Point Pleasant Township

of Warren County IL

            POINT Pleasant was organized as a township April 4, 1854.  Albert Mitchell was chosen Moderator at the meeting and J. D. Conkling, Clerk.  The township was very thinly settled at this time, and there were only ten votes cast at the election.  Albert Mitchell was chosen Supervisor; Albert Livermore, Clerk; E. J. Hazelton, Assesor and Collector; Thomas Boyd, Franklin Booth and Andrew Livermore, Commissioners of Highways; John A. Waugh and W. T. Johnson, Constables; Warren Park and Lucius Watson, Overseers of the Poor.

            Point Pleasant is located in the southwest corner of the county; is numbered 7 north of range 3 west, and is bounded on the north by Ellison, on the east by Swan, on the south by McDonough County on the west by Henderson County.  This township was about the last to settle up.  Solomon Sovereign and Abraham Baldwin were the first settlers coming in in 1835, and locating on section 13.  Mr. Sovereign remained on his farm for some years and then moved to California, where he is still living.  Mr. Baldwin moved to Missouri where he died.  After these pioneers came Wm. Parkhurst, Mr. Sutton and Mr. Garrett.  Parkhurst was from New England and located on section 25.  He afterward moved to Minnesota.  Mr. Garrett settled on section 24, on Swan Creek, and Sutton in the timber on section 12.  In 1849, Lucius and Isaac Watson came in and located in section 1.  James Owen also came in about this time with John A. Waugh.  In 1849 a school-house was built and the first school in the township was taught.  In 1850 a post office was established at a place called Colfax.  In 1875 the Methodists organized a society near Colfax post office with some 18 members.  Rev. J. W. Coe was the first pastor to serve this church, and meetings were held in school-houses.  Later on they erected a house of worship, at a cost of $1,500.  Rev. P. S. Garretson succeeded Mr. Coe.  This society has not kept up its organization, but meetings have been held occasionally.

            Point Pleasant Township with exceptions of section 12,13 and 14, which are a little broken on the eastern line, is rolling prairie.  The soil is rich and very productive, and it contains some of the best farms in the county.  There are many very fine dwelling houses and beautiful homes, and the farmers are mostly in independent circumstances.  In fact, this township has been truly named, for it is indeed a pleasant township to live in and look upon.

            It is watered by the middle and south branches of Nigger Creek, which heads about the middle of the township and courses easterly.  It has no railroad lines running through its territory, the nearest railroad station being the St. Louis branch of the C. B. & Q. R.R. which has a station at Swan Creek.  There are no stores, shops or manufacturing establishments.  The people do their trading mostly at Swan Creek and Roseville.

            In the producing of corn and the raising of hogs, Point Pleasant ranks among the first townships in the county.  It is also unexcelled in the production of the smaller grains.

            The population is about the same as in 1880, when the last census taken, which was 915.

            According to the report of the County Superintendent for the year ending June 30, 1885, there were nine school districts in which there were nine frame school buildings.  The school property was valued at $3,700.  Of persons under 21 years of age there were 407, of whom 275 were of scholastic age, 261 being enrolled.  The highest wages paid teachers was $47.50 per month, and the lowest was $30.  The tax levy for the township was $2,480.

            The Assessor in his report for the year 1885, furnishes the following items:  Number of acres of improved lands, 22, 531; value of improved lands, $339,610; number of horses, 846; cattle, 1524; mules and asses, 77; sheep,372; hogs, 3670; carriages and wagons, 298; watches and clocks, 134; sewing and knitting machines, 90; pianos, 3; organs and melodeons, 35.  Total cash value of personal property, $63,364.

SUPERVISORS

Warren Park - 1854

Albert Mitchell - 1855-57

R. T. King - 1858-59

Leonard Connell - 1860

Albert Mitchell - 1861

George W. Stice - 1862-63

R. T. King - 1864-67

Geo. W. Stice - 1868

James M. Humes - 1869-70

R. T. King - 1871-72

A.     S. Smith - 1873-76

Thomas Pennington - 1877

A. S. Smith - 1878-80

W. T. Boyd - 1881-83

A. S. Smith - 1884-85

[ Homepage ] [ Warren Co Twps ]