The present township of Albany first formed a part of Van Buren Precinct, remaining so, however, only a short time, when it was set off as a Precinct by itself, and included within its boundaries the present townships of Newton and Garden Plain. In 1852 it was made a township by the Commissioners appointed by the County Commissioners Court, and is described as fractional township twenty-one north of the base line, range two east of the 4th Principal Meridian. The township along the river until the Meredocia is reached, is made up principally of high bluffs, thence along the Meredocia it is low with frequent sloughs. The balance of the town is sufficiently rolling to render cultivation certain at every season. The low lands have also been brought to a great degree under cultivation. Besides the Mississippi River, which flows on the north and northwest boundaries, the town is watered by the Meredocia on the west, and Spring Creek in the northeast part. Upon the farm of W. S. Booth, situated on the latter creek, about one mile south of the Village of Albany, the Spring Creek Union Agricultural Society holds its annual fairs.
The Meredocia which borders the township partly on the west, and flows through a portion of it, is of peculiar formation. The marsh or stream extends from the Mississippi to Rock river, with a divide of high land in the center. This high land divides the stream, the eastern part flowing to Rock river, and the western part to the Mississippi river. In times of extreme high water in either river the divide is overflowed, the highest stream passing into the other. In 1849 at the breaking up of the ice in Rock river a gorge was formed below the point where the Meredocia enters that stream, causing the ice and water to flow through the Meredocia to the Mississippi with such force as to destroy the bridge over the former near its confluence with the latter. Many years ago Capt. H. H. Gear and others, of Galena, laid out a town at the Mississippi mouth of the Meredocia, intending to cut a canal from river to river, the idea being to avoid the rapids at Rock Island, and have steamers take the Rock river up to this canal and then follow it back to the Mississippi; but after making a careful survey of Rock river from its mouth up, greater obstructions were found there than at the rapids, and the project was abandoned.
At the election held on the 4th of November, 1851, under the act of the General Assembly of the State providing for township organization, Albany cast 59 votes in favor of such organization to 19 against it. The first town meeting under the new law was held at the public school house in the village of Albany, on the 6th day of April, 1852. The name of the Moderator does not appear in the record. M.S. Denlinger acted as Clerk pro tem. The following officers were elected;
Supervisor,
William S. Barnes; Town Clerk,
M.S. Denlinger; Justices of the Peace, Gilbert Buckingham,
Ivy Buck;
Constables, Wm. Ewing,
Chester Lusk; Commissioners of Highways,
Alfred Slocumb, A.B. Emmons; Assessor, Chas. Boynton; Collector,
B.S. Quick; Overseer of Poor,
Henry Pease; Overseer of Highways,
Samuel Happer; Pound Master,
James Hugunin.
The following record made by the Clerk on the 21st of April, 1852, shows that the then Commissioners of Highways were not very active in the discharge of their duties.
"At a meeting held by the Commissioners of Highways at the Town Clerk's office on Wednesday the 21st of April, 1852, they came to no conclusions about anything, and in fact done nothing at all."
The following is a list of town officers from 1852 to 1877 inclusive:
Supervisors - 1852 , Wm. S. Barnes; 1853,
William Y. Wetzell, Mr. Wetzell resigned his office in February, 1854, and
Washington Olds was appointed to fill the vacancy; 1854-55, A.T. Hudson. Mr. Hudson resigned in January, 1856 and Samuel Happer was appointed to fill the vacancy; 1856 - 62, W. S. Barnes; 1863-70,
Dean S. Efner; 1871-76,
Edward H. Nevitt. Mr. Nevitt resigned on the 1st of January 1877 by reason of being elected Representative to the General Assembly, and
Ezekiel Olds was appointed to fill the vacancy; 1877,
Peter Ege.
Town Clerks - 1852, M.S. Denlinger; 1853,
W.W. Durant; 1854-56,
J. B. Myers; 1857, Henry Pease; 1858,
Thos. A. Slaymaker; 1859, S.L. Myers; 1860 - 62 Henry Pease; 1863 - 67
Charles Slocumb; 1868 - 77, Henry Pease.
