QUIVER TOWNSHIP CHAPTER XXVIII Page 283 A settlement had been made west of the Creek as early as 1835. No one had ventured across the Creek, into what is now Quiver township prior to 1837. John Barnes from Kentucky, had located as early as the first mentioned date. His wife was truly a helpmate. Her muscular strength was such that she could split one hundred and fifty rails a day. At Barnes' home Joseph Lybarger stopped a few weeks, before he crossed the Quiver, and began his improvements. Lybarger was from Pennsylvania and was a blacksmith by trade. The exact date of his settlement cannot be fixed to a certainty. It is probably it occurred in 1837. Soon after coming he opened up a shop and for a number of years did the work for that part of the country. In the summer of 1837, Henry Seymore came and settled east of Lybarger's. A month later Peter Ringhouse, who had been stopping at St. Louis, came and settled in the community. Ringhouse was originally from Germany, but had lived in Baltimore before coming west. William Atwatter came from Connecticut and located in the neighborhood. He served an apprenticeship and followed his trade for a number of years. He erected a frame building, probably the first in the township, and began to improve his farm. For two years after coming he led the life of a bachelor and fared with as much happiness as bachelor's enjoy. The climate did not seem to agree with him as he was annoyed with chills and fever. At one time he determined to exchange one-half of his land for a horse and wagon and the tail end of a stock of goods; this he intended to peddle, hoping to get enough money to leave the country, but he was destined to become one of the permanent settlers of the country. On telling his intentions to a friend, he persuaded him to stay and get married. Mr. Atwatter was in favor of the suggestion and in a short time Miss Elizabeth Ringhouse became Mrs. Elizabeth Atwatter. He lived at the place he first settled all his life. His widow still survives him and is now Mrs. Korell. John Seeley, William Patterson and a man by the name of Edwards settled near the bluff timber in 1840. Isaac Parkhurst moved near Quiver Creek in 1840 and was a justice of the peace when this section was in Tazewell county. During the year of 1842 Benjamin Ross, Dan Waldron, William E. Magill and George V. Coon were among the permanent settlers. Ross was from Tennessee and had settled in Cass county before coming to Mason. Waldron was from New Jersey and settled in Green county in 1839. At the same time, Stephen Brown, his father-in-law, Robert Cross, and Aaron Litell came and settled by him. Loren Ames, a native of the old Bay State, came west in 1818 and settled in St. Clair county. In 1842 he became a citizen of Quiver. He had served in the Black Hawk war, first as private and afterward as lieutenant in Col. Fray's noted regiment. William Colwell, a native of England, first settled in Cass County. In 1842 he came to Quiver township. He died from a kick of a horse. He was a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church. His son, John Colwell, belongs to the Illinois conference and is an able preacher. George Steath sold out to Cross. In 1843 Cross and Litell settled on farms adjoining Coon. Fred High, Henry Rakestraw and Freeman Marshall made settlement in 1843. Moses Eckard came from Maryland, located in Fulton county in 1839 and in Mason county in 1840. In 1844 he married a daughter of Pollard Simmonds. He then moved near where the village of Topeka stood. Most of the settlements, up to this, had been made along the bluff of the Illinois river. In 1847, J.M. McReynolds located in the south side of Quiver and east of Eckard. Robert McReynolds, the father of J.M., came from Pennsylvania in 1838 and settled seven miles east of Havana. In 1849 he became a citizen of Quiver township and at an early day was connected with the interest of the county. In 1845 we find him connected with the board of county commissioners. In 1849 he was Associate Judge with Smith Turner and John Pemberton. In every position in which he was placed, integrity marked his course. He was an earnest advocate of Methodism. He was not only a pioneer in the country, but a pioneer in Methodism. In building his house, an extra large room was provided in which to hold meetings. Quarterly meetings were held, over which Peter Cartright presided. On one occasion over fifty people were there for breakfast. The first Sunday school in the county was established at his house in 1841, with twelve teachers and twenty-one scholars. J.M. is following in the footsteps of his father. John Appleman, Thomas Yates and George Ross came from Ohio and settled in the part of the township known as Tight Row. Appleman died years ago, Yate in 1876 and Ross returned to Ohio on a visit and died. Hugh McHarry, a native of Ireland, came to this country in 1822. He had come to this country to make a fortune. He started penniless. His mind led him to milling. He lived on the Erie canal; then in Louisville and came to