Josiah Cummings, John Carroll, and William Bates were the first settlers of Elsah Township. John Carroll located on section15, township 6, range 11, and his brother, Edward Carroll, who came to the country in 1820 was the first white man to die in this precinct, he passing away in 1823. Josiah Cummings and John Carroll made their settlements in 1818. Thomas Carroll, another member of the Carroll family, was a tanner by calling, and for three years served Jersey County as one of the three county commissioners. His death occurred in 1870. Josiah Cummings was born in Connecticut, and took pride in the fact that he had been present at the battle of Bennington, Vt. when the historic Green Mountain boys whipped the seasoned British soldiers. His son, Thomas Cummings, was married to a sister of Thomas Carroll.
William Bates was born in North Carolina, and when he arrived in Illinois, he stopped first in Madison County, later coming to Jersey County, and locating at the mouth of the Piasa. His daughter, Hannah Bates, became the wife of Josiah T. Askew, a man of considerable prominence in settlement. With William Bates came his son, James Bates, a married man with a family. James Thompson, was an early settler in this part of the country. James Basey was the first justice of the peace, and he was elected to this office in 1822.
The First settlement west of the present city of Jerseyville, was one of the most important in Jersey County. Living in this neighborhood were Jehu Brown, Gershom Patterson, John Thorton and others. The first land entries were made by these three persons, who, on January 4, 1821, rode down to Edwardsville, and began to compare the plats of survey with land they had looked over before starting. On the 5th which was the succeeding day, Judge Jehu Brown, entered 880 acres, lying immediately below the Greene County line, in sections 1 and 2, townships 8, range 12, on each side of what has since been known as the Carrollton and Grafton road. The farm occupied subsequently by L.L. Kirby was part of that entry. Philip Grimes has been cultivating a small portion of this tract for some two years, and Judge Brown paid him $300.00 for his improvement. Grimes, a few days afterward, entered a quarter section to the south of the Kirby farm.John Thorton entered 280 acres nearly 2 miles south of the Brown tract, and this afterward known as the Matthew Darr place.
The 320 acres which Gershom Patterson entered was distant a mile and a half still to the south of the Thorton's location.
It may be supposed that these entries were made at such a distance from each other in order that the proprietors might have ample room to make further entries.
Jersey County is composed of Township 8 north, range 11 west, and a fraction of Township 9 north, range 11 west, consisting of sections 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, and 36, and the south half of sections 13, 14 and 15 in township 9, range 11. The fractional township is bounded on the west and north by Greene County and is popularly known as the "Panhandle". Macoupin Creek crosses the northwest corner of the Panhandle, and that portion of the township is drained by Phill's Creek and its tributaries, which run into Macoupin Creek and its tributaries, one of the main branches is known as Dorsey's Branch. This township is drained to the south and southwest by Sandy Branch and Otter Creek and by other large affluents, the southeast portion of the township being drained into the Piasa Creek.Otter Creek Township is bounded on the north by English Township, on the east by Mississippi Township; on the south by Quarry and Elsah Townships; and on the west by Rosedale Township. It is a square township, and is numbered township 7, range 12. It is located in the basin formed by Otter Creek , which forks in section 8. This fork, which is called North Fork, bears to the northeast, from whence it runs eastward, forming two branches, one of which is called Sandy Branch, and runs to Hickory Grove, now Jerseyville; and the other which runs to the North to Gillham's Mound in Mississippi Township. The South Fork, which runs through Otter Creek Township in a southeasterly direction, enters Elsah and Quarry Townships. Between these forks of Otter Creek, lie what is known as the Lofton's Prairie and Otter Creek Prairie. The basin formed by these streams is ten to twelve miles from its extreme limits, north, south, east, and west, running from a southeasterly direction from Gillham's Mound to within one and a half miles of the Mississippi River, where George Noble and Issac Terry settled on its headwaters; and running thence in a northwesterly direction to Jerseyville, along the divide between the waters running into the Macoupin and those flowing into Otter Creek. Within the basin are several other mounds, notably the McDow Mound at Otterville; one further east known as McGill's Mound; one further south known at Utt's Mound; the latter being near Dow.
Piasa Township is in the southeast corner of Jersey County, and is bounded by Madison County on the south; Macoupin County on the east; Fidelity Township on the north; and Mississippi Township on the west. The big and little Piasa creeks intersect it diagonally, the former from Fidelity Township, entering Piasa Township in section 2; and the latter entering the township from Macoupin County in section 12. These two water courses form a junction in section 20, and flow thence into the Mississippi River in the southeast corner of Elsah Township, branches thereof reaching into the Elsah and Mississippi Townships.
Rosedale Township is fractional township No. 7, north, range 13 west, and is bounded on the south by Quarry, on the east by Otter Creek, on the north by Richwoods, and on the west by the Illinois River. It has 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 principle 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 of these 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.
Lofton's Prairie received its name from Judge John G. Lofton's, one of the earliest pioneers of this part of the county. There is no record of the entry of land in this precinct until 1823, but from that date the settlement of the prairie advanced quite rapidly. Among the first to locate here were John G. Lofton; and John D. Gillham and Jacob Cummings. The latter bought and settled eighty acres in section 10, township 7, range 11, in December , 1823. His brother, Thomas Cummings, settled east of Jacob, during the following year. In July, 1824, Ormond Beeman entered 240 acres of land on sections 19 and 30, and during the succeeding month John McDow made entry of the northwest quarter of section 32. The land entered in 1823, by Thomas G. Lofton, soon passed to his father, Judge John G. Lofton.