BERWICK.
Bowling Green was the poetic name first given to the village of Berwick. It was platted by Deputy Surveyor Peter Butler July 9, 1936, on the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 5, and the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 6. township 9 north, range 1 west (Berwick township).
The owners of the site were Samuel G. Morse and Thomas Pearce. The town consisted of a public square and sixteen blocks, with Marion, Pearl and Water streets running east and west, and Washington, Main and Jackson streets run ning north and south.
The village never had sufficient boom to warrant the platting of additional territory, but on the contrary blocks 3 and 4 and parts of blocks 5 and 6 of the original plat have long since been abandoned. The village is now a station on the Iowa Central railroad, which was built through it in 1871, yet there has been no appreciable advancement in its growth, though a number of well kept modern homes grace its few streets.
The village has never incorporated. It is, however, a thriving trading point. The organization of the Berwick Bank, which commenced business in August, 1899, added materially to the business activity of the village. It was at first a private institution, but was reorganized in January, 1900, as the State Bank of Berwick, with a capital of 130,000.
The stock is scattered among sixty-three stockholders, representing the wealthiest men of the community, and the bank is doing a prosperous business, having deposits of $90,000, loans and discounts aggregating $100,000, and a net surplus of $5,000. W. C. Tubbs is president of the bank, H. M. Lewis vice president, and James Houston cashier.
The Berwick cemetery was laid out in 1840, and was one of the earliest located in the county. The first person to be buried in it was a son of Franklin Ogden, whose death occurred during the year mentioned.
Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois
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Illinois Ancestors
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