Medicine Township

Medicine Township

Medicine township is the smallest township in Livingston county, containing only thirty land sections. It is located in the northeast corner of the county and comprises one half of Congressional township 59, in range 22, together with a strip one mile and one half in width off the east side of 59-23. All of the west sections in 59-22 are a mile and one-half in width, thus making the township six miles by five miles in area. Two streams flow through the township in a southerly direction. Medicine creek flows through the western section of the township and Muddy creek through the eastern part and at some points close to the Linn county line. South of the south line of the township these creeks unite. Many excellent farms are found in this township, the soil is equal to the best in the county. Thousands of head of cattle and hogs are marketed from this township annually. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway passes thrugh this township from north to south. Medicine township was not settled or the land made subject to entry until 1840. The few pioneer settlers lived independently on claims without assessors or tax collectors to molest them. The first settler in the township was William J. Wallace, who built a log cabin on the northwest quarter section, 7-59-22 in 1837. ^^^ having legally entered the land he abandoned it about two years later. Mrs. Elizabeth Yates, a widowed sister of Wallace, then located on the land. Among the early settlers in this township were Elizabeth Yates, W. J. Wallace, William Douglas, J. C. White, John H. Perkins, David Kimble, Reuben Perkins, Thomas Ray, Chapman Lightner, James Lightner, John J. Jordan, John Brown and Robert Phillips. The township was organized May 5, 1868.