EARLY SETTLEMENT

The first settlement was made in this township in 1819. Among the early settlers were Joshua Brown, Jacob Earnest, Thomas Earnest, William Archer, David Cloyd, Thomas Cloyd, Samuel Cloyd, Stephen Shelton, William T. Brawnes, Ivins Foster, James Parkinson, John Smith, Thomas McKee, Elisha McKomas, Mr. Lamb, John Kelly, James McKee, Barney Vanderen, Henry Alsbury, Thomas Hilliard, Thomas Foster, William Withrow and others.

The first settlers of the township were from the south, Kentucky furnishing the greater number. The “Yankees” now inhabiting the township came at a later day.

Joshua Brown was born May 20, 1792, in Davis county Kentucky. Nancy Wilcher was born December, 1789, in the same county. They were there married, early in 1812, and in November, 1818, moved to St. Clair county, Illinois, and from there to what became Sangamon county, arriving April 18, 1819, in what is now Curran township, east of Archer's creek, and south of Spring creek, and later, entered one hundred and sixty acres of land south of Spring creek in Gardner township.

Jacob Earnest was born April 24, 1799, in South Carolina, was married there to Elizabeth Sims, who was born April 26, 1798. She was a sister of James and William Sims, one of whom was older and the other younger than herself. They moved to that part of Simpson, which later became Logan county, Kentucky. In 1817, the family moved to St. Clair county, Illinois, and they moved to what became Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in the fall of 1819, on Spring creek, in what is now Curran township.

Thomas Earnest was born June 3, 1792, in South Carolina. His parents moved, when he was a boy, to Simpson county, Kentucky. In the autumn of 1819, he came to Sangamon county, and joined his brother Jacob, who had previously arrived with his family. Thomas Earnest commenced improvements south of Spring creek, eight miles west of Springfield, and entered land when it came into market. He was married, October 15, 1822, to Alletta Lanterman.

William Archer was born July 30, 1793, in North Carolina, and in 1807 his parents moved to Tennessee, where he was married to Elizabeth Jackson; moved to Madison county, Illinois, where Mrs. A. died, and he married Elizabeth Holt, December 20, 1818. She was born December 3, 1793, in Oglethorpe county, Georgia, and, losing her parents when quite young, she was taken by an uncle, Robert White, to Madison county, Illinois, in 1811. Wm. And Elizabeth Archer had twins in Madison county, and moved to Sangamon county, arriving April 30, 1820, in what is now Curran township. William Archer died August 31, 1867, from the effects of being thrown from a horse, and his widow resides at the farm where they settled in 1820.

In the fall of 1873, Mrs. Elizabeth Archer, then eighty years of age, gave to the writer a piece of a dress made with her own hands more than sixty years before. The family of her uncle, with whom she moved from Georgia, to St. Clair county, Illinois, in 1811, brought some cotton in the bolls, for the purpose of using the seed in growing cotton in their new home. Miss Holt, as her name then was, obtained the consent of her uncle to apply the cotton to her own use. She picked it from the bolls and separated the cotton from the seed with her fingers, and spun it on a wheel, borrowed from a neighbor more than thirty miles distant. She had a rude loom constructed for the purpose, and had just commenced weaving, when the first assassination among the white settlers, by the Indians took place, as the beginning the of the war with England. That occurred in June, 1812. She, with her uncle's family, fled to Fort Bradsby, a rude wooden fortification near by. Appealing to the Lieutenant in command for protection, he reported the case to Governor Edwards, who authorized him to grant her request. A guard was accordingly placed around the cabin, and kept there until the weaving was completed. The design was unique and beautiful. The cloth was carefully preserved, some of it bleached to snowy whiteness and made into a dress. She wore it for the first time to a quarterly meeting in 1818, just after the close of the war, and attracted universal attention as the finest dressed lady in all that region of country.

