Coming right on the heels of last year’s Pekin Bicentennial celebrations, the City of Washington, Illinois, in northeast Tazewell County, has been spending this year celebrating its own Bicentennial. Another of Washington’s bicentennial celebrations is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m., at Washington Square in downtown Washington, where a new Illinois State Historical Society marker will be dedicated. The new marker will commemorate the documented visits of Abraham Lincoln to Washington, Illinois.
Washington has historical roots almost as deep as Pekin’s. In the same way that Pekin counts its history from the arrival of pioneer settler Jonathan Tharp in 1824 even though Pekin itself was not platted and named until January of 1830, so Washington counts its beginnings from the arrival of Tazewell County pioneer William Henry Holland (1786-1871).
Holland came to Washington Township in 1825 and platted the Original Town of Washington in February of 1834, naming the town after the beloved Founding Father George Washington, first U.S president under the Constitution of 1787. In his 1879 “History of Tazewell County,” pp. 664-669, Charles C. Chapman tells the story of the township’s first settlers, beginning with William Holland, who was one of the companions of William Blanchard Jr. in Tazewell County. As this column previously recalled, Blanchard was the first pioneer settler in Fondulac Township and rival to Nathan Dillon’s claim to the title of first white settler of Tazewell County.
Holland not only initiated the settlement of Washington Township and founded the city of Washington, but prior to that he also was one of the early settlers of Peoria.
“The first settler in Washington township was William Holland, Sen., a native of North Carolina, and who emigrated from that State, and settled in Edwardsville, Madison county, Ill., in 1815. He remained there for three years, when he removed to Sangamon Co., and after two years residence there moved to Peoria, then Fort Clark, in the spring of 1820. He crossed the river to the flats, now Fond du Lac township, and occupied an old shanty. Here he raised a crop during the summer of the same year. He cut logs, which he hauled across the river and erected a double log cabin. This was the second dwelling built in Peoria.”
Further on, Chapman says:
“In the spring of 1825, he came to this township, and built a log house on section 23, and on the present site of A. G. (sic – A. H.) Danforth’s residence. Here the family were surrounded by a dense wilderness, and were the only white occupants of this township until 1826. Holland commenced improving a farm on sec. 24, town 26, range 3, just east of the town of Washington, and embracing a part of the Holland, Dorsey, Walthan and Robinson addition to the town. His nearest neighbors were located on Farm creek, three miles east of Peoria, where the first settlement was made in this section. Among them were Wm. Blanchard, Elza Bethard, Jack Phillips, and his son William, Austin and Horace Crocker, and Thomas Camlin, whose cabin was located nearest Holland’s G[r]ove.”
During those early days, one of Holland’s brothers, James, briefly settled in Washington Township in 1827, coming from North Carolina, but he soon moved on to Macoupin County. Prior to the platting of Washington in 1834, Holland’s Grove was the name of the settlement that began with Holland’s arrival. Holland was paid by the government to serve as a blacksmith for the Native Americans in the area (chiefly Pottawatomi, Kickapoo, and Miami). During the 85 years of his life, William Holland married three times, was the father of 21 children (14 by first wife and seven by his second wife), and at the time of his death on 27 Nov. 1871, he had 82 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren. He is buried in Old Washington Cemetery in an unmarked grave.
Chapman’s 1879 account of the township’s early history continues for several more pages. Following are a few key excerpts dealing with Holland and his family, and telling of Holland’s role in the founding of Washington:
“The oldest living settler of this township is Lawson Holland, eldest son of William Holland, Sr., who was born in Lincoln Co., N.C., in 1812, and came to this county with his parents. From him we gather many incidents connected with the early settlement of the township. He was married in Oct., 1833, to Miss Elizabeth Bandy, daughter of Reuben Bandy, who came from Kentucky in 1831, and bought out the claim of Ira Crosby. They were married by Rev. Nathan Curtis, a Methodist minister. This was the fourth marriage in the township. . . .
“The first school-house was built near Wm. Holland’s hut in the winter of 1827-28. It was built of logs and was 16 by 18 feet. The writing desks and seats were made of split logs, and it was lighted by sawing an aperture out of each end of one log, over which was pasted greased paper. This ancient and somewhat unique style of windows served to keep out the wind and admitted some light. The school was a subscription school and was taught by George H. Shaw, now a resident of Shaw’s Grove, who was traveling through the country, and stopped over night with Wm. Holland, Sr. He was satisfied to receive, as compensation, his board, washing and horse feed . . . .
“William Holland, Sr., laid out the original town of Washington in 1834, being part of the town lying east of Main street. The first building was erected on the original town plat by Joseph Kelso, Sr., in 1834. Kelso and a Mr. Wagoner had purchased of Holland three lots for $150 each, upon one year’s credit. Much valuable timber grew in front of these lots, and in the street, which, by agreement, the first to build should be entitled to use. The question was settled by lot, which fell to Kelso, who was also the first of the pioneers to open a farm wholly on the prairie. . . . Prior to 1885 William Holland Sr., carried on the only blacksmith shop in town, at which time Brazilla Allee built a large two-story frame building on Main street, now occupied by his widow, Sarah Allee. Allee and William Spencer used this building as a blacksmith shop and wagon manufactory, it being the first place in town in which wagons were manufactured. These were primitive times, and the sight of a wagon was hailed with much joy and pleasure, and its possessor envied by all. Travelling was principally done on horseback, and hauling on sleds. . . .
“William Holland, Sr., built the first grist-mill west of his dwelling, in 1827. It was called a band-mill, and was run by horsepower, a simple arrangement consisting of one large wheel, the nave of which was a log of wood eight or ten feet long, hewed eight square, set in a perpendicular position, and supplied with spokes or arms. The lower end was secured by a pivot, on which it turned to another timber fastened in the ground, the upper end being secured in like manner. The flour produced resembled bran or Graham flour. . . . The band-mill of William Holland, Sr., was the only kind of mill in this section of country until 1836, when Wm. Kern erected a flouring-mill on the premises formerly occupied by Jaquin as a brewery.”
Below is the proof of the text of the new Illinois State Historical Marker commemorating Washington’s connection to Abraham Lincoln, to be dedicated on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m. in Washington Square. Later this year, the City of Washington is also planning to dedicate another ISHS marker commemorating the World War II prison of war site known as Camp Libby.