Justices of the Peace - 1852, Gilbert Buckingham, Ivy Buck; 1854, Dean S. Efner, W.W. Durant; 1856 J.J. Bolls; 1858, Dean S. Efner, Gilbert Buckingham; 1860 S.H. Slaymaker, J.C. Slocumb; 1863, Gilbert Buckingham; 1864 Dean S. Efner, Gilbert Buckingham; 1867, Joseph McMahan; 1868, Dean S. Efner, Joseph McMahan; 1872, Dean S. Efner, James H. Ege; 1873, Sean S. Efner, James H. Ege; 1877, Dean S. Efner, Joseph McMahan.
Assessor - 1852, Chas. Boynton; 1853-77, E.H. Nevitt. Mr. Nevitt resigned soon after his election in 1877, and Wm. H. Fletcher was appointed to fill the vacancy.
Collectors - 1852, B.S. Quick; 1853, C.G. Nevitt; 1854 -56 A.B. Emmons; 1857-58 B.S. Quick; 1859, David Wray; 1860-61
C. Knapp; 1862 Ezekiel Olds; 1863
Wm. A. Chamberlain; 1864-65, C.G. Nevitt; 1866, W.D. Haslet; 1867, C.G. Nevitt; 1868, C. Knapp; 1869, Chas. Slocumb; 1870-71, C. Knapp; 1872, C.G. Slocumb; 1873-75 Ezekial Olds; 1876-77 W.D. Haslet.
The following record of an election held at the house of
William Nevitt in the town of Albany, Precinct of Albany, on the 5th day of August, 1844, we were permitted to copy from the original rcord now in the possession of Hon. E.H. Nevitt;
For Representative in Congress; Martin P. Sweet 68 votes; Joseph P. Hoge 22; John Cross 1.
For State Representative; Oliver Everett 67 votes; Winfield S. Wilkinson 22.
For Sheriff: James A Sweet 63 votes; James W. Noble 22; Daniel F. Millikan 1.
For Coroner: Thomas Vennum 51 votes; Gilbert Buckingham 30.
For County Commissioner; Bacchus Beese 68 votes; Ebenezer Seeley 17 votes
For Constable: Wm. Ewing 34 votes; John S. Lamb 32.
Samuel Slocumb, S.M. Kilgour and Ivy Buck were judges of election, and Stephen B. Slocumb and E.H. Nevitt clerks.
The Precinct of Albany then comprised the present townships of Albany, Garden Plain and Newton. The elections were always held at the village of Albany, and were considered the most exciting days of the year. It will be seen that the Whigs were considerably in the majority in Albany Precinct at that time.
The assessment of Albany Precinct for the year 1839, the Precinct then including the present townships of ALbany, Garden Plain and Newton, made by Lewis Spurlock, Assessor, the original of which is on file in the County Clerk's office, shows fifty-One persons assessed. The property assessed was only personal, and consisted in the aggregate of 38 horses, valued at $2,025; 157 cows and oxen, valued at $2,995; 390 hogs, valued at $1,201; 8 sheep, valued at $16; valuations of wagons, $928; of household goods, $1,695; of mechanical tools, $265, and of clocks and watches, $259. Total assessed valuation of all personal property, $9,384.
Albany township contains about 2,000 acres of improved lands, and about 4, 000 of unimproved. From the Assessor's book for 1877 the number of horses in the township is put down at 213; number of cattle, 488; of mules and asses 3; of sheep, 75; of hogs, 1937; carriages and wagons, 92; sewing and knitting machines, 90; pianofortes, 11; melodeons and organs, 29. Total value of lands, lots and personal property $155,321; value of Railraod property, $9,529. Total assessed value of all property in 1877, $164,850.
The population of the township outside of the village of Albany in 1870, as appears by the census reports of that year, was 199, of which 147 were of native births, and 52 of foreign birth. The estimated population is now 350.
