County & Town Histories
County & Town Histories
De Witt County - Situated in the central portion of the State; has an area of 405 square miles and a population (1900) of 18,972. the land was originally owned by the Kickapoos and Pottawatomies, and not until 1820 did the first permanent white settlers occupy this region. The first to come were Felix Jones, Prettyman Marvel, William Cottrell, Samuel Glenn, and the families of Scott, Lundy and Coaps. Previously however, the first cabin had been built on the site of the present Farmer City by Nathan Clearwater. Zion Shugest erected the earliest grist-mill and Burrell Post the first saw-mill in the county. Kentuckians and Tennesseeans were the first immigrants, but not until the advent of settlers from Ohio did permanent improvements begin to be made. In 1835 a school house and Presbyterian church were built at Waynesville. The county was organized in 1839, and -- with its capitol (Clinton) -- was named after one of New York's most distinguished Governors. It lies within the great "corn belt" and is well watered by Salt Creek and its branches. Most of the surface is rolling prairie, interspersed with woodland. Several lines of railway (among them the Illinois Central) cross the county. Clinton had a population of 2,598 in 1890, and Farmer City, 1,367. Both are railroad centers and have considerable trade. ["Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois", 1901]
Wapella Township
The first settlers in Wapella Township were John P. Glenn, John Young, and William Vinson, who came in the year of 1829. Glenn, a native of Virginia, came from Kentucky and located on section 14 in the spring of the above year. His wife and children accompanied him here where they remained until the family moved to Iowa. Vinson and Young came from the same state with their families and located on sections 23 and 25. The former, like Glenn, moved with his family to Iowa, but the later remained here.
Another pioneer to the Township was Abraham Swearingen, a native of Pennsylvania, coming from Kentucky in the Spring of 1830 to settle on section 15. At that time he was married to Elizabeth Lowe and had seven children, Daniel, George, Lydia, John, Elijah, David, and Samuel. Other children born here were Elizabeth, Lemuel, Sarah, Zilpah, Jemima, Abraham, and Mary. After the death of his first wife, he married Amy Crum in 1843, and two children, Isaac, and Jacob, were born to this union. Mr. Swearingen lived to be almost ninety years of age and spent over a half century in the Township. At the time of his death, he left one hundred grandchildren, one hundred and fifty great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.
This two hundred fifty-two descendants was a most unusual and remarkable record.
In the Spring of 1830 Samuel Spencer of Kentucky entered a tract of land on section 26 and then returned to his former home. In the fall of the same year, he returned bringing with him his wife and seven children. John Troxell and his wife with several children came from the same state and located on section 28. His brother, Frederick Troxell, arrived in the fall with his family, and resided on section 32. The former only stayed for a short time, moving to Iowa, but the latter remained for several years and then moved to Missouri.
Jonathan Harrold, another pioneer from Virginia, emigrated to this state in 1833 and established a residence north east of Waynesville, where he resided until his death occurred in 1836. He brought with him seven children, James, Isam, Mitchell, Eli, Mary, Naomi, and Sophronia. They made the trip in a four-horse drawn wagon with the crooked bed, which in pioneer days was called the steamboat. In 1842, three of the children, Isam, Mitchell, and Eli, procured 200 acres of land in sections 32 and 33 of Wapella Township for their homes. Other pioneer men who came, to the Township to establish a residence were Henry and David Troxell, Joseph Nelson, and Jonathan Atherton.
Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Swearingen was the first child born in the Township, on July 18, 1830.
The first death to occur was Melinda Troxell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Troxell, who died in the above-mentioned year. Burial was on the land occupied by her father in section 22, which became the place of interment for the dead, and is now known as the Crum Cemetery.
In the winter of 1831, Edom Schugart taught the first school in a log cabin which did not have any chimney, just an opening in the roof for the smoke to escape, and it was situated on section 27. The cabin being poorly constructed, only one term of school was taught.
In 1850 there was a little hamlet named Zabriska situated on the old state road three miles north of Wapella, which contained seven houses with a population of thirty inhabitants. The Illinois Central Shops locating in Wapella was the reason this ham-let did not develop into a town. It was one of the landmarks of earlier days, a mill being erected there at one time. This mill was built by Samuel Spencer and had the capacity of grinding about twenty-five bushels of corn per day. The first saw mill which had a circular saw and was operated by horse power, was constructed by William Rolofson, and located in Zabriska.
The first postoffice was established in 1845, and was in charge of Abraham Swearingen at his residence in section 15, where it remained until moved to Zabriska, and later to Wapella. Isam Harrold was the first blacksmith and his shop was situated in section 32 at his home. He had but a few tools for this shop that was constructed in 1845.
The Christian church erected in 1856 on section 22, is given the distinction of being the first church built in the Township.
["Wapella Centennial: 1854-1954"; Published By H.J. Wible Print. Co.; 1954 - Transcribed by K. Torp]
TOWN HISTORIES
CLINTON - the county-seat of De Witt County, situated 23 miles south of Bloomington, at intersection of the Springfield and the Champaign-Havana Divisions with the main line of the Illinois Central Railroad; lies in a productive agricultural region; has machine shops, flour and planing mills, brick and tile works, water works, electric lighting plant, piano-case factory, banks, three newspapers, six churches and two public schools. Population:
1890: 2,598
1900: 4,452
FARMER CITY - a city of De Witt County, 25 miles southeast of Bloomington, at the junction of the Springfield division of the Illinois Central and the Peoria division of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railways. It is a trading center for a rich agricultural and stock-raising district, especially noted for rearing finely bred horses. The city has banks, two newspapers, churches of four denominations and good schools, including a high school. Population:
1880: 1,289
1890: 1,367
1900: 1,664
KENNEY - a village and railway station in Dewitt County, at the intersection of the Springfield Division of the Illinois Central and the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railroads, 36 miles northeast of Springfield. The town has 2 banks and 2 newspapers; the district is agricultural.
Population:
1880: 418
1890: 497
1900: 584
["Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois", 1901]