HISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
LYMAN TOWNSHIP
At a meeting of the board of supervisors held September 9, 1867, a
petition was presented them for the purpose of having a new township erected
out of that part of the township of Brenton, described as town 25 north,
range 9 east of the third principal meridian. The board finding that the
commissioners had complied with the requirements of the law, granted the
petition. The township took its name, or was named after its first resident
settler, Samuel Lyman, who settled in the northeast corner of the township,
on section 2, in the year 1856. The township is bounded on the north by
Brenton township, on the east by Iroquois county, south by Wall township,
and on the west by Peach Orchard township and the county of Livingston. The
first town meeting was held in school district No. 2, on the 7th day of
April, and at this meeting the following township officers were elected:
Samuel Woodward, supervisor; A. M. Haling, town clerk; Daniel Woodward,
collector; A. V. Burcham, assessor; A. V. Burcham, James Roberts and P. S.
Gose, highway commissioners; Samuel Woodward and T. A. Ireland, justices of
the peace; Daniel Woodward and Daniel Althen, constables.
At the same meeting, they voted to divide the township into four road
districts and nine school districts.
In 1857 a colony of Connecticut people settled in this township, taking
seven thousand acres. The following men composed the colony: R. A.
Hungerford, S. K. Marston, Dr. Babcock, B. Marston, Edmond Havens, William
S. Rossey, William Bentley, Daniel Hutchinson, Enoch Morgan, Moses Morgan,
Theophilus Morgan, A. C. Maxon, Henry Dennis, Robert Eggleston, Samuel
Birdsley, I. N. Newton, N. C. Ball, James Sellick, W. S. Larkin, Lyman Peck,
Reuben R. Pearson. The first child born in the township was Rosa Bushor. The
first marriage celebrated was in the spring of 1860. James Crow and Kate
Birdsley were the contracting parties. The first death was Mrs. Henry
Dennis, who was buried on the A. M. Peck farm, section 4.
A blacksmith shop was built on section 10, by Samuel Birdsley, at an early
date.
The schoolhouse in district No. 9 was built in 1866, and Miss Anna Coswell
was the first teacher.
The first teacher in school district No. 4 was Effie Maxon. In district 5,
William W. Graham was the first teacher, and Mrs. S. K. Marston in school
No. 1.
ROBERTS
In 1873 the village suffered a severe loss by fire, but with true American
enterprise the injured firms rebuilt and now the town is one of the most
flourishing in the county.
The Methodist church was first started by a Mr. Pierce, a Welshman, who
lived near Oliver's Grove and preached all over this section of the country
in private houses and schoolhouses at an early day. The first preacher sent
here by conference was a Mr. Henry in 1871. He preached in the Graham
schoolhouse. A Sunday school was organized, with Mr. Van Steenbergh
superintendent. Meetings were held in the schoolhouse in Roberts the
following year. When the hall was built in 1875 services were held there
until the Methodist Episcopal church was dedicated January 22, 1882, by G.
W. Gue, presiding elder.
The Congregational church was organized in 1875 under the name of the First
Congregational church of Roberts. A Congregational church organization
existed in this township as early as 1867. In 1875 two separate bodies grew
out of the old one, one locating at Thawville, Iroquois county, and the
other at Roberts. Services were held in the schoolhouse and town hall until
1879, when steps were taken to erect a house of worship, which was completed
and dedicated during the summer of 1880.
A German Evangelical church is located on the northeast quarter of section
34, surrounded and supported by a thriving German settlement.
The following sketches are of early settlers, and some of the prominent
business men who have lived in Lyman township:
Samuel Lyman, the first settler, was born in Southampton, Massachusetts,
July 16, 1811, and moved to Ford county, Illinois, in 1856. He bought two
hundred and thirty acres on section 2, where he lived until 1869. He moved
to Onarga, Iroquois county, and lived there until his wife died. He then
came to Paxton and made his home with his son, Samuel B. Lyman, or "Burt" as
he was familiarly called, who was sheriff of Ford county for eight years.
