Knox County, Illinois
Genealogy & History

[The township was named Worchester in an 1850 report.]

(See also Victoria Village and Center Prairie.)

From the 1870 Atlas Map of Knox County, Illinois, Andreas, Lyter & Co., Davenport, Iowa, 91 pages.  [Submitted by Bob Miller.]

"The first settler in Victoria Township, was Edward Brown, on Sec. 30, and John Essex, in 1835.  G. F. Reynolds built the first house on the prairie, in 1836, on Sec. 7, where he still resides.  First birth was Sarah Robinson, daughter to Moody Robinson, Nov. 16, 1836, on Sec. 20.  First death was that of Mrs. Frazier, in 1837, on Sec. 20.  First marriage was Peter Sanberger to Phebe Wilber, in 1838, on Sec. 29.  Rev. Z. Hall, and Rev. Chas. Bostwic, each preached in the Township, Nov. 1836, which were the first sermons.  First Justice of the Peace was Passons Aldredge in 1837, on Sec. 20.  First Constable was Henry Surtliff, in 1837, on Sec. 19.  First school house was, Salem school house, built on Sec. 21, in 1837.  First Congregational Church was built on Sec. 18, in 1857.  Victoria is a beautiful Township, with many natural  advantages, and a fine class of citizens."

From the 1878 History of Knox County, Illinois published by Charles C. Chapman.  [Submitted by Bob Miller.]

"Victoria township lies in the northeast part of Knox county, and was named in honor of Queen Victoria.  It is bounded on the east by Stark county, south by Truro township, on the west by Copley township, and on the north by Lynn township.  It is well interspersed with timber and prairie, rock is found in large quantities good for building purposes, and coal is abundant.  The whole township is underlaid with coal, yet the land is good and rich, producing abundant crops.  In her mineral resources she has a mine which when worked will produce abundant remuneration to the laborer.

The first settlement made in this township was in 1835, by Edward Brown, John Essex and Mr. Frazier.  They were soon followed by John Smith, Wm. Overlander, Moses Robinson, Moody Robinson, Archibald Robinson, Charles Bostic, John Arnold, Passons Aldrige, H. Shurtliff, and Conrad Smith, who settled on section 30 in 1838.  He died about ten years ago leaving a large family to mourn his loss.  This family consisted of 8 boys and 5 girls.  Some 15 to 20 years ago these children were scattered into the following States and Territories: Illinois, California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington and Utah.  They have all, however, gathered back into Knox county save two, one of whom lives just over the line in Stark county, the other in the edge of Peoria county.  So near together are they living that all of them can be reached in one day by one person.  It is seldom that a large family so widely scattered afterward settle down in the same neighborhood.

Sarah, daughter of Moody Robinson, born November 16, 1836, was the first white child born in the township.  She is now the wife of Manford Mosier.  Mrs. Frazier died in 1837, being the first death in the township.  The first marriage was Peter Sornberger to Miss Phebe Wilbur, in 1838.  She is now living with her son, Briggs Sornberger, in the bounds of the township.  G. F. Reynolds built the first house on the prairie in 1837, near the present site of Victoria; both he and his aged companion are still living.  Passons Aldrige was the first Justice of the Peace, he being elected in 1837.  Charles Bostic, a Methodist local preacher, preached the first sermon in the house of Moses Robinson in 1836.  Salem school-house was the first seat of learning; it was about one mile northwest of the present site, and was built in 1837.  G. F. Reynolds, E. Smith, S. Locke, Rev. J. J. Hedstrom, Isaiah Berry, Peter Van Buren, Alexander, Peter and Anson Sornberger, M. C. Hubbell, Edward Boyer, the Shurtliffs, Smiths and Olmsteds, with others, were among the early settlers.

The town was first organized under the township organization law, April 5, 1853, when J. L. Jarnagan was elected Supervisor; Moses Robinson and John P. Smith, Justices of the Peace; C. A. Shurtliff and Seneca Mosier, Constables; C. A. Shurtliff, Collector; B. Youngs, Assessor; J. F. Hubbell, Clerk; J. W. Mosier, Peter Van Buren and A. B. Coddling, Commissioners of Highways.

