HENDERSON TOWNSHIP
by S. H. McMurtry

Extracted from the 1870 Atlas Map of Knox County, Illinois

(Extracted from the History of Knox County, Illinois, Vol. I, by Albert Perry, pgs 423-425,
submitted by Janine Crandell)

In writing the early history of this particular locality, one is obliged to ignore much that must naturally come in other parts of this history. We find we have to tell the history of the state or the history of the county, not the history of Henderson township. Take the important figures in the history of this region during its earlier period and you will find that in nearly every instance they do not belong particularly to Henderson, but to the greater areas of which this place is but a small part, to the state of Illinois, and the county of Knox.

The consciousness of the distinct personality of this locality in the early history of our state and county arouses in us a feeling of pride in our past, because our earliest settlers exercised a great influence that has been of great value to humanity. The future of Knox County and Henderson in no small part lay in the hands of those early pioneers and those who were to follow them. A future full of hardships but also full of hope and aspirations.

The question naturally arises, whence came the first settlers? What conditions drove them to face the hardships and privations to the frontier to make new homes?

When we consider that, Daniel Robertson, the first settler in Henderson township, which was also the first settlement in Knox County, did not come until 1828, when Illinois had been a state ten years, one naturally asks, why was it that a locality full of possibilities was not settled at an earlier date? The answers are not so difficult when we investigate the conditions set surrounded our earlier population. There were many influences to retard immigration; the actual opening of land offices, the promised land sales, the extinguishing of Indian titles, the limited means of travel, and others no less important.

On the Ohio River and its branches in rafts, or along its banks by covered wagons, on horseback or by foot, came the immigrants who were to settle Henderson. They came from the south and east. Conditions in Kentucky and other southern states slowly drove the small farmer to emigrate.

To us of the third generation who view these fertile fields of grain in every direction and know of the great wealth above and below the ground, it seems strange there was not a rush of settlers into this region in spite of the natural inference that the land that could not produce trees would be worthless as farm land, which has proved in the end to be the richest possession of our "Prairie State."

The early settlers of Henderson invariably located in the timber or along its border -- this is not so strange when we consider that these pioneers mostly had been brought up in the shelter of the woods. This nearness to the timber was an advantage in many ways -- it furnish material for the log houses, a fuel for their fireplaces, meat for their food and shelter from the fierce cold winds in winter, which often caused a great deal of suffering. The first settlers were fond of hunting and many interesting stories are told of them in quest of wild turkey, prairie chicken and deer.

Henderson was the first township in Knox County to be settled by white men. It was well watered by the branches which make up the headwaters of Henderson river. Along these ranches originally stood one of the finest groves of timber to be found anywhere in Illinois. Here was a favorite place for Indians, who had extensive fields of corn on sections 23 and 26, south of the village of Henderson. These Indians were friendly and remained til the breaking out of the Black Hawk War, when they left without doing any serious harm. In February, 1828, Daniel Robertson came and settled first on Section 15. But this land was claimed by a speculator and Mr. Robertson gave it up and settled on the southwest corner of Section 11, where he lived most of his life. His brother, Alexander, came in a short time and settled on section 2, where he died in 1853. During the spring and summer, others came, among them Jacob Gum, a Baptist minister, who preached the first sermon in 1829, at the residence of his son, John B. Gum, on section 32. This two-room log cabin was the first county courthouse. Here the first Circuit Court was held October 1, 1830. The judge presiding was the Hon. Richard M. Young, afterward United States Senator. Here also the first County election was held, Mr. Gum being elected the first County treasurer.

Riggs Pennington came about this time, who became one of the most prominent men of Northern Illinois -- Philip Hash and Charles Hansford. These three were the first County commissioners after the actual organization in 1830 -- Stephen Osborn, the first sheriff -- Parnac Owen, the first county surveyor -- James Gum, Zephaniah Gum, whose child was the first native citizen of this settlement. Robert and Eaton Nance settled on section 9.

