Township Fun Facts

* Ashley Twp. – The first to settle here was the Woodrome family who came here is 1825 and took up residence west and southwest of the present town.

* Beaucoup Twp. – The Township was created in 1889 by carving it out of Ashey and Nashville precincts, it was one of the first settled parts of the county.

* Bolo Twp. – The village of Posen, near the center of th township, grew up around the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and its school.

* Covington Twp. – William H. Bradsby cleared a small farm at the crossing of the Peoria and old Kaskakia trace. When Illinois became a state om 1818, and Washingto Co. organized the County seat was situated on this farm. The town of Old Covington was laid our; a court house and jail were built.

* DuBois Twp. – The DuBois coal mine opened in 1865 and was operated by mule power when it started, and it was never modernized. When it closed down in 1965, it was the oldest mine in Illinois.

* Hoyleyton Twp. – This area was first settled by F.E. Hoffman and F.E. Prasuhn between 1830 and 1840. Soon more German immigrants came and settled the area around New Minden and Hoyleton.

* Irvington Twp. – The earliest known settlers came from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. The building of two railroads through the township brought more settlers and helped develop the two towns, Irington and Nolting.

* Johannisburg Twp. – The first annual town meeting was held on April 3, 1883 at H. Jasper’s at Stone Church. Mr. H.H. Meyer was duly chosen and sworn to preside as moderator.

* Lively Grove Twp. – In the very southwest corner of the township is the village of Clarmin, which almost adjoins the town of Tilden. Clarmin was laid out by Judges Green and Bernreuter of Nashville about the time of WWI, and was named for thier wives Clara and Minnie.

* Nashville Twp. – Robert Middleton and William O Brown two men from Belleville journeyed to Kaskaskia and bought the ground from the government. On June 8, 1830 a surveyor laid out the town.

* Oakdale Twp. – In 1930 Illinois Power Company bought electricity to Oakdale Township. In 1939 R.E.A. built power lines in the township to serve the farmers in the area. Egyptian Telephone Cooperative put in the dial phone in 1954.

* Okawville Twp. – In the 1890’s a town collector was reponsible for collecting money to meet town expenses and if expenses were more; then, the county collector made up the difference.

* Pilot Knob Twp. – Pilot Knob gets its names from the high hill near it center. It is one of the oldest settled parts of the county.

* Plum Hill Twp. – Was named from the sloping hills, which were grown over by wild plum trees.

* Richview Twp. – During it peak Richview had many professional business establishments as an place in the county. Richview Phoenix the local newspaper, a castor oil mill (which processed locally grown crops). a fruit drying plant, a flour mill, and a telegrapher’s institute, which taught that profession.

* Venedy Twp. – The Venedy Coal Mine began mining in 1922 and was the last to 0perate. This mine was located entirely in Washington County. It closed in 1969.