tion, it gives larger Republican majorities than any other township. Its war record is on a par with other sections of the county. THE VILLAGE OF FORREST. Forrest village was surveyed and laid out by Alfred C. Huetson, County Surveyor, for I. J. Krack, the original proprietor of the place, on the 11th of December, 1866. It originally embraced parts of the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, and the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter, and parts of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 3. He has since made two additions to it, and Bullard has made one addition, February 9, 1876. Forrest is situated on the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railroad, about equidistant between Fairbury and Chatsworth, and has about five hundred inhabitants. The first house was built by Mr. Krack, and he was the first Postmaster and Station Agent of the railroad. The post office was a diminutive affair then, and it is still remembered by many how Krack used to carry the entire office in his hat. Hoyt, who in those early times used to make frequent trips to the village of Eureka dear hunting, says that he would ask Krack to look over the mail, after it was thrown off the train, and give him his, and Krack would empty the mail bag on the ground, sort over the letters, hand out those belonging to him, and he would step on the train before it pulled out. The village was organized under the incorporation act, in 1870; the first meeting held on the 20th of February of that year. At this meeting C. W. Wilson, J. F. Dennis, W. D. Lee, M. Clement, E. Shaw, J. Keller were elected a Board of Trustees, and organized by electing Elias Shaw, President, and Johnson Keller, Clerk. The Board qualified before S. A. Hoyt, Justice of the Peace. The present Board is L. Bullard, President; H. C. Twitchell, Clerk; and J. A. Coyner, J. L. Delatour, D. Duckett, S. A. Dunham, P. W. Burgess. The first hotel in Forrest was built by William Umberfield, in 1870, and is now known as the "Forrest House," and is kept by Robert Russell, while Mr. Umberfield, the original proprietor, keeps a hotel and restaurant on the north side of the railroad. The only mill in the village or township was built by R. B. Wilson, about six or seven years ago. It is a frame building, and cost $1,500; has two run of buhrs, and is used mostly in grinding stock feed. I. J. Krack built the first grain elevator put up in the village, about 1861-2, to which Hoyt & Beebe have made large improvements and additions. It is provided with "grain dumps," and is run by steam, and is one of the best appointed elevators in the county. Hoyt & Beebe handle annually about 300,000 bushels of grain-mostly corn-the larger portion of which they ship east. They likewise handle stock extensively. Miller & Kelly built the East Elevator, now used by Burgess & Son, who do a large grain business. It is estimated that Forrest handles annually over a half million bushels of grain, as well as being quite a stock market. S The Methodist Episcopal Church, the first church edifice in Forrest, was built in 1868. The first preacher was Rev. Myron Dewey. When he first came to the charge, Mr. Krack says, he presented a rather unministerial appearance. He was riding an old gray horse, with a blanket, and without saddle or stirrups. He rode up to his place, alighted from his horse and came into the yard, where he (Krack) was dressing a hog; informed him that he was the preacher sent by conference to that charge. Krack looking at him, replied, "Are you?" and continued at his work, thinking, as he says, that he was rather a hard-looking specimen for a preacher. But he was a good man, and labored faithfully in the church at this place. The next minister was Hiram Popejoy, of Avoca Township, who, according to his own story, was rather a hardened youngster in his youth, but being converted at Fairbury, finally decided that he was called to preach, and was sent to the charge at Forrest, where he remained two years. Contrary to the saying that "a prophet is without honor in his own country," he was very successful in his pastorate, and left the church in a flourishing condition. The edifice is quite an elegant affair, and cost $8,000. It was dedicated by Rev. Alexander Meharry, of Cincinnati, on its completion, and is, at present, under the pastoral care of Rev. Mr. Eignus. The church numbers about 150 members, and maintains a flourishing Sabbath school, with an average attendance of about seventy-five children, under the superintendency of E. R. Francis. The Congregational Church was organized in June, 1866, with an original membership of six persons; but the church building was not erected until sometime afterward. It was dedicated June 4, 1874, by Rev. Dr. Roy, of Chicago. Rev. H. G. Pendleton, now of Chenoa, was the first Pastor, and was succeeded by Rev. W. E. Catlin, who continued in charge until 1871, when Rev. David Sherrill became the Pastor, and still remains in charge. The membership, at present, is eighty-six. The Sunday school was organized about