714
HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
that he raised upon the sod, corn, beans, buckwheat and vegetables enough to subsist his family until the next crop. Thirty years later he had a splendid farm of over 600 acres, including a third of the beautiful grove and the broad rich 'prairie land south of it, with a habitation and home of abundant comfort and delight. The first birth in the township was that of his daughter Mary, who married Robert Alexander of Campton. She was born November 27, 1837. Isbell and Miner's family were the only residents of the township until Alfred Churchill came in the fall of 1837. John B. Moore had just arrived and made a claim which he sold to Mr. Churchill. His daughter Sarah Moore and James Isbell were married February 24, 1838-the first wedding in the township.
The first school in the township was taught in 1839 by Miss Fayetta R. Churchill, in her father's house, and she also taught the opening school in the first log school house of the township, which was built near the center of Section 22. Her father procured the establishment of the first postoffice at Avon, and was its Postmaster. He was an unusually capable man of whom mention is made in the general history of the county. This daughter became the wife of David Hanchett, another of the very best of the early settlers of the township. Indeed the trinity of Davids-David Hanchett, David W. Annis and David Snyder- whose fine farms covered these rich bottom lands in the southern part of the township, is one very rarely equaled. Mr. Annis and his young wife came to the county in 1836 or '37 from Stratford, Vt, the place of their nativity, and soon after settled for life in Kaneville Township. Integrity, intelligence, energy and economy constituted the invincible equipment which they brought to the new frontier home with very little else save youth and health. But these are forces that invariably win in the battles of life. None did more than they in advancing all the interests of the community, and none were held in higher honor and esteem. Forty years later they left their descendants, who are among the county's best citizens, a patrimony of 1,800 acres of the choicest lands in the Garden State. The McNairs, Inmans and David Wentworth came in 1838. The government sale of the land in this township opened January 30, 1843, and owing to the distrust of prairie land, considerable of it remained unclaimed as late as 1845. But again the last proves to be the best. There is little doubt that, for purely agricultural purposes, that is the choicest township in the county. Beside its heavy dairying interests, stock-raising and feeding are still a prominent branch of business. Kaneville has the least railway of any township in the county; yet is well supplied with shipping facilities with convenient stations in the southern, eastern, and northern portions.
Kaneville, the only village and postoffice in the township, early became quite a business and social center. It is very pleasantly located at the crossing of the two main highways leading from the river towns and roads, the one northwesterly and the other southwesterly, each of which is a much frequented thoroughfare; and whoever even passes through this delightful country hamlet, retains an impression and memory of neat and orderly thrft, of abundance and comfort, and quiet elegance that it is very pleasant to recall. The Rev. Thomas Ravlin purchased the claim to the prairie land upon which the village is located of "Willard Inmann in 1845, and then procured his title from the Government. John Bunker was the first magistrate, elected in 1845 under the old precinct organization. Needham N. Ravlin was the first postmaster. The application for the establishment of the postoffice suggested the name "Royalton," and was sent to "Long John" Wentworth, the Member of Congress. Upon examination it appeared that an office with that name already existed in the State, and without further consultation, Wentworth changed the name to Kaneville, which proved so satisfactory that it was adopted for the township name also. R. W. Acres was the first Supervisor of the township in 1850. N. N. Ravlin was elected to this office in 1857, and with two intermissions of only one year each, he was reelected to that most important town office until 1887, serving nearly thirty years; and for over twenty years the Board of Supervisors chose him as its chairman. Governor Oglesby appointed him a member of the State Board of Equalization in 1867-8, and he was a member of the Twenty-eighth General Assembly.
In 1852 a hotel was opened here by William Hall, and a store by Mr. Goodwin. Convenient shops, neat churches, school house and town hall, and pleasant homes soon clustered around
