Marshall County Illinois History and Genealogy
Village Index

Villages, Towns and Railroad Stops

Bell Crossing

Broadmore

Camp Grove

Custer

Evans

Henry
UPDATED!

Held

Lacon

La Rose

Lawn Ridge

La Prairie

Lyons

Pattensburg

Porterfield

Holton

Rutland

Saratoga

Sparland

Steuben

Toluca

Varna

Webster

Wenona

Wilburn

 Country Settlements  

Round Prairie  
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Shaw's Point
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Robert's Point
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Henry Prairie  
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

High Prairie
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Yankee Lane
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Belle Plaine
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Half Moon Prairie
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Crow Creek Settlement
(Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

South Whitefield

Pea Ridge

North Steuben

Paper Towns
(Existed on paper only)

• History of Auburn (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

• History of Bristol (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

• History of Centreville (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

• History of Chambersburg (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

• History of Dorchester (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

• History of Troy City (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Henry

Early History /Accidents /  The Henry Bridge / Historic Fires and Disasters / Prominent Citizens / Manufacturing and Businesses   /   Miscellaneous News Items/  Henry Photos

History of Henry (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

Early Henry History

• Pioneer Life Around Henry (Letters were written by G.M. Locke  to the Henry News Republican in 1921 concerning his father, Silas Locke's journey and early life in Marshall County.)
• Early Days in Marshall County (Taken from the Henry News Republcian)
• Visit to Henry (Taken From the Daily Alton Telegraph, March 15, 1853 and the Alton Weekly Courier, Dec 6, 1855) - describes Heny in 1855 and gives a brief history of the village.
• The population of Henry (June 6, 1857, Courier Newspaper)
•  A Visit to Henry (May 20, 1880, reprinted in the Henry Republican from the Peoria Democrat)
• Fishing At Henry (June 5, 1875 Tonica News, Tonica IL)

• Accidents reported in the Henry Republican  Wilson Abrams Injured by Train NEW!!

Businesses and Manufacturing

•  Hoagland's Mill
• A Nursery At Henry (Dec. 13, 1866)
• Hotel Changes In Henry   (May 13 1869)
• The Hanna Wagon Manufactory (Taken From the Henry Republican, Henry, IL October 13, 1870)
• The Paper Mill (Taken From the Henry Republican, Henry IL December 1, 1870)
• Business Changes during 1881 (Taken from the Henry Republican, January 5, 1882)
• The New Bowling Alley (September 28, 1876)
• Henry Wholesale Market Prices   (January 6, 1870)

• The First Postmaster of Henry - (Article written about the early life history of Hooper Warren - Henry News Republican)
• Death of Wm. B. Duke (As a Banker and Business Man Did Much for the Building Up of This Community)
• Robert Davis
  • The Wealthiest Farmer in the State of Illinois - Robert Davis (Copied from the El Paso Journal and printed in the Henry Republican June 20, 1878)
  • The Death of Mr. Robert Davis (Henry Republican, November 13, 1879) and The Davis Obsequies (Henry Republican, November 20, 1879)

• The charter for building the Henry bridge (Feb. 7, 1867)
• The Beginning of Construction on the Henry Bridge (Taken From the Henry News Republican, Sept. 2, 1869)
• The Bridge Construction Almost Completed  (Taken From the Henry Republican, November 3, 1870)
• The Bridge Celebration (Taken From the Henry Republican, Dec. 8, 1870)
• Graveling the Turnpike (Henry Republican Jan. 331, 1878)

• Fire Destroys House Occupied by 4 Families  (Nov. 12, 1858)
• Samuel Tabor's Home Destroyed by Fire  (Jan. 23, 1857)
• Chapter of Accidents - A Bad Catastrophe (The death of F.S. Potter's son and the near drowning of F. S. Potter and James Raymond - April 1, 1869)
• The 1878 Fire of the Danley Elevator
• The Great Fire of 1869  (Four blocks were destroyed and numerous businesses lost.)
• The Fire Fiend of 1901 (The fire of January 17, 1901, one of the worst fires in Henry's history - A ten page story about the fire, the businesses lost and the people who fought bravely to put it out. - Henry News Republican)

• The New Henry Cemetery (Taken From the Marshall County Republican, April 23, 1868)
• The New Calvary Cemetry (Taken From the Henry Republican, April 30, 1874)
• Historic Starved Rock  (A trip to Starved Rock in 1875 by the people in Lacon and Henry, Illinois - includes a description of their trip and history of the Rock.)
• The Spotted Dutchman and His Castle
  • The Spotted Dutchman House (Taken from the Henry News Republican - 1869)
  • The Castle Dismantled (Taken from the Henry Republican, Nov. 13, 1873)
  • The Spotted Dutchman Hill (Taken From the Henry News Republican - 1903)
• New Marshall County Jail   (Feb. 20, 1857)

