BEMENT.

     The first settlement in Bement township was made about 1854 by Wm. Bailey.  In the summer of the same year, Bement was surveyed, the land at that time belonging to Mr. Joseph Bodman.  The first settlers in the town were Joseph Bodman, J. H. Camp, J. M. Camp, William Ellise, T. T. Pettit and Marion Pettit.  The lumber for the first house was hauled from Champaign.  It was erected in 1855 by T. T. Pettit and J. M. Camp, and was owned by Joseph Bodman.

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The house stood just west of the present brick hotel building.  The second house was built west of the first one.  Mr. Force and wife came to Bement in 1855.  For awhile they boarded in Monticello.  In the spring of 1856, they moved into the third house ever built in Bement.  Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Yost came to Bement in 1856, built a house, but soon moved on a farm north of town.  Mr. B. G. Hopkins moved on a farm west of Bement, since known as the Elihu Fisher farm.  F. E. Bryant moved to Bement in 1856, and run the first store.  He erected the first brick building in the town.  The first hotel was built in 1857, called the Sherman house.  It stood on the main street of the town but on the erection of the Masonic building, it was moved back on the corner where the Christian church now stands, and remained there until moved away to give room for the handsome church building.  The Pennsylvania hotel, afterwards known as the Thomas House, and kept for a number of years by Royal Thomas, was built in 1888, and is still standing.  At that time there were no sidewalks in the town, and no trees, thus presenting a very marked contrast to the beautiful shaded streets and substantial sidewalks of the present time.
     The first bank in the town was owned by Milmine and Bodman.
     The M. E. church was organized in 1858 under the pastorate of Rev. Edward Rutledge, a minister on the Monticello circuit.  The meetings were first held in the school house, and afterward in Bryant's Hall.  The first church was erected in 1864, and was dedicated in October, by Rev. Hiram Buck.  In 1865, Bement was detached from the Monticello circuit, and with Milmine and Cerro Gordo formed a new circuit.  In 1867 Bement was constituted a circuit and Rev. H. S. Tryon was the first pastor.  The parsonage was erected in 1876, at a cost of $1,600.
     The Christian church was organized in 1862.  The first church building was erected in 1867, and cost about $800.  The building stood where the present brick hotel now stands.  This lot was afterward sold and a handsome modern building erected.
     The Presbyterian church was organized in 1868, with eight members.  The church was built in the early 70's.  In 1880 a storm blew down the church steeple and belfry, and by noon the next day $200 was subscribed for its repair.  The church owns a handsome parsonage, costing about $1,700.
     The Catholic church was built in 1866, at a cost of $2,100.  This was connected with the church at Ivesdale for a time.  A handsome residence for the priest has been erected just north of the church.
     The Bement Lodge, No. 365 A. F. and A. M. was chartered Oct. 1, 1861; Bement Chapter, No. 65, Royal Arch Masons Oct. 7, 1864.  The Masonic building was erected in 1876.  The Irwin Lodge, No. 344, I. O. O. F. was chartered October, 1867.
     There is also a K. of P. lodge organized recently that is now in a very prosperous condition.
     The Haldeman mill was erected in 1868 by Horace and William Haldeman, and G. C. Nichols, and did a flourishing business for many years.  A few years ago the building was sold to the Farmers' Elevator Co., and the machinery shipped away.
     In 1890 a stock company put in a three hundred electric light plant.  W.  J. Day has a manager and superintendent of the plant since it was started.  At first the Haldeman mills furnished the motive power for the plant, but in 1896 they erected a power house.

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of their own just north of the brick hotel.  They now have about 800 lights.
     A system of city water-works was put in about 1893.  In 1900 a handsome new brick school building was erected at a cost of $27,000.
     Population in 1890, 1,129; in 1900, 1,484.
     Bement has a very creditable newspaper, the Bement Register, publishd by M. O. Curry.
     Bement is an important railroad center, being a division point of the Wabash.  The Wabash have recently put down a ig well, and most of their engines on these runs take water and coal here.

UNITY TOWNSHIP.

