ASH GROVE TOWNSHIP
(Shelby County)

THIS township contains forty-two sections of land, the whole of town 11, range 6 E. and the south row of sections from town 12, range 6 E. It is bounded on the north by Whitley township, Moultrie county; on the west, by Windsor and Richland townshi ps; on the south, by Big Spring township, and on the east, by Coles county. It is well drained by several streams, tributaries to the Little Wabash. There is considerable timber along these streams. Among the larger bodies is Cochran's Grove; it contains fully three thousand acres at the head waters of the West Fork of Little Wabash; a part of the Grove is in Richland township, and has been known by this name for over fifty years ; it was named in honor of John Cochran, one of the early settlers. The two other large groves in the north part of the township, are called the East and West Four Mile groves; these groves are at the waters of two small streams, called four mile creeks; they are tributaries of the East Fork of Little Wabash. A beautiful prairie, situated south of this timber is also called four mile prairie. The timber mentioned, in early times, received its name, four mile groves, from the fact that it was about four miles distant from Whitley's Point settlement, north of Ash Grove. This townsh ip was a desirable location for the early settlers, inasmuch as here could be found three things indispensable -- wood, water and an abundance of game; and in proof, we find as early as 1826 there were several families within the boundaries of what now co mprises Ash Grove. The deer were the principal game; however, bears were seen in the township as late as 1833, and panthers for several years later. Along the streams was a favorite hunting-ground for the Indian, and as late as 1827 Indian camps still rem ained. In the winter of 1826 and 1827 the Indians had quite a large camp, of ninety or one hundred lodges, on the west side of the west four mile branch, on what is now the William M. Wilson place. The Indians camped here were a part of three tribes, the Kickapoos, Pottawatomies and Delawares, under a chief by the name of Turkey. These Indians were very friendly, and considered honest by the early settlers. This camp was a lively place, particularly on Sunday, made more so by the presence of a great many white people, who would come from the settlements for miles around to spend the day. The camp was kept lively by horse-racing, shooting, foot-racing, jumping and trying their muscle in various ways. In the spring of 1827 the Indians left their hunting-gro unds in this part of the country, and were not seen any more here after the year 1828.

The first to settle, was Samuel Little. He was a native of Illinois, born in the southern part of the state. In the fall of 1825, he came into this part of the country bringing all his possessions on an ox-cart. He built a cabin in the west part of sectio n 18, now the Samuel Rankin place. Little was born and raised on the frontier and among the Indians. When this country began to be settled, and his old friends and companions the Indians, left as he delighted to hunt with them, he too left the county, mov ing to Texas.

In the spring of 1826, John Little (brother of Samuel), and Robert Duncan, brothers-in-law, came into the township. John Little settled on section 20, east side of the Wabash creek, in the timber, and cleared out five or six acres, where he raised corn. H is cabin stood within one hundred and fifty yards of the mouth of the Willow branch, and near the Wabash bank. The place he cleared, and where he raised his corn, has grown up in timber, and there are now large trees growing thereon. Little left for Texas at the same time as his brother. Robert Duncan settled on section 17, west side of the Wabash branch near where D. T. Clawson now lives. He was only a "squatter, " never owning any land, as was the case with his brothers-in-law. He afterward went up into what is now Moultrie county, and settled in the Whitley creek settlement, and subsequently went to Bond county, where he died about two years ago, in good circumstances.

In the fall of 1826, came John Cochran accompanied by three sons-in-law, John, Daniel, and William Price. The three Price brothers married three sisters, daughters of John Cochran. and all had families when they came here. John Cochran was born near the s tate line of North and South Carolina. He married in North Carolina, where he lived a number of years. He then emigrated to Caldwell county, Kentucky, in 1802, where he lived twenty-four years. Upon arriving in what is now Ash Grove township, he settled o n section 7, and built a cabin at the head of the West Fork of Little Wabash river, near where J. H. Cochran now lives. He lived there until his death in 1853, at the advanced age of ninety-two years; his wife preceded him seven years, at the age of seven ty-three. Mr. Cochran raised a family of five children; his youngest son, James, who was thirteen years of age when they came to this county is the only survivor of the family, and has lived in this vicinity ever since 1826. He has raised a family of four children. William the eldest is a well-known citizen of the county, having filled the office of circuit clerk for sixteen years, with credit to himself and satisfaction to the people. The second child, J. J, is now deceased. James H, and George R., are e ngaged in farming.