David Cloyd was born about 1766, in Botetourt county, Virginia. He was married there, moved to Culpeper county, and from there to Washington county, Kentucky, about 1815. He moved in company with his sons, Thomas and Samuel, and his daughter Polly – who married Henry Lucas – to Sangamon County, arriving October, 1825, in what is now Curran township. David Cloyd died about 1839, and his widow in 1844 or 1845, both in Sangamon county. Thomas Cloyd, son of David, was born January 14, 1798, in Botetourt county, Virginia, and went with his parents to Washington county, Kentucky, in 1815. He was married there April 27, 1820, to Ann Withrow. They had three children in Kentucky, and in 1824 moved to Fayette county, Illinois, where they had one child, and from there to Sangamon county, arriving October, 1825, in what is now Curran township, north of Lick creek, where they had two children. Of their six children – Samuel Cloyd, brother to Thomas, was born November 20, 1802, in Culpeper county, Virginia. He was taken by his parents to Washington county in 1815, and to Sangamon county, in 1825. He was married May 1, 1832, in Sangamon county to Eliza Clements. They had but one child.

Stephen Shelton was born 1777, in North Carolina, married there to Lydia Heath, and at once moved to Ohio, near the mouth of Sciota river; the family moved across the Ohio river into Cabel county, West Virginia. He was a soldier from Virginia in the War of 1812, and from there moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in May 1826, in what is now Curran township. He died in 1859.

William T. Brawner, was born August 8, 1799, in Maryland. His father died when he was seven years old, and his mother moved to Madison county, Kentucky, when he was eighteen years old. He was there married, December 25, 1822, to Elizabeth Ball; the family moved to Sangamon county Illinois, arriving in October, 1829, in what is now Curran township.

Ivins Foster, was born November 23, 1794, in Harrison county, Kentucky. Margaret McKee was born January 24, 1796, in the same county. They were there married, February 26, 1819; then moved to Gallatin county; they then moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in November 1829, in what is now Curran township, north of Lick creek.

VILLAGE OF CURRAN

Thomas Moffett and A.J. Vanderen had surveyed and platted the north part of the west half of the northeast quarter of section twenty-one, township fifteen north, range six west, the plat bearing date September 19, 1857. To the village thus platted was given the name “Curran” in honor of one of the leading citizens of the county.

Shortly after the village was laid out, a Mr. Fox commenced the sale of merchandise in the place, being the first to engage in the mercantile trade. Mr. Fox also received the appointment of postmaster, being the first to occupy that position. He was succeeded as postmaster by James W. Gibson, Noah Richards, Mr. French, and O.S. Hotchkins, the present postmaster.

The village has made a slow growth, and has never numbered many inhabitants. Its nearness to Springfield has tended to retard its growth. At present the business of the place is represented by the following: O.S. Hotchkins, dealer in drugs and groceries; Nicholas Powers, groceries; J.W. Hammond, drugs and perfumery; Joseph Dickerson, blacksmith; William Search, wagon maker; Nicholas Powers, dealer in grain.

An elevator was erected in 1877, by Patterson & Rickard. Another was erected a year later by Isaac French.

The township was organized in 1861. The following comprise the principal township officers from 1861 to 1881 inclusive:

SUPERVISORS:

• James Parkinson – 1861-1862
• M.S. Patteson – 1863
• James Parkinson – 1864
• M.S. Patteson – 1865
• Robert Perkins - 1866
• Daniel Taylor – 1867
• William French – 1868
• William H. Parkinson – 1869
• R.L. Perkins – 1870
• Thomas Smith – 1871
• R.L. Perkins – 1872-1873
• Thomas Smith – 1874
• Peter Vredenburg – 1875
• David Paulen – 1876 – 1877
• B.F. Caldwell – 1878
• Joseph Dickerson - 1879
• G.M. Davis – 1880
• A.Frey - 1881

CLERKS

• M.S. Patterson – 1861-1862
• James A. Poor – 1863-1865
• M.S. Patterson – 1866
• Chas. A. Jackson – 1867-1868
• J.E. Bradley – 1869
• C.A. Jackson – 1870
• John Bulger – 1871
• J.H. Taylor – 1872-1873
• N.M. Rickard – 1874-1875
• N. Powers – 1876-1878
• J.C. French – 1879-1880
• Thos. G. Springall – 1881

