HISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
PEACH ORCHARD TOWNSHIP
September 15, 1868, a petition was presented to the board of
supervisors, asking their aid in creating a new township out of the township
of Dix, composed and described as the east two-thirds of the north half of
town 24 north, and the south half of town 25 north, in range 8 east, "and on
motion of Supervisor Davis, it was ordered by the board that said territory
be and is hereby set off in accordance with the prayer of said petition; and
it is further ordered that the territory set off shall be known and
designated as Peach Orchard."
In 1855 Joshua T. Nicholson planted one thousand peach trees on the
southwest quarter of section 21, town 25 north, range 8 east. This large
orchard was cultivated for about twelve years, when the trees died and were
never replaced. This is how the township came to be named Peach Orchard.
William B. Holmes, Joshua T. Nicholson, Elick Nicholson, Alexander Nicholson
and David Spencer were the early settlers of this township until the fall of
1867, when the township was rapidly settled up. Among those coming were John
Iehl, the Hunt family, G. and J. Dixon, John Wilson, Joshua Umbarger, John
Conniff, W. B. Knight, George and William Foster, G. and O. Defriese, A.
Hellman, Joseph Fletcher, John and William Boundy, Robert, Ashley, P. Brady,
William Underwood, Michael Schilts, Ed McKanna, Henry Rowcliff, George and
T. Arends, Charles Gardner, Isaac C. Day, T. D. Thompson, William Frazius,
William Lackey, George Phillips, Lot Robb, T. and J. McLaughlin and John
Thackery.
The first school building in this township was the "Grand Prairie" (No. 8),
although a year or so before this was built an old building was moved into
the township from Wall and used for school purposes. It was called the
"Black College." The first teacher was Robert Hutchinson.
The first marriage occurred in this township in 1857, the contracting
parties being Elick Nicholson and Miss Margaret Scott. Charles Rodenhour was
the first person who died. He was buried on section 3, in the fall of 1858.
On May 20th, 1857, Miss Fanny A. Holmes, daughter of Squire Holmes, was
born, the first child in Peach Orchard. She became the wife of Paul
Keostner.
This township has a railroad diagonally across it, originally known as the
Gilman, Clinton & Springfield, now the Springfield Division of the Illinois
Central. The township took twenty-three thousand dollars of stock, issuing
bonds therefor for twenty years, drawing ten per cent interest. The road was
completed in 1871 and trains were running that winter.
D. K. Pearson, of Chicago, owned the east tier of sections in this township,
and one day in November he came down here and sold the entire tier of
sections; the average price paid was eight dollars and fifty cents per acre.
MELVIN
Melvin, named after the president of the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield
Railroad, is the only village in the township. It was surveyed and laid out
at the request of Enoch Hunt, and includes about sixty-five acres. It is
situated on the south half of the northwest quarter of section 1, and
contains a fine school building.
T. D. Thompson was the first station agent, and built the first house in the
village.
John Lyer was the first postmaster and opened the first general store in the
village.
In 1905 a graded school building was erected at a cost of fifteen thousand
dollars.
The following is a brief mention of the early settlers and leading citizens
who have lived in Peach Orchard township:
William B. Holmes was born in England in 1820. He emigrated to America in
1849, landing in New York. He went to Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, where
he remained about three years. He then moved to Georgetown, Vermilion
county, Illinois, and worked at the carpenter's trade for several years,
then moved to what is now Peach Orchard township in April, 1855, settling on
a farm which he afterward owned. He built the first house and turned the
first furrow in this township. In 1860 the Prince of Wales' suite — Captain
Carter, Hon. C. A. Ellis, now Duke of Rutland, and a German connected with
the Royal family, with their servants, — were in this part of the country
hunting and spent several days with Mr. Holmes. He was married December 26,
1844, to Miss Eliza Wren, of Yorkshire, England. Mr. Holmes had the office
of supervisor, assessor and justice of the peace.
Thomas D. Thompson was born in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1847, where he
resided until 1864. He then moved to Illinois, and in 1868 settled in Ford
county and was the first station agent at Melvin. He engaged in the grocery
and dry-goods business and was postmaster of Melvin. Mr. Thompson always
took a lively interest in the building up of the churches and schools in
this place. Later, he moved to Paxton, where he is and has been circuit
clerk for a number of years.
