Littleton

From which the townshipreceives its name is the geographical centre of the township, on the southwestcorner of section 15, the northwest corner of section 22. James Littleand Dr. William H. Wendow located the village on the 31st day of July,1849, and procured the services of Leonidas Horney, then county surveyor,to survey and plat the town.

Dr. William H. Wendow builtthe first house in the village, a small log cabin in 1847, and also keptthe first store, soon after the village was laid out. A post-office wasestablished in 1847 and Dr, William H. Wendow received the appointmentas postmaster. John Dale opened the first blacksmith shop in 1847. Thefirst physicians to practice in the village were Dr. W. H. Wendow and Dr.Hosea Davis. The first school-house built in the village, was one madeof round logs, in 1849, and was occupied until 1856, when a neat brickbuilding, two stories, was substituted for the log hut. The different congregationsunited in the erection of a neat frame building in 1847 for the purposeof worship, and was known as the Union church. Religious services priorto that time were held in the school-house. This old building was destroyedby a hurricane which swept over the village on the 26th day of October,1856, and left but three houses standing, and they in a wrecked condition.Fortunately no lives were lost at the time, though Mr. W. H. Crawford,an aged farmer who happened to be town, was so seriously injured, thathe died from the effects of his injuries in a short time.

Present Business

Steam Flouring Mill.–Thismill was built in 1878, by its present proprietors, George M. Matheney& Sons, at a cost of about $3,000. It is a substantial two story framebuilding, with one run of burrs, and finds steady employment in doing astrictly custom business.
General Store.–JamesL. De Witt.
Tile Factory.–Justbeing constructed, Erwin & Barron.
Blacksmiths.–MilesK. Barron, and James McGee.
Wagon Maker.–JosephLogan.
Carpenter.–E. F.Roberts.
Shoemaker.–DavidAgnew.
Postmaster.–DavidAgnew.
Physicians.–Dr.Hosea Davis and H. H. McCabe.

A well kept cemetery of oneacre located in 1851 northwest of the village contains the remains of manyloved ones whose last resting place beneath the shade of forest trees ismarked by the humble wooden slab, the plain marble or the handsome pile.The first interment made was that of the remains of Mabel Horton.

The village is supplied withtwo neat brick churches. The Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1857,and Rev. W. F. Lowe is the pastor in charge. The Baptist Church was erectedin 1857, and is presided over by Rev. Sanders. A pretty little white, frameschool-house graces the village, and plainly shows that the citizens arenot neglecting the educational duties they owe their children. They havea term of nine months. There is but one department. The village has neverhad any organizations. The streets are broad, well shaded, and run at rightangles. The houses are new, and bear evidence of the thriftiness of theirinhabitants. There are several very pretty residences, both frame and brick.

Excerpted from The CombinedHistory of Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, 1882
Transcribed by Robin Petersenand Karl Petersen for Schuyler County ILGenWeb

Copyright 1999, 2000 RobinL. W. Petersen; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercialuse of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibitedwithout prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with theinformation.

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