Russell Township

Lawrence Co

USSELL township is bounded on the north by Crawford county, on the east by the Wabash, on the south by Allison, and on the west by Lawrence and Bond. The northern and western portions were originally, and are still, to some extent, heavily timbered. A part of Purgatory Swamp is embraced by the township, in the southwest. Most of congressional township 4 north, range 10 west, is an elevated sandy plain. Sugar creek flowing into Purgatory Swamp, and Flat creek emptying into the Wabash at Russellville, are the principal sources of drainage.

The first settlements in the township were made at Russellville, the site of an Indian village, about the year 1809 or '10. Among those who, at this time, made homes

They came from Kentucky with families. Samuel's | children were Daniel, John, Isaac, Richard, Samuel, Jr., I Nancy, Lydia, and Phebe. Jonathan had three sons, protection against the Indians, and stood in what | is now the northern part of Russellville It was | projected and built by Samuel Allison. About this whom became inmates of the fort, and probably assisted in its construction. Mills was from Kentucky and had eight children, viz., Edward, John, Thomas, Jr., Mary, Lydia, Amy, Rebecca, and Matilda. He had prior to entering the fort made an improvement about two hundred yards north of its site, to which in the spring of 1815, he returned, and which was his permanent home. Stockwell was likewise a Teunesseean. Hischilden were Wm., Jesse, Henry, Thompson, Michael, Rachel, and Eliza. The brothers Kuykendall came from Ohio. Henry was married and lived on the present site of Russellville. Hogue immigrated from Kentucky, and had one son, Jeremiah. He settled on the N. W. } of section 28, township 5, range 10, and subsequently moved to a point opposite Terre Haute, and there died. McBane had one son and two daughters, Mary and Ellen. He located about three-fourths of a mile north of Russellville. The Ind'an hostilities checked immigration till 1815. Then came Peter Price from Ohio, with nine children, Henry, Peter, Jr , Michael, David, George, John, William, Mary, and Sarah, and settled on the N E. i of the S. W. \ of section 15, township 4, range 10. In 1818 he moved to the E. i of S. E. } of section 33, township 5, range 11. With Price came his cousin Jeremiah Price, also a married man. One Garner, from Ohio, about this time, 1815, settled on the S. W. J of section 10, township 4, range 10. In the same neighborhood lived a family of Manns, who came from Ohio. Joseph and James Baird, probably as early as 1814, settled on the N. W. \ of section 18. James was shot by an Indian while plowing. William Miller, in 1816, brought from Ohio, a family of nine children, viz , Robert, John, Jane, Thomas A., Samuel, Elizabeth, Rachel, and Belinda, and settled on the N. W. i of section 28, township 5, range 10. Israel Price came with Miller, and settled in the township. Samuel and Eli Harris, came from Tennessee, with families, in 1815, and settled on section 13, in what was known as the Christian settlement. Samuel had two sons, John and Perzas, and two daughters. Eli was one of the earliest teachers in Centre school-house, and also taught singing school there. Chas. Emmons, formerly from Virgiuia, came to the township from Kentucky, in 1818, and settled permanently on the W. i of section 3. He brought with him nine children, William, Wesley, Charles, Sinclair, Thornton, Wyley, Martha, Elizabeth, and Fannie. In this year, came the Pinkstaff families, from Kentucky. Andrew Pinkstaff settled on the S. \ of the N. W. i of section 2, where he made his permanent home, and died at the age of about ninety-nine years. He had served as a soldier in the war of the revolution. His son, John, brought five children, Andrew, John, Owen, Nancy, and Cynthia, and settled on the~N. E. } of the S. E. 1 of section 3, township 4, range 11, where he died at the age of about seventy-five years. The Pinkstaff family is a quite j numerous one in the northern part of the county. John j Felton, came from Pennsylvania, a single man, in 1818. j Married Huldah Harrimau, and settled on the S. E. } I of section 29, township 5, range 11. The Harriman family came from New York. The children were John, Luke, Stephen, and Huldah, just mentioned, and Clarissa. John was a mechanic. Samuel Haskins, also I from New York, in 1818, had a family of five children, Robert, Hiram, Samuel, Abigail, and Maria. He settled about a mile southeast of Russellville, and kept a hotel. | One Lamfere, with a family, was among the earliest j arrivals. About 1818, he established a ferry a short 1 distance below the present site of Russellville. It continned in operation about ten or twelve years. The boat was sufficient to carry a team and wagon. Austin Tann, a negro, who had been an inmate of the fort, and was afterward a member of the Shaker community, about 1820, settled on the N. W. i of section 10, township 4, range 11. He was quite intelligent, and was influential among those of his own race. The central portion of so much of Allison prairie, as lies in the township, was but little settled until about 1829 or '30. At this time Adam Lackey, John Ashbrook, and John Organ, all settled in section 8. Peyton Moler settled on the S. \ of section 5 ; James Vance, on the N. W. 1 of section 9 ; Jas. Fisher, on the N. W. \ of section 17 ; Abijah Emmons, on section 18 ; and James Mickey, on the S. W. t of that section. The latter was from Pennsylvania with a family of seven children.

