Randolph County ILGenWeb
The French first settled this township. Samuel Cochran bought the old Haskin farm, he died in 1824. Joseph Heard arrived in 1801 and had a farm on Gravel Creek about 2 and a half miles north of Chester. S. Hugh bought the old Head farm 2 miles further north. John Clendinen arrived from Green CO, KY in 1808. Curtis Conn was born in Boston, MA he arrived in 1817 buying a farm in 1818. He later became a judge. Amara Aldrich also came from MA in 1818. George Stallion came in 1819, Buena Visit is where his farm once was located.
Menard was formerly known as Portland. The post office was est. in 1884. In about 1819 the company of Major William Oliver, David Brown, W. Barta and Daniel D. Smith set up a town called Portland. Nothing much ever became of the town.
Chester has also been named Buena Vista and originally Smith's Landing. The post office was est. in 1832. Mr. Smith was the first to come to the area. Benjamin A. Porter built a house and opened a mill. So not long after John McFerren bought the land. In 1829 Samuel Smith, James Lamb and Thomas Mather bought the land from Jacob Meyer. Samuel Smith built the first house in what was then known as Smith's Landing. In 1830 a slaughterhouse was built and in 1831 city lots were laid out. Mrs. Jane Smith named the town for Chester, England, where she was from. Others who moved to the settlement early were S. B. Opdyhe, Elias Heeder, Samuel Perry and R. B. Servant. In 1830 Servant opened a Castor Oil mill, Silas Leland was the blacksmith. In 1835, Amize Andrews built the first brick home, which was hit by in steamboat in 1844. The first doctor was Dr. Barbee in 1833. Miss Cole opened the first grist mill in 1837. A steam ferry was operating in 1849. Chester became the county seat in 1848.
Kaskaskia has lead a very long life in RC, originally a settlement by the same name was on the main land and there was a fort there but there is some disagreement on this. The church in Kaskaskia was est. in 1714 and made of stone, which lasted until 1774 when the church was rebuilt in 1801, and again in 1838. The only thing left is the bell, which was cast in 1741. Kaskaskia was est. by the French (see history of RC) John Doyle and Clark made an expedition in 1778. There were French, a few English and Indians living here. A Mr. Hoff and family left PA for Kaskaskia. Near Grand Tower, Indians (including his wife and a stepson (surname) Moredock, it is also possible that Mr. Hoff was also killed at this time) killed part of the family. Another stepson John Moredock became an Indian fighter. Ichabod and George Crane came to the area in 1782 and settled in the Camp's Creek area ( am unable to find where this was located). The Doge family came in the late 1780's from the WI area. In 1790 William Morrison came from Philadelphia with his Uncle Grey Bryant. They opened a store and trading post. William Morrison died in Apr 1837 and is buried in the old graveyard at Kaskaskia. In 1798 his brothers, Robert (d 1842) and James Morrison came to RC. Robert's wife was born in Baltimore. John Rice Jones a Welshman came to the county in 1790 from Philadelphia. He was a lawyer. In 1809 a man named Dunlap murdered his son Rice Jones, who was a lawyer and MD. In 1790, Pierre Hypolite and Francis Menard (all born in Quebec, Canada) came to RC. Pierre died in 1844 at the age of 77. Shadrach Bond (first Gov. of IL) came first to Monroe CO in 1794 and later to RC in 1814. He died in 1830. George Fisher was the first doctor in the area arriving from VA in 1798. In 1806 he moved to Prairie du Rocher where he died in 1820 on his farm. William J. Reynolds MD came from Bracken CO, KY in 1809. Thurman Tuttle MD with the US Army came in 1802. James Rose MD from KY came to the area in 1805 before moving on the Belleville. Lawyer Nathaniel Pope came west in 1804 to St. Genevieve, MO and on to RC in 1808. In 1850 he died in Alton, IL. He was the father of General John Pope.
Cole's Mill was located just outside of Chester. With the growth of Chester, Cole's Mill became incorporated into Chester
Pugol is located on the island and was where Dozaville now stands. It was named for Louis Phillip Pujo. The post office was est. in 1886 to 1902.
Hickoryville is located on the island just south of Kaskaskia.
Degoigne City was located in Sec 23. The Menard Prison now sits on this site.