Peach Orchard Township

Peach Orchard Township

September 15, 1868, a petition was presented the Board of Supervisors, asking their aid in creating a new township out of the township of Dix, composed and described as the east twothirds of the north half of Town 24 north, and the south half of Town 25 north, in Range 8 east, " and on motion of Supervisor Davis it was ordered by the board that said territory be and is hereby set off in accordance with the prayer of said petition ; and it is further ordered that the territory set off shall be known and designated as the township of Peach Orchard."

In 1855, Joshua T. Nicholson planted 1,000 peach trees on the southwest quarter of Section 21, Town 25 north, Range 8 east. This large orchard was cultivated for about twelve years, when the trees died and were never replaced. This is how the township come to be named Peach Orchard.

William B. Holmes, Joshua T. Nicholson, Elick Nicholson, Alexander Nicholson and David Spencer, were the early settlers of the township until the fall of 1867, when the township was rapidly settled up. Among those coming were John Iehl, the Hunt family, G. and J. Dixon, John Wilson, Joshua Umbarger, John Conniff, W. B. Knight, George and William Foster, G. and O. Defriese, A. Heilman, Joseph Fletcher, John and William Boundy, Robert Ashley, P. Brady, William Underwood, Michael Siphilts, Ed McKanna, Henry Rowcliff, George and T. Arends, Charles Gardner, Isaac C. Day, T. D. Thompson, William Frasius, William Lackey, George Phillips, Lot Robb, T. and J. Mc¬ Laughlin and John Thacfcery.

The first school building in this township was the " Grand Prairie" (No 8), although a year or so before this was built, an old building was moved into the township from Wall, and used for school purposes; it was called the "Black College." The first teacher was Robert Hutchinson.

The first marriage in this township occurred in 1857, the con¬ tracting parties being Elick Nicholson and Miss Margaret Scott. Charles Rodenhour was the first person that died. He was buried on Section 8 in the fall of 1858.

On the 29th of May, 1857, Miss Fanny A. Holmes, daughter of Squire Holmee, was bom, the first child in Peach Orchard. She is now the wife of Paul Keostner, and lives on the same farm where she was boro.

This township has a railroad running diagonally across it, orig¬ inally known as the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield, now the Springfield Division of the Hinois Central. The township took $23,000 of stock, issuing bonds therefor for twenty years, draw¬ ing ten per cent interest. The road was completed in 1871, and trains were running that winter.

D. K. Pearson, of Chicago, owned the east tier of sections in this township, and one day in November, 1866, he came down here and sold the entire tier of sections ; the average price paid was $8.50 per acre. Melvin, named afler the President of the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield Railroad, is the only village in the township. It was surveyed and laid out at the request of Enoch Hunt, and includes about sixty* five acres. It is situated on the south half of the northwest quarter of Section 1, and contains a fine school building, four churches, two elevators, one lumber yard, six dry goods and grocery stores, one agricultural ware¬ house, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, a drug store, a hardware and furniture store and a hotel.

William B. Holmes was boro in England in 1820. He em¬ igrated to America in 1849, landing in New York. He came to Fond du Lac County, Wis., where he remained about three years. He then moved to Georgetown, Vermilion Co., Ill., and worked at the carpenter's trade for several years, then moved to what is now Peach Orchard Township in April, 1855, settling on the farm he now owns. He built the firet house, and turned the first furrow in this township. In 1860, the Prince of Wales' suite - Capt. Carter, Hon. C. A. Ellis, now Duke of Rutland, and a

German connected with the Royal family- 1 - with their servants, were in this part of the coantry hunting, and spent several days with Mr. Holmes. He was married, December 26, 1844, to Miss Elisa Wren, of Yorkshire, England. Mr. Holmes had held the office of Supervisor, Assessor and Justice of the Peace.

Thomas D. Thompson was borrf in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1847, where he resided until 1864. He then moved to Illinois, and in 1868 settled in Ford County, and was the first station agent at Melvin. He now is engaged in the grocery and dry goods business and is Postmaster of Melvin. Mr. Thompson has always taken a lively interest in the building-up of the churches and schools of this place.

