This excerpt was taken from the History
of Fulton County, published by Chas. C. Chapman & Co. in 1879, page 602.
Deerfield township (the field of deer) was in an early day the favorite resort of thousands of deer, especially on Reeves’ Prairie, on sections 1, 2 and 3: hence the name. In the year 1823 Robert Reeves purchase the northwest quarter of Section 2 and in the following year left civilization and settled here in the then wilds of Deerfield, where the nights were hideous by the ceaseless howling of the blood-thirsty wolves. Among his nearest neighbors were Henry Waughtel, sr., William Totten and Simon Camron, of Cass township, at a distance of about ten miles. Among the early settlers of Deerfield were John S. and Samuel Edmonson, Zebulon and Milton Foster, John S. Dyer, John H. Martin, Isaac Weaver and Hezekiah Cattron, all of whom settled in the city of Reeves’ Prairie. The original Reeves' farm was purchased in 1835 of the widow and heirs of Robert Reeves by the late William Weaver of this county, and whose son, Joshua Weaver is living upon the prairie at present. John Martin was the first Justice of the Peace, and was elected in 1837. Schools were taught in the township as early as 1840. John H. Martin was the first Supervisor. John T. Vittum is the present incumbent.
Deerfield stands among the first townships of the county in point of religious organizations. There are six of these in the township and four church edifices. The Sunday-schools established semi-annual conventions in the township under the title of the Deerfield Sabbath-School Association, in 1875. Joshua Weaver is President and M. D. Dickinson Secretary.
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