The first church was built in the village in 1851; it was the Congregational, with S. G. Wright as its pastor.  The next church was the Swede Methodist Episcopal, which was built in 1854.  This church also has a branch society six miles southeast , yet in the township, that is served by the same minister that preaches in the village.  The next church in Victoria was the Methodist Episcopal, which was organized about 1841.  Besides these there is now a Free Methodist church, six miles southeast of the village, in Victoria township.  The Mormons once had an organization in the south part of the township, with some 18 members.  This church is scattered; yet there are quite a number that hold to the faith, but have no church organization, having removed their membership elsewhere.  The Second Adventists have had an organization in this township, but they have principally moved away."

From the 1886 Portrait and Biographical Album of Knox County, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago.  [Submitted by Pat Thomas.]

"Victoria is in the eastern tier of townships and was organized as a township 5 April 1835. George F. Reynolds was chosen Moderator of the meeting and M.D. Minard, Clerk. The 65 votes that were cast resulted in the election of the following named citizens to be township officers: J. L. Jarnagine, Supervisor; Charles A. Shurtliff, Collector; John T. Smith and Moses Robinson, Justices of the Peace; A. B. Codding, Peter Van Buren and J. W. Mosher, Commissioners of Highways; Charles A. Shurtliff and Seneca Musher, Constables; Alex Sornborger, Overseer of the Poor.

The first settlers in this township were John Essex, Edward Brown and Mr. Frazier, in 1835 with their families. In the spring of 1836, the Robinsons came in, locating on section 21. They consisted of three brothers, Moody, Moses and Archibald and their families. Following them were Passon Aldridge and wife, the latter a sister of the Robinsons, G. F. Reynolds came up from Tazewell county in the spring of 1836, made a claim and then went back, returning in the spring of 1837 and settled down on section 3 with wife and four children. He was born in New Hampshire in 1799. Here he married Abigail Locke, in 1825 who died many years ago. Mr. Reynolds is still living in Victoria village and for a man of his age is pretty hale and hearty. During his long term of life, he has been an active and leading man and has held many important township positions. Moody Robinson and his wife lived and died on the old homestead, the former 10 March 1881 and the later in November 1869. They reared nine children, all of whom are living. Moses Robinson is still living, but his wife is dead.

With Mr. Reynolds came H. Shurtliff and wife and Issiah Berry and family. Passon Aldridge and wife died in the township. Silas Locke came in 1837 and made a claim just north of the Robinsons. He had no family at the time but subsequently married, he has been dead many years.

In 1838 several additions were made to this settlement, among whom were Ruter Smith and family from New York, John Arnold, Peter Sronborger and Conrad Smith. Ruter Smith located on section 6. They had four children when they came - Arthur A, who has for many years been Circuit Judge of the 10th Judicial district; Oliver; Jane, who married Mr. Becker and Sarah who married Dr. Nance. Several children were born to them after they settled in this township. They were a fine family and Mrs. Smith is especially held in affectionate remembrance. Mr. Smith died at an early day near Monmouth while away on business. G. F. Reynolds had four children - three boys and a girl, all of whom are living but one, John W. Charles lives in Iowa; Julia Ann married Thomas Hammond and is living in the township; George H. is married and lives in the village of Victoria. Conrad Smith located on section 30. He raised a family of 13 children-8 boys and 5 girls. The children became widely separated, moving to different parts of the country. Subsequently they all returned to Knox county but two who settled in Sauk and Peoria Counties.

Sarah, daughter of Moody and Mary (Kevett) Robinson was the first child born in Victoria.  This important event occurred on section 21 16 November 1836. Miss Sarah married M. Mosher 19 December 1833. She and her husband are now living in the village of Victoria. One child was born to them which departed this life before five summers had passed over her young head.

The first marriage in the township was between Peter Sornborger and Pheobe Wilbur in the latter part of 1838. The first death was that of Mrs. Frazier who died in 1837. Henry Shurtliff taught the first school in 1838 about two miles east of the present town of Victoria, in a log cabin.

George F. Reynolds was the first postmaster, in 1838, receiving his appointment from Amos Kendall, who was then Postmaster-general. Mr. Reynolds also built the first hotel for the accommodation of the early travelers. It was a large frame building. He hauled his lumber in from Chicago to which place he took his wheat and sold it for 50 cents a bushel. The hotel was built near the present site of Victoria. Passon Aldridge had the honor to be the first man to dispense justice in the township. To this position he was elevated by his fellow-citizens as early as 1837 and it is remembered that they never regretted this action.

