Randolph County ILGenWeb
Robert Tindall settled this township in Sec 32 in 1802 coming from SC. In 1804 John Lacy also came from SC. Michael Harmon came from TN with 7 sons to form the Harman Settlement. John Taggart was a Ranger who settled in 1807 along with brother Daniel (their father was Amos). SC also sent William Fowler in 1816. He was a Revolutionary War soldier, who died in 1846. 1817 brought James McFarland to the area. In 1825 David Hawthorn with sons: Samuel, James, Thomas, David and William came to call RC their home.
Capman laid out Randolph in 1842. John Wood had the first store there. In 1856 Isaac Lehnherr opened a second store. In 1840 the Germans of the area est. the Lutheran church and another one was organized in 1849. When the Post Office was est. in 1856 the town changed its name to New Bremen.
Blair is located at the crossroads of Sec 2, 3, 34 and 35. Here Thomas A Blair built a house in 1857. In 1860, he opened a store and est. the post office. It closed in 1908. The stagecoach stopped here. Thomas Blair was also the Justice of the Peace. Thomas and nephew James J. Blair laid out the lots for the town. In 1880 Robert Blair was PM. Rev A W Wright organized the Reform Presbyterian Church. Rev L Duckworth established a ME Church in 1873. Dr. J F White was the doctor followed by J L Matthews. Fred Hartley was the blacksmith and brother James was the wagon maker. W E Brown operated a gristmill and sawmill. There were two schools in town. George Stanway opened a coalmine near the village. In 1880 there were 200 people in Blair. Today there are a few homes but the old Blair house still stands, as does the ME Church, but the church is in bad repair.
Welge formerly Bremen is located in Sec 36. The RR built tracks near the village and a depot was built. Henry Welge opened a store. There was a creamery, blacksmith, Stock pens and a Lutheran Church. Earnest Sickmeyer was the Wagon maker. The post office opened in 1881 and in the 1970's it was still opened, Samuel Welge was the PM. The Church closed in 1914. AS people died, the business dried up. The old burial ground is still there and many of the stones are in German. In the early 1980's there was a sawmill in the tiny town.