Enoch S. Hunt was born in Marshall county, Illinois, in 1833. He moved to La
Salle county in 1847, and lived there until 1868, when he moved to Ford
county. In 1854 he was married to Miss Mary Griffen. Mr. Hunt was
instrumental in starting the village of Melvin and in securing the railroad
across the township.
William S. Larkin was born in Rhode Island, March 5, 1826. He came to Ford
county from Connecticut in 1857, settling in Lyman township. Afterward he
engaged in business with his son-in-law in Melvin.
Edward S. Jenkins was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1842. He
moved to Marshall county, Illinois, in 1849, where he lived on a farm until
the breaking out of the Civil war. He enlisted in the Ninth Illinois
Infantry, remaining in the service until the war closed, when he was
honorably discharged and returned to his farm. He married Miss Sarah
Robinson, of Canada, and moved to Peach Orchard township. After farming for
several years, he moved to Melvin and opened a meat market.
Augustus P. Gould was born in Kendall county, Illinois, October 5, 1848. He
lived there until 1858, when he moved to Dwight, Livingston county, farming,
attending school and clerking in a store until eighteen years passed away,
when he moved to Melvin and built and opened a store of general merchandise.
He was married, October 16, 1878, to Maggie E. Wolverton, of Pontiac.
Edward G. Collins, born in Herkimer county, New York, September 22, 1851.
His parents died when he was a young man. After learning the harnessmaker's
trade and being anxious to establish himself in business, came west and
settled in Melvin, where he carried on business with success. In 1876 he was
married to Martha M. Shute.
John S. Hunt came to this place in 1867, becoming the owner of a fine farm
of six hundred acres. He was first collector of the township, also served
two terms as supervisor and was school director for many years. He was one
of the trustees of the Methodist church, to which he contributed largely. He
always took an active part in all affairs of school, church or township.
John Iehl was born in the province of Alsace, France, in 1839. When eleven
years old he, with his parents, came to America and settled in Lake county,
Illinois, and engaged in farming. When he became of age he started in life
for himself, going to Marshall county, Illinois, and working on a farm. In
1867 he bought the northwest quarter of section 28, Peach Orchard, and
farmed it until 1873, when he bought the grain elevator in Melvin and
carried on the grain business with great success. In 1871 he married Miss
Mary Arends. In 1881 Mr. Iehl was elected supervisor of the township, which
office he held for several years.
W. T. Gash was born in England, June 3, 1837, where he lived until he was
twenty-one years old, then came to America and began farming in Henry
county, Illinois. In 1869 he came to Peach Orchard and located in section
23. In 1874 he married Miss Sarah A. Bevins.
Josiah Umbarger, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1834, and at the age
of ten years came west with his parents to Putnam county, Illinois. In 1860
he married Miss Jane Allen.
Gerhard Defries was born in Germany in 1827. At the age of twenty-seven
years he came to America and landed in New Orleans. He bought a farm in
Peach Orchard in the spring of 1868. In 1857 he married Miss Hissky Hilmers,
by whom he had eight children.
Henry Rowcliffe was born in England in 1843. He settled in Ford county in
1869, on section 33. In 1859 he married Martha Dunn, of England. His second
wife was Sarah Bell.
William Cooper was born in England in 1830. He came to America in 1862. He
learned the tailoring trade. He came to Peach Orchard township from
Fairbury, Illinois, and went to farming. In 1855 he married Miss Elizabeth
Cole, by whom he had seven children.
William Boundy was born in England, October 30, 1832. He emigrated to
America in 1857, first settling in New York state. He came to Peach Orchard
township from Peoria county, Illinois, in 1871. He was married to Elizabeth
Hill, of England, March 27, 1853, by whom he has six children.
William Foster was born in Rochester county, New York, in 1833. He came west
and settled in Ford county in 1865. He was married in 1859 to Miss Sarah
Gill.
