Malone Township,Tazewell County, IL Genealogy Trails

(The following is a small excerpt of the history of Tazewell County townships from the book
“Souvenir of Early and Notable Events in the History of the North West Territory, Illinois and Tazewell County.”)
Submitted by: Linda T - 2008

The first settlers of Malone township, came as late as 1850, owing no doubt to the fact that much of the land was unfit for cultivation – “sand hills and swamp.” They were Silas Dowd, Eber Pugh, James McCoy, James and John Wilson, Dr. Hubbard S. Latham and son, Wm. P. Latham, (the Lathams, father and son, were among the 49-ers, direct from the California gold-fields). Joseph Watts, Wm. Boyer, and others.
The first marriage in 1850 was that of Frances M. Griffin to a Miss McCoy, daughter of James McCoy.
The first school-master was Mr. A. Kernman. Rev.
Samuel Smith was one of the first preachers.
Dr H. S. Latham was the first Justice of the Peace and his son, H. S. Jr., the first Constable.
Even as late as the organization of this township, deer and feathered game were plentiful, and numerous wolfs kept the settlers alert. Malone was the last township created. Since then, over ten thousand acres have been drained, and are now classed among the most productive in the county.

On Friday, July 30, 1897, at about 7 o’clock P.M., a tornado struck and crushed the residence of Supervisor H. C. McDowell, in this township, killing Mr. H. C., and a nephew, H. E. McDowell, Mrs. Samuel Brownlee and two children, and Miss Jessie Groves, and injuring Mrs. H. C. McDowell, Charles and Mary, son and daughter. Among the unprecedented features of this tornado was the driving of wheat straws, like nails, into trees; stripping feathers from chickens; tearing eyes out of horses; lifting a drove of sheep, which were carried to ‘parts unknown.’ This was the most destructive and death- dealing storm that has ever visited to Tazewell county.