acre tract.

Treasurer, an office which he continued to hold until 1865. In 1860, the township was divided into five districts, and the trustees caused the north half of the school section to be divided into eighties and sold. The next year, however, they took back one eightyIn 1865, the Trustees elected J. C. Hanks Treasurer, and, in 1868, sold eighty acres of the school land for $42.75 per acre. In 1869, David Vance, the present Treasurer, was elected. In 1871, the township was divided into nine districts, of four sections each, except that the south half of Sections 9 and 10 are attached to District 5, which makes that district five sections and District 3 only three. In 1876, eighty acres of land were sold for $25.30 per acre; 240 acres still remaining unsold. From the first, the affairs of the school fund seem to have been very judiciously managed, and the men who have had charge of it seem to have been worthy of the confidence reposed in them. The township now has a fund of $11,151, nearly all placed on real estate, and about $6,000 worth of land left unsold. This fund is the largest, save one, in the county, and will, eventually, be the largest. In some of the districts, no tax is necessary. In No. 3, only $75 has been levied in three years; and the aggregate of debt for schoolhouses in the township is only $1,700.

The following figures are taken from the report of 1876: Number of districts, 9; number of teachers employed, 15; number of children under twenty-one years, 608; num ber between six and twenty-one, 374; number of scholars enrolled, 252; amount paid teachers, $3,016; amount paid for incidentals, $246.25; total paid, $4,432.22.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

At the September (1862) term of the Board of Supervisors, this township was set off from Chenoa, to which it had been previously attached, and at the first town-meeting, in April, 1863, F. D. Beach was elected Moderator, and John D. Banta, Clerk.

On motion of George W. Hanks, the new township was named Union. A year later, it was changed to Yates, in honor of the then war-Governor. The township was divided into four road districts. Eighteen votes were cast. The officers elected at this and successive elections are as follows:

H. B. Wikoff, J. R. Gorham, J. D. Banta, Apollos Powell, D. V. Davis, Abram Stevens, J. Castle, Simon Beckler, G. Arnoid, J. T. Green, P. Coons. Those who have served as Justices of the Peace are T. C. Powell, John Pool, Erastus Thayer, G. A. Wolfe, G. M. Allison, Justus Castle.

The principal interest of the citizens of Yates is, of course, farming, their principal crops being corn, oats, rye, and hogs. Very few have attempted cattle-feeding, and have escaped the financial disasters which have overtaken so many in the older and richer portions of the county. The richness of the soil, and its suitableness for cultivation in any kind of season, has given a healthy success to the farming community, while the absence of great wealth on the part of any has kept out a tendency to extravagant living and inordinate display, which, sooner or later, must affect the entire community. There are many good farms-no large ones-in Yates. Some of the best it may not be amiss to name, even at the risk of leaving out some quite as worthy of notice.

C. C. Wright, who, for several years, has ably represented this town on the Board of Supervisors, has a farm of 240 acres, in the northwestern portion of the township, which is well managed and in excellent condition. Abram Stevens has 320 acres, extending back from the village of Weston, a portion of it being in Livingston County, which, though rather flat, is well drained and very productive. He has a fine residence near Weston, and everything about him looks neat and comfortable. John Rupp owns a half section in Section 22, which is regarded one of the best in Yates. O. T. Phillips has a fine farm of 320 acres, three miles west of Weston, which is a very good farm and well cultivated. Simon Beckler farms 250 acres on Section 13, which is excellent land and well cared for. John T. Green has a fine farm of 450 acres, just west of the village, which is one of the largest and best in the township.

THE VILLAGE OF WESTON.

Previous to the year 1866, there had been a switch and a water-tank about two miles east of where Weston now stands, which was on the west line of Livingston County, three miles from Fairbury. This watering-place was, for this or for some other reason not known to the oldest inhabitant, called Weston. When, in the year above mentioned, the switch and town plat were laid out on Section 3 of Yates, westward the name of Weston took its way, and became attached to this place. The plat and its surroundings embrace about 120 acres in the southeast quarter of Section 3, which the abstract of title shows passed from the United States to Horatio N. Wheeler, of Peoria, and from Wheeler and wife to W. F. Bryan, of Peoria, so that there is no trouble in regard to the title of all town property. It was understood that Mr. Cruger, the Vice President of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railway, was to be a partner in this town speculation, but no such arrangement was made, and Mr. Bryan continued sole owner.

