Forrest History - Livingston County Illinois Genealogy & History

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Forrest History
Livingston County, Illinois
(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

On the Vermilion River, southeast of Pontiac, lies the incorporated village of Forrest, which in 1950 had a population of 1,040.
It has numerous retail stores, service establishments, banking facilities and a postoffice. The village is located on the Toledo, Peoria & Western and the Wabash railroads and on US 24 and State 47.
The village was platted in 1866 for I. J. Krack, owner of the site. He was first postmaster here, as well as first railroad station agent.
Forrest village is the principal community of Forrest Township, which today has a total population of 1,632.
First settler of the township was Charles Jones, who came from New Jersey in 1836 and built a log cabin on the site of present Forrest village.
Soon after railroads were built through the area, quite a few German- Amish immigrants arrived in the township and established farms.
[This is Livingston County, Illinois by: John Drury, The Loree Co., Chicago, Illinois (1955)]

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