Elizabeth Township

Jo Daviess County, Illinois

The Township of Elizabeth has long been a township of great importance in the county. Its early settlers were attracted thereto by the mines. Jefferson Clark, John McDonald, John D. Winters and Clark Stone were among the earliest settlers. Afterwards came Benjamin Clark. Within its bounds was a fort which was attacked by the Indians during the Black Hawk War, but the Indians were repulsed. The village of Elizabeth is within the township. For years it was an inland village, but since the Chicago Great Western Railroad has passed through its borders, it has become a place of great importance and is constantly improving. Near the village of Elizabeth was one of the best mines ever discovered in the county, which was called the "Wishon Mine."  Here were turned out vast quantities of lead ore. It had not been operated for the past thirty years until during the year 1903, when a company called the Wishon Mining Company, with a capital of $1,000,000, leased the mine and contemplate searching for a lower run of ore. Elizabeth has been of importance in a political sense. It has furnished to the State at least three State Senators, namely:  W. A. Little, Henry Green and John C. McKenzie, one of whom (John C. McKenzie) was acting Governor of the State. In 1847 there were within the bounds of Elizabeth Township, two post offices --one at Elizabeth, with William Boutwell as postmaster, and one at Weston, with Otis C. Bennet as postmaster.

(This section is taken from the book "History of Jo Daviess County  1904)

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