The first white child of American parents, born in ^Lawrence county, was E. P. Tyffe, in Russellville, July 17, 1812. He died March 12, 1878.

In 1817 a school was taught in an old cabin that stood on the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 4, township 4, range 10. A round log school-house was built about 1822 on ihe southwest quarter of section 5. Samuel Borden, a young man from New Jersey, taught the first school. The first school in the western part of the township was taught by Borden in a log school-house about 1821. Little Village Cemetery was laid out by John Mills m 1818, just north of Russellville. Old Mr. McBane was the first person buried here ; the next was Samuel Allison, and the third, Daniel Kuykendall.

About the year 1809 or 10, several families of Baptists from Kentucky settled north of the site of Russellville, in Lawrence and Crawford counties. Elder Thomas Kennedy and Daniel Parker preached for this community ; and in 1817 a church was organized at the house of Thomas Mills. In 1821 the society built a log house of worship on the site of the cemetery, now owned by Mr. Tewalt, above the village. The house, after years of use, rotted and went to decay, but the venerable society that met within its rude walls still exists under the name of Canaan Church, whose house of worship now occupies the site about four miles north of Russellville, in Crawford county; to which the primitive Little Village church was removed. Among the pious families who were active and instrumental in the affairs of this ancient society were the brothers Samuel and Jonathan Allison, Frederick and Ezra Allison, sons of Samuel and

Following will be found the first land entries : Aug. 10, 1814, William Howard entered the southwest quarter of section 14, township 4, range 11. January '24th, 1815, John Duulap entered the northeast quarter of section 13. May 13, 1815, Samuel Allison entered the southeast quarter of section 13. August 13, 1814, Samuel Harris entered the southwest quarter of section 13. August 8, 1815, Moses Turner entered the northeast quarter of section 15, township 4, range 11.

occupies the site of an Indian town called Little Village. A number of small mounds were in existence, and were burial-places. The grave of Little Turtle is still pointed out. From it, a few years since, was exhumed the figure of a turtle, which the implacable enemy of the pale-face had worn with a chain about his neck. The town was laid out by David Price on location 5, township 4, range 10, and was surveyed and platted by S. Dunlap, county surveyor, October 26, 27, 28, 1835. It was named in honor of August, Andrew and Clement Russell, three brothers, from Kentucky, who, in 1835, built a saw-mill and manufactured the lumber for the first buildings in the town. Since that time the village has had eight

I saw and grist-mills. The present frame two-story, tworun flouring mill, erected by George W. Toreman in 1881, is a rebuilding of that put up by T. J. Kyle in 1855, which was burned in 1880. Ferdinand Vandeburg sold the first goods in a small frame store-house built in 1834 or '35. A. R. Slosson, now of Vincennes, built the first blacksmith shop in 1837. About this

. house was built soon after the town was laid out, and served its purpose till the present frame two room house was built at a cost of about $1600 in the fall of 1861. The post-office was established in 1835. A frame church was built by the Christian Denomination about 1845. In 1873 it was rebuilt at a cost of $500 or $600. The town was first incorporated in 1872. In 1875 it was a second time incorporated under the general law of Illinois.

