Davis High School - Davinois Yearbook (Davis, IL)

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ir H E D av r N o I s History of Rock Run Township---Continued George Osterhaut, Dr. Hamil and Henry Diemer. A church building was started on the block where Ever Ever- son lives, in 1862, but because of the war this was stopped and the money, lumber and stone were donated to the Evangelical church which was then being built. M. E. services were held in that building for two years, then two years in the stone school house, and November 11, 1866, the present M. E. church building was dedicated. Rev. L. Holt was pastor during the building of the church. The pastors have been as follows: James McLane, C. C. Best, T. B. Taylor, L. S. Walker, L. Holt, H. W. Reynolds, Thomas Cocheran, M. G. Sheldon, A. Campbell, T. L. Hollowell, Fletcher Delap, P. C. Stire, T. H. Hazeltine, F. W. Nazerene, John Imlay, W. J. Fibberton, J. G. Eeber- hart, Wm. Shambaugh, A. Newton, Thos. Westerdale, Clarence E. Webb, Wm. Richardson, P. G. Linaweaver, L. H. Mills, G. W. Koser, J. W. Thomas, E. S. Nicholas, C. B. Witherel, C. S. Spalding, E. O. Machamer, J. Hallans, W. W. Liston, W. O. Houchens, W. L. Jones, R. T. Cook- ingham, J. A. McLean, J. E. Rogers, H. E. Goodenow, J. W. Bunch, C. J. Boddy, R. W. Ross, J. E. Robeson, Howard Leach, M. J. Mumford, and A. E. Ulrich. The Norwegian Lutheran church was organized in 1840, and the first stone church was built, Rev. Clausen being pastor. In 1875 the frame church was built, Rev. Dedricksen being pastor. This building was struck by lightning and burned May 25, 1922. The founders were the Stabeck, Knutson, Johnson, Anderson, Peterson, Ole- son and Swenningson families. Early day pastors were Rev. Clausen, Dedricksen, Magelsen, Thorwaldsen and Sherwin. The Evangelical Association church was founded in 1859 by the Bond, Barloga, Weaver, Meinzer, Kramer, Jennewein and Alberstett families. The church was built in 1862 and remodeled in 1887. The church was discon- tinued in 1913. In 1915 the building was sold to R. W. Fosler who tore it down and built a residence on the lots. Early pastors were Revs. Fleisher, Dengle, Schaefle, Dick- over, Strasburger, Niebel, Roland, Huelster, Bucks, L. B. Tobias, S. A. Tobias and J. G. Kleinknect. The Evangelical Lutheran church was organized in 1862 by the Kellar, Unangst, Gold, Fox and Kern families and services were held in the M. E. church part of the time until 1872 when the church was built. It was dis- continued in 1914 and in 1916 B. F. Hoover bought the church building and remodeled it into a dwelling. First pastors were Revs. Beidler, Seidel, Schnure and Rupley. The Calvary Evangelical church was organized in the spring of 1893 with Rev. J. G. Finkbeiner as pastor. The present church was built in 1894. At the' present time it is the strongest denomination in the township. Pastors were J. G. Finkbeiner, H. C. Stephan , J. G. Eller, E. Y. Knapp, J. H. Gamber, R. T. Brothers, C. 'R. Hedges, T. R. Smith, J. H. Johnson, I. E. Roth, S. C. Boswell, F. Brand- fellner, L. M. Philips and S. G. Eberly. - The St. Paul's Evangelical church at Epleyanna was founded in June, 1847, and Rev. Ernest Beine was the pastor. Original families were C. Schleuter, Fred Hend- ricksmeier, H. Meier, P. Holste, F. Potthast, Vehmeier, Hofmeister, Conrad Meier and Rothman. The first church was a stone building erected in 1849. This was enlarged in 1860, and in 1885 the present church was built. Early day pastors were Revs. Beine, Kroenke, Hofmeister, Shiek and Kroncke. The school was built in 1860 under the pas- torate of D. Kroncke. Teachers were Albert Althof, Mr. Spraeckelson, Mr. Reller, Mr. Kroft, H. Althof and J. Reinecke. The Catholic church was organized in 1841 and the first church was built in 1843. After some years the second church was built and in 1895 the present church was erected. Some of the first settlers were the Mul- larky, Flynn, O'Brien, Giblin, Reddy, Hyland and Mc- Donald families. Other people connected with the earlv life of this community were the Bitterly, Eilert, Hazard, Wright, Shemp, Khem, Turner, Eagel, Lehr and Wallheiser families. Page Seventy-One