Reverend Charles Bostic was the first to administer spiritual consolation to this pioneer settlement, in 1836. The meeting was held at the residence of Moses Robinson.

Victoria is one of the few townships in the county that has no railroad. It has, however, a thriving town of its own name, where the people do their marketing and trading. The southwestern portion is somewhat broken and is also liberally timbered. The balance of the township is beautiful rolling prairie with a very fertile soil. In this township are some of the finest farms in the county which are ornamented with handsome dwellings and shady groves. Its population in 1880 was 1,252 and it is estimated that there has been a slight gain since that time.

There are nine school districts in this township, one graded and eight ungraded schools, with nine frame school-houses. The school property is valued at $4,800."

From the 1870 Atlas Map of Knox County, Illinois, Andreas, Lyter & Co., Davenport, Iowa, 91 pages.  [Submitted by Bob Miller.]

"Victoria was laid out by A. A. Denny, County Surveyor, May 11, 1849.  The proprietors of the town, were John Recker, Jno. W. Spulding, Geo. F. Reynolds, Albert Arnold, J. J. Hedstrum, W. L. Shurtleff, Jonas Hedstrum, Joseph Freed, and J. J. Knapp.  It contains, 3 School houses, 3 Stores, 3 Blacksmith shops, 2 Wagon shops, 1 Cabinet and Furniture store and a Molasses factory."

From the 1886 Portrait and Biographical Album of Knox County, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago.  [Submitted by Pat Thomas.]

This pretty little village is located upon a commanding site on the eastern line of Victoria Township.  Beautiful little hills and valleys, stretching far away in the distance, can be seen from almost every point.  The town was originally started about a mile east of the present site, where there was a small store and a blacksmith-shop.  This was in 1839, the year that Queen Victoria was crowned, from whom it took its name.  The town did not remain here long and "Uncle" Reynolds is sometimes accused of stealing it and moving it up to the present site.  From conversation with this sturdy old pioneer we are inclined to think there is some truth in this report.  The proprietors of Victoria were George F. Reynolds, John Becker, Albert Arnold, J. W. Spaulding, W. L. Shurtliff, Jonas Hedstrom, Joseph Freed and J. J. Knapp.  It was laid out by A. A. Denny, County Surveyor.  A part of the plat is in section 7 and a part in section 18, also in sections 12 and 13 in Copley township.

John Becker had the enterprise to open the first store in town and G. F. Reynolds opened the first hotel; he also erected the first house.  Mr. Reynolds was also the first Postmaster here.  He was succeeded by Isaiah Berry.  Mr. Pease succeeded Berry, who was followed by Ephraim Russell.  Henry K. Olmstead then held Uncle Sam's commission for several years, and was succeeded by Louis Emory, who gave place to Lee Shannon, the present Postmaster.

This town was on the stage route from Burlington to Chicago via Knoxville.  Four-horse Concord coaches for many years were wont to roll through this town and stop beneath the shadow of Reynolds' far-famed hostelry.  Here this hospitable landlord entertained the traveling public for 15 years.  Victoria is well laid out, with many attractive dwellings and some good business-houses.  It is thrifty and has an extensive and rich farming country to support it.  People come here from Lynn, Truro, Persifer, Copley and Walnut Grove Townships with their produce and for marketing.  There is some talk of getting a branch railroad through here.  It has a population of about 700 souls.  They have never had a corporate organization, yet all their town affairs seem to run smoothly.

There is a very good school here, which is partially graded.  A. W. Ryan is Principal, with Mrs. A. W. Ryan, Assistant.  The enrollment in the upper department is 43, in the lower 42.  The average attendance in both, 75.

Churches

Congregational Church of Victoria.  This society was organized under Presbyterian auspices, April 30, 1841.  The meeting was held at George Foster's residence.  Members of the first organization were George and Jane Foster, George F. Reynolds and wife, John Foster and wife, William Harriet and Nancy Foster and Henrietta Gaines.  The first pastor was Reverend S. G. Wright. Meetings were held in private houses and school-houses for several years.

