille. In 1842 a postottice named Perkin.« Grove was established, but it was soon discontinued. In 1839 La Jloille was excited over a pro|)Osed railroad, and some of the grading was done, but the enterprise was never carried out. .\mong the men who came on the .scene a little later should be mentioned R. B. Frary. Kli.sha Fassett, Ellis Wood, John Crossman, Joseph .\llen, James J. Hojikins, and Dr. Daniel Jones. All were citizens of character and ability and will be remembered as men who gave life and stability to that community. La Moille has had several small manufacturing establishments within her borders. The village of r.a .Moille was first incorporated as a village under the laws in force ])rior to 1872, in February 25. 1867, and in 1888 under the law.s in force since July 1, 1888. The corporation contained by the census of 1900, 576 people. It has a fine brick ."school building well su])|)licd with modern ajtparatus. The building contains six school rooms and n fine audience ball ami was the gift of Air. Jose)ih .Mien. La Moille is noted for being in the natural gas belt, (^uite a number of her citizens heat and light their houses with this gas. It is a township of thrifty farmers and good homes. The population, including the village of La Moille, according to the census of 1900, was 1,345; the village