Source:
Piatt County History
together with a
Brief History of Illinois
from the
Discovery of the Upper Mississippi to the Present Time
by Emma C. Piatt
With Map and Illustrations.
1883
Transcribed by Sharon Wick

PIATT COUNTY, ILLINOIS

CHAPTER XI.
MONTICELLO TOWNSHIP
page 237 -

     THE center of Piatt county lies within Monticello township, which may justly be called the principal township of the county, since it contains the county seat, and has more inhabitants than any other in the county.  In size it is one of the four smallest townships in the county.  The distance across the township from west to east is eight miles,  while from the northern boundary to the southern it is six miles; the entire township thus contains forty-eight square miles or 30,720 acres of land.  On the north the township is bounded by Goose creek and Sangamon townships; a portion of Champaign county forms the eastern boundary; while Bement township bounds it on the south and Willow Branch on the west.
     A ridge strikes the township in the southern-western or southern part and runs diagonally to the northeast, thus making some of hte land of the township slightly rolling.  The drainage - except in the extreme southeastern parts drain into the Sangamon river, which crosses the northwestern corner of the township  A generous belt of timber follows the course of this river, but the greater portion of the township is fine tillable prairie land.  Some clay is found on the hills near the Sangamon river, but the greater portion of soil is a rich black loam, such as all farmers rejoice to see.
     The early settlements of the township coincide with those already mentioned of the county, since the first settlements of the county were

Page 238 -
made in what is now Monticello township.  The Hayworths, Daggotts and Martins all located in the northwestern corner of this township and others of the pioneers made settlements within its boundaries.  Since the location of many of the first settlers of the township is alluded to elsewhere in the book, it is not necessary to mention the same in this connection.
     Monticello township, in common with other portions of the county, was once a part of Macon county.  After the formation of Piatt county it became a portion of one of the precincts of the new county, and it was not until 1860 when the township organization was introduced, that it became a township.
     Two railroads, both of which are now in possession of the Wabash Railroad Company, pass through a portion of the township.  The one originally known as the Champaign & Decatur railroad, and which was first constructed, strikes the northern line of the township about two miles, making an abrupt bend within the city limits of Monticello, and then extends west nearly three miles to the western boundary line of the township  The other railroad, which was built under the name of the Chicago & Paducah, passes almost directly north and south through the township, about two miles from the western boundary line.  These roads intersect at Monticello, where one depot serves the purposes of both roads.
     In regard to the wagon roads of this township, as also we might say of all the townships, that in some places they are comparatively good, but portions of the roads are in very poor condition.  Some of the grades are all right but the bridges seem invariably out of order.  Again, the bridges are all right, when the roads are not graded or drained as well as they might be, even with the proper materials at hand for doing so.  What is the cause of all of this?  Can it be that the people of Piatt county do not take an interest in their roads?  No the trouble does not lie there, for certainly there is scarce a business person in the county who is not financially interested in the roads of the county.  Of course all are interested in having good roads, but do they apply their interest in the best way for removing the obstacles in the way of the best possible roads for the least money and labor?  Which would be the best for any set of roads - to have several "road bosses," with a number of men, ofttimes those who seem to take no interest save to work out their taxes, and many times green lands at the work, and those who perhaps do not even live in the county,

PORTRAIT OF
MRS. JAMES A. PIATT.

Page 241 -
but are taken by some farmer from the field to work out his tax; or to employ one man who was to obtain a set of hands and keep the road in order for the season?  If one man had a road in charge, he, as well as everybody else, would know whose business it was to fill up a chuck-hole, to drain the water from a low place in the road before a great mud-hole resulted, or to mend a broken plank in a bridge.  If he did his duty- and it would be very easy to get rid of him if he did not - we would not hear so many expressions as the following:  "Why don't some one fix this grade?"  "Why don't they scrape these roads?" etc.  It is our opinion, as well as of them with whom we have talked, that such arrangement would vastly improve the condition of the roads, while, instead of being more expensive, it would really be money in the pockets of the people.  What farmer can afford to wait until his summer work is done, and then work out his tax on the road, just in time for the fall rains to prevent the grades settling for the winter season?  Would it not have been better for him to take the money out of his pocket and pay his tax toward securing a man to do the work in proper season than to work out his tax at a wrong season, and then later in the year jostle over the side-boards of his wagon enough grain, wear out enough of his wagon, and lose enough time over bad roads, to more than pay for his tax?  Let us have fewer men on the road, and see that they are under a good leader, and have the roads worked when they need it, not when most convenient to the people, and we feel convinced that the roads of the county will soon be in a a a vastly better condition than they are now.

