Wilson Township

Wilson Township

This town was placed on record in the fall of 1873, by Thomas Snell. Charles S. Lisenbey, James B. Alexander, and James De Land. It was surveyed and platted by the county surveyor, John Brown, in the spring of 1S72, and is described as follows : A part of the S. * of the N. E. ! , and a part of N. -; of the S. E. 4 of section 9, town 19 north, range -t east of the 3d principal meridian. It contains twelve blocks, and four half blocks. There are five streets running north and south, and named as follows : Lvnn, Oak, Chestnut, Walnut, and Ash. The streets extending east and west are, North, Water, Maple, High, and Grove. All lots fronting are 22 feet in width and 175 feet in depth, except corner lots, which are 22J feet front. All other lots are 2.5 feet front and IVo feet deep. All the streets are 80 feet wide, and the alleys 2.5 feet.

The town was named in honor of Lawrence Weldon, a prominent lawyer of Bloomington, who was an attorney of the railroad passing through the town, and took an active part in establishing the road. The first house was a residence, and built by C. S. I-isenbey in 1872, who still occupies it as such. The first goods were sold by Winslow Brothers in 1873. Their store-room was a frame building, 20 x 60 feet, and two stories in height- It was situated between Water and North streets, and wa.s destroyed by fire in the summer of 1879. Their first stock consisted of drugs and groceries, but was subsequently merged into a general assortment of goods. The house was built early in the spring of 1873. John Bennett erected the first hotel in 1874, and was its landlord. The first blacksmithing done was by James Paulson in 187 . His shop was located where C J. Seaburg's carriage factory is now situated. The post-office was established in 1873, and J C. Coulter was the first post-master.

At this time the town contains about two hundred inhabitants, with the appearance of thrift and prosperity on every hand. The buildings, both business houses and residences, are neat for a small country town. There are several new houses in progress of construction, and the village has the general semblance of a prosperous future. The school-house is one of the adornments of the town, and speaks well for the public spirit of the people It is a neat frame building, 24 x 40 feet on the ground, and two stories in height. It was built in 1876, at a cost of about two thousand dollars, and is furnished wiih the latest improved furniture, besides having a cupola and bell. Two teachers are employed, and it is, therefore, partially graded. The maximum attendance is about seventy-five pupils. The town also contains a good church building, which belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Society. It is a new house of fair size, and is adorned with a spire, and situated in the eastern part of the village.

Pkesent Business

Tliere are two elevators in the town, the larger of which is owned by C S. Lisenbey. It was established in the summer of 1881, and is situated on the north switch of the railroad, in the eastern part of the town. It is a frame building, 16 x 40 feet on the ground, and 40 feet in height, and cost, in its erection, about three thousand five hundred dollars. Besides the main building, there is an engine-room and other attachments suitable to the business. It contains five dumps, and a capacity of storing fifteen thousand bushels of grain, besides detached cribs that will hold twenty-five thousand bushels of corn. The capacity for

Wagan iind Carririge Factor;/. - C. J. Seaburg, proprietor. This manufactory was established in the fall of 1874, and is located on the corner of Water and Walnut streets. It is composed of four frame buildings, two of which are two stories in height, and 22 x 30 feet on the ground. The blacksmith »hop is one story, and 20 x 70 feet, and the machine shop 20 x 26 feet. The works give employment to seven men, and are operated by steam power. The estimated value of annual production manufactured is fifteen thousand dollars.

]\'eldon Lodge, No. 746. - A. F. and A. M. Chartered Oct. 3, 1876, with the following charter officers : James R. Heskett, W. M. ; F. A. Winslow, S. W. ; James Danison, J. W. ; John Bosserman, Treas. ; Worship Gray, Sec ; William Hodge, S. D. ; A M. Drew, J. D. ; William Smith, Tyler.

On the 4th of June, 1879, the hall of the order was destroyed by fire, including the records, jewels and furniture. From that time until the summer of 1881, the Lodge held its communications in the Public school building. Within the last summer - 1881 - the fraternity have erected a good building, costing seven hundred and fifty dollars. The Lodge, at this writing, is somewhat in debt, owing to their misfortunes, but will soon be able to throw oS" their load, and stand free from all indebtedness.

Biographical Sketches

Was one of the prominent farmers and busiuess men of De Witt county. He was born in Monroe county, Kentucky, January 30, 1822, the eldest son in a family of seven children, two sons and five daughters.

