History of Oak Hill, IL
Submitted by: Cathy Worlow
From the Elmwood-Gazette-Yates City Banner, Page 7, July 13, 1983
(The article does not give any credit to the writer but I believe it is Alys
Wolford)
The village of Oak Hill situated in Rosefield Township, Peoria County, Illinois was laid out by Joseph Bohrer and William Dodge of Peoria on April 19, 1856. Daniel Allen, County Surveyor, surveyed the town on the south half of S.W. of sec. 6, in T.9,N.R.6 east of the 4th P.M. and certified by John T. Lindsay, N.P. of Peoria Co., Illinois on May 27, 1856.
Most of the lots laid out were 100 ft. front and rear, by 141 ft. deep, except for a few that were marked otherwise on the plat. The streets were all 66 ft. wide, namely: High St.; Depot St. and West St.. Main Street was 80 ft. wide. The alleys were 18 ft. wide.
The firm of Tyng and Brotherson of Peoria erected a warehouse and at once commenced buying grain. However, when the Buda Branch of the C.B. & Q. and the Farmington and Peoria Branch were built, Oak Hill�s trade was greatly diminished. At one time there were three trains that ran both ways daily through Oak Hill.
Oak Hill had a big business with farmers, who brought their animals to the stockyards located east of the depot, where sheep, cows and pigs were kept until shipped out by rail. The yards were still in operation as late as the early 1920's.
W.W. Miller one of the first settlers of Oak Hill, owned and also operated a store on his premises. In the same year, 1845, Jacob Dawson opened a mercantile business. A.Y. Forney opened a general store in 1849. Still later in 1866 John Rupp became owner of a hotel in the village. By 1880 there were three general stores, two blacksmith shops, a warehouse and a post office. A.Y. Forney was postmaster and later on Levi Nixon was the postmaster. Isaac Clayton was a wagon maker and also ran one of the blacksmith shops.
The first school in the areas was built on Section 8 in Rosefield Twp., and known as the Nixon School, in the year of 1838. Roswell Smith was the teacher, but the first school was held in a private home and taught by Martha Miller, daughter of Benjamin Miller in the year of 1837.
When the school in Oak Hill was erected it was the typical one room building of that century being 28 by 36 and 16 ft. ceiling. Clement P. Allen taught at the school in 1849. He taught for the sum of thirty-five dollars a month. There were six school hours a day. Ida Burt also taught at one time at the school. The school was sold in or about the 1960�s and students were bussed to Elmwood to school.
The first Methodist Church was erected on section 14 in Rosefield Twp. and known as �Comb�s Meeting House,� in the year 1837, at the site of the Comb�s Cemetery. The Methodist Church at Oak Hill was organized in 1845, and the members held their meetings in a school until 1858, when they erected a church edifice under the supervision of Rev. G. R. Palmer, at a cost of $1200. The board of officers were: Critten Dawson, Daniel Brown, Austin Nixon, Jacob Gunth, Isaac Whithell, W. W. Miller, J. Dawson and the class leader was Austin Nixon.
In 1865, the M.E. Church campground was purchased by the Peoria District. The campground was located a short distance north of Oak Hill. Many people came here yearly to worship. They came by way of passengers trains to spend their summer vacations; others came in horse drawn carriages or wagons, from neighboring towns and the near by community.
There were fifteen two-story cottages on the campground. The first tabernacle burned down, and a new one had to be erected. Meetings and revivals were held here until the early 1900�s before World War I. There was good spring water on the ground in ample supply for everyone.
The ground for the Oak Hill Cemetery, just a short distance from the campgrounds, was donated by Isaac and Nancy Witherell, and Nancy�s mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Critton Dawson on October 22, 1868. It consisted of one and a half acres of ground and donated to the trustees and successors of the Methodist Church. Burials before this time were in the Combs Cemetery, where the first Methodist Church was located.
The burial grounds became ill kept in later years. In the fall of 1949 a meeting was called to order at the cemetery by Walter E. Nixon, to discuss the forming of a new association (nonprofit). Mr. Nixon sent out letters in advance of the meeting to relatives of the deceased and a large group of people turned out for the meeting.
On that day it was decided by those present that officers by elected. Alys (Nixon) Wolford was elected President. Hazel (Witherell) Wennerholt, treasurer, and Edna (Dawson) Huber, secretary; along with Grover Nixon and Walter Kratzer to act as trustees. The officers of the newly formed association went before the Methodist conference and a quit claim deed was obtained. By-laws for the association were drawn up by Alys Louise Wolford. Thereafter, meetings were held twice a year, in the spring and again in the fall.
The association sponsored benefit dances that were held at Hall�s Pavilion or at Silverleaf pavilion, yearly, in the month of October. At these gatherings, donated baskets of groceries and other items were raffled off. The food stand served sandwiches, beverages, pie and cake, most all of which was donated. Cakewalks were held during the evening at the affairs and these were enjoyed by young and old alike. Bazaar items also were of interest.
The volunteer help that was offered by so many of the community, gifts of money, and proceeds from the benefits were all appreciated by the association, and bonds were purchased with the monies. The interest thereof was used to hire a caretaker for the cemetery. Eventually, enough money was accumulated for a new fence around the cemetery. By the 1960�s, sufficient money was invested to care for the cemetery and benefit affairs were no longer held. The well cared for grounds are the result of their efforts.
Among the first settlers of the Oak Hill area were the Winney Rynearson family, 1833; Benjamin Slane and Delilah (Cheschire) family, 1832; Jonathan Nixon and Elizabeth (Nixon) family, 1833; William Nixon and Mary (Cheschire) family, 1835; and the families of John and David Combs, Amos Stevens, Jacob Dawson, John Moody, Isaac Clayton, W.W. Miller and John Yinger.
William Nixon, Jonathan Nixon and Benjamin Slane, all natives of Hampshire Co., West Virginia, came together in a group from Marrietta, Ohio, arriving in Peoria, Illinois in the fall of 1831. They came by the way of the Ohio River in a keelboat. At St. Louis, the men and their families boarded a tug boat and proceeded to Peoria up the Illinois river. Mary Nixon and Delilah Slane were sisters. Having led sheltered lives; they were appalled at the foul language used by the other men aboard the boats. The children were all babes in arms. The families settled in log cabins along the riverfront for the winter. The next year, Benjamin Slane and family settled east of Oak Hill along Rt. 150. Jonathan Nixon and William Nixon and families soon followed the Slane�s, becoming neighbors once again.
Other early settlers who were also natives of West Virginia were: Jacob Dawson, Joseph Bohrer, Isaac Clayton, John Yinger, John Combs, David Combs, to name a few. Later years brought still more natives of the state to the Oak Hill area: Austin Nixon and Adaline (Auld) family, in 1843; George Nixon, father of Austin and William, George�s wife, Catherine (Boston) and their sons, John and Ashford, in the year 1843. In 1867, George Wolfrod and Nancy (Loy) and family came from Hampshire Co., and became once more, neighbors to their friends who had preceded them from West Virginia.