Shelby County, Illinois, Townships

Whether you are looking for the "old family homestead" or a cemetery, you'll need to know your way around Shelby County. From Combined History of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois. Philadelphia, 1881. The county seat, Shelbyville, is located on the western shore of the Kaskaskia River which was dammed to create Lake Shelbyville. Shelbyville, Shelby County and Lake Shelbyville derived their names from Isaac Shelby, an officer of the revolution. The population of the county, according to the census of 1870, was 25,476, and in 1880 (was) given at 29,951, and (was) principally composed of persons of English, Irish, German, and French extraction, with a few colored persons. A number of settlements and communities have disappeared from maps but appear in newspaper accounts and other documents of other eras. Shelby County consists of the following townships:

Another clickable online map has been made possible by Eden Martin. In fact, he has posted the entire Shelby County history online. Read it now...

Other Shelby County place names include:

Anderson Cemetery (Stewardson East) map
Angels' Branch - tributary located in Rural Township
Antioch - A small village situated in Ridge Township, on or about Section 11. Settled as early as 1826. An early settler was WIdow Royse in 1830; she reared 7 children alone.
Antioch Cemetery
Armstrong Cemetery (Tower Hill) map
Ash Grove - Hiram Smith, brother of Joseph Smith, preached Mormonism in Ash Grove Township before moving on to Nauvoo; Methodist Church established on Section 33; there was a Mormon War in Ash Grove in 1836 or '37, with local Methodists planning harm against Rev. Carter who reportedly escaped. Mormon Younger Green had the mob arrested.
Ash Grove Cemetery (Windsor) map
Askins Cemetery (Fancher) map
Austin Cemetery (Shelbyville) map
Barker Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Bateman Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Beck's Creek - located in Cold Spring Township; post office established on Section 17; now Fayette County; visit the Beck's Creek website for genealogy
Bethany Cemetery (near Windsor) map
Bethany Cemetery (Obed) map
Bethel Cemetery map
Big Spring Township
Boiling Springs - Section 25 of Dry Point Township
Bruce Cemetery map
Brunswick
Brunswick Cemetery map
Brush Creek
Buck Grove - located in Pickaway County
Buchanan Cemetery (near Herrick)
Burrels Branch - tributary in Rural Township
Caldwell Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Carr's Creek - tributary located in Windsor Township
Center Cemetery (near Cowden) map
Claridge Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Clark Cemetery (Ramsey) map
Clarksburg
Cloverville
Coal Creek - located in Oconee Township
Coal Creek Cemetery
Cochran's Grove - located in Ash Grove Township; established as a post office as early as 1831.
Cochran's Grove Cemetery (probably Cochran Cemetery)
Cochran Cemetery (Windsor) map
Cold Spring - post office established in 1828
Cold Spring Township - settlers began arriving in 1818
Combest Cemetery
Coon Creek - tributary in Okaw Township
Coons Cemetery (Stewardson East) map
Copperas Creek
Copperas Cemetery map
Corley's Ridge
Corley Cemetery map
Cowden - located in Dry Point Township, Section 4; named for H. M. Cowden; greatest growth was during 1875
Cowden Circuit - Methodist preaching circuit included COwden, Lakewood, and Pleasant Grove
Craig Cemetery - located in Ridge Township map
Craig Schoolhouse - located in Rural Township
Cutler Cemetery map
Davis Grove
Dead Man's Grove - located on Wolf Creek, Section 8 of Prairie Township
Dog Prairie
Dollville
Downey Cemetery (Neoga) map
Doyle Branch - tributary located in Oconee Township
Drew's Mill - located on the Okaw River in Ash Grove Township
Dry Point Township - settlers arrived as early as 1821; first school was in 1830; Alexander Banning became one of the first landowners in 1832.
Dug Out
Duvall map
Edwards Cemetery map
Eiler Cemetery (near Tower Hill) map