In April 1849, the society adopted the Congregational system.  The church building was erected in 1851, on section 18, and was dedicated August 12, 1852.  It cost about $1,500.  Reverend David Todd succeeded Mr. Wright in the spring of 1847 and served the church until 1850 when they had  supplies for awhile.  Among these supplies were Jonathan Blanchard and F. A. Armstrong.  In April 1853, Reverend William Beardsley was installed, remaining until October, 1855.  For several years thereafter, they had supplies.  In February 1862, Reverend B.F. Haskins assumed charge, serving the church until 1874.  He was succeeded by Reverend L. E. Benton who remained until July 1875, when H. C. Abernethy took charge, serving until May 1878, when they again had supplies.  In May 1879, Reverend E. H. Baker was installed, serving until January 1883.  They had supplies then until May, 1884.  At that time the service of Reverend William Chappell were obtained, who remained until August 1885.  Since this time the church has had no regular pastor.  The membership is small.  A good parsonage is owned by the society, valued at $750.

Swedish Methodist Church.  The first class for the Swedish people was organized by Reverend Mr. Jonas Hedstrom, December 15, 1846, in a little log house in Victoria with five members, who were taken on probation.  This mission was served by several pastors, Mr. Hedstrom was the regular pastor until 1857, when Reverend N.C. Westergreen took charge, serving until 1858; Reverend V. Witting from 1858 to 1860.  In 1860 Peter Newburg was placed in charge. In 1861, Albert Ericson, in 1863, N. Peterson; in 1866, Peter Newborg; in 1869, John H. Ekstrand; in 1872, H. W. Ehlund; in 1873, John Burstrom; in 1875, A. Walgron; in 1876, H. Olson; in 1878, C.F. Levin; in 1880, J. B. Anderson, who remained until 1883 when Reverend P.M. Johnson, the present pastor took charge.  In 1854 they erected their first church building at a cost of $2,000.  Subsequently they built a parsonage at a cost of $500.  Present membership, 110.

From the October 29, 1919, Stark County News.  [Contributed by Pat Thomas.]

Early History of Center Prairie

The following interesting historical speech of Center Prairie formed a portion of an address delivered by W. B. Elliott at the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Swedish Methodist Church of that community recently.

"The early settlers who settled in the timber around Center Prairie and who later themselves or their descendants helped to make Center Prairie what it is were hardy pioneers, who came overland with their families in wagons from the older states.  I shall only attempt to enumerate a few.

Thomas Elliott first settled in Persifer township in 1837 where the writer's father, Burgess Elliott was born.  He moved later to Victoria township near the present home of James Cook and it was while he was living here that he undertook and got out and delivered on the ground the long hewn timbers for the Methodist church which was built in Victoria in 1854.  It was here he lived when he had a contract to deliver railroad ties between Altona and Galva for the C. B. and Q. R.R.  Well do I remember hearing my father tell how when a boy of fifteen he with many others went in long strings of teams across the prairies with these ties and how when they came to a boggy place each man got off his wagon and took a tie and laid them side by side to make a corduroy bridge which they crossed over, then they took up the ties and continued on their way.  In 1856, Thomas Elliott moved on the north side of the John Arnold place and a year later to section 25, just north of where James Mustain now lives, where he built the first house in that locality from the logs of the old Salem school house which he moved there.

Moody Robinson first settled on section 20 in 1836 and a daughter of his, Sarah, born 1836, was the first white child born in Victoria township.  Later he moved to the John Arnold place in 1865 where Gus Swanson now lives and in 1858 to the place where Charley Rice now lives where they built one of the first frame houses on Center Prairie.

The Wilburs settled just west of Delbert Patty's place in the thirties and a daughter, Phoebe, married Peter Sornberger, and they were the first white couple married in Victoria township in 1838 on Easter Sunday.

Luther Rice settled in the timber about two miles south from the Center Prairie church, about 1842 and was the progenitor of a numerous family, among which were Foster Rice who built a log house where Charley Larson now lives, about 1857 and Cyrus Rice, who built the Robert Young house in 1857 where J. L. Huber now lives, which was another of the first frame houses on Center Prairie.  Alvin Rice still owns part of his grandfather's land.  Perhaps the earliest settler on Center Prairie proper was Thomas G. Stuart who patented the N.E. quarter of section 27 in 1836 which old patent the writer recently saw at the Exchange Bank at Victoria.