The Lisenbey family are of English descent on the paternal side, and on the maternal side Irish. His grandfather, Abraham Lisenbey, was born in North Carolina, and married Rebecca LyoB, a native of Tennessee, in which State Beajamin G. Lisenbey and Margaret Simpson his wife - the father and mother of the subject of this sketch - were aho born, but subsequentlj' removed, in the early part of this century, to Kentucky. Benjamin G- Lisenbey brought his family to Sangamon county. Ills., when Charles S. was but little more than six years of age ; and, two years later (in 1830), settled in what is now Creek Township, De Witt county.

Charles S. was industrious and persevering, and his life from youth to age was one of almost incessant labor ; and the slight education he received was obtained in the district schools. While living with his father, he improved for himself a farm in Creek

Township, preparatory to his marriage ; and on the 4th of March, 1847, he married Miss Eliza A. McKinley, a native of Ohio, and daughter of Wm. and Susan McKinley of Farmer City (formerly called Mount Pleasant\ this county.

Mr. Lisenbey acquired considerable property, owning onefourth of the entire town of Weldon, which place he took an active part in laying out and first settling; and his farm lands in the immediate neighborhood consisted in the aggregate of over one thousand acres.

He filled the official position of supervisor from Nixon township several terms. Politically, he consistently adhered to the democratic party. In 1881 he erected an elevator at Weldon, and, with the assistance of his two sons, carried on an extensive business there as lumber, grain, and coal merchants. He was a very industrious, enterprising, liberal man, and enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his friends and neighbors. His death occurred Jan. 23, 1882, leaving his wife, two sons and three daughters to survive him.

Whose portrait appears above, was born in Greene county. Ills. Feb. 19, 1845. His parents were Wm. and Alzena B. Costley. His father was a farmer, a native of Illinois, of Scotch-Irish extraction. He served in the Mexican War. He died November 3d, 1851. Mrs. Alzena B. Costley, nee Brown, was a Kentuckian by birth, and belonged to the family of that name who early settled in Greene and adjoining counties. She is yet living. The subject of this sketch received a fair common-school education, chiefly in Sangamon county. Although young in years when the war broke out, he was patriotic, and in the month of January, 1863, he enlisted in Company "D," Twenty-sixth Eegiment Illinois Infantry. With his command he was in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Chickamauga, Resaca, Dallas, !N'ew Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, and through the Atlanta Campaign, with Sherman, to the Sea, winding up his military career at Washington, D. C, where he participated in the Grand Review. He was discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, July 20th, 1865. He was united in marriage to Miss Maggie B. Johnson, an Indianian, December 7, 1865. By this union there have been born five children, two sons and three daughters, namely : Minnie Frances, John Lewis, Mary Ada, Lucy Jane, and Charles Irvin. Mr. Costley is now engaged in farming near the village of Weldon. He began life a poor boy, and by exertion and industry has attained a competency in life. In politics he is a straightforward, outspoken Republican, as he always has been, his first vote having been cast for Abraham Lincoln. He is an active member of the Knights of Pythias, in whose work he takes great interest.

hllS township contains twenty-four sections, about one-eighth of which is timber-land, the remainder being prairie, and of the deep, rich soil peculiar to the character of this land in central Illinois. The surface of the latter is gently undulating, while that of the timber is more or less broken. Sections 36, 25, and 2+ are mainly timber, the soil being of a light grayish color, and more or less mixed with clay and gravel. For wheat it is unexcelled in this part of the state. All the township lying west of the sections above mentioned is prairie. The north branch of Salt creek enters in the south-east corner of section 25, takes a south-westerly direction and passes out in the south-west corner of section 36. It is along, or near, this stream that the timberbelt lies. The timber is light and scattering, but the appearances are that in a time antedating the settlement of the county, timber of a good quality grew on and near the banks of this stream. A small stream called Long Point creek cuts across the extreme north-west part of the township, but there is no appearance of timber. Indeed, this is one of the prairie townships of the county, and among one of the last settled, the first settlers always stopping in the timber-belts. Several flue springs abound in the western part of the township. There are two springs situated near each other about the center of section 13 ; one in section 25, on the farm of J. Walters, and another in the north-east of section 23. Artificial drainage, by means of tiling, is coming largely into vogue, and it can only be a question of time when Wilson township will stand among the first in the county. It is situated in the northern central part, and bounded on the north by McLean county, on the east by Rutledge township, on the south by Harp, and on the west by Wapella.

