Township Histories
Richwoods Township
The first settler in this part of the county seem to have made in the bottom immediately under the bluff in the
western part of the precinct. John Gunterman was the first settler to enter land, his entry bearing the date of January 10, 1821, when he secured
a quarter section, to which in the fall of the same year, he added eighty acres more. His claim was the site of
the farm later owned and occupied by Jacob Reddish. His entries of Illinois bottom land amounted in all to 320 acres of land, but by 1827, he had disposed
of the greater portion of it. John Gunterman was a native of Kentucky.His son, also John Gunterman, later moved to a farm west of Fieldon.
On January 10, 1821, but later in the day than John Gunterman, Samuel Gates of
Greene County, entered on section 8, of the same township, 160 acres, which is now known as the Watson Farm. It
was also in the bottom land, and lay south of Mr. Gunterman's claim. A tract of 240 acres south of the Watson Farm,
on section 17, now owned by Stephen Reddish, a son of Zadock Reddish,
was entered on January 18, 1821, by Moses Leeds. He sold this land in 1825 and moved to the American bottom. Another entry of bottom land was made by
John Medford in February, 1821,
of the southeast quarter of section 8.
There was no land taken up on the bluffs in Richwood Township, until July 1822, when John Neal and Mathew
Darr each bought a forty acre tract on section 14, township 8, range 13, and John Gunterman, in the following December,
became the owner of forty acres in the same vicinity. These entries were made on land three miles north of Fieldon,
and today it seems strange that such locations should have been chosen in the timber in a locality so uninviting,
when the rich and beautiful prairie, already cleared and prepared for cultivation, was open to the choice of the
first settlers. They, like the general run of Illinois run pioneers, shunned the prairie's, and seemed to think
that the timber land was the only fir place for habitation.
Thomas English entered land
on section 30, township 8, range 12, in 1830. James Brice entered forty acres on Otter Creek, on section 21, township 8, range 13, where was built Brice's Mill.
James Walden located on section
12. Daniel McFain, who was
one of the earliest settlers, located in the bottom at the foot of the bluff, and gave his name to McFain's Lake.
Northward from McFain's, in the bottom along the bluff, locations were made by Thomas Fergeson, Amos
Lynn, Stephen Evelyn, Mrs. Medford and
sons, Jared Cox, Jesse Watson, John Gunterman, Peter Gunterman,
Thomas Turner and James Turner. On what is
now known as Borer's Creek, lived Jacob Borer, who had a saw and grist mill. At the place where the Macoupin passes through the bluffs, lived one Mason Cockrell, and between his place and
Borer's, on Macoupin Creek, were V.A. Gibbs and Sanford Beck.
Where Otter Creek passes through the bluff, lived John Gilworth, who afterward removed to another part of the county. These were the families living in this part of
the county in 1830, according to the recollection of Capt.
J.E. Cooper.
The first house of Richwoods Township was built by John
Gunterman on section 5, in March 1820. Luther Calvin, Byron McKinney, John Medford and John Smith settled here soon after 1820.
The first death of Richwoods Township was that of an infant daughter of John Medford, who passed away in 1823. The first school was taught in the
fall of 1824, and it is said that the first sermon was preached in the same year by Rev. Isaac Newton Pickett.
The first justice of the peace was Samuel Gates, who was elected in August 1828. A man named Daley was the first settler on the land that later became the site of Fieldon. Two men, named Baugh and Bridges had a saw and grist mill
on Otter Creek in 1830.
Rosedale Township is fractional township no. 7 north, range 13 west, and is bounded on the south by Quarry, and on the east by Otter Creek, on the north by Richwoods, and on the west by the Illinois River. It has an average width from east to west of about five miles; the bottom lands between the bluff and the river being from a mile to a mile and a half in width; of very rich alluvial soil, but to a considerable extent subject to overflow from the river in extreme high water; except a strip next to the bluff of one quarter to one-half a mile in width. The principal streams are Otter and Coon Creeks, flowing from east to west, into the river. The eastern part is broken and hilly, and was originally covered with immense forests of hardwood timber; but as time passed these forests were cleared, and much of this land has been made into farms. These lands are peculiarly adapted to the production of a superior quality of apples, and other fruits. One of the most notable fruit farms is that of R.P. Shackelford, on section 36. The bottom lands are well adapted to the production of wheat, corn,oats,grass,clover,alfalfa, and live stock. Shipments of these products are made by river landings, at the mouths of Coon and Otter Creeks. There is no railroad nearer than Grafton to this township; and there is not a bank, nor an incorporated village; though the farmers are industrious, thrifty, and well to do.