Burned To Death
He died about 1845 and left his estate by will to his wife Catherine [Stuart].  In 1850 Catherine burned a brush pile near the house to prepare ground to sow tobacco seed and the house caught fire and Mrs. Stuart was burned until she died trying to save money in the house and was buried just west of the creek on the S.E. 1/4 of the old homestead.  She was the mother of four boys: Tom, who kept the homestead; married Eliza Gladfelter, was crippled in the war, died at the old home and was buried in Thomas' graveyard, now the Center Prairie Cemetery, Elija, Peter, William and one girl, Katie, who married Van Winkle and was the mother of Henry Van Winkle, who lived for many years north of Four Corners.

Perhaps the next settler in line who settled on Center Prairie was Josiah Patty and Beka Patty, his wife, who built a log house on the southeast quarter of section 27 where Phillip Gibbs now lives, he having purchased the land from Richard J. Barrett in 1839. Mr. Gibbs still has the old patent. Their children were James, William, Sarah, Nancy, Robert, George and Josiah.

John Arnold, a blacksmith, first came to Knox county and Victoria township in 1836, but did not buy the old Arnold place where Gust Swanson now lives until 1840.  He did blacksmithing there until 1853 when he moved to Victoria.  John Arnold and his wife had ten children.  In fact in those days the hardy pioneer family that did not consist of ten was the exception rather than the rule.  Thomas Elliott and his wife were the parents of fourteen children.

Perhaps the first family that settled on the flat prairie to the north was that of Thomas Durand, for whom Jonas Hedstrom the tailor and preacher made a wedding suit, who owned the Conley place, where Martin Gibbs afterwards settled in 1850, and the two eighty acre pieces that now belong to Alex Ingels and William Englund.  This land he bought in 1841 and as there was no timber near he fenced the half section with a sod fence, the remains of which may still be seen after a lapse of nearly eighty years.  He was the grandfather of John McNaught and Mrs. Cornelius Stevenson of later times.  These were the N.W. 1/4 section of section 13 and the S.E. 1/4 of section 12.

Arrival of Swedes
From this time as settlers came in increasing numbers.  Especially about 1850, the Swedes began to arrive in large numbers.  Among the early settlers were J. L. Jarnigan, 1845; Dalgren, 1846; Adolphus Anderson, 1847 and Jorn Saline 1854.  Then came in 1855 Peter Anderson, Lars Ostrom, John Chalman, Sam Coleman.  In 1857 Peter Skoglung, stepfather to Mrs. Catherine Larson, who is still with us, and Sievert Larson, to be quickly followed by Noah Swickard, Lars Johnson, Willaim Hammerlund, John P. Anderson, father of Frank Anderson, who still lives on the old homestead and shipped the first carload of frozen beef to Chicago and the man who invented the refrigerator cars that makes it possible to ship fresh meat all over the world, as also Eli and Shil Johnson, Theodore Hammond, Joseph Cain, James Thomas, Jonas Olson and many others.

School Facilities
These were a hardy race who willingly bore the hardships of a pioneer life and bravely withstood the rigorous winters of the bleak and open prairies for the sake of founding their new homes and establishing their families in a new country.  They early felt the need of an education, as most of them had very limited opportunities for securing an education, so that almost with their coming they set up log school houses, covered with clapboards and floored with puncheon, which was poles split side hewn and laid up as a floor.  There was a fireplace in one end of the room and seats around the wall made of slabs or split logs with four sticks in for legs upon which the children sat with their feet dangling from the floor as they studied the old Webster's spelling book, before the time of the far-famed McGuffey's speller.  It was in such an institution of learning that Burgess Elliott who was born in Knox county in 1837, as well as others of that time, secured the rudiments of an education.  Not long after the first settlers came here, Old Salem, which was started in 1836, became too crowded and the settlers were so far away that they built a small square house on the corner near Tom Stuarts.

