Virgil Township

Virgil Township

Virgil, on the extreme west of the county, was settled a year or two later than the river townships. The first settler was Luther Merrill from New Hampshire, who came in 1836, and laid claim to all the land included in the thirty-six sections that now include Mrgil township. A large part of it was swamp and shallow lakes at that time. For a time every settler had to buy of Merrill, but they soon came in so fast that he was unable to keep them off, and he gave up the idea of holding the entire county. Milton Thornton came in early, as did John B. Moore, Daniel McKinley, William H. Robinson. Joseph Gray, Joshua Read, Daniel Smith. Lyman German, Charles Jackson, Harrison Chambers, Henry Krows (1840). Until 1840 most of the pioneers came from New York state.

The first frame house was built by Luther Merrill in 1840. It is said to have contained not one foot of sawed lumber, the timber being split and snoothed into boards with the ax and broad ax. When it was finished Merrill is said to have given a grand housewarming to the settlers, who danced to the tune of the first fiddle heard in that end of the world.

In the same house occurred the first wedding - that of Orson Kendall and Maria Read, who were married by Squire West of Blackberry. The first child born in the township was a daughter of Seth Merrill.

The first schoolhouse was built on section 24 in 1839. Simeon Bean taught the first school in 1839-40. The school district was organized in 1841. William H. Robinson, Daniel Smith and John Scott being elected trustees. There were four districts and ninety-five school children.

A postoffice named Collamer was established in 1S49, about a mile north of Maple Grove, with Milton Thornton in charge. It was discontinued in i860.

The building of the Chicago & Galena railroad through the township in 1853 was the beginning of the now thriving and prosperous village of Maple Park, which was platted in March, 1854, by Loren Heath and Zachariah Hathorn. It was at first known as Lodi, which name was changed to Alaple Park in 1879 or 1880. Heath and Hathorn built a store, which was the first building in the place. James Haines built a house, which became a tavern, and Mr. Watson a store. O. S. and F. T. I\Iiner put up a blacksmith shop in 1854, and B. \\'. Lyon a store in 1855. Within eighteen months after the village was laid out it had a population of over four hundred, and it has since then continued to grow until now a beautiful village of over one thousand people as industrious and intelligent as may be found anywhere fill the once sweeping prairie with modern stores, hotels and factories. Mr. Milton J. Beverly, the present probate clerk, is from this enterprising little city.

We, the president and secretary of the meeting called and held on this thirteenth day of August. A. D. 1850, to see if the legal voters of the village of Lodi, Kane county, will vote to incorporate themselves into a town according to the statute, do hereby certify that the vote was as follows :

Personally appeared this 26th day of November, 1855. John W. Jenkins. John Hathron, Lorin Heath, William Moore and James Hains. elected and ciualified as trustees of the incorporated town of Lodi, Kane county, Illinois, and made oath to deposit in the commissioner's court of the county of Kane the above written statement of the polls and to discharge of all the duties of their office according to the best of their abilities.