WALTON
Six miles south of Dixon on Route 26, the
township of Marion begins. It was platted in 1854 on land that was
part of Amboy and Hamilton townships. In 1878, the farm of Price
Jones near the center of the area became Walton. Why this name was
given is still the subject of debate. At one time Walton had a post
office and a telephone exchange and was a recreational center of
activity. Today its mail is brought from Amboy and Dixon. Its
telephone service comes from Harmon, Amboy and Dixon. Walton is now
but a place in the memories of families from Marion township.
The first permanent settler in the area was David
Welty who came from Buffalo, New York, by horseback. He arrived at
Dixon's Ferry in 1838. His wife and son, John, and his wife's
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Scott, came to Chicago by way of the Great
Lakes and then on to Dixon's Ferry by stage. In 1840, Mr. Welty
bought land on sections 34 and 35 and built a double log house on the
stage road leading from Peoria to Dixon. Early records say that there
were only two other houses between Dixon and Princeton. One was at
Dad Joe's Grove and the other on the south side of Palestine Grove.
It would be nearly impossible to trace all the
property ownership, but a few of the farms that are still owned by
descendants of the original owners have remained within the family
for nearly 140 years. Early settlers such as James McCoy (1844),
(Edward Ackert (1854), James Campbell (1854), Mr. McCaffrey (1856),
William McGuirk (1865), Thomas McKune and Patrick Dunphy were just a
few of these. Since most of the early settlers of Marion township
were Irish Catholics, it is not surprising that they should want a
church nearer than Dixon, Amboy and Harmon. At the turn of the
century they bought land and built a frame church. Father J. S.
Gallagher came from Amboy for Mass whenever possible and the people
were saved from the long trip to the neighboring towns.
In 1910 Father Thomas Cullen took active charge
of Walton's church, although he continued to live in Amboy. In
August of 1912, plans were started for the present church and parish
house. Just a year later, Bishop Muldoon, the first bishop of the
Rockford Diocese, dedicated the church and when the parish house was
completed Father Charles Conley became the first resident pastor of
the parish. Under his direction many substantial improvements were
made and more land was bought so that a recreational playground and
ball park might serve the people of the area. The first record of a
baptism is that of John Joseph O’Malley, the son of Edward J. and
Emma (Durr). The first marriage was that of Anna Marie Lally of
Walton and Robert McKenna of Storm Lake, Iowa.
During the First World War the first two men from
Lee County who gave their lives were from Marion township. Private
Claude Heldman and Private George Grohens headed the list of those
who had died for their country. Again during the Second World War
Marion township gave two lives of its young men. Howard Zentz and
Estell Fenwick were the heroes of the conflict.
All pictures and articles found on this page
are copyrighted by the Lee County Historical Society. They are not to
be reproduced, redistributed, sold, or otherwise altered. These
pictures and articles are for the sole private, non-commercial use
for research and education. These pictures may not be used without
the expressed written permission of the Lee County Historical
Society.