William Robinson, a cousin of John K. Robinson, was one of the early teachers here.  This school house soon became too small and it was proposed to build a new one and there was great rivalry as to where it should be built, but as this was near where Salem school now is, and most of the patrons lived east of the prairie, it was finally determined to put it where it now stands and so the school house was built here in 1856.  The sawed lumber was hauled overland from Rock Island and Peoria and the framing timber was got out by John Saline and Charles Appell.  John Saline did the building of it.  There was much discussion as to what it should be called.  Some wanted to call it Stuart's Prairie and some Anderson's Prairie, but a compromise was made and it was called Center Prairie and Center Prairie it still is.  The first teacher was John Fleeharty, from Galesburg, who taught in 1856.  The next winter, John Van Buren, a brother of George Van Buren, who still lives in Victoria taught, and 'tis said of him to this day that he was one of the best teachers Center Prairie ever had.  The next year, 1858, Miss Marry Garrett, a daughter of old Captain Garrett, who later became Mrs. McIlvary, and still lives in Victoria, taught the school, as she did for several terms thereafter.  She, like all teachers of that day, boarded at Thomas Elliott's and with other families who had children

The Big Storm
She was staying a week at Moody Robinson's when they had the big storm, May 14, 1858, about five o'clock in the afternoon.  It came from the north and blew Robinson's new frame house off the foundation and lodged it against the well.  It blew the roof off Foster Rice's houses and blew a log out over the door so that Mrs. Rice had to put a blanket over Foster who was holding the door to keep him from drowning.  It blew the windows out of Peter Anderson's house; in fact, the double log house of Thomas Elliott, made of the logs of the Old Salem school house, was the only one in that region that withstood the storm and all the neighbors stayed that night at Thomas Elliott's as it was the only dry place in the neighborhood.  They lay about two deep all over the floor and 'tis said that none who were old enough to remember ever forgot that storm.  Mrs. Robinson's geese were blown away till she never found them.  Wagons were picked up and carried to the creek and washed away.  Noah Swickard's new frame house where Alvira Johnson now lives, was blown off the foundation and at Rochester a house was blown in the river and carried away.  The young men of the neighborhood went the next day to Walnut Creek and swam around in the tops of the trees among the limbs which were twenty or thirty feet from the ground when the waters receded.

To these schools came the boys and girls that were to make this wilderness a teeming land of plenty.  Such men as young Arnold, son of John Arnold, who afterwards became a noted lawyer of Peoria, and Jonas Olson, the crippled orphan boy who afterwards became Galva's most famous attorney and member of the Illinois legislature, and above all a life-long friend of all who knew him.  'Tis said that although he had to walk two miles to school with a crutch, he was one of the most happy pupils as well as one of the most industrious.  It is handed down in school lore that he was a mischievous boy and while studying the old McGuffy's spelling book one day he ran onto what he thought was a bad word and spelled out in a loud whisper so that the whole school could hear, d-a-m, dam, n-a, na, t-i-o-n, shun, damnation, and he still asserts that what the teacher, Mary Garrett, gave him, fitted the word.  At these school houses were held many famous exhibitions, singing schools and spelling schools.  Thomas Stuart was said to be a very poor reader who was the most famous speller of all this region, always standing up till all the teachers even were spelled down.

Center of Patriotism.
So it was at this school house that the patriots of '61 met to encourage the boys to enlist in their country's cause.  One of the most famous songs and one that always aroused the boys to a fever pitch of enthusiasm and which fitted the great leader, Abraham Lincoln, was 'We are coming Father Abraham, Fifty Thousand Strong.'

Center Prairie and the immediate neighborhood did not lack in patriotism as evidenced by the list of boys who wore the blue.  Among them were August Carlson, Robert Young, Tom Stuart, Oliver Willy, Bill Larson, George Elliott, George Newberg, Adolphus Anderson, John P. Anderson, Nehemiah Coleman, Aaron Brothwell, Sam Cain, Jimmy Topp, Jonahs Empstrom, Lee Shannon, Bill Thomas, Jonas Johnson, John Case, James Alderman, John Labar, Noah Swickard, James Jarmigan, Spencer Jarnigan, John P. Peterson, Ward Todd, William Linday, and Nat White.  Of these famous sons of Center Prairie and surrounding territory who fought in the army blue, only three, George Newberg, August Carlton and George Elliott are now living.  Sad to relate that although Center Prairie showed her patriotism by sending so many of her sons to the front, there were those whose sympathies were with the enemies of a united people and who showed a yellow streak down the back by trying to avoid service.  In this day we would call them slackers and to this day their descendents have never retrieved the disgrace of their forefathers by offering themselves on the altar of Liberty when their country called.  Thank God there were not many.