James Roberts, farmer, was born in Sussex county, England, 1816. His father
died when he was eight years old, leaving James to shift for himself and
earn a penny at anything he could do. In 1843 he married Elizabeth Gilbert,
of England, by whom he had three children. Mr. Robert came to this country
in 1851, and to Lyman township, section 32, in 1858, becoming the owner of
two hundred acres of land.
Albert M. Haling was born in Hartford county, Connecticut, September 30,
1820. He came to Lyman township in 1866, purchasing twelve hundred acres of
land in fractional section 3, at eight dollars per acre. He made a resurvey
of the section, calling it "Haling's Subdivision." He sold it in 1870 and
bought four hundred and eighty acres in sections 10 and 11, where he erected
the finest house in the township, which afterward belonged to J. L.
Shorthose. Mr. Haling was married to Lucy A. Groves, of Ellington,
Connecticut, by whom he had five children, namely: E. S., Frank W., Kate A.,
Clarence A. and Lucy A., all born in Connecticut. Mr. Haling was first town
clerk and second supervisor of the township, and in 1874, was elected
representative of the eighteenth congressional district of Illinois.
E. S. Haling was born in Hartford county, Connecticut, October 4, 1850, and
came here with his father in April, 1866.
Edward Van Steenbergh, one of the most extensive farmers of this township,
was born in Ulster county, New York, in 1814. He came to this township in
1871, settling on section 28, owning six hundred and forty acres, and
annually shipped large quantities of hay to Chicago.
The Hurst Family is among the earliest settlers of Lyman township. Joseph
and Mary Hurst came to this country from England in 1847, settling in New
Jersey, where Mr. Hurst died in 1849. Mrs. Mary Hurst came west and settled
on section 30, this township. She died in 1875. Helen and Hannah (maiden
ladies) afterward owned the old homestead. One of the children, Ann, lived
in Gloucester, New Jersey.
William Hurst was born in 1838 and came to Ford county in 1855, becoming the
owner of land in section 30. He married Mary, daughter of James Roberts.
Joseph Hurst was born July 8, 1834, in Edgerton, England. Coming to this
western country, he settled in Bureau county, where he lived for several
years and married Miss Harriett Harvey, by whom he had ten children. Coming
to Lyman township in 1858, he bought two sections of land from the Illinois
Central Railroad Company, but poor crops and hard times came and Mr. Hurst
became very poor. His main dependence was a shot-gun, which was taken from
him on execution; the officer, repenting the act, returned the gun. Mr.
Hurst often spoke of this, to show the contrast from that day to the day
when he owned three hundred and twenty acres, one mile from Roberts, under
excellent cultivation.
Amos C. Maxon was born in the town of Lyme, state of Connecticut, in 1821.
At the age of fourteen years, he went on board ship with Captain Chadwick,
making three voyages a year for seven years. He came to Ford County in 1858,
settling on section 14. He was married to Phoebe E. Pierson, of Connecticut,
in 1851, and six children were born to them. Mr. Maxon was one of the colony
that came to this county from Connecticut.
M. Cassingham, M. D., was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, in 1841. In 1845,
he came to Kendall county, Illinois, living there several years. He moved to
Grundy county, and later to Ford county, settling at Roberts in 1871. He
graduated from the Rush Medical College, Chicago, in 1874. In 1862 he
married Miss Ellen Cullen, of Canada.
Ora W. Cassingham was born in Grundy county, Illinois, in 1854. He came to
Roberts in 1880, to engage in the drug business with his brother, Dr.
Cassingham. For several years he followed the map publishing business,
meeting with good success. September 26, 1883, he married Elmira, daughter
of Lyeurgus Burns, of Roberts.
Charles O. Hayes, a native of Clinton county, New York, came to Kendall
county, Illinois, in 1855, where he lived until 1861, then moved to McLean
county. He came to Roberts and opened the Glencoe Hotel in 1881. He kept a
good hotel and obtained a full share of the traveling public. In 1859 he was
married to Lusina Alford, of Clinton county, New York, by whom he had four
children.