Elis Cemetery - located in Ash Grove Township; on William Elis property, Section 3 of Ash Grove Township. Exact location has been lost. possible map
Elm Spring Place - located in Ridge Township
Etna (now Coles County)
Fairground
Fancher
Findlay
Findlay Cemetery map
Findlay Junction
Flat Branch - post office established in 1851 and closed about two years later.
Flat Branch Settlement
Flat Branch Township - first settler, Robert Tolly, arrived in 1828 and settled on Section 12; first school erected in 1833; early settler Rufus DeGarmo's son, Charles, is the namesake of DeGarmo Hall at Illinois State University.
Fortner Cemetery (Fancher) map
Foster Cemetery (Findlay) map
Four Mile Grove
Francisco Grist Mill
Fruit Hill - possibly named for Littleton Fruit who settled on Coon Creek in Section 21 of Okaw Township in 1830.
Gallagher Chapel Cemetery (near Fancher) map
Galigher's Class - as early as 1830, Sabbath meetings were formed at Wesley Galligher's home. Later became Mt. Carmel Church.
Gaskill Cemetery (Stewardson East) map
Gaskill Methodist Church - Ash Grove Township
Giles Cemetery map
Glenwood Cemetery (Shelbyville, Illinois) map
Gordon Creek - located in Flat Branch Township; named for Gordon Family who settled here in 1833.
Grace Cemetery (Strasburg) map
Grassy Branch - tributary of the Kaskaskia River located in Oconee Township
Graybill Cemetery (Stewardson) map
Grider Cemetery - Mrs. Matilda (McDaniel) Rose was buried in the Grider Cemetery in Windsor Township in 1862. Location unknown.
Hanson Cemetery
Hanson's Station
Hark
Harlan Cemetery
Harmon Cemetery (Fancher) map
Hart - located in Dry Point Township; post office established in 1860.
Hays Cemetery
Helton Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Henderson Cemetery (Kirksville) map
Henton - located in Ridge Township
Henton Cemetery (Henton) map
Herborn - located in Prairie Township, Section 22.
Herrick - visit Founding of the Village of Herrick website
Hidden
Hilligoss Cemetery (Windsor) map
Hinton - probably Henton
Hodson Cemetery (Francher) map
Hog Creek - tributary located in Prairie Township
Holland
Holliday - located in Dry Point, it lies mostly in Fayette County, near Shelby County Section 14.
Hood - post office in Ash Grove Township, established about 1854.
Hooker - post office formed about 1863; in 1871 it became Sigel.
Horsman Spring Settlement - located in Cold Spring Township; school building erected in 1821
Horsman Cemetery (Williamsburg Hill) map
Howe Cemetery (Fancher) map
Hubbart Cemetery (Beecher CIty) map
Hudson Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Hudson Cemetery ( Middlesworth) map
I.O.O.F. Cemetery (Moweaqua) map
Illiopolis
Indian Camp Branch - tributary located in Oconee Township
Jordan Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Jordan Creek - tributary located in Prairie Township
Kingman map
Knobs Baptist Cemetery map
Lake Fork - located in western part of Rural Township
Lakewood - located in Dry Point Township, Sections 7 and 8
Lakewood M. E. Society - in 1877, became part of the Cowden Circuit.
Landisville - a paper town in Big Spring Section 1
Lenoirs
Liston Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Lithia
Lithia Springs
Little Flock (Baptist) Cemetery (Obed) - located in Flat Branch Township map
Locust Grove
Locust Branch - located in Flat Branch Township; settlers arrived in 1843
Locust Grove Cemetery (Obed) map
London
Lone Oak - located in Ridge Township; A. V. Harper had a store here as early as 1850, but later moved it to Prairie Bird.
Lorton Cemetery
Lower Ash Grove Cemetery (Stewardson) map
Ludwig Cemetery (Obed) map
Luro - first town laid out in Oconee Township, on Section 5, about 1854; laid out by Dr. Ballard; Illinois Central refused to put in a switch and the town died.
Luticia
Mahoney Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Manyawper - changed to Westminster.
Martin Cemetery (Fancher) map
Masonic Cemetery (Obed) map
Massey's Knobs - settler among the knobs near Tower Hill; settled about 1830 in Section 3 of Tower Hill Township.