Enoch S. Hunt was bora in Marshall County, Ill., in 1833. He moved to La Salle County in 1847, and lived there until 1868, when he moved to Ford County, settling on the same farm where he now lives. In 1854, he was married to Miss Mary Griffen. Mr. Hunt was instrumental in starting the village of Melvin and in securing the railroad across the township. He has a fine farm and excellent buildings, only a short distance from the village, where he resides.

William S. Larkin was boro in Rhode Island March 5,1826. He came to Ford County from Connecticut, in 1857, settling in Lyman Township. He is now in business with his son-in-law in Melvin. They are running a creamery, shipping their butter to New Orleans.

4, 1842. He moved to Marshall County, Ill., in 1849, where he lived on a farm until the breaking out of the war. He en¬ listed in the Ninth Illinois Infantry, remaining in the service until the war closed, when he was honorably discharged and re¬ turned to his farm. He married Miss Sarah Robinson, of Canada, and moved to Peach Orchard Township. After farming for several years, he moved to Melvin and opened a meat market, and is still engaged in this business.

5, 1848, he lived there until 1858, when he moved to Dwight, Livingston County, fanning, attending school, and clerking in a store, until eighteen years passed away, when he moved to Melvin, Ford Co., Ill., and built and opened a store of general merchan¬ dise, which business he is at present engaged in. He was married, October 16, 1878, to Maggie E. Wolverton, of Pontiac. They have been blessed with three children.

Edward G. Collins, born in Herkimer County, N. Y., Sep¬ tember 22, 1851. His parents died when he was a young man. Afler learning the harness maker's trade, and being anxious to establish himself in business, came West, and settled in Melvin, where he has carried on his business with sucoess. In 1876, he was married to Martha M. Shute. This union has been blessed with two children.

John S. Hunt came to the place where he now lives in the fall of 1867. He has a splendid farm of about 600 acres. He was first Collector of the township, also served two terms as Super¬ visor and was School Director for many years; is one of the trust¬ ees of the Methodist Church, to which he contributed largely. He always takes an active part in all the affairs of school, church or township.

John Iehl was born in the Province of Alsace, France, in 1839. When eleven years old, he, with his parents, came to America and settled in Lake County, Ill., and engaged in farm¬ ing. When he became of age, he started in life for himself, go¬ ing to Marshall County, Ill., and working on a farm. In 1867, he bought the northwest quarter of Section 28 in Peach Orchard, and farmed it until 1873, when he bought out the grain elevator in Melvin, and has carried on the grain business with success since. In 1871, he married Miss Mary Arends. They have had four children, two now living. In 1881, Mr. Iehl was elected Supervisor of the township, which office he still continues to hold.

W. T. Gash was born in England June 8, 1837, where he lived until he was twenty-one years old, then came to America and began farming in Henry County, Ill. In 1869, he came to Peach Orchard and located in Section 23, where he still resides. In 1874, he married Miss Sarah A. Bevins. They have three children.

Josiah Umbarger is a native of Pennsylvania; he was born in 1834, and at the age of ten years came West with his parents to Putnam County, Hi. In 1860, he married Miss Jane Allen. Mr. Umbarger has a fine farm of 240 acres, with substantial im¬ provements.

Gerhard Defries was born in Germany in 1827. At the age of twenty-seven years he came to America aod lauded in New Orleans. He bought his present form in Peach Orchard in the spring of 1868. In 1857, he was married to Mias Hissky Hilmere. They have a family of eight children.

Henry Rowcliffe was born in England in 1843; he settled in Ford County in 1869, and still lives on his farm in Section 83. In 1859, he was united in marriage to Martha Dunn, of Enland. For his second wife he married Sarah Bell. They have ve children.

William Cooper was boro in England in 1880. He came to America in 1862. He is a tailor by trade. He came to Peach Orchard Township from Fairbury, Ill., and went to farming. In 1855, he was married to Miss Elisabeth Cole. They have a family of seven children.

William Boundy was born in England October 30, 1832. He emigrated to America in 1857, first settling in New York State. He came to Peach Orchard Township from Peoria Coun¬ ty, Ill., in 1871. He was mairied to Elisabeth Hill, of England, March 27, 1853. They have six children.

