Camden

This pleasant littlevillage is situated on the southwest quarter of section 17, and was laidout by Robert Brown and Joseph N. Ward, January 28th, 1831, and surveyedand platted by Samuel McHatton, Deputy County Surveyor. It has never hada village organization. The first building erected was the one referredto in a previous part of this article as built by Robert Brown in 1830;and the first store was established by John and Jasper N. Ward in 1838.The post-office was established in 1839, soon after the laying out of thetown, the first post-master being Alexander McHatton; R. A. Williams isthe present incumbent. Joseph N. Ward built and kept the first hotel. Thefirst mill was built in Camden by David Campbell in 1856, and was a steamsaw-mill, with corn-cracker attached. The first church, built in 1868,belonged to the M. E. congregation, and was a neat frame building. Thefirst school-house was a rude log cabin, built in 1839.

Present Business

Flour Mill.–Thismill was built in 1865, by Mr. E. Cady, Joseph N. Ward, John A. James,and William Clarkson at a cost of $6,000, and is a frame building, steampower, with a 3 1/2 foot wheat burr, and a 3 foot corn burr, doing a strictlycustom business, grinding on shares. It is now owned by David Loop, andoperated by Barnett and Wells. Its capacity is fifteen barrels a day, andis valued at $4,000.
Hotel.–Dr. Wm. Parker.
General Store.–J.N. Rigg & Son.
Groceries.–W. H.Rader & Co.
Drugs.–R. A. Williams.
Groceries.–W. T.Morris.
Blacksmith.–W. H.Cady.
Blacksmith and Wagonmaker.–R.G. McHatton.
Wagonmakers and Undertakers.–Daly& Evans.
Produce Dealer.–W.B. James.
Shoemaker.–ThomasWeightman.
Carpenter.–IsaacG. Cady.
Physicians.–B. P.Watts, W. L. King, William Parker, and J. J. Rigg.
Milliners and Dressmakers.–Mrs.Hattie Upson, Miss Nellie Fields, and Miss Melissa Allphin.

Camden Lodge, No. 648,A. F. and A. M., was organized in 1869, and worked under dispensationwhen they received a charter. The original charter members were John A.James, Dr. John A. Harvey, John Anderson, Theodore Hetrick, J. N. Ward,A. Murphy, R. G. McHatton, James McHatton, Dr. B. P. Watts, E. B. West,and W. H. Cady. The first officers were E. B. West, W. M.; John A. James,S. W.; R. G. McHatton, J. W.; Theodore Hetrick, S. D.; John Anderson, J.D.; Joseph A. Ward, Secretary, and Dr. B. P. Watts, treasurer. This lodgeowned its own temple, a neat frame building, which was destroyed by thetornado of September, 1881, and which took fire after being blown down,and was, with everything belonging to the lodge destroyed. They held aninsurance policy of five hundred dollars, but received only two hundredand fifty dollars. They now have a new temple under course of construction.The present officers are I. P. Melvin, W. M.; Charles King, S. W.; M. E.Cady, J. W.; W. H. Rader, S. D.; Vint. Anderson, J. D.; E. L. Fuller, Secretary;George Anderson, Treasurer; and James Hendricks, Tyler. The present membershipis sixty-five, and their regular night of convovation is the Saturday nighton or before the full of the moon.

The general appearance ofthe town is one of neatness; there are two handsome churches, the MethodistEpiscopal, Rev. N. A. Kane, and the Christian; both were destroyed by aterrible cyclone, which desolated the town on the 24th of September, 1881,but have been rebuilt since then.

Excerpted from The CombinedHistory of Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, 1882
Transcribed by Carol LongwellMiller for Schuyler County ILGenWeb

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