Townships of Jefferson County Illinois

   This township lies south of Grand Prairie, along the Washington county line and contains fine farming lands. Orginally it was mostly timber, but of the best varieties, oak, walnut, hickory, ash, cherry with hazel, sumach, etc. It has the same streams as Grand Prairie.
   Among the first settlers was George Casner, for whom the township was named. He raised a large family and died only a few years ago, leaving his widow on the old farm.Contemporary with him, came Howell, Clark, Burris, Patterson, Creel, Daniels, the Laceys, John Holt, Walter Bean, the Champs and others whose names are linked with the history of Casner township.
   At first the people beat their meal with pestle in little mortars, but the Caseys put up a little mill and worked by hand that would grind a bushel or two a day, which was a vast improvement. Mr. Carroll ran a mill near the west side of the township. One of the first roads through the township was the Shawneetown and St. Louis road coming through Mount Vernon. The first school - houses and churches were rude affairs, but back of these, religious services were held at private houses, until Reynold's chapel was erected. Reynolds professed religion as he died and the chapel was named for him. The voting place is at Roachville on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, and the result is always a rock-ribbed Democratic majority in fact, it has been said that it would be easy for Andrew Jackson and Stephen A. Douglas to be elected to any office in Casner township, from President to constable.
   Roachville, the capital of Casner, is in the south part of the township, but it proved to be too far from Mount Vernon and too close to Ashley ever to amount to much. The first supervisor was E. V. Harvey. Among the prominent citizens have been the Champs, Laceys, Schmidts, Clarks, Bledsoes, Severs, Carrolls, Morgans, Watkins, Moores, and others whom we do not now recall. Casner is a splendid farming region; is well adapted to fruit, grain and stock raising, with a little less bourbonism and a few grains more enterprise, energy and snap a good seasoning of ginger Casner would surprise the other parts of the county with her wonderful developement. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad taps Casner.