John Karsten is a native of Germany, where he worked on a farm for twenty-four years. He came to America in 1866, and settled in Marshall County, HI. In 1876, he came to Peach Or¬ chard Township. In 1867, he was married to Sophia Hose. They have four children. He owns 200 acres of land with good improvements.

A. Buckhols is a native of Germany, who came to this country in 1852, working at various places for a number of years. He finally settled on his present farm in Section 1 in 1867. He was married in 1855 to Miss Caroline Fnnte, and the fruit of this union has been a family of eight children. . He now owns 720 acres of land in this township, with excellent improvements.

Henry Spellmeyer was born in Germany, 1840; he emi¬ grated to America with his sister in 1858, first settling in Mar¬ shall County; then, in 1868, came to Peach Orohard Township. In 1868, he married Miss Louisa Steinman. They have five children.

John Thackary was born in England, 1834, where ho lived till 1865; then came to this country and settled in Putnam County, Ill., where he lived for several years. He then came to Ford County and located in this township. March, 1865, he married Catharine Phillips, and six children have been bom to them. Mr. Thackary now owns 480 acres of good land in Peach Orchard.

William D. Spencer is the son of David W. Spencer, who was bora in Vermont in 1811, and came to Vermilion Coun r ty, Ill., in 1841, and bought 400 acres of land, which he worked several years, then moved to Georgetown, same county, and engaged in stock-raising, which he followed for a time. In the spring of 1855, settled in Peach Orchard; he died in 1857. Our subject was born in 1855 in Georgetown, Vermilion County,

111., and came with his parents to this township. Ho was mar¬ ried to Miss Emma J. Terry, of St. Louis. They have three children. Mr. Spencer is preparing hjmself for the ministry.

Thomas McLaughlin was bora in the North of Ireland in 1829; emigrated to America in 1848, when he settled on a farm in La Salle County, Ill.; lived there for six years, then came to this township. He now owns the southeast quarter of Section 36, one*half mile from Melvin.

George F. Forney, farmer, P. O. Melvin, was bora in Putnam County, Ill., 1845. At the age of twenty-two years, he married Elisa S. Allen, of Pennsylvania. They have four chil¬ dren. He settled in Peach Orchard Township in 1870; he was Town Clerk for three yean.

Peter Conniff was bora in Ireland; at the age of six yean, he came to America with his mother and settled on a farm in New Jersey. He remained in that State about twenty years, then came to Henry County, III. He settled in this township in 1857, and still lives on the same farm he first purchased. In 1861, he enlisted in the Fourth New Jersey Regiment, and was in the service until the war closed.

David Thompson was born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1841. In 1863, he enlisted in the Seventh Illinois Volunteers. He settled in Ford County in 1869, on the place he now owns in Seotion 23. He married Margaret C. Fraser in 1865.

James Dixon, farmer, P. O. Melvin, u a native of Manchester, England, where he was bora, 1836. In 1861, he enlisted in the Seventeenth Illinois Volunteers, and remained in the service until 1868, when he was honorably discharged and returned to Manhall County, 111. In 1867, he settled in Ford County, and has lived here since. In 1865, he married Miss Jane E. Hunt. They have seven children.

Patrick Goggins is a native of the " Emerald Isle. M He came to America in 1846, and first settled in La Salle County, HI. After living there twelve years, he moved to Ford County. He married Miss Catharine Clark in 1868, and three children have been born to them.

W. J. Hunt is a native of Marshall County, Ill., where he was bora 1841. He remained there twenty-one years, working on his father's farm, then moved to La Salle County, Ill. In 1861, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Regiment, and was in the service several years; then returned to his old home in La Salle County, where he remained until 1872, when he moved to Peach Orchard Township, and has Binee resided here.

John M. Thompson was bora in Noble County, Ohio, April, 1887. He lived there several years, then settled in Belmont County, and taught school for four years; also attended the academy at Belmont. In 1864, he settled in Grundy County,

111., staid there a short time, then moved to Marshall County, and after living there three years he went to Woodford County and bought a form and worked it for four years, then sold out and came to Peach Orchard Township in the fiill of 1872, and engaged in general merchandising; he soon sold out to his brother and engaged in the sale of agricultural implements and lumber. In 1861, he was married to Miss Jane Day, of Bel¬ mont County, Ohio. They have two children. Mr. Thompson takes a deep interest in the church and schools of Melvin.