In the World War.
A history of the patriotic activities would be incomplete in this year of grace did it not include a list of the boys of the world war who wore the khaki of the army and the blue of the U.S. navy.  The honor roll that stands out in front of this church contains the name of a list of men who risked their lives that democracy might live.  They are: Glen Olstrom, Raymond Wall, Arnold Swanson, Roy Gibbs, Lew Gibs, Charles Carlson, Sargeant, Harold Elliott, Raymond Elliott, Charles Warrensford, Forest Cain, Machinist Mate 2nd, Edward Elliott, Paul Mustain, George Todd, Ervin Mosher, Ernest Brown, Bertas Mackey, Clarence Spencer, Fred Steinman, Robert Kaser, Earl Brown.

The Religious Side
The early settlers were not satisfied to rest at mere physical and intellectual betterment, but above all they were religious.  At first they met at the homes to hold worship and as soon as the school houses were built they took the place of churches until churches could be built, so that when the Old Salem school house was built, they began to hold meetings there and camp meetings in the grove just north and later the Swedish people held camp meetings on the opposite side of the hollow from the American.  Then when the Center Prairie school house was built, they used it for a meeting house, both the Swedes and the English speaking people.  Louisa Anderson, now Mrs. William Seward, tells me that she was baptized at the school house.  Many of the inhabitants of the prairie had helped to build both Methodist churches in Victoria, but they were now so far away and had only oxen to drive, that they early began to feel the need of a church on Center Prairie and when Peter Newberg and Exstrand started the movement to build a church on Center Prairie they found willing hearts and hands to help.  'Exstrand was a very bright young man, ' says Jonas Olson.  'Perhaps I am partial to him because he was a cripple like myself.  He walked with a crutch.'  They were ably assisted by the English people and Swedes alike, one of the most earnest workers being Peter Skoglund.  The land where the church now stands was purchased by Adolphus Anderson in 1855 and he broke it up.  In 1857 he sold it to Lars Johnson and he in turn sold it to William Hammerlund in 1858.

For a consideration of fifty dollars, Hammerlund sold a piece of land eight and one half rods north and south and seven rods east and west to the Swedish Methodist Episcopal church of the United States to be for and under the control of the Swedish M. E. church in Victoria township, Knox county, Illinois.  The money to build it was contributed by popular subscriptions.  Many volunteered to haul a load of lumber back from Galva when they went up with grain and produce.  The mason work was done by Swenson from Knoxville and the carpenter work was done by Peter Herdine, who lived in Galva for so many years.  But the building of the church in 1869 was not without some opposition. Peter Chaiman, who had formerly been presiding elder of the Swedish M. E. church of this district, assisted by John Wilson, a cabinet maker, and full of gab, as Andrew Hartman expresses it, and who came to be a real free shouting Methodist and who, wearing no suspenders, in the heat of his discourse, is said to have shed his rainiment, organizing about three-quarters of a mile south of the school house, a Free Methodist church.  The money was raised by popular subscription, but not enough was raised to pay the debt and so the trustees paid the debt and tore the church down after some fifteen or twenty years.  In this church, the English Sunday school was held for many years.  Thus Center Prairie has been supplied since a very early day with ample church facilities and I hope will take cognizance of this fact in writing the early church history of Knox county.

The Cemetery
One of the things neglected here, as in all newly settled districts, was the early setting apart of a plot of ground for a public cemetery.  The early settlers buried on their own premises.  The tabors buried on what is now the John Saline place, the Stuarts on the Stuart place, the Arnolds on the Arnold place, the Cliffords on the Dr. Craven's place where old Bobby Armstrong's first wife, who was a Clifford is buried.  It was not until about 1858 that the family of Jim Thomas who owned the farm where the Center Prairie cemetery is located, lost several children to diphtheria and buried them there and when he sold the place to Olaf Bowman he received the present plot for a burial ground, and later, at the suggestion of William Messmore, deeded it to Knox county for a public cemetery.  Center Prairie owes a dept of gratitude to Hohn Thomas for this generous gift and can best repay it by seeing that it is always properly kept up.  The present neat appearance is due largely to the good work of William England, Charley Larson, and Victor Larson, who were selected by their neighbors to solicit funds and have it taken care of.

