Eli Short – When we saw Mr. Forster of the Irish Settlement operating a still and taking an active part in church work, we discovered that such action did not strike the people of that  time as particularly out of place.  Eli Short, who settled a short distance southeast of present day Steeleville, was a Baptist minister.  He saw no wrong in such action and built a distillery.  Short also planted a large orchard and produced cider in liberal quantities.  In season, he dispensed cider to those coming to his place to attend church services in a room of his home.  While conducting such a service, in keeping with a common practice of the ministers of the time to propound a question and seek an answer from the writings of the prophets, he had set forth a question.  Seeking an answer, he shouted, “And what does Daniel say?” Daniel Malone, a member of the congregation, taking his question as a cue, answered – “I think it is time to have another drink of cider”.  The proceedings that followed are not recorded.  According to tradition this Eli Short was the one who slew Tecumseh in the battle of Tippecanoe.

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