Early Settlers
Among the earliest settlers were William Larue, who came in 1818, and Walter Creswell, who came in 1819. The latter was appointed justice of the peace by Gov. Shadrach Bond in 1820, and was the first in what is now Jersey County. In after years the writer knew him very well. John Killworth, who came in 1820, lived ten years near Nutwood, and then moved to Ruyle Township. In 1820 also came Elisha Fowler, and Thomas, Samuel, and William Creswell, brothers of Walter, mentioned above. John Gilbert, and A.P. Scott, came in 1824. Silas Crane, who came in 1825, was a Methodist Episcopal minister, and afterward removed to English Township. Enoch Spaulding, John Stafford, and Lewis and Amos Lynn came in 1828. The latter were chair makers. In 1829 William Starr, R.C. Bangle, and Coe Edsall, settled here. John Dabbs came in 1831 and James Nairn in 1832. Later, he moved to Calhoun County and in 1835, James and Nancy Wedding, with their sons, Thomas, Nicholas, and Benjamin Wedding became settlers of the township. The daughters of Thomas Wedding(who died December 28, 1885), and James Wedding, son of Benjamin Wedding, now own and occupy the lands originally settled upon by James Wedding in 1835. In 1842, came William G. Thompson, without means, working as a farm hand by the month. When he died, November 14, 1885, he was the owner of about 1500 acres of land. He left a large family, of whom his daughter, Mrs. Bertha C. Crull, owns his original homestead, and a large portion of his other lands. His son Grant Thompson also resides in this township, and is the principal purchaser of the crops and products of the township. He has also been elected supervisor several terms. William G. Thompson and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was a member of Full Moon Lodge No. 341, A.F. & A.M. Other prominent early settlers were: Thomas K. Phipps, Hezekiah Funk, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson Crull, Henry Smith, John Maltimore, Robert Smith, Jonathan Plowman, afterward sheriff, John L. Johnson, Isom Mathews, A.J. Thompson, James L. Beirne, Davis M. Highfill, W.C. Gleason, Freeman Sweet, John L. Reed, Henry L. Legate,William S. Brown, J.Donald Sinclair, Solomon Phillips, and many others.
Ruyle Township is bounded on the north by Greene County; on the east by Macoupin County; on the south by Fidelity Township; and on the west by Jersey Township and Green County. It is fractional township 9, range 10, and sections 4,5,6,7,9 and the north half of sections 16, 17, and 18, and the north half of northeast quarter of section 3, are in Greene County. The residue of township 9, range 10, constitutes this township. Macoupin Creek traverses the north side of the township, and it and Phill's Creek and their branches give ample drainage. About two-thirds of its surface is prairie, and the land is very fertile, productive soil, the remainder being rolling, and it was heavily timbered.
First Settlements
John Huitt and Mathew Cowen settled on Hawkins' Prairie in 1825. Later Richard Chowning, James Ritchie, John Hawkins, Rev. Jacob Rhodes, Benjamin Cleaver, Amos Pruitt, John Twitchell and William Palmer arrived. Between 1830 and 1836 the settlers were as follows: Dennis, Elias and Orin Palmer were natives of Vermont, and they made their location on sections 11 and 14. G.D. Twitchell, who was born in Vermont, came here in 1833, and settled on section 13, and in that same year,Thomas B. Ruyle came to section 15, and William L. Ruyle to section 28. The Ruyles were from Tennessee. John Gilworth located on section 29, in 1830. John C. Whitlock came here from Kentucky in 1823, and he died in 1879. Samuel and Richard Rhodes arrived as early as 1828. Rev. Jacob Rhodes made his claim on section 36, in 1830. John C. Daniels was married to Mary Palmer, a daughter of William and Mary Palmer, March 28, 1847, and settled on section 11, and remained there until 1860, when he moved to section 12, and lived there until his death. Vilas L. Dodge was married to their daughter Laura R. Daniels, February 21, 1871, and he resides upon the Daniels homestead on section 12. Richardson and Henry Ryan, Lewis Elliot Sr., Benjamin Sanders, Reed Gilworth and family, all were among the later settlers. Lewis Elliot Sr., was married to Elizabeth Reddish, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary Reddish, the ceremony taking place in Kentucky in 1826. Benjamin Cleaver was a relative of the Reddish family.
Local Officials
Justice of the peace, J.A. Smith; constable, J.M. Kitzmiller; town clerk, J.H. McKernan; school treasurer, Thomas B. Ruyle.
Bethel
John Richey has a general store at Bethel, and the Baptists have a church here, known as the Bethel Baptist Church.
The first settlements in what is now Quarry Township, were made in 1819 by George Finney, Sanford Hughes, David Gilbert, John Stafford, and a man named Copeland, who were soldiers in the regular army of the United States, and they, together with Col. Josiah T. Askew, were discharged from the regular service at St. Louis, and came up the river. Those first named settled in Quarry Township, and Col. Josiah T. Askew in Elsah Township, adjoining Lofton's settlement. Camden, at the mouth of the Illinois River was platted by George Finney in 1826 with the expectation that it would be a place of great importance in later years.