     The first settlers in Unity township were the Monroes, Shonkwilers, Harshbargers and Moores who settled on Lake Fork about  1836 or 1837.  The first village in the township was a little settlement started by Mr. McNutt, and hence called Mackville.  Here Mr. McNutt kept a small store, and supplied the early settlers with the few "store goods" which they used.  The first church in the township was erected in 1858, and the first school was taught the same year.  Dr. Mitchell was the first regular physician of the place.  Mackville was the first regular physician of the place.  Mackville, at one time, was a fair sized town, but when the railroad was put through, the town of Atwood was started, and Mackville commenced to go down.
     Atwood was laid out in 1873 on land owned by Mr. Levi Budd.  The first house in the place was a store building erected in 1873 by Richard Hetton and David Barrett.  They each moved a dwelling house over from Mackville, and these became the first residences of the town.  L. C. Taylor was the first postmaster at Atwood, Dr. Bennerfield the first physician, and Joseph Moore kept the first hotel.
     The Christian church of Atwood was dedicated Aug. 15, 1880, by Rev. John T. Phillips.  The M. E. church was built at Mackville, and dedicated in 1872, but moved to Atwood in 1882.  The Baptist church was dedicated March 18, 1893.
     Atwood has strong Masonic and Odd Fellow lodges.  The town of Atwood is partly in Piatt county and partly in Douglas, the main street of the town being the county line road between the two counties.  The population of the town on the Piatt side was 320 in 1890, and 403 in 1800.  The population of the entire town was 530 in 1890 and 698 in 1900.
     Hammond was laid out in 1873.  The first house in the town was a grain-office built near where Evans and Bunyans' lumber yard is now located.  Alonzo Newton put up and kept the first store in the town, and also erected the first residence.  Mr. J. M. D. Wortham opened a store in 1873, and is still in business in the place, occupying a handsome corner brick store built recently.  M. Cook was the first postmaster and kept the first drug store.  W. R. Evans had the first hardware store, George Ragland was the first blacksmith and Dr. Abrams was the first physician of the place.
     The M. E. church was organized in 1876 and dedicated the first church in the town in 1882.  The Christian church was organized in 1877 and dedicated their building in 1883.  The Baptists have recently dedicated a handsome new church.   The hotel was built by W. H. Lewis, of Lovington, in 1874.  The first bank in Hammond was conducted by S. F. Musson in 1895.  In 1899 a modern brick bank building was erected, now owned by

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the State Bank of Hammond.  T. J. Kizer is president, O. D. Noe, vice president and J. A. Vent, casher.  The depots were built in 1895.  T. J. Kizer's large grain elevator was built in 1881.  The population of the village in 1900 was 481.
     The town of Pierson was laid out in 1881.  The postoffice was started in 1877, and Francis F. Flack was the first postmaster.   The postoffice was called Dry Ridge at first, and changed to present name later.  The Baptist church was dedicated in 1903.
     The churches in the country are as follows:  the Harshbarger church, about four miles north of Atwood, the oldest church in the county; the antioch church, built in 1864; a Christian church about six miles northwest of Atwood and the Prairie Chapel church, a Christian church built in 1891, about a mile east of Voorhies.

CERRO GORDO TOWNSHIP

     The first settlers in Cerro Gordo township were the Cunninghams, who settled north of La Place.  The first who settled in the neighborhood of Cerro Gordo were the Howells, who came in before the railroad was built.  After the railroad was completed the settlers came in rapidly.  The first town called Griswold, but when the postoffice was moved from north of town on what was known as the "Gordy Beck" place (on the stage line between Monticello and Decatur), the name of the postoffice came with it, and the place was called Cerro Gordo instead of Griswold.  The first house in the town was the section house for the railroad hands.  Andrew McKinney put up the first dwelling, and he and A. L. Rodgers conducted the first general merchandise store in the town.  John Prosser was the first physician and John Fields was the first blacksmith in the town.  The first school building was erected in 1866, and the first church in 1857.
     The Presbyterian church of this place was organized in Willow Branch township, but most of its members moved into Cerro Gordo.  The church building was erected about 1860.  Originally the congregation was large, but the membership is small at present.
     The M. E. church building was erected about 1866 by Mr. John Smith, and dedicated by Rev. Hiram Buck.  In recent years a handsome modern church building has been erected, and the church is in good conditions.
     The German Baptist church was built in 1878, at a cost of about $2,000, and was donated together with the ground on which it stands, by Mr. Metzger.
     An electric light plant was installed in the place in 1903.
     Cerro Gordo has never had a saloon, and the moral sentiment of the town is high.  It is an almost ideal residence town.
     It is in the center of a very rich farming and stock country, and a great deal of grain and stock is shipped from here.
     Population in 1890, 939; in 1900, 1,008.

LAPLACE.

     LaPlace was laid off in 1873, and was named by G. W. Stoner.  The first house built in the town was the hotel erected in 1874.  Jacob Reedy was the first postmaster of the town, Dr. Pierson the first physician.  The M. E. church was organized in the fall of 1874.  The church building was erected in 1877.  The two room school building was erected in 1884, and a two-room addition to this in 1903.  The John S. Ater Bank was

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started there several years ago.  The country around LaPlace is very fine farming country and a great deal of grain is marketed each year.  There is a strong lodge of Odd Fellows who own a two story brick building with lodge room above.