ASSESSORS

• A.R. Washburn – 1861-1862
• Peter Vredenburg – 1863
• Daniel Taylor – 1864
• Wm. H. Parkinson – 1865
• Wm. C. Caldwell – 1866
• James A. Poor – 1867
• James Young- 1868
• H. Gibson – 1869-1871
• Chas. Beerup – 1872
• T.L. Bradley – 1873
• H. Gibson – 1874-1875
• James McCasland – 1876-1877
• R.M. Foster – 1878
• J.E. Barbee – 1879
• G.W. Blewitt – 1880-1881

COLLECTORS

• Wm. C. Smith – 1861-1863
• Joseph Cloyd – 1864
• David Miller – 1865-1866
• Wm. C. Caldwell – 1867
• H. Gibson – 1868
• C.A. Jackson – 1869-1870
• A.L. Patteson – 1871
• T.M. Perkins – 1872
• H. Gibson - 1873
• R.P. Smith – 1874
• C. P. Vanderen – 1875
• A.L. Patteson – 1876
• J.S. Smith –1877
• Ed Patterson – 1878
• A.Alson – 1879
• R.M. Foster –1880
• J.F. Smith – 1881

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

• R.C. Smith – 1861
• Daniel Taylor – 1861
• James Parkenson – 1865
• Wm. C. Smith – 1865
• A.C. Gaines – 1866
• Jos. Dickerson – 1869
• Daniel Taylor – 1869
• James McCasland – 1871
• David Paulen – 1874
• Jos. Dickerson – 1877
• W.J. Hammond - 1877
• Jos. Dickerson – 1881
• M.S. Patterson – 1881

COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAY

• George Trimble – 1861
• Wm. French – 1861
• Thos. Smith – 1861
• George Trimble – 1862
• J.C. Cloyd – 1863
• Wm. French – 1864
• George Trimble – 1865
• J.C. Cloyd – 1866
• Thos. Smith – 1867
• M.S. Patterson – 1868
• Peter Vredenburg – 1869
• M.S. Patterson – 1870-1872
• J.D. McMurray – 1875
• P. Murray – 1876
• David Miller – 1877
• J.B. Gardner – 1878
• P. Murray – 1879
• David Miller – 1880
• J.P. Gardner – 1881

SCHOOL TRUSTEES

• A.A. Patterson – 1874
• S.L. Foster – 1875
• B.F. Caldwell – 1876
• R.L. Perkins – 1877
• S.L. Foster – 1878
• G.M.D. Davis – 1878-1879
• A.L. Patterson – 1880
• R.L. Perkins –1881

The early settlers, as a general thing, looked well to the educational interests of their children. A settlement was no sooner founded with children enough to form a school, than a teacher was employed. The first schools attended by children from this township, were over the line in Chatham. A school house was erected on section thirty-two, just before the deep snow, which is supposed by the old settlers of today to be the first in the township.

The first religious services held in the township are unknown, but it is thought to have been held by William Sims. The first generally remembered were conducted by Rev. Mr. Rice, in the summer of 1823, at the house of Thomas Smith. For many years all services were held either in the cabin of the pioneers or in the school houses. There are now three church edifices in the township – two Methodist Episcopal and one Presbyterian.

A class was formed in the southeast part of the township, of those belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church at an early day, which met at a school house in the neighborhood. Under the ministerial care of men who feared God and loved their fellow man, it grew until it became so large the school house was too small and inconvenient to hold the number who desired to attend the services. The project of building was discussed, and on its location the calls split, forming two classes, one of whom proceeded at once to the work of the erection of a building on the northeast quarter of section thirty-three. The building known as Wesley Chapel was erected in 1866, at a cost of $2,600. Mount Zion Chapel was erected in 1868, at a cost of $3,000. Both edifices are neat frame buildings and are an honor to the citizens of the township.