1828
George Washington Holland is recorded as the first child born in Washington Township, born February 18, 1828. George was a lifelong bachelor and a California gold prospector. He died in Washington.
In 1828 the only known arrival to the town of Washington was the James Harvey family. Harvey also settled in the Dallas Road area and stayed in town until 1834 when he moved to Deer Creek. Harvey's son Wesley remained in the area long after, serving as a justice of the peace for Tazewell County, Illinois House representative, and a two-term mayor of Washington. What follows are some recollection of 1828 from James Harvey's daughter Marta, written in 1904:
Father left the company encamped on the banks of the Wabash river and went on horseback to locate a claim. He took with him his gun, a supply of ammunition, and saddlebags well filled with provision for the journey. After riding over the country for several days, he came to a small settlement called Holland’s Grove. There he staked out a claim, built a cabin of round logs with “clapboard” roof and “puncheon” floor, with one window, one door and a stick chimney. The door was hung on wooden hinges, and had a wooden latch to which was attached the proverbial latch string. This having been completed, he returned to the banks of the “Wabash far away” for his family. They arrived and took possession in Oct. 1828, being the seventh family in what is now known as the Jack Cress farm.
The country was then a howling wilderness and Indians were our neighbors. Wolves howled around our dwellings and made the nights hideous with their yells. Wild game, such as deer, wild turkeys and prairie chickens, was abundant so if the pioneer could procure bread for his family the meats were never lacking.
This beautiful little city of Washington had no place on the map of the state of Illinois. Peoria was only a trading post known as Fort Clark, a fort having been built there to protect the pioneer families from the encroachments of the savages.
In May 1828 William Thompson was chosen by the Tazewell County Court to be the constable of the Ten Mile precinct "by reason of absence of Nathan Shaw." The Ten Mile precinct included the general vicinity of our settlement.
In June 1828 election officials were chosen for the area, and our precinct included the entire northern half of the county. William Thompson, William Holland, and George Ish were chosen as election officials, with the election taking place at the home of William Holland, most likely considered a geographic center of the precinct.
The second school in the area was built in 1828, on the William Weeks property. The teacher was Eli Redman, brother of early settler John Redman. This school lasted one winter and was a subscription school.
1828 or 1829 also saw the first religious society in the area. It was organized by Methodist preacher Jessie Walker and services were held in the home of William Holland. Attendees were the families of William Holland and James Harvey.
Taking a census in our area at the end of 1828, three and a half years after William Holland first settled here, you would find only nine families.