John Hutton, farmer; P.O. Diona; is one of the pioneers of this county, and after whom this township was named; he was born in Montgomery Co., Ky., Jan. 20, 1801; in the year 1816, his parents moved to Crawford Co:, Ill., where his father died January, 1819; his mother and family remained there until the year 1834, when they came to Coles Co., and settled on Sec. 20, where his mother died Nov., 1853, at the age of 77; Mr. Hutton still resides upon the homestead; he held the office of Supervisor the three first terms after the organization of the township; in the year 1824, Mr. Hutton was upon the spot upon which the city of Charleston, in this county, now stands; at that time not another white man was to be found in the neighborhood, inhabited only by the Kickapoo Indians, who were owners of the soil. He married the widow of Isaac Baker April 18, 1843; she was a daughter of George Cottingham, a native of Kentucky, who came to Coles Co. in the year 1837; she was born Oct. 27, 1813; she had one child by Mr. Baker-Levi H., now living in California, and nine children by Mr. Hutton-six boys, all living – George W., born April 18, 1844; James Alexander, Nov. 19, 1847; Isaac Y., Jan. 6, 1850; John A., March 13,1852; and Alfred and Albert (twins), born March 24, 1855, and three girls, one living – Martha E., born Sept. 30, 1860; two died; Sarah E. died when four months old, and Mary Jane, (formerly Mrs. Wm. M. Sanders), born May 15, 1846, died Nov. 27, 1878, leaving five children – David C., Oscar, Laura E., Annie and Willie.