First Settlements

The first to settle in this township was a young unmarried man by the name of Fox. He was a native of Kentucky, and in the summer of 1834 he erected a small pole cabin in section 35, on the premises now owned by James A. Wilson, county treasurer. Fox was a mere squatter intending to take a pre-emption right to his land, but in the fall, John Lash offered him S60 for his improvement, which Fox accepted. He afterwards went to parts unknown. Joshua Dale came from Kentucky about the same time as Fox, and settled in section 36. He remained but a short time, when he moved further west. At this time - in the fall of 1834 - there was quite a little settlement made, as follows: Thomas Wilson and his brother Edward, Jacob Walters, John Lash, Michael Troutman, and John Guittman. Of these there were but three heads of families, among them Thomas Wilson, Walters and Lash.

The former was a native of Ohio, and moved his family here with a four-horse covered-wagon. The family then consisted of his wife and eight children, Joseph, Alice, John, Aaron, Mary, Asa, Sally and Peter. He settled in section 34, and the fall following entered the S. E. 1 of the S. E. 1 of the above section. Four other children were afterwards born to the family, Rachel, Harriet, Caroline and Andrew. But three of the family are now living, Asa, who resides in this town.ship, and Andrew and Peter in Harp. Mr. Wilsou at his death - November 1862 - owned about 1700 acres of land. Mrs. Wilson died about six years ago.

Edward Wilson, brother of Thomas, came a single man, but in 1837, married Miss Martha Vandeveuter, settling in section 35. They reared a large family, there being nine children, James A , Thomas, Rachel M., Robert N., Sarah M., I. L., Mahala D., Ada L., and Mary, five of whom are residing in this township. James A., county treasurer, lives in Clinton. Jacob AValters was born in Pa. He moved with his parents to Ohio in 1804, when he was but four years old. At the age of 22 he married Phebe Batison, the daughter of a Revolutionary soldier. He moved with his family to Illinois in the year before stated, and located in section 36. At this time his family consisted of his wife and four children, Alfred, Sarah, Mary and Jacob. Seven other children have since been born to them, as follows : Susanna, Rachel, Eli, Melvina, John, Louisa, and Phebe. Mr. Walters left his family at Randolph Grove, McLeau county, until he had prepared a comfortable log-house to move into. Since which time, he has lived on the old farm, but extending his acres and making improvements in keeping with the times. He is yet living, and is active for one of his years, being eighty-one years of age. Mrs. Walters died in 1870. Seven years afterward Mr. Walters married Martha Beard, who is yet living with him at the old homestead. Alfred Walters, the first-born of Jacob, came here from Ohio with his fiither, and was then a mere lad. He married Nancy Lamb in about 1856. They are now residing in section 24, and have three children. John Lash also came from Ohio, and located in section 26. His family consisted of his wife and eight children. October 23d, 1835, he entered the W. -} of the S. E. i of the above section. He remained here until 1856, when he moved with his family to the state of Kansas. There is but one of his representatives now residing in the county, a grand-daughter, and the wife of Noah Wilson, who lives on the fixrm of James A. Wilson in section 25. Michael Troutman and John Guittman, both single men, were tramping West with packs on their backs and fell in with the Wilson pioneers in the eastern part of Indiana, and kept with them until their arrival in this township. The former lived a bachelor until he was about sixty years of age, but, in the meantime, had succeeded in amassing quite a property, at which time he married and had a family of three daughters. He died in 1875. His wife and daughters now reside in the township. Guittman was a native of Germany. He squatted in section 35, a part of which he entered in 1835. He afterwards married and brought up a family, but about 1856, sold his possessions to Troutman, and moved to Kansas. Another pioneer, William Palmer, came from Ohio in the spring of 1835, and entered in section 36, the E. i of the N. K. i. The fall following he moved here with his family and located on his land.

He died in 1850, his wife preceding him. None of the family are residing in the county. Spencer Turner came to the county in 1834, and .settled near Waynesville, and subsequently moved to this township. His wife'i name was Nancy Hoblitt, daughter of one of the oldest families in central Illinois. Mr. Turner located in section 19. Both are living at the old homestead, and have reared a family of ten children, seven daughters and three sons, seven of whom now reside in the township. John L. Lewis was a native of Maryland, and migrated to Illinois in an early day. After leaving his native state he went first to Ohio, and from there came to this part of the state, and settled in section '24. He was twice married, there being six children from the first marriage, and three from the latter. Only one of the children, Elizabeth, wife of Solomon Johnson, is now residing in the township. Two other children live in the county. G. W. resides in Rutledge, and S. E. in De Witt.

