The town of Allen is composed of the Congressional Township 31 North, of R. 5
East, and is the southeastern town in the county. It is entirely prairie, having
no natural growth of timber within its limits or near its border. The soil is
good, and the surface mostly rolling. From its location at a distance from
timber and at the extreme limit of the county, it remained unoccupied until
twenty years after the organization of the county, and twenty-five years after
settlements commenced within the county limits.
The first permanent resident in the town was Robert Miller, from New England— a
Quaker. He settled on Section 12, in the fall of 1850; after a few years
residence he removed to Iowa.
The next was Michael Kepner from Perry County, Pa., in the spring of 1851; he
made a claim on S. 16, where he remained five or six years, and removed to
Minnesota.
James McIntyre made a claim on S. 16, in 1851, but resided in Peru one year,
then occupied his claim two years, and in 1853 moved on S. 14, where he now
resides.
Two brothers, John and Inglehart Wormley came from Pennsylvania in 1852, and
settled on Sees. 21 and 22, where John still resides. Inglehart was the first
Supervisor of the town. In 1862 or 63, he removed to Southern Illinois.
Adam Fry, from Ohio, came to Du Page County in 1835, and in the fall of 1852
settled on Section 6, where he died in Sept., 1874; his widow still occupies the
same place.
Elias C. Lane, from Ohio to Putnam County in 1846, then to Hickory Point in
1853, and to Sec. 8 in 1855, where he still resides, at the age of about 90
years, with his son, W. H. Lane.
William Flint bought land on Section 9 in 1851, and occupied it in 1853; he
spent ten years in improving and developing the town, and then removed to
Tonica.
M. C. Lane, son of Elias C, from Brown County, Ohio, entered land on Section 9
in 1851, and occupied it in 1856.
John Cochran, from Adams County, Ohio, entered land on Section 3 in 1851, and
has occupied it since 1856.
John Higgins, a native of Prince Edward’s Island, and from Putnam County here;
made an improvement on Section 8 in 1855, and has occupied it with his family
since 1856.
John L. Summers, from Adams County, Ohio, bought land on Section 10 in 1854,
moved on and improved it in 1855; returned to Ohio in December, 1856, and came
back to his first love in Jan., 1876.
David Griffith came from Washington County, Pa., in 1857, and settled on Section
25 — then three to four miles from neighbors; he died Aug. 14, 1877.
Mrs. Sarah Hamilton, from Ohio to Putnam County in 1846, and here in 1856.
Allen Stevens, from Canada to Du Page County, and thence here in 1857; is now
living on the southeast quarter of Section 5.
Since 1857 the town of Allen has rapidly filled up with an enterprising
population, so that there is no vacant land in the town, and the improvements of
most of her citizens are not behind those of her sister towns. The dwellings,
barns, and other improvements of Nathaniel and James McIntyre, M. C. Lane,
Thomas Sullivan, Henry Smith, and some others, are scarcely excelled in the
older States.
The extension of the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railroad was built through
the town of Allen in 1875, giving a direct communication with Chicago. The
station was located near the center of Section 16, which, fortunately for the
town, had not been sold previous to the location of the road. The town of Ransom
was laid out by the School Trustees, and lots sold to the amount of $5,000 at
the first sale. If judiciously managed, the town will realize a very efficient
fund for the support of her schools through ' all the future.
Thus this town, in the center of a prairie region, far from timber, distant from
market, and long neglected, is destined to be a successful rival of the older
settled portions of the county.
Extracted from 1877 History of La Salle County Illinois, pages 475-478.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
 |
Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