John Price also settled at the head of the Wabash; his son, J. H. Price, now owns the place. John Price raised a family of ten children, and lived on the above place until his death.

Daniel Price settled on section 7, where A. Kemp now lives. He was a large, well-proportioned man, and was captain of a company in the Black Hawk war. He afterward settled on the east

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William Price settled on section 8, where Rollins Storr now lives. He died in 1837. He also raised a family of four boys and three girls.

John Frazer, a native of North Carolina, emigrated from Kentucky to Illinois and settled in this township in 1828 on section 6, where V. Tressler lives. He had a family of five sons and three daughters. His oldest son, Frank, made an improvement on the ea st side of the section, in 1832. Albert G, his second son, improved the T. Gilpin place as early as 1833. Greenberry Frazer settled the J. C. Hart place, section 28, in 1832. Only two of John Frazer's children are now living -- William P., and Mrs. John D awdy. They live in Pana, Illinois. John Frazer died at the residence of his son Albert, in Ash Grove township, in the spring of 1855. Robert Templeton, a native of North Carolina came here in 1828. He settled on section 4, the first settler in the west Fo ur Mile Grove. Joseph Dixon located where the widow Weeks now lives, on section 4, in 1828. He was a native of North Carolina. Robert Rankin settled the J. P. Templeton place in 183-8. His cabin stood near the section line of sections 4 and 9; he was also from North Carolina. Two of his children now live in the county; Samuel Rankin, who lives in Windsor, and Mrs. V. Storm of this township. John Storm, a Kentuckian, settled the William M. Wilson place, section 9, in, 1830. He was one of the first preacher s in Ash Grove township and of the Christian denomination. He organized several Christian churches in this and adjoining counties. He spent the greater part of his life preaching the gospel. He died in 1855, aged sixty-two years. He raised a family of six children, five sons and one daughter. Only two of the family are now living; Vincent Storm resides on section 10, where he settled in 1845, and Mrs. Wm. M. Wilson, living on the old Storm homestead, where she has lived half a century.

William Elis, a native of Tennessee, made an improvement on section 3 in 1830, where his son, C. R. Elis, now lives. In about 1831 William Elis had the misfortune to have three of his sons killed by lightning. At the time they were killed they were travel ing across the prairie on a trail a foot, and when found by a cousin, John N. Carry, they were lying in the path about ten feet apart. They were single young men, and were the first persons buried in the Elis cemetery. All of them were placed in one grave , and a little log house built over the mound, which has long since rotted down, and nothing now marks the spot.

John Storm, a nephew of the Rev. John Storm, came here in 1830, and settled on section 8. He raised a family of four children, three of whom are now living: William, Hiram, and John C.

John L. Clawson, a native of Virginia, from Tennessee, settled here on Sand Creek, in 1830, where he lived about seven years, and then moved to Ash Grove township, and located where he now resides. He has four children living in Ash Grove, and one in Ceda r county, Missouri.

The first settlers in the vicinity of Sexson post-office were Daniel Green and John Bolin. They settled here in 1830. John and Nathan Curry were the first settler in the east four-mile grove. The Currys were from Tennessee, and came here as early as 1830. Two of John Curry's children now live in this township: I. J. and Silas. Nathan Curry has one daughter living in the township, -- Mrs. G. W. Templeton. James Curry, brother of John and Nathan, settled on Section 2 in 1833, where he lived a short time, an d then moved to Coles county, where he resided until his death. Four of his children still reside here: J. W., Wm. J., Nathan, and Mrs. James Storm.

William Morgan, from Kentucky, settled here on section 18 in about 1831. He was a blacksmith, and the first man here that could do any blacksmith work; consequently he was quite an acquisition to the neighborhood. He was also a wood-worker, and was consid ered by the early settlers a good workman in both his trades. About ten years ago he sold out and moved to Kansas.

Free Sexson, a native of Virginia, settled on section 7, where his son, Perry Sexson, now lives. He resided there until his death, about thirty-eight years ago. He was run away with by a horse, thrown from a sleigh, and received injuries from which he die d. He left a widow, who still survives him, and a family of eleven children. Ten are still living, eight of whom now reside in Ash Grove, viz.: M. F. Perry, Wm. A., Mrs. John Abercrombie, Mrs. George M. Rankin, Mrs. Isaac R. Baker, Mrs. Wm. E. Blackburn, and Mrs. Eli P. Bennett. The two in Arkansas are Green B. and Joel C.