Chris Anderson, a native of Scotland, bought a farm in this county in 1865.
He farmed until 1872 and then went into partnership with J. A. Montelius and
George Campbell. In 1874 Mr. Montelius sold out to the other partners, who
continued doing a general merchandise and grain business. In 1876 George
Campbell went to Piper City and engaged in the banking business, and Mr.
Anderson remained in Roberts. In 1881 he bought out the banking business of
J. B. Meserve. He was married to Mary Martin, of Marshall county, Illinois,
by whom he had seven children, all girls.
William B. Flora was born in Campbell county, Kentucky, in 1844. In 1868 he
settled in Iroquois county, Illinois. He opened a store in this place in
1872 and, in company with E. O. Newman, carried on a good mercantile
business. In 1874 he married Mary Jane Newman, of Kentucky. They had five
children. Later he moved to Paxton, where he is and has been county clerk
for several years.
E. B. Beighle was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1836,
and came to Lyman township in November, 1869.
William Hough Bond and James Bond were born in Manchester, England. William
was born February 14, 1841, and James, February 11, 1844. William came to
Lyman township in 1866, and soon afterward engaged in farming. They both
became the owners of fine farms.
Charles Ringeisen was born in Germany, July 25, 1844. He came to Ford county
in 1881, and became an active farmer in Lyman township.
Arthur Swanick was born in County Mayo, Ireland, September 16, 1832. He came
to New York state in 1855; to Illinois in 1862; and to this township in
1872, becoming the owner of eighty acres in section 6.
Patrick McQuillen, a native of Ireland, came to Ford county in 1868, and
settled in section 32, Lyman township.
John Hummel was born in Germany, August 7, 1834. He emigrated to America and
settled in Illinois in 1854; settled in Lyman township in 1869, and engaged
in farming.
George E. Reynolds was born in Knox county, Illinois, November 12, 1859. He
moved to Lyman township in the spring of 1881 and engaged in agricultural
pursuits.
Samuel Shute was born in Gloucester county, New Jersey, October 19, 1821. He
moved to this township in 1868 and became the owner of eight hundred and
twenty acres.
John Roberts was born March 23, 1835, in Sussex county, England. He came to
this county in 1859 and settled on section 32, Lyman township.
Nicholas Hummel was born in Germany, September 18, 1836. He came to Lyman
township and settled on section 5.
I. C. Newman, a native of Madison county, Ohio, came to Illinois in 1852,
and to this township in 1867, becoming the owner of a farm in section 8,
where he engaged in farming and stock-raising.
Robert H. Gresham was born in Christian county, Kentucky, September 6, 1848.
He came to this state in 1850, and to Ford county in 1882.
John Crawford was born in Albany county, New York, in 1841. He came to the
state of Illinois in 1865, and to Ford county in 1871, where he became the
owner of a good farm in section 2, Lyman township.
H. M. Wilcox was born in Stockbridge, Oneida county, New York. He left the
state and came to Illinois in 1868, becoming the owner of a large farm and
carrying on a dairy business.
John Cook was born in Germany in 1843. He emigrated to America in 1867, and
settled in Illinois in 1879, becoming the owner of a fine farm in section
13.
B. F. Iler was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1848. He settled in Lyman
township in 1874.
Charles Fellwock, a native of Germany, came to this country to better his
condition. He settled in Ford county in 1867, becoming the owner of a good
farm in section 35.
George Minch was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, in 1847, where he lived
until 1881, when he moved to Wall township, where he became the owner of the
northeast quarter of section 3; also two hundred and forty acres on section
22, this township. He was married in 1869.
F. W. Halling, traveling salesman, was born in Tolland county, Connecticut,
January 13, 1854, and came to Illinois in April, 1866.
Prince Tobev, born in New York state in 1820, came to Ford county, Illinois,
in 1865.
Extracted 06 Jun 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Ford County, Illinois, Volume 1, pages 170-177.
