Waltham Township

Waltham Township

Township 34, Range 2, and the town of Waltham are in territory and boundaries identical. With the exception of asmall grove on the Percomsoggin in the southwest part of the town, it is all prairie.

Thomas Burnham settled in the extreme sonthwest corner in 1834, Some others came in that locality in 1834, but the firston Waltham Ridge was Joncsand others, in 1838, and it peopled slowly till after 1850, when it filled up rapidly in common with all the prairie towns, The principal part of the town is high, rolling and desirable land, and is mostly coyered with first class improvements. The town has no railroad, but it has 2 good and convenient market at Utica and La Salle, sending its products to market by cheap canal transportation. There is a French settlement of considerable numbers in the northeast part of the town, and anumber of Scotch in the northwest. Several of the early settlers on Waltham Ridge were from Waltham, Mass, hence thename.

Thomas Burnham, and wife, Olimena Clark, of Granby, Mass., came from Lisbon, Ct, and settled on the Illinois bottom, opposite Rockwell, in July, 1833. The family were all sick. David Letts moved them to Cedar Point, where they made a claim. In September, 1834, he sold to Lewis Waldoand moved on to 8. 30, T. 34, R. 2, now the town of Waltham. He filled the offices of Justice of the Peace und County Commissioner for several years. He died in May, 1845. He and his wife and aged father were buried on the farm, but have been removed to Oakwood Cemetery, La Salle, and a sister has placed a stone to their memory. Mr. Burnham was the first settler ; erected the first dwelling, broke the first prairie, and raised the first crop in the town of Waltham. He left two sons: John, the first male child,

Hannah Burnham, sister of Thomas, now the oldest settler in the town, lives with Alfred I. Hartshorn, aged 70. She came with her brother. in 1833.

Stephen A. Jones, from Waltham, Mass, in 1837; settled on S. 8, T. 34, R. 2; is still living where he first settled. He married Catharine Brewster, of Pawlet, Vt., in 1852; has two cons and one daughter, Willie, Fanny and Charles, all at home.

Massachusetts; settled on 8. 4, in 1838. He went East to be married in 1840, and was accidentally shot. George Nye, from Plaintield, Connecticut, one of the Rockwell colony; settled on 8. 4, in 1840 ; died 1865. His widow now lives in Homer. One son in Towa, and one daughter, the wife of William Dana, is in Waltham.

Barzillai Bishop came from Connecticut ; his wife was Elizabeth Allen, from Lisbon, Connecticut; settled on S, 20 in 1836 ; died soon after.

Amelia Harkness, lives at Buckley, IL ; Willis, in Nebraska ; Manning, married Elizabeth Coll, now of Nebraska ; Marietta, married Mr. Hartshorn.