Joseph Blythe, a native of Tennessee settled on section 33 in 1833. He was among the first settlers in the south part of the township. He now lives on section 3, where he moved in 1841. Other early settlers in the south part of the township were William M cDaniel and John and William Rose.

David L. Storm located on section twenty-two (where H. C. Storm now lives) about 1834. Jacob Tressler, a German from Ohio, bought the John Frazer place in 1836. His son, V. Tressler now owns the place. For a number of years Jacob Tressler kept a tavern he re to accommodate the travelers on the State road.

Cochran's Grove post-office was established in 1831 or '32, and John Price was the first post-master, the office being at his house. The mail was then carried from Paris to Vandalia via Shelbyville. James Poe and Jesse Evans kept the office for a number o f years. The last post-master at the Grove was James Cochran. He kept the office for fifteen years. When the railroad was built and Windsor established, the office was taken to that point with J. B. Bruce as post-master. Cochran's Grove post-office was qu ite a distributing office. The following offices in this part of the county received their mail from this point : Hood, Sand Creek, Whitley's Point and Big Spring. Hood post-office was in the southern part of this township, established about 1854 with Aar on Hood as postmaster. The railroad killed the Hood office, and it was discontinued, at the same time the Cochran's Grove office was. This township has only about two miles of railroad in the north-west corner. The I. & St. L. road passes through sections thirty-one and thirty-two.

Sexson is on the section line between sections fifteen and twenty-two. They have a post-office here, established in 1877, a general store by Phillip Lutz, who is also post-master, a blacksmith and wagon shop by S. H. Kirkpatrick. The town house is here, a nd was built in 1879, a school-house and a few dwellings. This little village was started by Ammerman and Lutz. They first opened a store here and afterwards got a post-office established. The place was named after Morgan P. Sexson, an old and honored cit izen who lives near by.

The first school-house built in this township was a log cabin erected in 1833, and was used for several years before any floor was put into it, and this was a puncheon floor. It stood on the south-east corner of section four. Daniel Green, a one-armed man , was the first teacher. The first church was built on section eight by

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We here relate the Mormon trouble in this township, called the Mormon War by the old settlers; it was occasioned by citizens, mostly from the Wabash Point, that not only objected to the faith, but objected to having its doctrines preached in this part of the country. They raised a mob and went to a meeting being held by the Mormons, at the residence of Allen Weeks. (This occurred in 1836 or '37.) The Mormon preacher was a Rev. Carter. The mob went there with the evident intention of taking Carter out and whipping him, or doing him some other bodily harm, but Carter became apprised of their intention and slipped out of the house bareheaded, and in the darkness of the night got away. The mob had in company a Methodist preacher who was their spokesman. The m ob soon dispersed. Afterwards, Younger Green, who was a citizen of the township and a preacher of the Mormon faith, and being present at the disturbance, went before Judge Breeze and swore out a warrant for the arrest of the leading members of the mob, an d as it was supposed the mob would resist civil authority, the warrant was placed in the hands of Col. James Vaughan, who was at that time colonel of the militia. He gathered together about one hundred men and marched to where the mob was collected, in a grove of timber, near where T. J. Curry now lives. Upon the sight of the militiamen, the mob immediately showed fight and a disposition not to be tampered with, as the mob was fully seventy-five strong and well armed. Col. Vaughan detailed three men to go and inform them that if they did not surrender immediately, he would march upon them and take them by force.

The mob received the three men according to the rules of war, and sent word back to Col. Vaughn that they would all die right there before they would surrender or allow the warrant to be served upon them in that way; that they were willing for any constab le to serve the papers, and they would appear before any justice of the peace. Col. Vaughan then rode in front of his men and said, I will take them in short order if a majority of this company is willing. All who are in favor of marching against this mob who defy the laws of Illinois, march to the front ten paces. After a short silence two men marched out, and the balance stood stock still and laughed. The colonel was so disgusted he handed the warrant to a constable in the company and told him to serve the papers the best he could, and the colonel then turned his horse about and rode off in a gallop, leaving his company of brave men to disband, or do as they liked. The constable soon after served the warrant, and mob and militiamen got together, procure d some whisky, and had an old-fashioned time; and here the matter dropped, as no one ever appeared against the mob on trial.

The first marriage in the county took place in this township on May 3, 1827. John Cochran and Sally Batemen were the contracting parties.