As to Utensils.
The early settlers had very few of the comforts of life as we view them now.  There were simple cooking utensils.  The writer has an old kettle that his grandmother has baked many a corn pone in by placing coals under the kettle on the hearth of the fire place and putting coals on top.  All the clothes were made of wool or flax raised in the neighborhood and spun and woven by the women into cloth.  Much of the carpet woven in this locality by Aunt Margaret Larson, Adolphus Anderson's first wife, was made on the old loom of Mrs. Thomas Elliott's, and she used to weave the woolen and Linsel-Woodsey out of which she made the clothes and blankets to keep her family warm.  It is only within the last few years that this loom has been destroyed.

Practically all this whole prairie was broken up with oxen.  Burgess Elliott, Lars Ostrom, Martin Englund, and Adolphus Anderson did much of this work.  For this work they used a 28 or 32 inch breaking plow drawn by from four to six yokes of oxen.  Some of the back furrows can still be seen on the Martin Englund farm where Mr. Englund now lives.

At first the ground was very wet but within a few years a ditching machine which pressed a round hole about three feet under the ground and about the size of a six inch tile was used.  This took the place of tile which came later and did very well in an early day, but the hole was gradually enlarged by the water until the top caved in and started large ditches.  Well does this writer remember when his folks moved south of the school house, of crawling, as a boy, for rods in these blind ditches as they were called.  As the people in present day go to tractor demonstrations, so in those days would people come long distances to see new and improved machinery.

The sickle and scythe were not much used here to cut grain but the cradle was although it was soon succeeded by the McCormick reaper on which one man sat and drove and another stood and raked the grain off in sheaves for the binders to gather up and bind.  The first self raking reaper used here was owned by Adolphus Anderson and his nephew, Frank Anderson, tells of its first use.  It was uses a quarter of a mile north of where the church now is about 1857 to cut wheat.  They used oxen on the tongue and horses in the lead.  Frank says he rode the horses.  Among the men binding were J. K. Robinson and Manford Mosher.  Frank says they had molasses, ginger and water in a pail and a long black bottle.  Charles Clark and many others came to see the new reaper work.  Robinson says Frank carried the water and bottle and took toll for carrying it to the others.  Thus does the historian find himself in a maze of uncertainty as to the true facts.

In those early days all the corn ground had to be marked out both ways and planted by hand.  The tools they used to tend it with were the hoe, single shovel, double shovel and bar share plow.  It would look funny now to see one plowing corn with oxen as Ben Nelson did about 1860 where Fred Holstrum now lives."

Old Conveyances.
Your historian has had much pleasure looking over the old conveyances of the Patty place, the Arnold, the Stuart, the Peter Anderson, Louis Ostrum, Eli Johnson and others.  He has seen more patents by the government to land in the last week than in his whole lifetime before.  Cliff Gibbs has the original patent to Tom Stuart from the government signed with the president's name.  That is what is known as a sheepskin.  Besides a patent which is in effect a government deed, there were issued to soldiers of 1786 and 1812 land warrants.  This was a privilege to locate a quarter section of land in this military district, enter the land at the land office, surrender the warrant and get a deed in the form of a patent.  Eric Ostrom had such a patent issued in 1817 to Cornelius Riorden, sergeant in Nelson's company of infantry to the U.S. after he had deposited a land warrant in the land office that was issued on the soldier's bounty land of the territory of Illinois in 1817.  On the same day Riorden deeded the land to Alexander Cooper and the deed is written on the back of the patent.  It is sure a curious document.  In those days land titles were not so carefully recorded and there was more or less counterfeiting of land transfers and the country was infested with swindlers known as land sharps.  It is said that Pete Skoglund paid for his land two or three times rather than go to law about the title.

But we must not think that all the life of these ancestors of ours was bereft of enjoyment.  They lived in a land of milk and honey and had much to be thankful for.  One of these was a famous peach orchard owned by Tom Stuart.  They were real peaches, says Jonas Olson, and I can readily believe him for you can always trust a boy to know where there's a watermelon patch or a real peach orchard.  With an ancestry such as this, it behooves us, their descendants, to follow the advice of the poet who says:

Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving and pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait."