Patton Township

Patton Township

When this connty was a part of Vermilion, it was called Prairie City Township, which was organized from Middlefork Township February 10, 1850. This name was changed to Pat- ton September 15, 1857, on account of there being another Prairie City Township in the State. In 1858, Drummer Grove Township was organized, or set off from Patton, and included all of the territory in this county lying west of Range 9 east, and in March, 1859, all of tho Pan Handle was organized from Pat¬ ton and called Stockton Township. Patton Township derived its name from Judge David Ii. Patton, its first Supervisor and th«* c County Judge of Ford County.

In 1863, Button was set off from Patton, and in 1867 Wall was organized out of Patton Township. This is the largest township in the county, being six miles north and south, and ten miles east and west.

The Middle Fork of the South Vermilion River enters the township in the northwest corner, and flows diagonally across it, passing out into Button near the southeast corner of the township. Along the line of this stream in this township is found about all of the timber there is in tho county. At Ten Mile Grove the earliest settlers first located.

Two railroads cross this township - the Lake Erie & Western running east and west, and the Illinois Central north and south. The southwest part of the township is settled principally by Swedes. They nave a Lutheran Church on the east side of Sec¬ tion 30, which was constructed in 1872 by C. M. Johnson. The church property is valued at $3,500. This part of the township is familiarly known os Farmeraville.

It is extremely difficult at this time to ascertain with any de¬ gree of certuinty who the first settler was or when he came, but among the earliest were John Cooder, who entered tho farm now owned by William J. Trickel; Joseph Coontz, who entered the farm now owned by Frank Meharry; David II. Patton, who set¬ tled on Section 14, in 1849; a Mr. Dunbar, who built tho house now owned by B. Q. Cherry, about 1850; Daniel C. Stoner, who entered the old homestead for his son, J. F. Stoner, in 1850; Daniel C. Stoner became a resident in 1851, and was the first Treasurer of Ford County. John Kitchen, William Hackworth, E. Hagin, David Crandall, John Cook, - Edwards, son Henry C., R. R. Murdock, the Day family, William Blanch¬ ard, William and Stacy Daniels, the Stites family, J. P. Middlecoff and Dr. Carpenter. These families came before 1857. During 1858-59, Henry Barnhouse, William Perdue, Dr. L. B. Farrar, William Grayson, Frank Meharry, Edward L. Gill, William Goodrich, the Hanley family, Robert Blackstock, A. McElroy and a Mr. Tabor moved into the township. Remem¬ brance Clark moved into Patton in 1860. lie came from Maine. John B. Shaw and J. C. Dunham came in 1861. George Fuoss came out here from Ohio, and entered the school section.

There arc many Swede settlors in Patton who came here about 1863 and later, and among the earliest may he mentioned C. M. Johnson, Peter Larson, Peter Hanson, John Nelson, C. F. Carlson, A. M. Hanson, E. Collins. N. P. Nelson, William Holmes, Ola Nelson, John Scogg, Gus Larsen. C. A. Ostram, Peter Peterson Andrew Nelson, J. P. Youngdahl, Swan Olson, Nels Olson, J. W. Swanson John Telandcr, C. W. Lindstrora, C. and J. P. Swanson, and Peter Lundburg.

It is probable that William Trickel kept the first store in this township, if not in tho county. The store was located on Section 18. A blacksmith shop was started at Ten Mile Grove by C. J. Buchner, who afterward moved to Paxton and built a shop near the railroad.

The first school in this township was in a log house at Ten Mile Grove, and Judge Patton was the first teacher. A Miss Lewis came from La Fayette and taught the school after the Judge finished teaching.

J. D. Hall was born in Ross County, Ohio, April 10, 1821. James Hall (deceased), father of J. D. Hall, was a native of Maryland, and died in Vinton County, Ohio, 1855. Mr. Hall emigrated from Ohio to Fountain County, Ind., June, 1839, and to Warren County, Ind., in 1843. He was married to Eliza Wieman in Fountain County, Ind., in 1841. She was a native of Virginia. In February, 1852, Mr. Hall emigrated to Ford County, then Vermilion County, whore he began to make im¬ provements on Section 33, his present homo, and where he has since resided. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have been blessed with four children, three of whom are now living. Mr. Hall built the first frame house north of the river, in what is now Ford County. The post office, when he first settled in this county, was eighteen miles from his farm, at Higginsville. Mr. Hall began the grain business with his son, Henry C. Hall, of Paxton, in 1865, but has now retired from active life. He has 285 acres of excellent land in Patton, which he entered thirty years ago. He was the second Sheriff of Ford County.