Present Business

| HIS political division of Edwards county occupies the northwestern part, and is bounded on the north by Richland county, on the east by Salem and Albion precincts, on the south by Albion and on the west by Wayne county, from which its territory extends east, excluding one tier of sections from range 10. North and south it embraces all between the northern limit of the southern tier of sections of town. 2, north, and the southern line of the third tier, from the north of town. 1, south. The surface is generally level, but slightly undulating localities occur. It was originally timbered, except that Long Prairie in the east, Village Prairie in the southeast and Sugar Creek Prairie were open areas. Timber, much of which is of recent growth, is quite abundant, and is an important source of wealth. The varieties of hard wood are -well represented. Corn, oats and wheat are the principal products, the last being the staple. Apples are quite abundant. The principal streams are the Little Wabash, Fox river and Sugar creek. The latter enters the precinct at section 35, town. 2, north, and flows southwest, into the Little Wabash at section 17, town. 1, north, draining the northern part of the precinct.

The earliest permanent settlements were made by Jonathan Shelby, after whom the preciuct was named, Thomas Carney, John Bell and Lot Sams, a short account of whose life will be found in the chapter devoted to Salem precinct. These pioneers fixed their homes in the wilderness, far in advance of civilization. In the year 1815, Shelby and Carney, with their families, came in company from Tennessee, having stopped a year in Grayville. i The former settled on the northwest quarter of section 34, township 1 north, range 10. His children were Nile, Jonathan, Jr., William, Jennings, Jackson, Nancy, Oripy, Jency, Seley and Patsey, two or three of whom came to Illinois, as a part of their father's family. He was an active and energetic man, and held the office of justice of the peace for many years. In 1831 he moved to the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 18, township 1 north, and there, on the Little Wabash, in 1835, built the first water-mill in the .precinct. It w<s of a rude and primitive character, but proved a substantial benefit to the community. His death occurred at the mill property about the year 1838. The Shelby family is one of the most numerous in the preciuct. Carney settled on the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of seotion 34, township 1, north. Two or three of a family of eight grown children he brought to the precinct with him, and was a leading farmer and highly respected citizen. This gentleman held the office of county commissioner for a number of years. To him belongs the honor of erecting the first mill in the preciuct in the year 1832. It was a horse-power-mill, and rude in construction, but a valuable aid in those early times. About 1844, Carney moved to Missouri and there died twelve or fifteen years ago. John Bell was a native of South Carolina, of German descent. He moved with his parents to Kentucky, where he married, and subsequently went to Tennessee, where he married again, his first wife having died in Kentucky. He enlisted in the army of 1812, and served his country about one year. In 1815 he moved to Illinois with his family, consisting of his wife, Elizabeth Carney, sister of Thomas, already mentioned, and five or six children, and settled on the southwest quarter of section 27, where he resided all his life. He was a plain, unassuming farmer, and was noted for his peaceable disposition and good, neighborly qualities. Harrison C. Bell, his third child, now resides on the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 10, township 1, south, and is a farmer and Baptist minister.

An interruption, accidental or otherwise, occurs at this point, in the course of immigration, and the next permanent settler is met with in the year 1826. Then came Stephen Mounts with his family, which consisted of his wife, whose maiden name was May Stinnett and several children, from Indiana. Three of his children are yet living. Mr. Mounts was a plain, unassuming farmer, an industrious man and good citizen. This gentleman, moreover, was a patriot and served in the Black Hawk war, in Captain C. S. Maddiug's company. Henry Warmouth, a Tennesseean, with his wife and children, Mary, Luciuda, Judy, John, Isaac and Philip, (twins) and Margaret, arrived in 1827 or 1828, and settled on the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 23, which was his permanent home. Henry Curtis came from Tenneslee in the year 1828. He had a wife and six children, viz. : William, John, Isaac, Mary, Ann and Jincy. This gentleman was of an unsettled disposition, changing his home frequently. Field sports, such as hunting, occupied much of his time and attention, but he worked at various odd jobs, including carpentry. Mr. Curtis died about the year 1848. William, his son, was four times married, and raised quite a numerous family of children. The