• New Senachwine PO (June 19, 1857)

• Henry Lighted by Gas (Sep. 18, 1857)
• School Director Election (May 13, 1869)
• A foot Race (70 yard race between Charles Bane and Frank Myers - Aug. 31, 1871)
• Prevailing sickness (spinal meningitis) with alarming fatalities (March 1873)
• Local Gossip
  • Miscellaneous Items from June 10, 1875
  • Local News Items from April 15, 1880
  • Miscellaneous Items from February 2, 1882
  • Local Items from May 25 1882
  • Local Items from July 18, 1882 and August 31, 1882  NEW!!
  • Local Items from August 31, 1882
  • Local gossip (Henry Republican, Feb. 11, 1915)
• 1915 News
  • Crazy Social of the Epworth League  (Henry Republican, Feb. 4, 1915)
  • Cornet Band Organized (Henry Republican, June 3, 1915)

• A Robbery of clotheslines (Dec. 5, 1867)
• Burglaries  (Attempted theft at Andrew Fiedler's, Henry Watercott's and C. Gould's -  June 10, 1875 Henry Republican)
• Rock Island Depot Robbed  (Henry Republican, Feb. 4, 1915)

• Our Packet Fayette (The first run of the Riverboat: Taken from the Henry Republican, May 7, 1874)
• Announcement of New Riverboat  (Nov. 6, 1857)
• Explosion of the Steam Boat Nile at Hennepin  (Sep. 4, 1857)

• Henry Photos - donated by Dawn Coen
  • Photo of the Henry Bridge
  • Henry Central Park
  • Henry Lock and Dam

Lacon

History and Historical Sketches

• History of Lacon
• History of Lacon (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

• Sketch of Lacon (From the 1855 Alton Weekly Courier) Includes a brief history of Lacon and a sketch of the village, its businesses and inhabitants in 1855.
• Sketch of Lacon (From the 1868 Henry paper by Dr. Samuel D. Wood, Chicago Journal of Commerce correspondent)
• At  Sparland and Lacon (Taken From the Henry Republican - January 5, 1871)
• Visit to Lacon and The Lacon Woolen Mill  (Visit to Lacon after the 1871 fire - includes a trip to the Woolen Mill - Henry Republican , July 27, 1871)
• History of the Lacon Woolen Mill - photo donated by Dawn Coen

• Photo of the Lacon Ferry
• Photo of the Lacon High School
• 1917 Lacon Grade School Photo -donated by Barb Lenox Garet
• 1919 Lacon Grade School Photo -donated by Barb Lenox Garet
•  Lacon Baptist Church - donated by Dawn Coen (Short church history included)
•  Marshall County Court House, Lacon - donated by Dawn Coen (Short history included)
• Lacon Congregational Church - donated by Dawn Coen  (Short church history included)
• Prairie Avenue Looking South - donated by Dawn Coen
• Old Settlers Day - donated by Dawn Coen
• 1907 Lacon Old Settlers - donated by Dawn Coen
• 1909 Riverview at Lacon -  donated by Dawn Coen
• 1924-1926 Championship Baseball Team - donated by Terri Taylor
• Miscellaneous Lacon Photos - - donated by Terri Taylor
  • Residence of J. Q. Hall
  • Lacon Public School
  • Methodist Church
  • Congregational Church
•  1952 Varsity Football Squad - contributed by Terri Taylor

• Court House Destroyed by Fire (Dixon Telegraph 1853)
• Flour Mill Destroyed by Fire  (Alton Weekly Courier 1855)
• Escape of Prisoners from the Lacon Jail  (Taken from "the Courier", Henry, IL - January 23, 1857)
• 1871 Fire in Lacon  (Taken from "the Henry Republican, March 16, 1871)
• The Lacon Shooting of 1876 (Taken from the Henry Republican)
• The Shooting of George B. Snyder (Henry Republican 1877)
• Woolen Mill Watchman Slain by Robbers  (Taken from the Henry News Republican, November 1922)

• Columbia changed its name to Lacon (Alton Observer, 1837)
• Lacon Appointed as Seat of Justice (Alton Telegraph 1839)
• Lacon Herald is Published (Alton Telegraph and Democrat Review 1849)
•  New Manager of the Sherman House (Henry Republican 1876)
• 1877 Election of Lacon Postmaster
• The 1878 Commencement exercises of the Lacon High School (Henry Republican 1878)
• The Bridge Agitation - Lacon wants a bridge (Henry Republican 1879)