The territory now organised into Pella Township, originally formed a part of Stockton, and from 1861, when Brenton was organised, up to 1870, it formed a part of that township.

This township was the youngest of the sisterhood of townships in Ford County, and was unfavorably located for early settle¬ ments, on account of its being mostly a low, level prairie, and exceedingly wet, except in the driest times of the year. The

Vermilion swamps extend across the northern part of the township, the South Fork of the North Vermilion River, a slow, sluggish stream, flows across the center, and various marshes and sloughs are scattered over the township, and much of the land was long regarded as irreclaimable. But of late years many Irish families have moved in and bought the wet lands, and at once began the work of ditching ana tile draining, and such other changes made as warrants the belief that Pella will soon rank as one of the best townships in the county.

The first settler of this township was Robert Hall, who bought land in Sections 16 and 28; he came in 1857. The next settler was Henry Atwood, who settled on southwest quarter of Section 22. Henry Mitchinson came the same year and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 22. Lyne Starling, a cousin of M.

The first man to locate in Pella after the war was John Bales; the same year James McCarty and James Taggart came. In 1868, Edward Doran. The McTier family, Robert Wells, An¬ drew Hickman, Hugh Rice, Abraham Fadden, M. C. Kice, Dan¬ iel Marble, William Andrews and Owen Murtaugh, settled in this township, and about the same time Charles Yates, James Sheldon. The Reed boys - Charles - Arby - Thomas - Butler and Ed, Thomas Correll, J. S. Ruff, ratrick McNoughton, Andrew Stuart, William Michael and John Ward. Lyne Starling, who came from New York, built the house in Section 35, known as the " Old Brenton House." This house was built of the best material and in a very substantial manner. The building of this large house and the extensive preparations for forming on a large scale by Mr. Starling were quite an enoouragement to the set¬ tlors. The Starling property was all of* Sections 1 and 8, east half of 17 and northwest quarter of 5 in Brenton and 31, 83 and 35 in Pella.

The first marriage in Pella was between Henry Atwood and Miss Mary Wylie. They were married by W. P. Pearsons, of Onarga, November 16, 1859.

The first school taught in Pella was at the house of Henry Atwood in 1863, his wife being the first teacher. The first schoolhouse built was the " Reed Schoolhouse," in District No. 1, But¬ ler Reed being the first teacher.

There is no village, post office or church in this township, the trading point for most of the citisens being Piper City, which lies close to the south line of the township.

Some of the leading citizens of this township live in the southern part of the township among whom may be mentioned Joseph Mitchinson, a farmer, who was bora in England in June, 1838. His parents ^rere formers, and Joseph worked on the form for several years then left there and came to America. He settled in this township in 1858 on Section 22. He has 120 acres of rich forming land, and a comfortable home. In 1860, he married Elisabeth Agnew, of England, and the fruit of this union is six children, four of whom are now living.

Among the leading formers and stock-raisers of Pella may be mentioned William P. Moore, who was bora in Perry County, Ohio, 1884. He left there in 1866, and settled in Warren County, Ill.; after living there two years, he moved on to his pres¬ ent form in Section 32. In 1862, he enlisted in the One Hun¬ dred and Fourteenth Ohio Regiment and served in the war until its dose. He was married to Eliza Hickman of Pennsylvania, in 1857. They have six children. Mr. Moore has been Road Commissioner for many years, and may be classed among the leading and successful formers of the county.

Charles A. Cook was bora in London, Ontario, November 8, 1845. He left Canada and settled in La Salle County in 1857, and came to Ford County, Pella Township, in 1870. He has a fine rich farm on Section 30, with pleasant and commodious buildings. Mr. Cook has been twice married, first to Angelina Dean in 1870 ; she died in 1877. In 1879, be married Miss Carrie Montelius; she died in 1883. He has two children. Mr. Cook is one of the leading and active men of the township.