Austin Township
The Town of Austin was named for Benjamin R.
Austin, a prominent citizen who surveyed and platted the
site for the town, now city of Decatur |
Blue Mound:
The Town and Village of Blue Mound, were so named from
the two Mounds in the town, which, in the spring and
summer-time, were usually covered by a profusion of blue
flowers.
Town in Blue Mound: Boody |
Decatur:
Formerly Austin Township
See the
CENTENNIAL HISTORY
of DECATUR and MACON COUNTY
1829 - 1929 |
Friends Creek:
. It was named for the creek which flows through
it.
Friends Creek was also named for George Friend, a native
of Ohio, who was the first settler on its banks and who
built the first home in the township.
Towns in Friends Creek: Argenta & Dan Town or Newberg
The township is surrounded on the North by DeWitt
County; on the East by Pitatt County; on the South by
Whitmore Township; and, and the West by Maroa Township. |
Harristown:
Harristown was named for Thomas Harris, an officer in
the Mexican war, and of some prominence in public
affairs.
In May 1860 the towns of Harris was changed to
Harristown.
Town in Harristown: Harristown |
Hickory Point:
Hickory Point was named from "Old Hickory" a popular
name for President Andrew Jackson.
In May 1860 the Town of Hickory was changed to
Hickory Point.
Towns in Hickory Point: Forsyth & Bearsdale |
Illini:
Illinois was a name borrowed from Indians, meaning Men.
The Town of Illini was detached from Harristown
in February 1864 and was organized in April 1865, J. H.
Pickerel being the first Supervisor.
Towns in Illini: Heman & Warrensburg |
Lockhart:
Now Niantic |
Long Creek:
Long Creek was named from the length of the small stream
traversing that district.
In February 1862, the Board detached from the Town of
Long Creek the N. 1/2 of Sections 9, 10, 11 and 12 in
Town 16 - 3 E and the N 1/2 of Sections 7, 8 and 9 in
Town 16 - 4E, and added same to the Town of Oakley.
Towns in Long Creek: Long Creek & Casner |
Long Point:
Now Niantic |
Maroa:
Maroa was the name of a small section of the great
Algonquin tribe of Indians.
Town in Maroa: Maroa |
Milam:
Milam is supposed to owe its name to the fact that the
man who proposed its name was a grower of a variety of
apples called Milam.
Milam was detached from Mt. Zion territory by
resolution of the Board adopted September 1869. |
Mount Gilead
It was five month after Macon County was
formed before the site for the city of Decatur was
chosen on July 7, 1829 and during those months, county
officials met at the home of James Ward, just southwest
of the Mount Gilead Cemetery. Therefore Mount
Gilead was the first county seat of Macon County,
Illinois if only temporarily.
The Mount Gilead community was at the intersection of the old East -
West Springfield - Paris Road and the North - South Shelbyville Road,
just South of the cemetery.
James Ward was an outstanding resident of the community, which consisted
of a few scattered houses about the cross roads. According to John
W. Smith, author of the first Macon County history in 1876, Mr. Ward was
born in South Carolina in 1792 and married in Kentucky.
Now some 143 (more now) later, Mount Gilead, once the Macon County seat,
is marked by a cemetery and a road sign reading "Mount Gilead Road -
Dead End." |
Niantic:
Niantic, named for a town of that name in Connecticut
from whence came a number of the settles in that
vicinity.
The village of Niantic first bore the name Lockhart
for Calvin Lockhart, the first settler in that
neighborhood; afterwards the village was called Long
Point, and later was known as Prairie City,
but finally its present name was adopted.
Town in Niantic: Niantic |
Oakley:
Oakley was a name chosen by settlers coming
from a town of that name in Ohio.
See Long Point for additions to Oakley.
Town in Oakley: Oakley |
Pleasant View:
Pleasant View was named from the splendid view of the
surrounding country obtained from the tops of the Mounds
therein.
The town of Pleasant View was organized in 1868 from
territory taken from the Towns of South Macon and
Blue Mound
Town in Pleasant View: Blue Mound |
Prairie City:
Now Niantic |
Whitmore:
Whitmore was named for a family of that name who were
among the first settlers in that district. John
Whitmore secured the first marriage license in Macon
County, and married Delilah Miller in the month of June
1829.
Town in Whitmore: Oreana |
South Macon:
The word South was prefixed to the name of
the County to avoid confusion of the names.
Towns in South Macon: Macon & Walker |
South Wheatland:
South Wheatland was naed by an admirer of President
Buchanan whose home in Pennsylvania was named Wheatland.
Town in South Wheatland: Elwin |
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