Arrowsmith Illinois

So far as the facts in regard to the earliest settlement in this township are at hand. it seems that the sons of Jonathan Cheney were the first to take up claims and live in what is now Arrowsmith. The land around the head of the timber was attractive on account of its grass. All around the old Indian fort, the blue-grass had come in after the prairie-grass had been killed out. The first year of Jonathan Cheney’s residence in the county, he had driven his cattle here for late pasturage. Undoubtedly attracted by this fine pasturage, his sons, when … Read more

Arrowsmith Township was named by the Supervisors after Ezekiel Arrowsmith, who was the first Supervisor and one of the early settlers. It contains thirty-six sections, being a full Congressional township, and is known of record as Town 23 north, Range 5 east of the Third Principal Meridian. It is almost entirely prairie, having originally about one square mile of timber in Sections 31 and 32, where the eastern extremity of Old Town Timber lies along the line of Arrowsmith and West, giving to each a little patch of woodland, which was so highly prized by those who first commenced settlement … Read more

The following list shows the Township officers who have been elected from 1858, the year township organizations took effect, until 1879. Date Votes Supervisor Clerk Assessor Collector 1858 56 E. Arrowsmith S. O’Neal A. Fenstermaker J. Fenstermaker 1859 47 James Ellis J. Fenstermaker A. Fenstermaker F. Kimler 1860   James Ellis J. Fenstermaker S. O’Neal P. Hileman 1861   Jacob Smith J. Fenstermaker P. Hileman J. F. Payne 1862 54 Jacob Smith J. Fenstermaker A. Fenstermaker Hugh Birney 1863 81 John McDowell J. Fenstermaker A. Fenstermaker S. F. Bane 1864 97 John McDowell J. Fenstermaker A. Fenstermaker J. F. Payne … Read more