David Patton was born in Clark County, Ky., in 1806. His father was a farmer. When quite young, he went- to Montgomery County, Ohio, then to Preble County, Ohio. He was ambitious to become a lawyer, and entered the law office of Oliver H. Smith, in Conncrsville, Ind. One of his fellow-stu¬ dents was Caleb B. Smith, who afterward was Secretary of the Interior. From Connersville, Mr. Patton went to La Fayette, Ind., and began the practice of law, where he remained about twenty years, and then moved to this township in 1849. Ho first located at Ten Mile Grove. He lived there until 1865 when he came to Paxton. This township was named after Judge Patton. He was the first teacher in this township and the first County Judge of the county. He held the office for fifteen years. He is now seventy-eight years old, and resides in Paxton, respected by all who know him.

Thb Dat Family

The Day family settled on Section 13. They comprised Sam¬ uel Day, the father, Peggy, the mother, and children - John P., Samuel, N. B. Day, anaCordelia, wife of James Hock. Samuel Day was a native of Kentucky. He died in 1858. lie married Peggy Purviance in 1821. She was also a native of Kentucky, and is still living with her daughter, Mrs. James Hock, at the ripe age of eighty-six years. They had nine children, only four now living. They came from Preble County, Ohio, to this State. Samuel came here in 1854. He has been twice married; first to Susanah Swisher, who died in 1858. lie married Miss Jennie Lyons for his second wife in 1861. Samuel Day was the first Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Ford County, John P. Day was bom in 1824. lie settled in Patton in 1857. In 1815, he mar¬ ried Malinda Swisher, a native of Southern Indiana. lie served as County Treasurer several terms. John P. and Samuel Day are in company, engaged in the real estate and loan business in Paxton. N. B. Day was born in Preble County, Ohio, and settled in Patton in 1854. The Day family first lived on the farm now owned by B. Q. Cherry. N. B. Day married Barbara, daughter of Daniel C. Stoner, an old pioneer of this county. Mr. Day is now living in Paxton, and is the present Supervisor of the township.

Cordelia is the wife of Mr. James Hock, a resident of Pax¬ ton, and one of the oldest settlers of the town diip. They were married in 1858. Mr. Hock is a farmer and stock-raiscr, and came to what is now Ford County from Fountain County, Ind., in 1852.

The Day brothers are all men of much more than ordinary ability, as their success in life ami the number of positions of re¬ sponsibility and trust which they have all been called to fill, hear ample testimony. They have all succeeded well, ami have pleas¬ ant homes in Paxton, whoro they are known as among tho sub¬ stantial and reliable men of Ford County.

The Hanley Family

John Hanley was bom in Virginia in 1808. He was brought up a farmer. In 1829, he moved to Greene County, Ohio, where ho lived until 1855, principally engaged in stock-raising. He then camo to Patton Township and established a lumber yard and grain office on the west side of the Illinois Central Railroad. In 1862, he bought a farm at 'Pen Mile Grove, now owned by his son, John M. Hanley, where he lived until 1883, when ho cainc to town, and is now living with his son, John M. Ilnnley. lie was married to Margaret Alexander, a native of Virginia, in 1828. They have had four children - Alexander H. Hanley, now living in Chicago; William A., who died in 1868 in Xenia, Ohio; Ella M., wife of Alexander McElroy, of Paxton, and John M., a leading hardware merchant in this city. The mother, Marga¬ ret, died at Ten Mile Grove in 1876. John M. Hanley was educated in Delaware College, Ohio, and was Principal of the Public Schools in Paxton for six years.

Benjamin Stites was born in Pennsylvania in 1805. In 1832, he settled in Cincinnati and followed nis trade of a mason, be¬ sides running a stone quarry. lie remained in Cincinnati until 1837, when he moved to Vermilion County, Ill., and settled on a farm near Danville, until 1856. when he came to Paxton and set¬ tled on the homestead, where the family still reside. Benjamin Stites has been twice married. His first wife, a native of Butler County, Ohio, died in 1828. They had two children. James N. is living in New Orleans, La. For liis second wife he mar¬ ried Susan E. Stnart, of Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio. This union was blessed by eight children, seven still living - Benjamin F., living in Hoopeston; Hannah S., wife of Elihu Swisher, of Danville, III.; Phebe A., wife of Robert Bonner, living in In¬ diana; Margaret E., wife of Jonathan Covalt, living in Oswego, Kan.; William H. and Samuel S., living in Paxton.