     Improvements. - Outside of the city of Monticello, there are not very many improvements other than

     Monticello. -  In 1837 the citizens of what is now Piatt county con-

Page 242 -
cluded that it was too far to go to Decatur for trading purposes, and they resolved to have a town of their own.  Abraham Marquiss, William Barnes, Major McReynolds, and James A. Piatt formed the committee which, after searching up and down both sides of the Sangamon river, decided that the present site of Monticello was the most appropriate place for the location of a village.  This land was once owned by James A. Piatt, who sold part of his land.  A joint stock company was formed by these men and a town was laid out on the site of a portion of the present city of Monticello.  On July 1, 1837, the town of Monticello was recorded  It was platted by James A. Piatt, surveyed y Mr. McClelland, and named by Major McReynolds after the home of Jefferson.  Right here let us remark, that one would have to search long and well ere a prettier name for the town could be found.
     On July 4, 1837, a grand barbecue was held.  Beeves, hogs and sheep were roasted, and altogether there was a regular feast and jubilee.  The prime object of the gathering was the sale of lots in the new town, and the result was the sale of some 42,700 worth of lots.
     The original plat of Monticello did not include the Hayworth house, which is still standing north of the Wabash depot.  So this first house in the county was not the first house in the original Monticello.  However, as the limits of Monticello now extend far beyond this cabin, it is justly called the oldest house in the city.  In about 1839 there were but four houses in the new town.  The fist house put up was a small storehouse, which stood on the present site of Dr. Noecker's drug store.  This house was built about 1837 by Mr. Cass who dealt in merchandise on a very small scale.  In 1839 Mr. Nicholas Devore began the erection of the first dwelling house in Monticello as originally laid out.  This building originally had four rooms, and was not completed for several years.  Judge Rickets assisted in the building of the house and it existed for a number of years, bearing the name of "old Fort."  Jno. Tenbrooke built, on the site of Jno. Lowry's store, a log house in which he kept hotel, and which was the second dwelling house in the village.  The third dwelling house was erected by James Outten just opposite the present jail.  About this time, too, a Mr. Hull had a little blacksmith shop near where Mrs. Ann Honselman lives.
     Such was the beginning of Monticello.  It was not long, however, until more residences were erected, business buildings were put up and a number of other improvements were made  Daniel Stickel, in 1841, opened the first regular store in the town in a building just east of W.

Page 243 -
H. Reese's drug store; J. C. Johnson opened the first drug store and was the first regular postmaster.  Dr. King was the first physician who settled in Monticello.  The first lawyer of the town (we could not learn his name), after living here three or four months, started for California, but died on the way.  The first preaching in the town was at Mr. Outten's house, where a circuit-rider of the Methodist Episcopal church used to stop once a month.  In 1843 and 1844 the Rev. Peter Cartwright held meetings in the old court-house.  Rev. Cartwright also

Page 244 -

Page 245 -

     The Churches. -

Page 246 -

     Sketch of the Presbyterian Church of Monticello, as reported by Rev. Ormsby. -   The

Page 247 -

Page 248 -

Page 249 -

Page 250 -

Page 251 -
association, but a re-hearing was granted.  These associations have been succesful in other states, particularly in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and are claimed to be very beneficial to communities.  There have been no losses by the stockholders in Monticello and probably some money will be made.  At present there are twelve stockholders.

CHAPTER XII.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
 

< BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR HISTORY OF PIATT COUNTY - 1883 >