Curtises are among the wealthiest and most prominent citizens of Shelby precinct. In the same year and from the same state came Rese Shelby, with his wife and eight children, viz : David, Evans, Garrison, Semple, Moses, Lotta, Betsy aud Holdeu. He settled on the southwest quarter of section 84, township 1 N. He was j a plain farmer and good citizen. His death took place more than twenty years ago. His widow died in 1880, at an advanced age. To the year 1828 belongs also the immigration of Champion S. Madding. He was a native of Virginia, and when seven or eight years of age, left that state and moved, with his father's family, to Tennessee, where he married and followed farming till he set out for Illinois, with his wife and five children, William C., Isabel, L. B., Sallie and J. M. After a short sojourn in Richland county, he settled on section 11, township 1 N. He had, at different times, three wives, and reared eight children. Mr. Madding was a soldier in the Florida, and a captain in the Black Hawk wars, commanding a company on the banks of the Mississippi, in the battle resulting in the surrender of Black Hawk. He was a large, powerful man, weighing 225 pounds. He was one of the early regular Baptist ministers aud the frequent companion, in preaching, of Rev. Jere Doty. The oldest living settler of Shelby precinct is Starling Hill. He was born in Washington county, Kentucky, in the year 1803. Limited as were his early educational advantages, he has, by indomitable perseverance and steady effort, made himself thoroughly well informed. While in his native state he followed farming and shoemaking. At the age of twenty-five, with his wife and three children, Clarissa, Mary M. and Sidney, in a four horse wagon, he came to Illinois, and first settled near the site of the village of West Salem, where he built a log house and cleared some land. In 1829 he moved to the northwest quarter of section 11, township 1 south, range 10 east, entered land and began improvement. Mr. Hill's occupation has been that of a farmer and stock-raiser. He is now retired and resides with his. son, on the old homestead, at the age of eighty years. His wife was Elizabeth Bassett, by whom he had sixteen children, and in addition to these he also reared twelve orphans. For a period of three months he served in the Black Hawk war in Captain Madding's company. Marcus Johnson and family came to the precinct among the early settlers, and lived in the northeastern part of section 35. Thomas Gill, who lives on section 15, township 1 south, was born in Albion precinct in 1826. His father, Thomas Gill, was a native of England and came to Edwards county in the year 1818. A large encampment of Indian hunters roamed over the territory of Shelby precincc about the year 1820. It is reported that during one season they killed five hundred does, which they decoyed from their feeding-places by imitating the cry of a fawn. For a number of years after most of the deer shot by the settlers were males. The first church society was of the regular Baptist denomination, and was organized in 1825. It held its first meeting in a building, used for school purposes, on the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 34, township 1 north. At this place, about 1836, the congregation built a log house of worship, 48x24 feet. The first minister was Rev. Jere Doty. He was what was then denominated a " cornfield " (farmer) preacher, and was much respected. He was fond of relating the story of his conversion, which he told so often in his sermons that the boys of the settlement learned it by heart, and frequently repeated it in merriment. One McCowen taught a school in a long cabin on the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 33, township 1 north, as early as 1827. A gentleman by the name of Moore taught here in 1828. The first building put up for school purposes was a frame, erected in 1856, on the southeast of the northeast of section 33, township 1 north. Edgar Brandon was its first occupant. The precinct was represented in the Black Hawk war by Captain C. S. Madding, James Ball, Josiah Lay, William Curtis, David Shelby, Thomas Sanders, I. Shelby, Robert Russel, Jonathan Shelby, Jr., Matthew Mays, Harrison Moore, Joseph Mounts, Hugh Mounts, Robert Doherty, John Stinnett, Benjamin Wilson, J. Wilson, Samuel, John aud James Edmanson, James Ellison, and James Jennings. The following are the first land entries: September 6, 1817, L. White and L. May entered the west half of the northeast quarter of section 7. September 15, 1817, Charles Stinnett, the northeast quarter of section 9. September 27, 1817, Henry Ayers, the southwest quarter of section 10. January 19, 1818, Mathias Mounts the southwest quarter of section 17. September 17, 1818, J. and J. Dunlap the southeast quarter of section 3. The above are in township 1 S. The following are in township 1 north. May 12, 1820, Isam Roger the west half of the southwest t sec. 33. Feb. 8, 1822, Thomas Carney the west half of the southeast quarter of section 34. March 9, 1822, Matthew Doherty, the west half of the southwest quarter of section 32, township 2 north.