MILMINE.

     Milmine was originally called Farnsworth, and was laid out by Enos Farnsworth, who put up the first residence in the town.  Mr. Fanrsworth sold the plat to Milmine and Kerns.  Milmine and Bodman opened the first store, which was run by E. B. Sprague.  The first postoffice was kept by Hiram Barber, and was called Milmine, a name now given to the town.
     The school building was erected in 1872.  It is a two-story brick building.
     The Christian church was organized in 1879.  They have a very nice comfortable church.  The Church of God also has an organization, and a good building.
     A bank was started in Milmine in1903.
     There are two large elevators and a great deal of grain is shipped from this place. 
     Lintner is a small station in this township on the I. D. & W. railroad.  It was named, from William Lintner, of Decatur, who formerly owned a great deal of land in that vicinity.  It has a general store, a grain elevator, a blacksmith shop and several dwellings.  It is a good grain market.
     Burrowsville is a postoffice two miles east of Lintner.  It has a grain elevator and store.

WILLOW BRANCH.

     Willow Branch township claims the distinction of having the first brick house ever built in the county.  As early as 1842, Mr. George Widich made brick near Monticello.  Some of the first settlers in the township were the Aters, Pecks, Armsworths, Wm. Madden, John West, S. D. Havely, Michael Dillow, George Widdick, Peter Croninger and Henry Adams.
     Cisco is the only village in the township E. F. Dallas was the first grain merchant in the town.  Dr. Caldwell now of Monticello, practiced medicine here for several years.  Washington Nebaker kept the first dry goods store; Walker and Carter, the first blacksmith and J. B. Hamilton was the first druggist.  The village of Cisco was platted Apr. 24, 1874, by Hiram Ddoge, Erastus F. Dallas, Abraham Runkle and Thomas Watson.
     A modern M. E. church building was erected there recently.  Cisco has a bank, two large grain elevators and a number of business houses.  It has grown quite rapidly in last two or three years.  The town has one paper, the Cisco Press.
     The first cabin on Goose Creek was built where George Varner now lives.  The early settlers were the Olneys, Abraham Marquiss, Ezra Marquiss, Sr., Wm. Piatt and wife, Mr. Welch and Mr. Hubbart.
     The only village in the township is DeLand, where great deal of business is done.  The village was laid out by Thomas Bondurant in 1873.  S. C. Langdon owned the first dwelling house in DeLand.  R. B. Moody and John Vail built a store in 1873.  Dr. J. A. Davis was the first physician.
     DeLand has two banks, two grain elevators, and some good substantial business houses.  The population of the village in 1900 was 411.

BLUE RIDGE.

     Among the early settlers in Blue Ridge

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township are the following:  William Pierce, Richard Webb, Jacob Denning, Joseph Aikens, Noah Coffman, Mr. Gillespie, Lafayette Cox, James Watson, Mr. Keenan, Thomas Brothers.
     The town of Mansfield was laid out in 1870 by Gen. J. L. Mansfield, and named in his honor.  The first church building was an Episcopal church erected in 1873.  The Wabash and Big Four Railroads  cross at this place.  It is a good grain market and thousands of bushels of grain are marketed here each year.  It has two banks.  The business part of the town is well improved, there being some modern brick store buildings.  The Odd Fellows own a very nice building here.  The population in 1890 was 533; in 1900, 708.

SANGAMON.

     Sangamon township was one of the early ones settled.  Among the early settlers may be mentioned the following: Mrs. Nancy Ingram, Mr. and Mrs. Hanline, Mr. Wright, Mr. and Mrs. Souders, Oulreys, Maddens, Mackeys, Coons and Argos.
     Centerville is the oldest town in the township, and was started by Mr. Archibald Moffett, who built the first house.  The town was laid out and named about 1850.
     White Heath was laid out in 1872.  The land was owned by Mr. Frank White and was bought by Mr. Heath, hence the name.  James Webster erected the first dwelling.  Miss Frank and Mr. Vin Williams put up the first hotel adn opened the first store in the place.  Dr. Unangst was the first physician.
     The town of Galetville was first called Calef's Station and was changed to the present one in honor of Mr. Calef's wife, whose maiden name was Gale.  The first store building was erected in 1876 by Mr. Calef and the first residence was built and occupied by John Donlan.

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