the same time as the church society; at present, it is attended by about ninety children, in charge of E. P. Beebe, Superintendent. Both the Masons and Odd Fellows are represented in Forrest by flourishing lodges. Forrest Lodge, No. 614, A., F. & A. M., was chartered October 5, 1869, by H. G. Reynolds, Grand Master, and the official warrant is signed by O. H. Miner, Grand Secretary. William D. Lee was the first Master. At present Fred. Duckett is Master and W. D. Corrie is Secretary, with forty names on the roll of membership. Good Will Lodge No. 379, I. O. O. F., was instituted January 9, 1869, by J. W. Ellis, Grand Master, and Samuel Willard, Grand Secretary. The first officers were J. A. Fulwiler, Noble Grand, and S. A. Hoyt, Secretary. present James E. Riley is Noble Grand and R. M. Odell is Secretary. * The elegant village school house was erected in 1869 at a cost of $6,000; is a two-story frame building, and a model of architectural beauty. The full corps of teachers for the coming year are not yet selected, but, so far as chosen, are Prof. H. H. Grafton, Principal; Miss Alice Clement, Teacher. The average attendance of pupils during the school term, is about 140. We have written of fires in Livingston County, until it has become an old song. Forrest, as many other prairie villages which have sprung up like Aladdin's castle in a night, as it were, and built almost or wholly of pine lumber, has been deluged in fire. In the early part of the Winter of 1868-69, its citizens, Newly risen from troubled sleep, Stared with uncomprehending eyes, On homesteads smoldering, black and bare, About six buildings were burned, mostly business houses, and some of the largest in the village, including the East grain warehouse. The loss was estimated at between sixty and seventy thousand dollars, which was but partially covered by insurance. However, with that indomitable energy characteristic of the western people, their buildings were at once replaced, and soon all traces of the fire-fiend were completely obliterated. NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP. Although the history of this township has quite an ancient flavor, being almost contemporary with the oldest settled neighborhoods in the county, yet we are not left in uncertainty as to the foundations of its growth, as the very first settlers within its limits are still among us, and their memories being yet unimpaired by hardships or age, we are privileged to draw from them the stories of its earliest life. Probably no township in the county numbered, in its early days, so many men of earnest and stern purpose, or of such positive character, as did this. They were men whose aims were not solely to make homes for themselves, with a thought for the welfare of the balance of humanity; but it seems to have been a characteristic of them that their chief desire was to benefit others. Accordingly, we find its first settlers engaged in such enterprises as would be of mutual benefit. In morals, education and religion, this community took the lead. The first attempt at newspaper publishing was made here; the first church building was erected in this township; the first and only school designed for a higher course of instruction was organized in Newtown Township. This, too, was the very center for that class of philanthropists then reproached with the epithet "Abolitionist." Not only were many of the citizens members of the society, but all of their institutions, including their church and school, had the reputation of being organized and conducted in accordance with the ideas which their founders promulgated. Doubtless, most of the leading citizens were ultra on the subject, and doubtless, if tradition is to be relied on, much aid and comfort was given to the colored man, especially to such as were so fortunate as to make their way this far on their road toward freedom, and thus causing much sorrow to his former master, or his agent, the pursuer. There is but little doubt that the vicinity was well known and described to the dissatisfied slave in many localities in the South, as a station on the underground railroad, and that the name of the agent, conductor, and other officers of the institution, located at this point, were minutely given to such as desired passage. Somewhat previous to the development of the peculiarities of the community, however, two or three persons had come into the neighborhood and located, the first of which was Emsley Pope, mentioned more at length on a former page. He was a native of North Carolina, and, as has already been hinted, was a man of much more than ordinary combativeness. This seemed to be his peculiarity, as long as his physical ability warranted him in cultivating the propensity. It is, however, notorious that he always contended for right, and was seldom adjudged second best in the result. He is still living on the old place, of which he has been a resident forty-five years. Ewin Houchin was the second settler. He came to this part of the State in 1835. He had, however, lived in what is now Logan County, for five years