Among other early settlers are Martha A. Livingston, Joseph K. .Scogin, residing in section 41, and William T. Turner, born in the county, and now residing in the same section. The first land entries were made in 1835, and are as follows: April 2oth, W. Palmer entered the E. J of the N. E. 1 of section 36. October 10th, Thomas Wilson entered the S. E. } of the S. E. 1 section 34. Jacob Walters entered, October 23d, the W. » of the S. E. i section 36. John Lash at the same time entered E. I of the S. W. i of the same section. December 3d, John Guittman entered the S. W. 1 of the S. E. i section 35. December 15, J. Dale entered the S. E. 1 of the S. E. i of section 36. October 29th, 1836, Edward Wilson entered S. E. i of the S. W. 1 of section 35.

The experience of these pioneers with regard to early privations and hardships was similar to those of their neighbors of the adjoining townships and country. Their first milling could only be had by going several miles north of Wapella, in the edge of Rock Creek timber. This mill was a little horse concern, and owned by Lewis Wilson. Every customer was obliged to furnish his own horse to grind with. The mill had the capacity of turning out only about ten bushels daily, and often parties would have to remain a day or two in order to get a sack of corn ground. Jlr. Jacob Walters informed the writer that when he came in 1834, there were many buffiilo skeletons scattered over the prairies and through the timbers ; that the wolves were so plentiful and bold that they would come up to the very doors of the cabins and snatch up a pig, and successfully make off with it. The dogs could manage the prairie-wolves, but the big gray fellows from the timber were too much for them. In the language of one of the pioneers, '' If one of their best and most conceity dogs tackled one of the timber wolves, he would be wooled all over and come out of the fracas looking as though he had passed through a flint-mill."

The first ground broken and the first crop raised was by Jacob Walters and John Lash ; the former being in section 36, and the latter in section 35. This was in 1835. They raised only about ten aci'es of corn each, and this was a fair crop. Their nearest market was Pekin, but to purchase some articles they were obliged to go to Chicago. To make this trip it took twelve days with horses, and with oxen fourteen days, camping out in the meantime.

The first marriage rite solemnized was in 1837, the contracting parties being Edward Wilson and Martha Vandeventer - the parents of James A. Wilson, present county treasurer. The first child born was Amanda, daughter of John Lash, in the summer of 1835. The first death occurred in the spring of 1839. It was

Louisa, a young daughter of Jacob Walters. She was buried in section 26, on the land of Mr. Walters. This was the first interment, and established the cemetery in the township. Mr. W. has offered to donate an acre of ground to the public for this purpose. It has been surveyed, but at this writing the numbers or description of property have not been furnished the donor, hence no deed has been executed. Over a hundred persons have been buried here, and there are several good monuments, showing that thoughtful care has been given to the dead. There is but one other cemetery in the township, and it is situated at Rucker chapel in section 24.

The first school was taught in 1837. The school house was a little frame building, built by Jonathan Farmer and Jacob Walters, and situated in section 35. It has passed away with the things that were. Rolla Richards preached the first sermon in 1835, at the log-house of Thomas Wilson. Rev. Watt was also a pioneer preacher. The first and only church built in the township was by the M. E. denomination about 1868. It is a plain frame building, 30x40 feet in size, and situated nearly in the centre of section 24. William Walden was the first Justice of the Peace, and Charles Cain the second, both representative men of the township. Dr. Moran was the first to practice medicine. He then resided in McLean county, but afterwards moved to Springfield. The first blacksmithing was done by Isaiah Wilson, brother of Thomas and Edward. This was in 1837. His shop was a pole-cabin, and situated in section 35. He afterwards moved to McLean county, where he followed the trade until his death, which occurred about 1856. Jacob Walters was the neighborhood shoemaker and cobbler for many years, and manufactured the boots and shoes for the pioneers for several miles around. It was the custom for the person having the work done to furnish the leather, and the shoemaker to charge only for making. Each head of a family then purchased leather for his family's use, the same as he did salt or other necessities. Ttie first fine cattle were introduced by Thomas Wilson in 1850, and were brought from Kentucky ; they were the short-horn Durham breed. At this writing, James Walden and James A. Wilson are the prominent stock-raisers. The former is one of the leading stock-men in the county.