Bennington, of which nothing but the name remains, had its origin in Shelby's mill already spoken of. Here Dr. Baker, the proprietor of Bennington, built a frame water-mill about 1 842. James Jones and Henry Walser, in 1865, erected a frame mill, two and a half story, 30 by 40, which was of considerable importance. It burned in 1870 as the property of Ulsehouse and Potter. A short distance above its site now stands Philander Gould's saw mill. Bennington was laid out in 1841 or 1842 by Dr. Baker, and two or three town lots were disposed of. Centreville, on section 33, township 1 north, consists of a store-house, a blacksmith-shop and two or three dwellings. Maple Grove post-office was established about 1850, and Robert Marshall, of section 2, township 1 north, the present incumbent was the first post-master. The population of tl~e precinct consists of Tennesseeaus, Kentuckians, English and Germans and their descendants. The evidences of industry and economy are everywhere apparent.

WAS born in Edwards county, January 3, 1826. His parents, Thomas and Mary Gill, whose maiden name was May, were both natives of England, and were among the pioneers of this county, having located here in 1818. The family consisted of eight children, equally divided as to sex. Thomas Gill was the second of the sons in the order of birth. Farmers' sons in the early days of Edwards county had but little opportunity for acquiring an education ; this was the lot of Thomas. However, he being possessed of natural ability of a high order, made the best of his chances, and obtained a fair knowledge of books. He has always pursued farming as a vocation. He was united in marriage to Eliza Gillard, May 16, 1849. By her he had eight children, namely : Madaline, died November 3, 1876 ; Bradford J., died September 21, 1876; Hannah, now the wife of Albert Stafford; Franklin, Mary E., Jethro and two that died in infancy. Mrs. Gill died October 1, 1874. He was married to his present wife, Hannah M., daughter of William and Hannah Stanhope, from Linconshire, England, February 6, 1876. The Stanhopes came to this county in 1833. Mr. Gill is a member of the Grange, of the Masonic order and of the Christian church.

IN the northern part of Shelby precinct are so many from Kentucky as to give to the section the appellation of "Little Kentucky." Among them none are more respected than James P. Frost, who was" born in Allen county, that state, February 17, 1842. His father, William B. Frost, was also a native of Kentucky, a farmer. He died in the old home July 3, 1850. His j mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Holloway, moved with her family of six children, of whom the subject of i this sketch was second in order of birth, to Franklin county, Illinois, in 1854, where she died, December 9, 1882, aged ssventy-one years. James P. came to Ed- ' wards county in 1860. Here he was married to Julia Shelby, daughter of Jonathan Shelby, one of Edwards county's most honored citizens, March 28, 1864. By this union there have been born eight children, two of whom, Franklin and Alia, died quite young, and six Laura, Sarah, Luella, Amy, Mollie and Mayo are living. Mr. Frost is one of the pushing, wide-awake progressive farmers of his section. He is a prominent Democrat politically; a man of pleasing address, high social qualities and excellent judgment, he has made for himself a host of friends.

JOHN M. BLOOD (DECEASED) WAS one of the most respected citizens of Edwards county. He was born in New York, August 6, 1820, and came to this county in 1838. By trade he was a miller. When a young man he went as a hand on a flat-boat laden with hoop-poles, corn, meat, etc., down the Little Wabash from near Bennington, Wabash, Ohio and Mississippi rivers, to New Orleans. He started in life with a very small capital, but by honest industry and economy accumulated considerable property. For a number of years he kept a store at Bennington, of which office he was postmaster until the time of his death, He was married to Sarah A. Vyce, a native of Stowe, Norfolk, England, March 8,

1848, by whom he had six children, two of whom died young, and four, James H., Mary C. Ridgeley, Frank L. and George C. are living. Mrs. Blood was brought to this country when a child, first to New York, then Ohio, and then here. Two of their children are married, James H. to Permelia A. Holthausen, October 14, 1877, and Mary C. to W. S. Ridgeley, December 27, 1877.

During the last few years of his life Mr. Blood was in failing health, and thinking to improve it, took a trip to Minnesota, remaining some time, in 1866. All efforts were useless, and lamented by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, he passed away, April 30, 1876.