Pleasant Township

This excerpt was taken from the History of Fulton County, published by Chas. C. Chapman & Co. in 1879, pages 848-849.

This township is bounded on the north by Bernadotte, east by Isabel, the south by Woodland and upon the west by Vermont. The prairie and timber land is finely proportioned, and there are some as finely improved farms and as enterprising and wealthy agriculturists as can be found in the Military Tract. The entire township is underlaid with strata of good coal; however the land is good and produces abundant crops. There are but few coal mines in operation in the township, and only enough coal is mined to supply home demand. There is no water course of any great size in the township. A small stream called Otter creek rises in the township and flows in a southeasterly direction and passes out at sec. 25. William Roland was the first pioneer to establish himself in this township. He was born in Kentucky in the year 180O, and in 1828 came to this county and erected a cabin upon sec. 3 of Pleasant tp. The old cabin yet remains as a monument of the first labor performed in this beautiful township. He had but nicely and snugly arranged his home here when James and Riley Roland came to the pleasant land and founded homes. Besides these there came in during, the year 1829 Daniel Walters, D. Brown and a few other families, and ere many years had rolled around quite a number of daring pioneers were ensconced among the forest trees and tilling little patches they had cleared. It was some time before any ventured out upon the open prairies. These vast unbroken wastes were then thought useless. They were covered with a rank growth of grass that would hide a man from view who was riding through it on horseback, so very tall did it grow. Then the prairie fires were, something to be dreaded. When a fire chanced to start  in the waving ocean of dried and inflammable material that formed a continuous mass over the wide-spreading prairies, it was a sure messenger of death to every living creature in its relentless course, unless the precaution had been previously exercised to guard against it. The roar of the flames when driven by a strong wind could be heard two or three miles away. The sight was beautiful, but the destruction it carried in its wake was appalling.

The first child born in the township was C. Roland. The first person to die was Nancy Davis. Elder J. Logan preached the first sermon in the cabin of Mr. J. France. Alexander Shaffer was the first Justice of the Peace. The first school-house was built in 1830, and the first school taught by Samuel Clayburg. Daniel Brown erected the first grist-mill upon Otter creek in 1832 or '33. The first church building was erected upon section 14 in 1842. The congregation was organized by A. M. Smith. It has since gone down.

Among the principal interests of the township outside of the towns, aside from the farming and stock-raising, is the extensive nursery carried on by McCune & Co.

IPAVA.

Ipava is pleasantly situated, on section 6, which is in the northwestern corner of Pleasant township. It is a station on the C, B. & Q. R. R., Rushville Branch, and is surrounded by a country which is as fertile and beautiful as any in the Co. Indeed, the village was at first called Pleasantville, owing to its pleasant location. It was founded by John Easley Sept. 15, 1846, and at present contains about 800 inhabitants, who are noted for their peaceable, industrious habits and enterprise, as well as for their good station in life. Although Ipava is an agricultural town, its good society and increasing trade constitute an index to the character of all the region it represents. It is in fact one of the best business points in the county. We venture here to particularize some of the prominent features of the place.

First, the woolen mills, owned by Moorhouse & Hess, re-modeled by them from the old oil mills; then the bank; the school-house, built in 1876 at a cost of $3,300, and now in fine condition and well patronized; two well regulated hotels; three churches; mercantile establishments, by McCune, Nathan Hulit and others; two drug-stores; three blacksmith shops; two wagon shops; two furniture shops; one newspaper, the Stream of Light; one flouring-mill, owned by C. Trickey; two public halls,—Zull's and Trickey's, etc., etc.

The Presbyterian church was built in 1858 at a cost of $2,000; Rev. E. Quillin is the present Pastor. The Christian church edifice was built in 1854, by the Methodists, at a cost of $2,000. The present Methodist church is a fine brick building, with basement, erected in 1867, at a cost of $12,000. Rev. A. Bowers is the present Pastor.

There are four practicing physicians in Ipava.

The prosperity of Ipava is due in great part to the liberal public spirit of J. L. McCune and N. Hulit, the principal merchants in the place.

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