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  Rushville  This being the capital ofthe county and one of the first points settled therein, it necessarilyfollows that a large protion of this chapter must consist of history. Itwas located as the seat of justice, March 6th, 1826 by the commissionersappointed for that purpose. It is situated in the southwest quarter ofsection thirty, township two north, and range one west. It was first namedRushton, in honor of Dr. Rush, an eminent physician of that city of Philidelphia.But for some cause, on the 24th of April, 1826, an order was made to changethe name to Rushville. The commissioners appointed David … Read more

  Calamities SouthSide Fire of 1882 RushvilleFire, 1886 SouthSide Fire of 1897 New! NorthSide Fire of 1924      Copyright 2003 Robin L. W.Petersen; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use ofthe information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited withoutprior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information. Return toRushville Township Index

  PatronList of theHistoryof Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois – 1882  Cityof Rushville NAME POST OFFICE RESIDENCE OCCUPATION NATIVITY YEAR CAME TO COUNTY Anderson, Edwin M. Rushville Rushville Drugs, Books and Stationery Lewisburg, Va. 1838 Bogue, Mark Rushville Rushville County Clerk Schuyler Co., Ill. 1852 Bagby, John S. Rushville Rushville Student at Law Schuyler Co., Ill. 1853 Loucilla Walker Rushville Rushville Wife of John S. Bagby Schuyler Co., Ill. 1858 Brannstool, George Rushville Rushville Livery, Feed and Sale Stable Germany 1856 Elizabeth Reiffy Rushville Rushville Wife of George Brannstool Germany 1860 Bagby, John C. Rushville Rushville Attorney at Law – 1846 … Read more

  RushvilleTownship History Rushville Townshipwas the home of the earliest pioneer in Schuyler County, and it dates itshistory from February, 1823. Nor could those early pioneers have founda more suitable location. There was timber in plenty and an abundance ofsparkling spring water, and the rich prairie land had natural drainagethat allowed the cultivation of the deep black loam soil by the first settlers,who harvested abundant crops with but little labor. These same lands where thefirst homeseeker broke the sod are the finest in Schuyler County, and morethan eighty years of constant cultivation has not impaired their fertility.But to this limited … Read more

  PatronList of theHistoryof Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois – 1882   RushvilleTownship NAME POST OFFICE RESIDENCE OCCUPATION NATIVITY YEAR CAMETO COUNTY Benton, L.M. (nee Dupuy) Pleasant View Pleasant View Retired Teacher Greenup Co., Ky. 1834 Benton, George R. M.D. Died Oct. 28, ’64 – Late husband of L.M. Benton Adams Co., Ill. 1852 A. G. Dupuy Pleasant View Pleasant View Father of L. M. Benton Greenup Co., Ky. 1834 C. A. Dupuy (nee Metz) Pleasant View Pleasant View Mother of L. M. Benton Harrison Co., Va. 1834 Barnes, Amanda P. Rushville Sect. 21 Farming and Stock Raiser Westmoreland Co., Pa. … Read more

  SouthSide Fire of 1882 The RushvilleTimesThursday, January 12, 1882 RUSHVILLE IN FLAMES! TERRIBLE CONFLAGRATION! West half of the South SideBusiness Row in Ruins. ESTIMATED LOSS $40,000! Summary of Losses as Givenby the Losers. THE PARTICULARS AS PICKEDUP ON THE SPOT. The Greatest Illuminationever Witnessed in Rushville. {From the Citizen.}     Fire!Fire! The long expected and frequently predicted alarm has been sounded.On Wednesday morning about 12:30 a.m., the city of Rushville was awakenedto the fact that the south side of the square was in flames. The welkinrang  with cries of Fire! Help! and before 2 o’clock the entire westhalf of … Read more

  RushvilleFire,1886 The SchuylerCitizenThursday, December 9, 1886 $10,000 FIRE! RUSHVILLE AGAIN SCORCHED. Eight Frame Buildings EntirelyConsumed. GREER’S LIVERY STABLE ANDNEARLY ALL ITS INANIMATE STOCK DESTROYED. 300 Bushels Corn, 60 TonsHay, Buggies, Wagons and Harness. TWENTY-ONE HEAD HORSES REMOVEDWITHOUT DAMAGE. Summary of Losses and Insurance.     Tuesdaymorning, December 7th, 1886, Rushville was again the scene of intense excitementas the alarm of Fire! Fire!! rang out upon the air and into the ears ofher inhabitants.     A glanceat the location whence the dense clouds of smoke were rolling justifiedthe hopeless exclamation that very little could be done to stay the firefiend in … Read more

  SouthSide Fire of 1897 The SchuylerCitizenThursday, March 24, 1897 FIRE FIEND! Rushville Again Alarmed atMidnight. To Fight Fire Fiend on theSouth Side. Dodson’s Dry Goods Stocka Complete Wreck. The Substantial Brick RowKnown as Jackson’s Block Badly Damaged. Estimated Damage Between$15,000 and $20,000. From Saturday’s Daily Rushville has been visitedby another disastrous conflagration. At half past eleven lastnight Charley Kennedy was passing along the south side of the square andsaw flames creeping along the ceiling at the east wall of the room in theJackson block occupied by E. A. Dodson’s dry goods store. He immediatelygave the alarm and Joe Johnson, … Read more

  NorthSide Fire of 1924 The RushvilleTimesThursday, January 10, 1924 RUSHVILLE SUFFERSGREATEST FIRE CALAMITY FOUR YOUNG MEN KILLED BYFALLING WALL WHEN FIVE NORTH SIDE BUSINESS HOUSES ARE DESTROYED BY FIRESATURDAY NIGHT HYDRANTS AND HOSE FREEZING,HINDER FIREMEN BEARDSTOWN AND ASTORIA SENDAID AS RUSHVILLE’S FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO COMBATTHE PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES.     Rushvillesuffered the most distressing calamity in its history Saturday night, whenfour lives were lost to a fire which destroyed five business houses onthe north side of the public square.    Charredand blackened almost beyond recognition, the bodies of the four young menwere removed from the debris … Read more

  FireDept. Was Organized in August 1894Rushville’sMost Disastrous Fire Was in Jan. 1924 The RushvilleTimesOctober 7, 1948 In National Fire Preventionweek, and in connection with the old time stories being printed in thisCentennial Edition of The Times, it is appropriate to make mention of theorganization of the city’s volunteer fire department. This department was organizedon August 21, 1884, with 20 members, and a picture, taken a few years later,showing the old horse-drawn house cart, is printed in this edition. In the first organizationH. B. Roach was elected president, William Frizzell secretary, Thomas Nobletreasurer, and William Kistler foreman. Members were Arthur … Read more