Springfield Township

Springfield Township

Previous lo 1S32, the Polownilamic Indians were the only occnpanls or Springfield Township excepi a few 'squatters" at what was afterwards called Union Mills, and nvo or ihrec in the valley of Turkey Creek. The Indians were removed by [he Government in 1S37. The whiles entertained greal fears that they would join Black Hawk, previous to bis being defeated in is;,;, which pui an end to their alarm,

The water power, afterward kno.vn as Union Mills, at ihe conflacnee of Pigeon River and Turkey Creek (from the union of which it look ils name), was purchased by Brawnell al ihe same lime. Oihers, among whom was Judge Wm, S, Premiss, entered land soon afterward, in ihe Fall of 1S32, and in the Winter and Spring of 1S33 ; antl in April ur May of thai year, John Ii. Clark, Jesse Huntsman, Joseph Poos and Ins brother Benjamin. William Seaburn and Win. A Prenliss mei in a log cabin, bnib and abandoned by Samuel Ganthrop, agreed lhai the name of ihc lownship should be Springfield; drew up and senl to Ihc County Commissioners a peiition lo lhat effect, which was granted, and a record thereof made establishing the civil lownship six miles square, being the same territory as the Congressional Township 37 North, Range 11 East.

The firsl and only "grist mill " was built in the Fall of 1831 and Spring of 183;. al the poinl called Union Mills, by Brownell, who sold il a year or two laler lo Drusus Nichols, who retained possession lor a number of years, making many improvements al thai point, where ihe largest village 111 Ihe lownship was buill up. ( leorge Bulmcr buill llic first saw mill m This place in [83a . and another was pul in operation in 1833. in Section 17. higher up <>n I urkey t reel; ; and still another further up the creek, in Seelion 34, by judge Premiss, in 183B.

The first school-house in the lown was built of logs, near ihc norlh end of llrudiy Prairie, on Seelion =0, and the lirsl school was laughl by Otis Slicpardson, in 1835 ; the second by Helen Wheeler, in a log cabin, near llic residence of J. Ii. Clark, in Seelion 2S,

I) rushy Chapel, in IS42. in the southwest corner of Seelion 33 ; and John Lackey and others creeled the second Mclhodist - or Springfield Church -

In is;S. ,1 number of Libernlisls, among whom were Bcnj. Jones, Joseph l"oo> Judge Wm S. Prentiss-, Jesse Huntsman and Harvey Ol instead, buill the Pre- Hall, on Seelion lS, for liberal lectures and Tree discussion on leli^i.m |, ,lnii_al and >cienli(ic subject ; "an, I (says Judge Prentiss in his Annals "> during icveral years, up lo ibis lime, June, 1870. lectures on Spiritualism have b.-cn delivered more frequently than on any other subject."

In 1843, a society, on the plan of Charles Fourier, styled ihc LaGrangc I'lialanv, was formed, and rented buildings on Bcnj. Jones' farm. The principal stockholders were Bcnj. Jones, Jesse Huntsman, Wm. S. Prcnlis;_ Margaret Wadi md Harvej Olmtlead Families who before had been isolated ind found it diffit It lo esTttcali iheii children, if they failed lo carry'

From the " old settlers," we g<:i 1 wo opinions in regard 10 Ihc first postmaster, ,,i,,| .i,,i| ,:iv both, leaving it to those who ein to decide which is correct. From one source we learn il.ai one O' Kartell was connected with Brownell in erecting ihe gri.t mill at Union Mills, and in 1 833, when llic post-office v, u est iblished there, was ihe liisi postmaster; and thai in ihe same year the post-oflicc .11 I. inn was established. From another we are told ihc lirsi |i , i..,iIm.,j was established on Mougo,|uiuotig Prairie - now Lima - i.ilh Ephrnini Seely postmaster : lhai on Ins removing 10 Springfield he look Ihe p Oil- office along with him. and kepi ii for a while at his house in Section 4, and when Drusus Nicholi purchased the mill and creeled bis siore, he became pn.inn.iei - lite ..nice slill retaining the name of Mongoquinong, until, quite rccenlly. it has been changed to Mongo,

Jane Clark, daughter oT John.U. Clark, was ilie drsl while child born ill Hie lownship, June 4, 1831. Mary Prenliss was ihc second, born Oct, 16, 1833.

An Indian trader named Druryn wim probably the lir-i while person that died in this township, Jcssu Huntsman lost iwo children by scarlet fever shortly after.

Ancient mounds are fmiml In lllis township, nod Ihe tooth or a mastodon, of veil large si W, was unearthed on the Prenliss farm, in ihe Valley of Turkey t reek, Il was on a bed of gravel, some twenty inches only from Ihe