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West Township
History
McLean County, Illinois
(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

West Township is located in the southern tier of townships in McLean County, Ilhnois. Bellflower Township is to the east and Empire Township to the west. Originally the entire area was covered by prairie grass with the exception of 30 acres in the northwest corner of the township. The soil in West Township is deep black loam and very fertile. In earlier times the roads were an impassable quagmire, especially in the winter months. It was an all-day trip to drive to LeRoy in bad weather using a team of horses and buggy, and since the trains ran regularly, many township residents came to Sabina or Glenavon and rode the train to LeRoy, sometimes in the caboose of the freight train, having a couple of hours in LeRoy and then returning in the caboose. In the 1930s, gravel was spread and most of the year the roads were quite passable. Now roads are all-weather blacktop. [Heritage of the prairie : a history of LeRoy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois (1976) LeRoy Historical Society; LeRoy Bi-Centennial Commission] The name of this township was changed several times and finally was called West in honor of Henry West, who took 2,500 acres from the government and was first supervisor. He served during the Civil war and led the county's activities in providing for soldiers' families. West retained its school lands many years after other townships sold theirs, and the income from these lands supported the schools. Two notable Indian landmarks are in West, an Indian fort and the site of a village. The McLean County Historical Society in 1906 set up a stone marker for the site of the fort. Simeon H. West and George P. Davis paid for the marker. People of West township gave money to help build the Big Four and a branch of the Illinois Central railroads through the township. Simeon H. West, son of the first settler, served on the board of supervisors and in the legislature he gave to the county a grove of 20 acres for a perpetual park. It is called West park. Population of the township is 900. ["Official souvenir program, McLean County Centennial, Aug. 27, 28, 30, 1930" by: McLean County Illinois Centennial Souvenir Program Committee, Harold Lang and Eugene Funk]

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