Beardstown in 1842. In 1843 he bought the Quiver Mill site, which was only a saw mill; then he built a grist mill on the south side of Julius Jones, Charles Howell and William Pollard, who built the dam. The saw mill was in Quiver township, while the grist mill was in Havana township. McHarry was a large land owner, and in war times donated many a sack of flour to the poor war widows. The first school in the township was near William Atwatter and was taught by a German named Vollrath. In addition to the regular school instruction, he taught music and led the exercises with a fiddle. This feature was not well received by the parents, as they considered it a divice of the devil to capture and lead their young children down the road to ruin, so his services were not needed a second term. Vollrath was from the south and his high ideas of southern life did not accord with the western pioneer life, consequently he was not popular with the people. Among others who taught in early days were Charles B. Waldo and George Carem. The early preaching was in private houses and barns. Elder Jonah Crawford held a protracted meeting in Lybarger's barn. The meetings were held for a number of years in William Atwatter's residence. Elder Brockman and Powell fed the sheep for a number of years. The Presbyterian church in Tight Row was built in 1853 and had a flourishing congregation, but remained idle for a number of years, except on funeral occasions. Among the early ministers were Rev. William Perkins, Andrews and Bennett. The principal cemetery of the township is connected with this church. The first interment was Robert Cross. Since that time many of the early pioneers have been laid beside him to sleep till Gabriel shall summon the sleepers to arise. Near by stands that Christian Chapel, erected in 1866. Joseph Lybarger and wife, W.E. Magill and wife, and William Atwatter and wife, were among the first members. Elders Judy and Haughey have ministered to their spiritual welfare since the zeal of the early settlers frequently led them to attend meetings from ten miles away, often in ox wagons. William Atwatter and Elizabeth Ringhouse were married in 1840 by Esquire Parkhurst. This was undoubtedly the first marriage in Quiver township, which was at that time in Tazewell county, and Mr. Atwatter had to procure his license at Tremont. The first doctor was Dr. Buckner. Dr. Allen and Dr. Harpham of Havana, also cared for the bodies of the Quiventers. The first birth was Fidelia Lybarger. The first death was Mrs. Maria Elan, which occurred in 1838. Quiver township was loyal to the old flag in the late war, many of her sons yielding up their lives in its defense. The village of Topeka is seven miles northeast of Havana and is the only village within the limits of Quiver township. It was surveyed for Moses Eckard and Richard Thomasin 1858. In order to secure the town site, Eckard and Thomas bought one hundred and eighty acres of David Beal and eighty acres was made into the town plat. Forty acres were donated to the railroad company in order to secure the station. The first resident of the town was J.L. Yates, a blacksmith, who had worked at McHarry's mill previous to coming to Topeka. Dr. E.Z. Nichols built the second house and was the first doctor. Harrison Venard was the third resident. He was from Ohio and with Ben Rosebrough started the first store, which in a couple of months was under the name of Venard & Musleman. A second store was opened by Musleman and Aaron Litell. Other business men came, till it seemed that Topeka was on the road to prosperity. A grain warehouse was built in 1860 by Moses Eckard.. R.W. Stires of St. Louis, was the first to buy grain and Porter & Walker operated at different times. The grain was handled in sacks and shipped in flat cars. Flower Allen and Sherman built a cheap constructed elevator. Low and Foster came next and entered the ring. A neat and substantial depot was soon erected. Harrison Venard was the first agent. The Methodist church was built in 1865. The Rev. T. J. Simmons was the first preacher. The postoffice was established in 1860. The village was incorporated in accordance with an act of the legislature in 1869. Samuel Yates, Philip Brown and Robert G. Rider were elected as trustees. The board organized by electing Samuel Yates, president; F.S. Allen, clerk; Philip Brown, police magistrate, and James Norman, constable. The income was very light from license of any kind and the improvements were paid by taxation or by contribution. The population of Topeka is small and, while it does not grow, it manages to hold its own. The early settlers in the northern part of Quiver township were the Himmels, of which there were several families. Peter Himmel moved from Petersburg away back in the "forties" and there was George Himmel, who lived south of Havana, and Adam and John Himmel. These men had large families. There was also Henry Bishop and a score of others, but it would take 1,000 pages to do them all justice.

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