History of Iroquois County

Citation preview

64'

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COVER PICTURE The

picture

Courthouse

in

on the Front cover Middleport.

of

is

Planning for

the

this

Old

build-

ing began in 1843 and construction completed in 1847. It

was 40

brick. is

two

feet square,

high and made of Old Courthouse today stood, which is one block stories

All that remains of the

the square on which

it

west of W'estside school.

Two design.

official seals are also

One

placed on

all

is

the

official

replica of this seal

is

displayed in the cover

Iroquois

County Seal

documents

house on Cherry Street

tennial Seal

seal

is

in

the

official

auNois nsTQBiCAi

-

in

the old court-

Watseka.

and used throughout

Price

is

A

on the west wall of the center

hallway above the spiral staircase

The other

that

of the County.

Illinois Illinois

mm

$2.00 Per Copy

Sesquicen-

during 1968.

History of Iroquois

County

Compiled by

JOHN DOWLING Social

Studies Teacher

Watseka Community High School

Af^:

Published

by

County Board of Supervisors ROBERT R. HOLDEN, Chairman

Iroquois

Table of Contents Pages Introduction

3

Acknowledgements

4

Map

^

County

of Iroquois

6

Iroquois County Board of Supervisors

Iroquois County Board

Picture of

7

of Supervisors

Historv of Iroquois County

8-23

-

Historv of Individual Townships

24-121

-----

-

Artesia

-4

-

Ash Grove

-

-5

-

-

Ashkum

27

-

Beaver Beaverville

-

Belmont

38

--

-

34

-

-

Chebanse Concord

29

—

-

--

-

-

-

48

-

Crescent

--

Danforth

51

-

-

-

-

53

-

-

54

Douglas Fountain Creek

-

-

-

69

.--

-

-

Middleport

84

-

-

Milks Grove

87

-

..-

88

.-

Papineau

93

-

-

Pigeon Grove

98

--

Green

-

-

-

104

-

Ridgeland Sheldon

107 -

-

-.-

-

Stockland Picture of

110 115

Old Court House

121

122

Iroquois Countv' Historical Society Picture of Officers of Historical Society Historical Photo

74 78

-

Milford

Prairie

65

-

-

-

-

Martinton

62

-

-

Loda Love Joy

59

-

Iroquois

Onarga

44

Album

-

122 123

Introduction

The Iroquois County Board of Supervisors presents this History of Iroquois Countij to the citizens of Iroquois County as part of our observance of the Ilhnois Sesquicentennial. Each township supervisor was responsible

for the history of his

For the most part the individual township of these articles WTitten by different individuals. ship.

town-

histories are the result

The

responsibility of

bring about some uniformity among them. Deletions were necessary in some cases, and, where additional information was felt necessary, Beckwith's History of Iroquois County have tried to be was the primary source used to provide this material. as factual as possible and hope we have made the minimum number of errors possible in a publication of this nature. this

writer

was

to

edit these histories

to

We

Much of the material in the general history of Iroquois County was taken from The History and Geography of Iroquois County, a booklet prepared by Mr. Ralph Moore of Watseka in 1956.

Acknowledgments indeed grateful to the Iroquois County Board of SuperpubHcation possible. It has been a rewarding and educational experience. A special thanks goes to the Sesquicentennial Committee of the Board of Supervisors which included Cecil Hamilton as Chairman and Bernard Fleming, Robert Holden, Mrs. \Mlliam Fox, Ernest This author

visors for

Ross,

is

making

and Robert

this

Sproull.

Others who have contributed their efforts are Mrs. Vera Jacobs, \\ho proofread the material, Miss Sue Dubble and Miss Judy Stutsman, the typists, and my wife, Reta, for her cover design and her patience and assistance in the trials and tribulations in preparing this manuscript. Persons contributing townships histories were; Mrs. John Crist, Mr. Robert Holden, Mr. C. Walsh, Mrs. Charles Healev, Mr. Harrv Swanson, Mrs. Tylla Landes, Mrs. Theodore Pierce, Mrs. Clara Cerman, Mr. T. Landes, Mrs. Mae Gelmers, Mrs. Bertha Reeves, Mrs. Rella Boyden. Mr. Ralph Moore, Mrs. John Bartell, Mr. G. M. Buchan, Mr. Henry Schleef, Mr. Bernard Fleming, Mr. Gil Johnson, Mr. William C. Merkle, Mrs. Marvin Craig, Mr. Robert C. Brouillette, Mrs. Vincent Poskin and Mr. Francis Lareau. Countv Clerk Herb Lietz prepared the material pertaining to the Board of Supervisors and Mrs. Marvin Craig contributed the article on the Historical Societv.

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