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The township is in the southwest corner of Franklin County and contains the largest prairie in the county from which it took
its name. The early settlers were C.H.
Humphreys, Gilbert
Browning and G.W
Campbell. These familys have remained in the township
for more than a hundred years.
Later came the Snyders,
Blades,
Popes,
Martins, Prices, Hubbards, Pierces, Royalls, Kirkpatricks, Dials, Mitchells, Mannerings, Dawsons, Carrs, Winchesters and others who have played an active part in making Six
Mile Township what it is today.
The coming of the coal mines has caused towns to spring up. Royalton in the southwest part of the township is a thriving mining
town of about 3,000 people. There are two active coal mines near the town.
Zeigler, the
first coal mine in the county was built by Joseph
Leiter and later leased by Bell & Zoller. there are about 2,500
people in Zeigler, which
was owned by Mr. Leiter, but recently, lots have been sold and a great many own there property.
Zeigler has an up-to-date school.
Bush and Clebern are also thriving towns in the
township.
The Iron Mountain R. R. runs diagonally through the township. The Illinois Central also passes
through. The schools of the Six Mile Township are Four Mile, Pierce, North, South, Royalton, Zeigler and Center. The churches are: Christian
- North and Royalton and Center; Baptist - Zeigler.
Politically Six Mile is Democratic and Daniel McPhail is the present supervisor.
[(1918) Franklin County History Centennial Edition by H.M. AIKEN]
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