previous to coming to this place. He located in the northwest part of the town, about two miles from the present site of Streator. He claims to be the only man now living who built a house or cabin in the county previous to the Fall of 1835. Mr. Houchin has been a very successful farmer, and, by industry and economy, has accumulated a large property. He says that when he came to the county, a young man of 21, he worked many a day from sunrise till sunset for 25 cents per day, and was glad to take his pay in goods at prices that would be deemed exorbitant at the present day. He split more than 100,000 rails; has hauled oats to Chicago for 10 cents per bushel, and pork at $1.50 per hundred, and went to mill twenty-four miles distant, waiting five days for his grist. M. A. Newman came to the country in 1838, and was traveling merchant for all this part of the country, and for many years was personally acquainted with every family in the county. In 1850, having frequently visited this neighborhood, he located at the place now occupied by the village of New Michigan. A settlement had been made in this vicinity, which bid fair to be a thriving community, and Newman conceived the idea of establishing here a town; so, proceeding to Danville, he pre-empted the land, the claim of which he had already bought. On the 7th of November, of the year named, E. B. Oliver surveyed for Newman the plat of the village, from the northeast quarter of Section 22. At about the time that Newman commenced his peddling operations, several families moved to the community. Enoch, John and Amos Lundy and their brother-in-law, Thomas Copes, came from Logan County. They proved to be first-class citizens, whose words were counted to be as good as their notes. Samuel Broomfield came from Ottawa. He was somewhat peculiar in some respects, more especially in his notions on the subject of religion. He greatly deplored the wickedness of the world, but, He reasoned Further, that curious as it may seem, placed the responsibility on the Creator. that if God created everything, He was also the author of sin. if God is omnipotent, He is not only able to control sin, but to abolish it; and that He is, therefore, directly guilty of all of the wickedness in the world. He made frequent appointments to preach his peculiar doctrine, and discoursed on the subject with much ingenuity, but with poor success in the way of conversions. A favorite method of presenting his faith was to arraign the Author of the Universe as a criminal before a bar of justice, and then bring witnesses to prove Him guilty. On other subjects Broomfield was sane, and transacted business with the utmost precision. Jacob Phillips came, with his father, from Ohio. The elder Phillips was a very zealous Methodist, and practiced the religion he professed. Jacob Phillips is still a resident, and is one of the oldest settlers in this part of the county. From 1840 to 1850, Charles Paget, John and M. A. Smith, Charles Dixon, Zephaniah Schwartz, James Calder, Wm. Bowman, James and Malley Brown, Charles, Harvey and Samuel Thompson made their appearance. Charles Paget's advent into the township marks the beginning of that decided agitation of the Abolition movement which has not only made this town notorious, but has had great influence in molding the public sentiment of the whole county. He was perfectly fearless, and made assaults on the institution of slavery in every place and under all circumstances; and neither threats nor bribes were sufficient to cause him to hold his peace. The ground of his agitation has now passed away, and Paget's voice is not heard advocating the cause of the downtrodden race; but the work of liberation is credited to him, with others who were bold enough to speak his sentiments in that time. Mr. Paget is still a resident of the township, and is engaged in buying and selling cattle. The Smith families are still represented in the town, though the two original settlers of that name are both dead. Zephaniah Schwartz came here from Magnolia and lived until a dozen years ago, when he moved to Streator, and opened the hotel now known as the Streator House. James Calder came to the township nearly forty years ago, and still resides here. John Calder, father of the above, was originally from Scotland. He died recently at the advanced age of 93, and at the time of his death was the oldest Freemason, with two exceptions, in the State. His wife, to whom he had been married sixty years, still survives, at the age of 82. The Browns, with their father, were from Magnolia. years ago, but the two sons still reside in the township. hunter and trapper, and made his home for several years in the timber, making the business of hunting his only occupation. In the time of which we write, game of all kinds was very plenty, and old settlers are wont to tell how they killed a dozen deer in a day, sometimes bringing down two or more at a single shot. Wild turkeys and prairie chickens were so plenty as to become almost an annoyance. Harvey moved further west some years ago. The elder Brown died |