The first death in Knox County was that of a young man, Philip Nance, which occurred January 9, 1829, in Henderson township, and was buried in Section 9. Thomas McKee, who came the fall before, was present at his death and funeral and was instrumental in directing a suitable stone at the grave. A few years later, the people of the vicinity of Henderson raised money and erected an iron fence around the grave

The next year came James McMurtry with his sons, William and James, and their families, from Indiana. They came in August and settled on section 3, on a quarter they bought of Riggs Pennington, paying $1.25 per acre; but afterward had to be repurchase to secure a clear title. It was on their farm, on the northeast forty acres of Section 10, that the entire neighborhood assisted in building a fort, which would protect them from the Indians, into this the surrounding families before and during the Blackhawk War would often gather. While there were often rumors of Indian uprisings and the settlers were constantly on watch for them, they were never molested by them. A company of Rangers was organized by William McMurtry, who was their captain, to be ready to pursue the Indians in all directions if needed. William McMurtry became quite an active and prominent politician. He was a firm believer in the principles of the Democratic Party and a friend of Stephen A. Douglas. It was largely through him that the history of Henderson is so closely connected with the early history of the county and the state. He was active in the organization of Henderson township, April 5th, 1853. In 1832 he was appointed commissioner of Schools and proved a most excellent officer. He was state senator for many years and in 1848 was elected lieutenant governor of Illinois with Governor French. His full biography occurs in this history.

In 1830 several new families joined the settlement -- Ferguson, the Roundtrees, the Goffs, Lewis and Davis with their families located along the south part of the grove. The same year came Harmon Brown, from Kentucky, and settled on Section 30 where he lived most of his life. Mr. Brown taught the second school, 1833, on section 31. The first school in the county was at Henderson Grove, in 1830, taught in a log house by Franklin B. Barber. This primitive school was without much system gotten up by the local residents simply for the instruction of their own children in the rudiments. Here the first school district was organized in 1836 under the management of William McMurtry, the first school commissioner who always took an active interest in the early schools. He sold the school lands, invested the money and advanced the educational interests of the county very much. During the years 1831-32, quite a number of families came, among these were the Ferrises who put up a steam mill on Henderson Creek. This was quite an event, and the settlers felt they now had all that they needed.

The first few years the settlers had to go to Rushville for their mail, about 75 miles. In 1838, a post office was established in the township on Section 32, and John G. Sanburn was the first postmaster.

In 1836, the first of the Galesburg colony came. They located south of the Grove and built up what afterward became distinguished as Log City on Section 33. This settlement was only temporary and does not strictly belong to the history of Henderson township, but more to Galesburg, where they finally settled.

Henderson township contain some of the finest farming land in the state, and many substantial dwellings have taken the place of the primitive log cabins. In fact, the whole face of the township has changed till there is scarcely a trace of the wilderness where the foundations for homes were laid by those sturdy and daring pioneers, all of whom have passed away and their places are filled by the second and third generations.

The only village in this township is Henderson on Section 14. It was laid out June 11, 1835, and in 1838 was incorporated. In early days it was a flourishing place and there were great expectations for its future; but this future was not in the control of its citizens. Previous to building the railroad in 1854, which missed it a few miles, and subsequently caused its decline, it was an important place in the county and had the largest post office in the county, five stores, two shoe shops and four blacksmith shops. It commanded a large trade from the surrounding country. This trade was attracted to the railroad stations, the village steadily declined, until little remained. In 1886, the Rio branch of the C. B. and Q. railroad was constructed through the village and saved it from complete extinction and some improvements have recently been made.

Here is a map of Soperville drawn by Thomas J. Muir as he remembered the village during his boyhood days in the early 1900's.  Thomas J. Muir was born in Etherly, Knox County, in 1901, and died in Dixon, Lee County, Illinois, in 1991.  This hand-drawn map, with some computer graphics added for clarity, was graciously contributed by Thomas Muir's niece, Beryl Burt.

1 - Milen's house...where Soperville begins

2 - Milen's Coal Mine

3 - Row of houses (not sure how many were there):
     a.  George Washington Muir and his wife, Martha Willstead Muir, lived in one of these houses.
     b.  Les Stickler lived in this row.
     C.  George Hendricks also lived in this row.

4 - The School House

5 - Jim Field's store and house

6 - Row of houses:
     a. Dennis Taylor's house
     b. Bill Sheet's house
     c. Mr. Foy's house
     d. Bill Paple's house

7 - Hunter and Gertrude Muir's house

8 - Thomas and Marion Lawson Muir's house (both Scottish immigrants)
     Then later on George and Mattie Muir lived there

9 - Jim Pendergast's house

10 - Jim Pendergast's coal mine

11 - Bill Bambridge's house

12 - Billie Johnson's house

13 - Olaf Augerson's house

14 - Olaf Augerson's store...the end of Soperville