The town was surveyed by the late Nelson Buck, of Pontiac, and embraced twenty-three blocks besides the public common, lying between the depot-grounds and the blocks, and one square which has been set apart for a public square, and set out to For some years, there was no depot-building or freight-house. Mr. H. D. Legerwood was agent, and Dr. H. E. Johnson was Postmaster, and kept a few groceries for sale. J. O. Exley came here in 1868, from Philadelphia, and built the large store

trees.

which he still occupies for a residence and store, and put in a stock of goods. About the same time, Mr. McKee, a carpenter by trade, built a store and rented to Henry Culp for mercantile purposes. Dr. Holderness, now of Chenoa, also built, and opened a small stock of drugs and medicines. The grain trade, by this time, demanded better accommodations than shovel and apron, and John Boland built the elevator now standing. Boland soon after sold it to Exley, who put in a run of stones to grind corn, and put in steam power. George Hancock put up the first blacksmith-shop, and G. W. Allison the first wagon-shop, the same year. A. W. Howard and C. C. Enslow, under the name of A. W. Howard & Co., soon after this commenced the grain business here: and built the western elevator. The firm carried on a large business here, buying grain and selling goods, for ten years.

In 1871, Mr. Boyd built the eastern elevator, 24x48 feet, 30 feet high to the top of the square, and has a capacity of 15,000 bushels. He remained in trade only about a year, since which Haynes, Jorden & Co., of Chenoa, have occupied it; three years later, Mr. A. Rakestraw entered into partnership with them and carried on a large business in the firm name of Rakestraw, Haynes & Co. In 1872, John Pool left his farm and came to Weston to engage in the mercantile trade. He has built a large and lucrative trade, carrying the largest stock of goods in the village. The same year, Edgar Blaisdell came from Chenoa, where he had been in trade six years, and became business manager for Haynes, Jorden & Co. Three years later, he purchased the western elevator, a fine building 24x32 feet, 40 feet to the top of the square, which, together with the old building, 24x30 feet, 18 feet high, has a capacity of about 25,000 bushels. He is a business man of large ability, and, besides his large grain trade, is agent for Mr. Bryan, Postmaster, and, in partnership with Mr. Purdy, is interested in the store. A good idea of the business of Weston can be got from the following figures: Of the crop of 1878, there have been purchased here 83,000 bushels of corn, 38,000 bushels of oats, 8,000 bushels of rye. Grain is usually shipped from here to Philadelphia, occasionally to Peoria and to Chicago. There are now twenty-five residences in Weston, three churches, three elevators, eight stores, and a dozen shops, offices, etc.

The Methodist Church was built in 1873; is a plain, four-walled structure, without ornament, 32x46, and cost $1,700. Since its organization, the Weston Church has been a part of Chenoa Circuit, and has been regularly supplied by the pastors of that charge, whose names appear in the history of that place. It has about fifty members, and begins to feel the need of a pastor for full time.

The Christian Church was built the same year; is 30x40, plain, like the other, and, like it, is kept nicely painted; cost, $1,400. Elder H. D. Legerwood was the earliest and is the present Pastor of this church, and it is through his faithful labors. in a great part, that this comfortable house was built and religious services kept up.

By far the sightliest church edifice is Zion Church, the building of the German Evangelical Church, which was built in 1875 and 1876, and dedicated to religious worship in February, 1876. The building is 24x36, twenty feet high, with a spire sixtyfive feet high, from in front of the centre. The trustees who had this building in charge, and who so faithfully did the important work, were Messrs, Anton Adam, Joseph Adam, Kiradan Raedle, John Nagel and J. Jikadanz. The building cost about $1,800. This church belongs to the Illinois Conference, and is in the Pontiac Circuit,

the other appointments being Sand Ridge, Owego, Ocoya and Rooks' Creek. Rev. George Eichenlaub is Pastor.

The Weston School is in charge of Mr. David Vance, Jr., who is doing faithful work in behalf of education; number of pupils enrolled, 50; average attendance, 39. Pupils are taken through the statutory studies.

The persons and firms now engaged in business here are: Dry goods, etc., John Pool, H. C. Purdy & Co., R. R. Grady, J. O. Exley, J. W. Finley; grain, Rakestraw, Haynes & Co., Blaisdell & Leeret; blacksmiths, W. H. Loper, Warren Chamberlain; wagon maker, G. W. Allison; restaurant, J. W. Finley; physician,

tion agent, H. E. Lamb; baggage and trackmaster, James McNally.

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The Postmasters have been H. E. Johnson, A. W. Howard, H. C. Purdy and Edgar Blaisdell.

BELLEFLOWER TOWNSHIP.

