THIS
township, originally a part of Troy, was separately
organized in 1819. The following appears in the
records of the county commissioners:
"November 10th, 1819 - Resolved, that all that part
of the township of Troy included in township No. 5, in the
12th range and the east half of township No. 4, in the 13th
range, be a separate township by the name of Carthage."
And at the same session the
inhabitants were directed to meet on a specified day and
elect township officers.
The first justice of the peace in Carthage was
Milton Buckingham. Joseph Guthrie and Francis
Caldwell were also among the earliest. Among the
early township trustees were Stephen Buckingham, Joseph
Guthrie, Francis Caldwell, Alexander Caldwell, Moses Elliott,
and B. B. Lottridge.
Joseph Guthrie built the first grist mill in the
township about the year 1820, on a small stream on his farm
(near the southeast corner of section six), called after
himself, and which still retains the name of Guthrie Creek.
Since that time there have been two or three small grist
mills built on a little stream in the northeast corner of
the township formerly called Lizzie run but now called
Little Jordan. There have also been several saw mills
built in the township in later years, but all have fallen
into disuse, and at present there is not a mill in the
township worth mentioning. There are nine school
districts in Carthage, with nine good country school houses
and five churches - two Methodist, one Presbyterian, one
United Brethren, and one Christian or Campbellite. The
Methodists, as usual, were the pioneers, their society
having been organized about the year 1812; the Christian
church was organized about 1835, the United Brethren about
1840, and the Presbyterian in 1850.
The early records of the township are lost, and there
is no list of its officers prior to 1855. The
population in 1820 was 320; in 1830 it was 395; in 1840 it
was 734; in 1850 it was 1,087; in 1860 it was 1,127.
Township Trustees since 1855.
1855 |
Hiram Frost, |
Vincent Caldwell, |
Caleb Wells. |
1856-57 |
Jacob S. Coen, |
R. M. Wilson, |
Walter Glazier. |
1858 |
" |
" |
William Mills. |
1859 |
Cyrenus Stout, |
Simeon Buck,
|
Asa P. Jeffers. |
1860 |
Walter Glazier, |
James Buck, |
" |
1861 |
" |
S. H. Lottridge, |
Cyrenus Stout. |
1862 |
William Merrill |
" |
" |
1863 |
Aaron Stort |
William Russel, |
John W. Nicholson. |
1864 |
S. H. Lottridge |
Saunders, Amasa |
Charles Stout. |
1865 |
William Russell, |
Amasa Saunders, |
Charles Stout. |
1866 |
" |
David G. Frost, |
John W. Nicholson. |
1867 |
" |
" |
E. M. Young. |
1868 |
Avery N. Saunders, |
Joseph D. Webster, |
Hiram C. Frost. |
Township Clerks since 1855.
1855 |
Washington Hull. |
1856-60 |
James Elliott |
1861-62 |
David Frost |
1863 |
James Elliott, who has been re-elected each
year since. |
Justices of the Peace since 1852.
1852 |
Daniel Tubbs, S. W. Lottridge, and John
Elliott |
1855 |
Isaac Hull and Richard M. Wilson. |
1857 |
John Whittington |
1858 |
Richard M. Wilson |
1860 |
John Whittington |
1861 |
Jacob S. Coen |
1863 |
John Whittington. |
1864 |
Jacob S. Coen |
1865 |
Curtis Raincer, John Hammond |
1866 |
Simon H. Lottridge. |
Personal and Biographical.
(FOR BIOGRAPHIES, CLICK HERE)
Ashael Cooley, Sen.
Bernardus B. Lottridge
Ebenezer Buckingham, Sen.
William Jeffers
Alexander Caldwell
Moses Elliott
John Elliott
James Elliott
James Baker
Daniel Boyd
Abraham Norris
Peter Hammond
Nathaniel Martin
Caleb P. Wells
Walter Glazier
John Lawrence
Edward Lawrence
William Mills
|