The following are the persons who have represented the township in the Board of Supervisors since its organization : Charles S- Cain was elected in 1S59, and served one term. J. K. Davis was elected in 1850. Luther S. Hubble elected in 1861, and served two terms. John Johnson elected in 1863, and served three terms. J. K. Davis reelected in 1S66, served one term. W. M. Smith elected in 1867. James A. Wilson was elected in 1868, and served until 1872. J. A. Lemert elected in 1872,and served two terms. James A. Wilson was re-elected in 1874. C. S. Cain elected in 1875. James A. Wilson re-elected in 1876. Thomas Cain elected in 1S77. T. W. Cain elected in 1878. Nicholas Foley was elected in 1879, and served two terms. Henry Brittain elected in 1881, and is the present incumbent.

Wilson, although not among the first settled, is making rapid strides towards competing in improvements with her sister townships. It contains six school districts, two miles square, and each is supplied with a good school-house. The roads are laid out, mainly, on the section lines, and are kept in fair condition. The population for the last 20 years is as follows : 1860, 314 ; 1870, 640; more than doubled in one decade ; 1880,666. The farms are well improved, and the farm-houses and barns are in keeping with the times. The township received its name from the Wilsons, who were pioneers, and among the most prominent citizens.

Biographical Sketch Jacob Walters

Jacob Walters, one of the oldest settlers in Dc Witt county, was born in Pennsylvania in 1801. His father and mother (Andrew and Sarah Walters), were also natives of that stat". Jacob was the second child in a family of ten children(five boys and five girls). When he was about seven years of age, viz. in 1808, his parents removed to Ohio, and settled upon a farm in Perry county, of that state, and in the subscription schools extant at that time the subject of this sketch obtained his education, which was necessarily of a limited character, for most of his boyhood days were passed in hard work upon his father's farm.

In 1824, J. Walters was married to Miss Phiebe Bateson of Ohio, by whom he has a family often children, all of them married and living; at the present time. He and his family removed from Ohio, to De Witt county in 1833, and settled i as was then the custom) in the timber upon the site of his parent's home, in the south-east corner of Wilson township.

At that time the county was but sparsely settled, and both energy and courage were reijuired to battle with the numerous obstacles to a successful and peaceful rural existence, and these qualifications Jacob Walters undoubtedly possessed, which, perhaps, the following anecdote partly illustrates.

About two years after IMr. Walters came to this county, accompanied l)y his neighbor Thomas (or Tomm)') Wilson and three boys, he came upon a wolf's-den on the prairie three miles from the timber ; the boys were sent home for the dogs, guns, etc. in order to dispatch the wolf family for the sake of the bounty, then paid by the county for a wolf-s scalp- As soon as the boys had departed the wolf-dam, who had been lingering near, started hastily for another point in the timber, and as Mr. Walters expressed to his friend, - to fetch assistance, - he was right in his conjecture for in a short time she returned at full speed in company with two very large gray wolves, and the three side by side with rutHed fur, gleaming eyes, and snapping jaws, made straight for the hapless hunters - the courage and presence of luind displayed by Mr. Walters undoubtedly saved their lives - instead of running away as doubtless some would have done, he rushed towards them, shouting and clapping his hands - the ferocious beasts stopped at a short distance from him, and squatting snapped their jaws together in rage evidently surprised, and hesitating to attack, he kept them at bay in this manner until the boys returned, when their dogs scared them out of range; the cubs were however secured and the five dollars bounty obtained for each of them.

Jlr. Walters by his diligence and industry was at one time the owner of a thousand acres of prairie land, in addition to his home farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which (with the exception of the latter) he has from time to time distributed amongst his children. Jlrs. Pho-be Walters died in 1870. in her 66th, year. Seven years later in February 1877, .Jacob Walters was married to his present wife, who was a Miss Martha Baird. the daughter of Wm. L and Martha G. Baird, the former of Kentucky, the latter of Virginia. Miss Martha was born in Kentuckv, but at the time of her marriage was a resident of Woodford county, Illinois.

Mr. Walters has never sought an official position in the county, preferring to bestow his entire business ability upon a farming life. In politics he is a democrat and cast his first vote for Jackson, in 1829 His faith is that of the Presbyterian church, while Mrs. W. is a member of the Christian denomination.

In spite of his eighty-one years, Mr. Walters is yet an active man, as full of life and energy as most men of seventy, and bids fair to live many years yet, honored and respected, as he has been in the past.