Townships of Jefferson County Illinois

   Spring Garden township joins Dodds on the north and Franklin county in the south. It is another good township and many good farms are seen in all directions. Some fruit is raised and much more might be raised to good advantage, as the soil down there will produce almost anything. The settlement of Spring Garden dates back ninety years.
   Among the early settlers we mention the Smiths, the Hoppers, who came in 1816, Atchisons, James Burchell, Wiley Prigmore, Uriah Compton, John Hull, Nat Wyatt, Thomas Spftly, Matthew Kirk, James McCann, William Harmon, the Sweetens, Parretts, etc. Many descendants of these pioneers are still in the vicinity with descendants of their own, doing well.
   Schools and religious meetings were held around the neighborhood, as at first in other townships, but school-houses and churches soon sprang up and now the territory is lined with them. The fact is, Spring Garden has all kinds of religion, including the brand known as "none whatever."
   W. S. Bumpus was the first Supervisor. The villiage of Spring Garden was laid out in 1848 and was getting to be quite a town, when a few years ago the Chicago, Eastern & Illinois Railroad was built through the township, and missed the old town and the new town of Ina sprung up and captured most of the trade and took the lead. So now Spring Garden has two well equipped towns and a railroad and is forging to the front in enterprise as well as in education and religious matters. It still sticks to its Democracy. The town of Bonnie is located near the Dodds and Spring Garden line and it is the seat of the popular camp meetings grounds. Bonnie has churches, school-houses and a good business.

Submitted By: Cindy Ford