John Karsten, a native of Germany, where he worked on a farm for twenty-four
years, came to America in 1866 and settled in Marshall county, Illinois. In
1876 he came to Peach Orchard township. In 1867 he was married to Sophia
Hose. He became the owner of two hundred acres of land, finely improved.
A. Buckholz, a native of Germany, who came to this country in 1852, working
at various places for a number of years. He finally settled in section 1, in
1867. In 1855 he married Miss Caroline Funte, by whom he had eight children.
He became the owner of seven hundred and twenty acres of land in this
township, with excellent improvements.
Henry Spellmeyer was born in Germany, 1840. He emigrated to America with his
sister in 1858, first settling in Marshall county; then, in 1868, came to
Peach Orchard township. In 1868 he married Miss Louisa Steinman, by whom he
had five children.
John Thackery was born in England, 1834, where he lived until 1865. When he
came to this country and settled in Putnam county, Illinois, where he lived
for several years. He then came to Ford county and located in this township.
In March, 1865, he married Catharine Phillips, by whom he had six children.
Mr. Thackery became the owner of four hundred and eighty acres of good land
in Peach Orchard.
William D. Spencer, son of David Spencer, who was born in Vermont in 1811
and came to Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1841, and bought four hundred
acres of land, which he worked several years, then moved to Georgetown, same
county, and engaged in stock-raising, which he followed for a time. In the
spring of 1855 he settled in Peach Orchard. He died in 1857. Our subject was
born in 1855, in Georgetown, Vermilion county, Illinois, and came with his
parents to this township. He was married to Miss Emma J. Terry, of St.
Louis. Afterward Mr. Spencer prepared himself for the ministry.
Thomas McLaughlin was born in the north of Ireland in 1829. He emigrated to
America in 1848, when he settled on a farm in La Salle county, Illinois, and
lived there for six years, then came to this township. He became the owner
of the southeast quarter of section 86, one-half mile from Melvin.
George F. Forney was born in Putnam county, Illinois, in 1845. At the; age
of twenty-two years he married Eliza S. Allen, of Pennsylvania, by whom he
had four children. He settled in Peach Orchard township in 1870. He was town
clerk for three years.
Peter Conniff was born in Ireland. At the age of six years he came to
America with his mother and settled on a farm in New Jersey. He remained in
that state about twenty years, then came to Henry county, Illinois. He
settled in this township in 1857. In 1861 he enlisted in the Fourth New
Jersey Regiment and was in the service until the close of the war.
David Thompson was born in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1841. In 1863 he
enlisted in the Seventh Illinois Volunteers. He settled in Ford county in
1869, on section 23. He married Margaret Frazer in 1865.
James Dixon was born in Manchester, England, in 1836. In 1861 he enlisted in
the Seventeenth Illinois Volunteers and remained in the service until 1863,
when he was honorably discharged and returned to Marshall county, Illinois.
In 1867 he married Miss Jane E. Hunt, by whom he had seven children.
Patrick Goggins, a native of the Emerald isle, came to America in 1846 and
first settled in La Salle county, Illinois. After living there twelve years,
he moved to Ford county. He married Miss Catharine Clark in 1863, and to
them were born three children.
W. J. Hunt was born in Marshall county, Illinois, in 1841. He remained there
twenty-one years, working on his father's farm, then moved to La Salle
county, Illinois. In 1861 he enlisted in the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois
Regiment and was in the service several years. He then returned to his old
home in La Salle county, where he remained until 1872, when he moved to
Peach Orchard township.
John M. Thompson was born in Noble county, Ohio, April, 1837. He lived there
several years, then settled in Belmont county and taught school for four
years; also attended the academy at Belmont. In 1864 he settled in Grundy
county, Illinois, remaining there a short time, then moved to Marshall
county, and after living there three years he went to Woodford county and
bought a farm and worked it for four years. He then sold out and came to
Peach Orchard township in the fall of 1872, and engaged in general
merchandising. He soon sold out to his brother and engaged in the sale of
agricultural implements and lumber. In 1861 he was married to Miss Jane Day,
of Belmont county, Ohio.
Extracted 06 Jun 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Ford County, Illinois, Volume 1, pages 186-194.