Belleflower is the extreme southeastern township of the county, and was one of the latest to come into general settlement. It is like the others in the southern tier, six miles by eight, being described Town 22, Range 6 east, and the northern twelve sections of Town 21, Range 6 east of Third Principal Meridian. In topographical appearance, it is gently undulating, the highest ridge of land being that which forms the "divide " between the Sangamon and Salt Creek, running through from north to south about two miles east of the western boundary line of the town. Salt Creek runs along near the western boundary from Sections 18 to 31, when it crosses into West. The Sangamon River barely touches the northeastern corner, and makes off toward the east, thence southwest again. The land from northeast corner to southeast corner is pretty level. There is very little wet land in Belleflower; nearly all is capable of cultivation, and all of good drainage. In the northern portion of the township, the land is diversified by numerous round hillocks, which give an interesting appearance to the surface. It was originally entirely destitute of timber, except one poor lone tree which stood on Section 19, near the ford of Salt Creek, and for years seemed to stand as sentinel to that important crossing. Several non-residents got hold of considerable of the land, but most of it has now been brought into cultivation.

The Springfield Division of the Illinois Central Railroad runs directly through Town 22, Range 6, touching at the northeast corner of Section 1, running thence almost a due southwest course, hardly bending, and leaving the township a little south of the corner of Section 31. The Chicago & Paducah Railroad runs across the southeastern corner of the township, and the Havanna, Rantoul & Eastern Narrow Guage runs very nearly east and west across it.

Considerable drainage has been done by open ditches, and tile draining is now being practiced. J. W. Snyder is making tile in the southeastern part of the town, and the township owns one of the Pontiac Graders, which stands out night and day, like the Lone Tree, as a kind of sentinel or watch dog. It has done pretty good service for the town, however.

The town was named by Jesse Richards, the first Justice of the Peace. It was first called Prairie, but Esquire Richards had a great admiration for the Belleflower apple, and proposed the name, which was readily accepted.

All the earlier settlements were made along the northern tier of sections, and along the County Road, so called. This road, for reasons that do not seem to be fully understood by the present generation, was run on the half-section line half a mile west of the section line, which is in the middle of the townships, entirely across the county, except that it makes a set-off at Rankin's Grove, in the northern part of Cheney's Grove Township, and has on it the post office at Potosi, the two post offices, Garda and Dart, in Anchor, the iron bridge over the Mackinaw in that township, Saybrook, and Belleflower station in this town. The first schoolhouse was built in 1857, and the first school was taught by Miss Green. There are now ten districts and eleven schoolhouses in the town, the Belleflower District having two schoolhouses, which are both occupied in the fall and winter terms, the schools being consolidated during the summer term.

The M. E. Church, a fine structure, 36x50, with belfry, was built in 1873, under the pastorate of Rev. Job Ingram. The Church numbers about one hundred and fifty members.

R. E. Moreland came here to live on Section 6 in 1858. At that time, there were only about a dozen voters in the township, and most of them are now gone. He commenced farming in Section 6, but, some years after, located on Section 9, where he now resides. He has a farm of 160 acres, with comfortable buildings. He commenced to buy grain at Belleflower Station as soon as it was established, and has continued in the same business ever since.

At that time, Jesse Richards had a farm. Thomas Green, just deceased, had eighty acres on Section 9. He was a worthy old man, but for some time had been in declining health. His son Thaddeus, who lived near him, was then here.

T. O. Bailey had a farm on Section 6. He was a brother of Washington Bailey, of Downs, and remained here only two or three years.

Moses T. Hall was on Section 5. He was one of the first elected Justices of the Peace. He is now gone.

William Riley came from Ohio to Section 21, in 1855. The only neighbors he had in that part of the town were rattlesnakes, who made themselves so familiar on closer acquaintance, that Mr. Riley, who had never seen the like of that in the old country, got fairly disgusted with their frequent visits into his castle, traded off his farm, and left.

George Wheeler was also away out by himself alone for several years, on Section 23, but did not let the snakes or the shakes drive him from his legal rights. He remained there until his death, in 1877.

there.

Daniel Abel was among the first. He settled on a farm in Section 8, and still lives

George Youle purchased the R. J. Cheney farm about 1869. He has 1,000 acres in Sections 3, 4, 9 and 10, which are given to raising, grazing and feeding of stock. He buys and ships. He generally has a herd of about three hundred horned cattle, and stall-feeds about one hundred and thirty in a winter. He is a man of large business capacity, and a good manager. His farm is probably one of the best in the township, being diversified and well adapted to every line of husbandry carried on in these parts.

W. A. Latham came here from Ohio about 1866, and has a large farm near the center of the town. He is engaged largely in keeping sheep and bees. He is a prac tical and enterprising man, and has an excellent farm.