Stacy Danieb was bom in Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1825. His father, Stacy Danieb, was a native of Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio in 1821. He died in 1825. He married Lattia Carnahan, a native of Pennsylvania. She died in Cincinnati in 1877, at the age of eighty-one years. They had a family of four boys and two girb that lived to grow up; three others died in infancy. The subject of our sketch left Ohio in October, 1856, and settled in Prospect City in the spring of 1857. He built his house on the site now occupied by G. J. Shepunlson's house, on College Hill. He was a mason by trade, and helped build most of tho buildings in Paxton. In 1859, ho went to California; came back in 1862, and enlisted in the Eighty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was in the service until 1865. In 1866, he built his present residence. Mr. Danieb has been thrice married - first to Margaret Rush, in 1849. She was a native of Germany, and died in 1859. His second wife was Mary Williams, of Cincinnati, whom he married in July, 1865, and who died in 1867. His present wife was Miss Rebecca Kempton, a native of Hartford, Conn. They were married in June, 1868. Mr. Daniels has two children living - Emma,wife of Ed Field, of Elliott; and Albert, a young man living at home. Mr. Daniels is one of the oldest living settlers of Paxton.

John M. Hall was horn in Washington County, N. Y., Octo¬ ber, 1810. He was brought up on a farm. In 1832, he came to Fountain County, Ind. He held various offices of trust, being at one time County Recorder. In 1860, he went to Kirksville, Mo., and engaged in the mercantile business for two years, when he came to Paxton in 1862, where he has since lived. In 1838, he married Miss Nancy Nichols, a native of Ohio. They have had three children, only one now living, viz., George A. Hall, who is Clerk of the City Council and a reporter for the Paxton

Record. Mr. Hall was Supervisor of Patton Township for sev¬ eral yean, and has held the office of Police Magistrate for many years, being the present incumbent to that office. He is well liked, and enjoys the entire confidence of the people.

John P. Middlecoffwas born in Wayne County, Ind., in 1838. His father, Daniel Middlecoff, was a native of Washington County, Md., born in 1800. He came to this township in 1861, and died in 1866. John P. came to Illinois in 1857, and settled in Lud¬ low, Champaign County, and engaged in the general'mercantile business. He moved from there to his farm in 1862, where he remained until 1867, when he came to Paxton and engaged in the hardware business. He continued in this for several years. He was elected Supervisor of Patton Township several times, being chairman of the board. In 1872, he was elected a member of the Twenty-eighth General Assembly. He is now engaged in the manufacture of brick and tile, being President and General Man¬ ager ot the Paxton Brick and Tile Works. In 1863, he was married to Miss Mary Fox, of Cincinnati, Ohio. - They have had three children, one living. His mother is living with him in this city.

A. Croft is from Clinton County, Ohio, and settled here in 1877, owns a fine tract of 400 acres lying adjacent to the city on the west. The buildings and improvements on this farm are of the best.

W. W. Blanchard owns a well-improved farm in Section 29, Range 10, about two and a half miles south of the city. Mr. Blanchard is a native of Windham County, Vt., and settled in this township in 1856. lie is at present living in town.

A. L. Clark is an extensive land owner, owning at the pres¬ ent time about 900 acres of excellent land, most of it lying in the southwest part of Button Township. Mr. Clark is a native of New Hampshire, settling in this county in 1864. He makes his home in Paxton.

C. M. Johnson, farmer, contractor and builder, is a native of Sweden. He came to the United States in 1846, and settled in the county in 1863. He lives on a good, rich farm, on Section 32.

F. Meharry came to Patton Township from Montgomery County, Ind., in 1859. He bought a tract of land in Section 10, where he has erected buildings and improvements equal to any in the county.

William Grayson is a native of Engtand. He settled in this township in 1858. He has 160 acres of land one mile south of Paxton. lie is the present Assessor of the township.

W. II. II. Ijams is a native of Ohio. He settled in this town¬ ship in 1870, on Section 10, where he has a well-improved farm of 160 acres, and a pleasant home.

Robert Strong, a farmer, living on Section 21 ; is a native of Monroe County, Ind. lie settled in Patton in 1865. ' He lias a good farm of 160 acres.

Petor Anderson is a native of Sweden. He came to this township in 1864, settling on Section 31. He is one of the active farmers of the township.

Charles Leeper, farmer, is a native of Bedford County, Tenn., where he was born 1816. He came to this county in 1869. His son, G. W Leeper, owns a large farm in Wall Township, but re¬ sides in Paxton.

Albert Keith is a native of Madison County, N. Y. He set¬ tled in this county in 1866. He was at onetime Mayor of Pax¬ ton, and now resides in a beautiful home in the city. He has a large farm in Dix Township.

Another large and extensive farmer of Patton is William Perdue, a native of Chester County, Penn. He came here in 1859. He owns about 700 acres of rich farming lands in Patton Township. He resides in Paxton.

C. E. Henderson, who resides at Henderson Station, on the L. E. k W. Railroad; is a native of Loudoun, Va. He settled in this township in 1865. He has a beautiful home and a fine farm.

One of the oldest settlers of Patton is John F. Stoner, son of Daniel C. Stoner. John F. came here in 1851 and settled on Section 9. He is a native of Indiana. His large farm is one of the best in the township.