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T H E D AV' I N 0 I S History of Rock Run Township Compiled by Miss Lena Ende, and published in the September 13th, 1923, issue of the Davis Leader In 1836 the first settlement in the township was made one and one-half miles northwest of Davis by a widow, Mrs. Swanson and family. She was followed by the Carnefix McKinn, Dawson, Flynn, Mullarky, Hulse, Welsh, Lee, Blackmore and Baker families. Irish Grove was settled in 1836 by the Mullarky, Foley, Giblin, O'Brien, Mullin, Flynn and Howley families. In 1839 a party of Nor- wegians settled.at the Rock Run grist mill, composed of the Stabeck, Knutson, Anderson, Oleson. Johnson and Civertsen families. Mr. Knutson had the first blacksmith shop and Mr. Civertsen the first wagon shop in the town- ship. The early-day blacksmith shops in Davis were run by Johnson and Moorberg in the building back of Lilje- quist's store, and by Mr. Hughes and Mr. Walkey near where the town well is located. Mr. Mayer was an early- day wagon maker in Davis and'was followed by Mr. Hayes and Mr. Buticofer. The first grist mill, known as Rees-man's was built by Thomas Turner in 1836. The first saw mill, Reed's, was built by H. G. Davis in 1836. The grist mill at Epleyanna was built by Blackmore and Lee in 1839 'and later sold to Conrad Epley. The first post office was located at Rock Run mill, H. G. Davis being the postmaster. In 1848 it was moved to Jamestown, now known as Graball, where it remained until Davis and Rock City were founded when offices were established in these places. Davis was laid out in 1857 and the railroad was built in 1858. The road was known as The Racine and South- western, the Racine and Mississippi, the Northern Illinois, The Western Union, and since 1879 the Chicago, Milwau- kee Sz St. Paul. The first station agent was Mr. Hughes, followed by Mr. Hines, Frank Frazey, Lincoln Belman, Frank Mannion and T. H. Longley. Some of the founders of the village were S. J. Davis, John A. Davis, T. J. Turner and Ludwig Stanton. These men platted 160 acres of land which was surveyed into streets and town lots by Edward McMahon. In 1859 D. A. Baldwin added more land. Some of the streets were named after these early Page Seventy settlers. Lots were sold from S40 to 3125. Davis was in- corporated as a village in 1871. The first store was built in 1858 by S. J. Davis and was located where Raymer's garage now stands. This was followed by Barloga and Wendt, M. W. Kurtz, G. W. Becker, T. Cronemiller and others. C. J. Liljequist and J. S. Afiierbaugh were the early day painters. First car- penters were D. Wenzel, Henry Ritter, Wm. Green and others. Physicians in this early day were Dr. Fisher, Dr. Grey, Dr. Breneman, Dr. Hamil, Drs. Benton Sz Maynard, and Dr. Rostad. The children attended school at Epleyanna until 1858 when the little stone school house was built in Davis. In 1863 the frame addition was added. In 1897 the new frame building was built, to which an addition was erected in 1921. The first teacher was Prof. Gleasman. Other teachers were Mr. Kingsley, Mr. Shepherd, Mr. Preston, Johnson Potter, Mr. Eyer, A. A. Crary, C. Carnefix, J. H. Hutchinson, J. N. Phillips, Harriet Hamil, Ida Ballinger, Miss Powerly, Ella Steeres, Myra Giles, Anna Bittinger, Jtelilinie Hunt, Mary Steger, Kate Dodson, Anna Tunks and o ers. The first cemetery was located on the block now owned by C. Kochsmeier, formerly the P. McHoes block, and the first burial was a child of Mr. Hughes, the station agent. The present cemetery was started about 1860, and the first burial there was Mrs. Heller. The first birth in the township was a son to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Flowers in 1836, at Reed's saw mill. The first death was a son of J. R. Webb in the fall of 1841. The first marriage was Pony Fletcher to Narcissa Swanson in the fall of 1838. The Davis Budget was founded in May, 1873, by Stabeck Bros. S. W. Tallman bought it in 1878 and changed the name to the Davis Review. The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in June 1859, from classes already existing in the sur- rounding country. Some of the founders were Henry Springer, Edward Marsh, James Zenver, Fred W. Stegner,

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