Sparland

Village History and Historical Sketches

• History of Sparland
• History of Sparland (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)
• Sparland in 1867   (Marshall County Republican, November 14, 1867)
• Sketch of Sparland  (From the 1868 Henry paper by Dr. Samuel D. Wood, Chicago Journal of Commerce correspondent)
• At  Sparland and Lacon (Taken From the Henry Republican - January 5, 1871)
• 1876 Businesses in Sparland  (Taken From the Henry Republican, Jan. 20, 1876)

Pioneers

• Franklin Ward Graves  (From the Marshall County Republican 1867)

• The Graves Tragedy (courtesy of Kristin Johnson and the Crossroads Website)
• 1878 Sparland Fire "Sparland in Ruins - Eleven Business Houses Destroyed by Fire " (Taken From the Henry Republican, June 1878)
• The Callen block burns  (March 1878)

• Sparland Photos from the Past  
• Sparland Family Photos (First family photo courtesy Nellie Egan)

• The Boring for Coal at Sparland (Short article from March 1873)
• 1880 Local Gossip (Henry Republican, Jan. 1, 1880  AND April 8 & 21, 1880)
• 1881 Local Gossip (Henry Republican, March and April 1881)
• Local News - Feb 9, 1882  (Henry Republican)
• Local News - Feb. 23, 1882 (Henry Republican)
•  Local News - May 18 1882 (Henry Republican)
•  The Sparland Tile Factory - (Henry Republican 1879 - short paragraph)
• The Sparland Mystery (Rumors concerning the death of Mr. Orr) - Henry Republican May 25, 1882
• Local News - February 18, 1915 (Henry Republican)

Toluca

History of Toluca

The Antioch Christian Church, Toluca, IL

• Ministers of the Antioch Christian Church

• Railroad Wreck at Toluca  (News article taken from the Henry News Republican, April 23, 1908)
•   Train Wreck Photos

Shooting at Toluca (July 18, 1901)

Toluca's New Fire Company and Fire Department Ordinance (Sep. 25, 1903)

A Wild African Lion Killed in Marshall County (Taken from the Toluca Star, July 4, 1902)

 Mayor of Toluca Wins Naturalization Papers (Taken from the Henry News Republican, April 23, 1908)

Miscellaneous News Items Taken From the Henry News Republican

• Raid of Toluca Last Night Nets Big Haul (November 6, 1924)
• Toluca Feather Factory Closes Down. (August 13, 1925)
• Match Touched to Leak in Pipe Line Causes Big Fire (September 3, 1925)
• Great Western Merchantile Company of Toluca Retiring From Business (October 15, 1925)
• Star Herald at Toluca sold.  (June 17, 1926)
• Toluca State Bank Closes Its Doors (November 25, 1926)
• To Drill For Oil Near Toluca (December 30, 1926)
• Directors and depositors plan to reopen Toluca State Bank (January 27, 1927)
• E.G. Ball Indicted for violating banking law (May 26, 1927)
• Survey Being Made To connect Toluca With Hard Road (June 23, 1927)
• E.G. Ball of Toluca Files Schedule in Bankruptcy Action (June 30, 1927)
• Professor E.C. Foley Resigns as Superintendent of Toluca Schools. (September 27, 1927)
• Toluca Bankers Indicted (May 31, 1928)
• Toluca Has A New Postmaster (July 12, 1928)
• J.W. Cox of Toluca Buys Two Coal Mines (September 20, 1928)

 The Murder of Sheriff Orville Litchfield and Policeman, John Leonard by Joseph Stemas
TheMost Sensational Murder in Marshall County, Illinois of the 1920's (Taken with permission from the Henry News Republican, September 24, 1925)  - Also included are articles on Stemas capture, the results of the trial and Stemas' death in prison

News Items From the Toluca Star Newspaper  
Miscellaneous news items of interest from the early years of Toluca and Marshall County's History and Growth

• February 16, 1895

• 1901

• 1902

• 1903

• 1916

• 1925 Highlights

Toluca Star Herald, March 22, 1929 edition, Toluca, Illinois

• Page 1 (High School News, County News, Marriages and Obits)
• Page 2 (Varna news items, News Items from the past, advertisements)
• Page 3 - (Toluca Election Notification and lots of advertisement)
• Page 4  (Bond notice, Local Gossip, Sheriff's Sale, Church News)
• Page 5 (Advertisement, Local Gossip)

• Toluca Photos From the Past  (UPDATE:  Unknown School Photo - possibly Bennington Twp - Contributed by Rick Elgin)

• Bayless Family Photos (courtesy Julie Bayless)

• • Roy Bayless and Family

  • Studebaker Garage - early 1900's

• Ads From The Past - (Wonderful Color Slides From the early 1900's for Litchfield Hardware Store - courtesy Ken Miller)

• Does anyone know what this is?  The owner of this medal or token would like information on J.J. Bamrick or what it was for.  

