Mechanicsburg Township

Mechanicsburg Township

The township of Mechanicsburg comprises township sixteen, north, range three west, and is bounded on the east by Wheatfield, west by Clear Lake, north by Buffalo Plart, south by Cooper township. The surface of the country is rolling, and was originally about three-fourths prairie. The principal water course is Clear creek, which has several small tributaries. The Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad passes through the township, entering from Springfield on section seven, and passing in an air-line east enters Wheatfield from section twelve. There are in the township three villages - Mechanicsburg, Buffalo and Dawson.

Eakly Settlement

The first settlement in the toAvnship was in 1824. Among the early settlers were James Newell, Jesse Wilson, William Burch, A. Churchill, Samuel Garvey, William Jack, S. Cox, Jacob Constant, Charles Morgan, Daniel Morgan, David Hall, Jesse Pickrell, Morris Bird, Thomas Fortune, William Pickrell, Benjamin L. Hall, George Churchill, Samuel Cox, John Constant, Josiah Green, J. H. Fullinwider.

Jacob Constant, brother to John, was the grandfather of Rezin H. He was also the brother of Isaac and Thomas, and was born about 1765, in Virginia. Eleanor Clinkenbeard was born about 1769, in Virginia also. They were there married, and soon after moved on pack horses - that being the only way goods could be transported at that time through that mountainous country - to Fleming county, Kentucky. They had fourteen children in that county, and in 1814 moved to Clermont county, Ohio, where they had two children. The family moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving October 26, 1826, in what is now Mechanicsburg township. He died in 1828. Ill -

Charles Morgan was born September 5, 1*781, in Hampshire county, Virginia. His parents moved to Fleming county, Kentucky, in 1V93. Charles Morgan and Elizabeth Constant were there married, in 180*7. The family moved in March, 1814, to Clermont county, Ohio, and moved to Sangamon county, October, 1826, to Mechanicsburg, and died in 1866.

Josiah Green was born in 1800, in South Carolina. Rebecca Long was born in South Carolina also. The father of each of them were Baptist preachers. Josiah Green and Rebecca Long were married in Kentucky. The family moved to Sangamon county, arriving in 1828, in what is now Mechanicsburg township. He died in 1855.

Samuel Garvey was born August '51, 1794, in Culpepper county, Virginia. His father. Job Garvey, was born in Scotland, and brought to America when he was quite young. His parents both dying early, he was bound to a man who proved to be a cruel master. Determined to escape the hard servitude, and partly from patriotic motives, he enlisted as a soldier in the Revolutionary army, and served the whole seven years. When Samuel was about one year old, his parents moved to Woodford county, Kentucky, and four or five years later moved to Franklin county, about eighteen miles south of Frankfort. Samuel volunteered in a regiment of dragoons at Frankfort, under Colonel Dick Johnson, and was in the battle of the river Thames, in Canada, in which Colonel Johnson is reputed to have killed the Indian chief, Tecumseh. After his return, the family moved to that part of Gallatin which is now Owen county, Kentucky. Samuel Garvey was there married, December 26, 1816, to Maria EUiston, who was born July 25, 1800, in Franklin county. They lived in Owen county for some time, then, "svith a family of

David Hall was born December 25, 1799, in Shelby county, near Shelbyville, Kentucky. David Hall and Juliet Owen were there married, December 2:3, 182:i; moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving September 2H, 1834, at Mechanisburg, and soon after settled about four miles further west, in the same township.

Educational

Jesse Pickrell taught the first school in the township in 1828, on section twenty-seven. There are now five brick school houses in the township, valued at $10,500.

Organic

The township was organized in 1861, and annual elections foi township officers are held on the first Tuesday in April. The following comprise a list of the principal township officers, in 1861:

Village Of Mechanicsburg

The village of Mechanicsburg is the oldest of the three villages in the township, and was laid out and platted by William S. Pickrell, November 12, 1832, and was described as comprising the "east half of the southwest quarter of section twenty-six, and part of the east half of the northwest quarter of section twenty-six, township sixteen, range three west."

The village was very pleasantly situated, and gave promise of being one of the most thriving villages of the State. A writer in a local paper

"Mechanicsburg, fifteen or eighteen miles from Springfield, contains some twelve or sixteen families, twenty-five buildings, tavern, store, and post office. Lots are worth from ten to thirty dollars each. As the country is fine and well settled in the neighborhood, it seems to be reasonable to suppose that, with the start it has already attained, it will grow to some importance."

Josiah Green had a blacksmith shop about one mile west of the village previous to its being laid out, but William Parks was among the first to carry on the trade in the village.

A Post Office

A post office was established in the neighborhood of the present village in 1830, under the name of Clear Creek post office, with Jesse Pickrell as postmaster. This name was retained until the removal of the office to the village, when it was changed to Mechanicsburg. Thomas Fortune succeeded Mr. Pickrell, and on the l7th day of February, 1848, Morris Bird was commissioned, the commission being signed by Cave Johnson, Postmaster-General, under President Polk. He was continued in office by the postmaster-general under each of the Presidents up to and including President Hayes, till his death, June 11, 1879. Mr. Bird was born February 19, 1803, and came to Sangamon county in 1 835, and settled in Mechanicsburg. He died June 11, 1879; the oldest postmaster, in point of service, probably, in the State. He was succeeded by his son, George W. Bird, who was appointed June 24, 1879, his commission being signed by Thomas J. Brady, Acting Assistant Postmaster-General under David M. Key.

Mercantile

The first merchants in the place were Crawford & Peas, in 1835. When they commenced business there was no place from which to obtain merchandise nearer than Springfield. In the fall of 1837, William and Upton Radcliff also embarked in the business. Thompson Brothers commenced business in 1844, and have been doing business for tbsrty-seven years.

The first school house in the village was a frame building, erected in 18o7; the second of brick, built in 1842; the third also of brick, built in 1854, for the old Mechanicsburg Academy. The school is now in a flourishing condition, and it is operated under the graded system, which was adopted in 1862.

The Mechanicsburg Academy was incorporated and erected a handsome brick building in 1854, two stories in height, and forty by sixty on the ground. The school flourished finely for a time under the care, at intervals, of JProfs. Loomis, Cummings, Hatch and McNutt.

Religious

The first religious services in the township were at the house of Jesse Pickrell. There are now three churches in the village - Methodist Episcopal and Presbyterian.

Steam Grist Mill

A steam grist-mill was erected in 1844, by Nightingale & Rowell, and subsequently passed into the hands of Dunnick Brothers. The mill had two runs of burrs. The same parties have built a larger and much improved mill on the same site, having three runs of burrs, and doing a thriving bxisiness.

Bank

In 1873, Thompson Brothers commenced a general banking business in the place, buying and selling exchange on the principal cities in the country, and receiving deposits. The well known business integrity of the firm was a sufficient guaranty to the people of Mechanicsburg and vicinity, so the bank has had a good run of business.

A Temperance Town

The village has never had a licensed saloon in it. A certain man, in 1853, started a saloon in connection with his boot and shoe store. The ladies secured funds and purchased his stock of liquors on condition that he would abandon the business. They poured the liquor in the street and attempted to set fire to it, but it would not burn. But the man did not consider his promise to the ladies as being worth much, and therefore again commenced the sale of the "liquid fire." An agreement was then entered into by the citizens, neither to buy or sell him anything as long as he sold liquor. This was the first case of "boycotting" in Mechanicsburg, and the last as well. The remedv was effectual. The man left.