On April 9, 1845, by the county board it was...
Ordered, That township No. 81 north, of range No. 6 west, be and
the same is hereby established as a civil township, in Johnson county,
and shall be known as "Big Grove township:" That the first election for
the organization of said township shall be held at the "Big Grove
School house" in said township, on the first Monday of April, 1846.
Prior
to this date, this territory was included first, in election precinct
No. 2 and afterward in Big Grove precinct; for we find, January 9,
1842, it was
Ordered, That the place of holding elections in the
second election precinct be removed from the house of Hamilton H. Kerr,
to the town of Solon in said precinct.
On April 5, 1843, the above name "second election precinct" was first mentioned in the county records as Big Grove precinct.
Ancient Mounds
The
prehistoric remains of an ancient race that once inhabited John county
in considerable numbers are fast passing away. Many mounds which were
plainly visible when white men first came here are now entirely
obliterated by being plowed down in cultivated fields or dug open by
relic hunters, and in other ways; and fifty years hence there will
scarcely be a mound left to prove that such evidences of a former race
ever existed. From M. W. Davis, druggist, and Col. S. C. Trowbridge, we
learn there were mounds and evidences of an ancient town near Solon in
Big Grove township.
Earliest Events
From
items furnished mostly by D. A. Pratt, but with some additional points
by John Lingle, Strawder Devault and other old settlers, we compile the
following record of early events in the settlement of what now forms
Big Grove township.
| Settler | Year | Section | Where From | | Robert Mathews | | 36 | England | | Warren Stiles | 1839 | 26 | New York State | | Jehiel Parks | 1839 | 36 | Ohio | | P. C. Brown | 1839 | 13 | Ohio | | E. M. & Moses Adams | 1839 | 20 in Cedar twp | Ohio | | Abner Arasmith | 1839 | 32 | Ohio | | Harvey Lyman | 1840 | 36 | Ohio & New York | | J. B. McGrew | 1839 | 25 | Pennsylvania | | A. W. Blain | 1840 | 12 | Pennsylvania | | W. D. Canon | 1840 | | Ohio & Conn. | | E. T. Pratt | 1840 | | Ohio & Maine |
All of the above are furnished by Mr. Pratt. Mr. Lingle adds the following:
| Settler | Year | Section | Where From | | Charles Fowler | 1838 | 9 | New York | | W. Fackler | 1838 | 3 | Indiana | | Warner Spurrier | 1838 | 15 | Ohio | | Charles Connelley | | 21 | Ohio |
Mr. Devault adds:
| Settler | Year | Section | Where From | | Thomas King | 1839 | 19 | Indiana | | Strawder Devault | 1839 | 19 | Indiana |
Township "Firsts"
M. S. Shircliff, clerk of Solon city, furnishes the following report:
First Board of Trustees: D. D. Smith, Warner Stiles & Warner Spurrier
First Clerk: Charles Connelly
First Assessor: Warner Spurrier
First Official Meetings: Held at Warren Stiles' house.
First schoolhouse: Built of logs and was located on Mill creek, about a mile southwest of Solon.
First
teacher: Jesse McGrew however Mr. D. A. Pratt, old settler,
reports the first school was taught by Mrs. Fanny Pratt at her house.
First
Death: George Fackler, in 1838 or '39 and buried in the Fackler grove
grave yard. The first one given by Mr. Pratt was that of Cotton T.
Pratt, who died February 15, 1840; buried on section thirty-six.
Cemetery: First used in 1840 and is yet in use
First Burial: Oscar Allen buried in the above mentioned cemetery.
First
Marriage: Joseph Gros to Elizabeth Goetz, in February, 1841. The second
one was Wendell Goetz to Miss Katie Ensinger, Sept. 28, 1841 on section
four.
First Baby: Wilber D. Cannon, son of William D. and Julia A. Cannon. (Date not given)
First
Physician: Dr. Adams, who spent the winter of 1839-'40 with J. B.
McGrew. But Dr. James AA. Crane was the first one that permanently
located here as a physician. (Date not given)
First Preaching: Done in a log cabin on section thirty-five by a Methodist circuit rider named Faree. (No date)
First Weaving of Cloth: Done by Mr. Valentine Fackler; and another says, by Mrs. Fanny Pratt. (No date given in either case)
First House: H. H. Kerr built it where the town of Solon now stands. The house is now (1882) occupied by A. J. Beuter.
First Saw mill built: by Anthony Sells, on section 29, in 1839. It was an upright saw.
First Flouring mill built: by Thomas Lingle in 1840.
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1870 Combination Atlas Landowner's Map
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1875
Andreas Atlas Township Map
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Big Grove Township
Towns & Villages
Solon
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Big Grove Township Cemeteries
Fackler's Grove Cemetery
Oakland Cemetery
St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
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Township Officers
for 1882
J. P., P. B. Andrews, U. C. Brown
Constables:
W. A. Palmar, Jas. Payn
Clerk: M. Schircliff
Assessor: A. M. White
Trustees:
P. Hauptman, A. W. Beuter and Jacob Kessler
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Postmasters
1863 Charles Pratt
1865 Lewis M. Lawyer
1869 L. M. Lawyer
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Big Grove Township Taxpayers
1878 - 1879
(not transcribed yet)
as outlined in the Directory of Johnson County, IA
1878 - 1879
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Big Grove Township
Oldest Person in 1882
Christian Hess, who was born in 1800 in Lancaster Co., PA.
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