• Plain Crash Photo (Does anyone know where this was taken?)(Courtesy Minnie Gerth Kirwan and Nancy Kirwan)

Varna

Village History and Historical Sketches

• History of Varna
• Letter From Varna (Henry Republican, 1872)
• Short Sketch of Varna  (Taken From the Henry Republican, August 27, 1874)

• Arndt photos   - Donated by Dawn Coen
  • Ed and Emma (Quiram) Ardnt's Wedding
  • Ed and Emma Ardnt's Wedding Anniversary Photo
  • Ed and Emma 50th Wedding Anniversay (news article)
  • Photo of Anna Auguste Bertha Arndt and Maria Rosina Pauline Arndt
• Schoof photos and family history - Donated by Dawn Coen
  • The Schoof Home
  • Ernest and Alvina Shoof's Wedding
  • Ernest and Alvina Shoof's 50th Wedding Anniversary Photo
  • Obituaries of Ernest and Alivan Shoof (News articles)
• Kemnitz photos - Donated by Dawn Coen (William and Laura Kemnitz and their children)
• Family Photos of the Otto and Lenz Familes - Donated by Dawn Coen
• Family Photos of the Quiram Family - Donated by Dawn Coen
• Family Photos of the Wehling Family - Donated by Dawn Coen

• The Varna Grade School - Donated by Dawn Coen
• The 1930 Varna Graduation Class
• 1918 Confirmation Class for St. Paul's Lutheran Church - Donated by Dawn Coen
• 1926 Conrimation Class for St. Paul's Lutheran Church  - Donated by Dawn Coen
• 1927-28 Varna 7th and 8th Grade Class - Donated by Dawn Coen
• Grade School Class - 1920's - Donated by Dawn Coen
• Varna High School - 1923 - Donated by Dawn Coen
• St. Paul's Parochial School - 1885  - Donated by Dawn Coen
•  St. Paul's Parochial School abt. 1890 - Donated by Dawn Coen
• St. Paul's Parochial School 1914 - Donated by Dawn Coen
• Miscellaneous Varna Photos - Page 1 (August Schoof Residence, Mrs. Alvina Faulk, American House, Alta Fahsbender, Brown and Olson Store, Cora Faulk) - Donated by Dawn Coen
•  Miscellaneous Varna Photos - Page 2 (Threshing on Wrights Farm near Varna 1909, Mrs. Olive (Held) Brown, Varna High School - 1911, Varna Grain Bins, Charlie and Norma Johnson, Martins Home Cafe, Florence Jenkins) - Donated by Dawn Coen
• Miscellaneous Varna Photos - Page 3  (Walter Falk, Main Street, Varna, IL, Reinhardt Petrich and Ottila Schwanke, Oscar Olson, Frank Grill, Mrs. Nimke) - Donated by Dawn Coen

•  Miscellaneous News Items
  • Trouble with the wells
  • New well (Jan. 1, 1875); New store (Apr. 8, 1875)
• Local News (March 25, 1915)

Wenona

Village History and Historical Sketches

• History of Wenona
• History of Wenona (Ford's Marshall County History - 1860)

• The Great Wenona Fire of 1870 (Twenty seven businesses were lost - including the depot)
•  1876 Wenona Fire

• Wenona Hunters- late 1800's (Photo - Courtesy Peggy Cacciamatta)
• Main Street, Wenona IL, Early 1900's - Donated by Dawn Coen
• Zion Lutheran Church, Wenona, IL - Donated by Dawn Coen
• Coal Shaft and Mine - donated by  Dawn Coen

• The History of the Michael Nazy Family by James Nazy  

• The Wenona Fair ( Taken from the Henry Republican, 1872 - includes a short paragraph on some of Wenona's citizens)
  • The 1875 Wenona Fair Premium List
• The History of Wenona Schools
  • Wenona High School Graduates 1885-1920
• Coal Mine News
• Wenona Post Office Robbed (Henry Republican, May 1873)
• 1875 Election Results
•  The Father Matthew Society (Henry Republican, Aug. 1876) 
• Business Failures at Wenona (Henry Republican, Feb. 28, 1878)
• New Bank Organized (Henry Republican, March 21, 1878)
• Farms Quarantined for Foot and Mouth Disease (Henry News Republican, March 4, 1915)