Untitled Document

VILLAGE OF REYNOLDS .

Wait and Walker originally platted a portion of Section 36, of the township of Edgington , for a village, and gave it the name of Reynolds, in honor of Elisha P. Reynolds, the railroad contractor and long time resident of the City of Rock Island . The first plat con tained three blocks of forty lots. The village as at present is situated in two counties and four townships. Edgington and Bowling Townships of Rock Island County , and Perryton and Pre-emption Townships of Mercer County . The Rock Island and Mercer County Railroad was completed to Reynolds October 6, 1876 . On that day a half-mile of track was finished by 3 o'clock and at 6 o'clock thirty-three cars of stock were shipped to Chicago . A glorious day's result. The first building erected was the depot building, by Rufus Walker, and where was sold the first goods. W. D. Goodner erected the first hotel, the Commercial House, in 1876. The first blacksmith was H. Webster, winter of 1876. The first harness maker was Bmil Helpenstell, in 1877. Joseph Flora the first wagon maker in 1877. .The first physician, Dr, F. Stuart in 1877. The first grain buyers were Wait and Walker; loading grain directly into the cars from the farmers' wagons. The postoffce was estab lished in 1876, with R. B. Olmstead its first, postmaster.

School District No. 7 was formed in 1877, the first school being taught in the house of Weaver Kuhns by Miss Jenny Kuhns. At present they have a fine commodious school house. The school is a graded one.

An election held at the bank in Reynolds, February 28, 1891 . for village organization, resulted as follows; sixty-seven votes being cast: Thirty-three votes for organization, and thirty-four votes against organization. May 17, 1894, upon petition to the County Court of thirty-one legal voters of the district, June 2, 1894, was appointed the date to hold another election on the proposition of village organization. Said election resulted, fifty- six for incorporation, and twelve against, July 3, 1894, J. P. Johnston, W. G. Davis, J. M. Walker, Gust Olson, W. P. Kuhns and K. P. Wait were elected village trustees.

BANK

Historic Rock Island

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Illinois Ancestors