Randolph County ILGenWeb

GRAND COTE PRAIRIE

NOTE BY CAROLYN WHITAKER: This is only a partial account of this history located on page 430. I do not have page 429)

The only record furnished us of the earliest preaching in that precinct, was by the REV. ROBERT MOORE, of the old Regular Baptist tenets, at the house of SOLOMON MAXWELL, about the year 1841.  The first school taught in Grand Cote precinct was in 1832, by JAMES HOLLIDAY, in a little log cabin located on the SE ¼ of section 31, about the years 1830 or 1837.  His schedule was the first to draw public moneys on that side of the county.  DAVID BALDRIDGE was the county school commissioner at the time.  ALEXANDER SKELLY was next in the order of schoolteachers in that precinct.  He taught in a little log cabin built for a residence on section 13, about the year 1841; tuition $2 per quarter.

With this concludes our early history of Grand Cote prairie.  To the REV. J. C. ELLIOTT are we indebted for most of the information concerning this precinct, in the order of their dates, were as follows:

January 18, 1819, THOMAS SWANWICK entered the E. ½ of the N. E. ¼; and the S. E. ¼ of section ten in town four, range four; May 27, 1819, JAMES PARKER, the N. W. ¼ section 29, and the S.W. ¼ of section 20; June 7, 1821, ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, the W. ½ of the S. W. ¼ of the S. E. ¼ of section 31, all in town four south, range four.

SWANWICK

This little village was laid out by WILLIAM MOORE and surveyed and platted by D. C. BENSON, deputy county surveyor, May 27, 1871.  Its location is the S. E.  of the N. E. of section 21, township 4, range 4.  It is a station on the Cairo Short Line Railroad.  The present business of the village is as follows:

Physician, W. H. FERGUSON

General merchants, HARMON & ADAIR, William GRAY

Postmaster, WILLIAM GRAY

Blacksmith, JAMES LUNA

Carpenter, A. SHOCKENCY

Grain dealers, W. SOKUP

Carriage maker, D. J. WOODSIDE

CRAIG

This hamlet is a station on the Cairo Short Line Railroad, and is situated on the east half of Sec. 25, township 4, range 4, and on the boundary between Grand Cote and Pinckneyville.  It was laid out by WILLIAM CRAIG and surveyed and platted by WILLIAM GOLIGHTLY, county surveyor, October 23, 1871.  The postmaster is J. ALLEN.  W. L. PENNOYER keeps a general store

REFERENCE:  COMBINED HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE, AND PERRY COUNTIES ILLINOIS – Biographical Sketches of some of their Prominent Men and Pioneers, Published by J. L. McDonough & Co., Philadelphia 1883 Page 430

Transcribed by Carolyn Whitaker    Email: [email protected]