Matney Branch - tributary located in Oconee Township; namesake was the Widow Matney and her four boys and four girls who all arrived in 1830 and settled on Section 34.
Mautz Cemetery (Pana) map
McCoy Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Methodist Cemetery (Tower Hill) map
Meyers Cemetery (Herrick)
Metz
Middlesworth
Middlesworth Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Milne map
Mitchell Creek - located in Cold Spring Township
Moberly Cemetery (Windsor) map
Mode - located in Holland Township; originally named Jacob Smith; founded in 1866, post office established here by Elisha Roley; Section 23.
Moore Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Moulton
Mound
Mound Cemetery (Cowden) map
Mt. Carmel Cemetery (south of Shelbyville) map
Mount Cemetery (Oconee) map
Mount Hermon Cemetery (Fancher) map
Mount Olive Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Obed) map
Mount Zion Cemetery (Fancher) map
Moyer Cemetery (Shelbyville) map
Mowequa - located in Moweaqua Township; laid out along the ICC railroad in 1852 by Michael Snyder.
Mud Creek - tributary in Rose Township
Mud Run
Mud Run Cemetery (Herrick) map
Myers Cemetery (Herrick) map
Neal Cemetery (Cowden) map
Neil Cemetery
Neoga (now Coles County)
Neapolis
New Hope Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Oak Grove Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Obed map
Oconee - located in Oconee Township
Oconee Mound Cemetery (Oconee) map
Oconee Station
Oconee Township - first settler enetered land in 1836, Section 21.
Okaw Township - early settlers arrived as early as 1823; first schoolhouse built in 1832.
Oliver Cemetery (Shelbyville) map
Oppossum Creek - located in Oconee Township
Otter Creek - located in Oconee Township
Penn Township - "Daniel Roach and Aaron Armstrong, while scouting during the war of 1812, passed through what is now the county of Shelby, and being pleased with this part of it, so stated it to all their friends. John Armstrong, in company with Daniel Roach as guide, Robert Tolly, Elias Armstrong, and David Roach as companions, set out to investigate, and in October, 1825, John selected a site on section 6, town 13, range 3."
Pickaway Township - Elias Armstrong was the first settler, arriving in 1828 on Section 7.
Pilot Knob
Plank Cemetery - located in Ridge Township map
Pleak map
Pleasant Grove - Methodist chapel; church built in 1868.
Pleasant Grove Cemetery (Cowden) map
Pleasant Hill Cemetery map
Pond Prairie
Point Lookout Cemetery (Windsor) map
Polecat Creek - located in Cold Spring Township
Prairie Township - first settler arrived on Section 13 about 1835.
Prairie Bird - The village is located on section 19 of Ridge Township; the first settler was Jonathan Howard on Section 30 in 1831; the village was actually on Section 19.

Prairie Home - located in Penn Township map
Prairie Home Cemetery (Findlay) map
Praire Union Cemetery (Herrick) map
Price Cemetery - Herrick
Price Cemetery (William Price Cemetery) - Oconee; William Price was a native of North Carolina and settled in Oconee Township in 1834. map
Propeck
Quigley
Quigley Cemetery map
Radland
Rainey Cemetery /Raney Cemetery map
Rattlesnake Creek - tributary located in Prairie Township
Red Bank Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Reed Cemetery (Fancher) map
Rennerville map
Rhodes Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Richland Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Richland Creek - located in Richland Township
Richland Creek Settlement - located in Richland Township - earliest settler arrived in 1825.
Richland Township - first settler, David Elliott, arrived in 1825
Ridge Cemetery (Lakewood) map
Ridge Township - first house in township was built in 1823; first land entry was by Levi Casey in 1825
Ridge Campground - located in Cold Spring Township; site of the Methodist Church summer church camp on Section 26; Peter Cartwright officated here.
Ridge Cemetery map
Rincker Cemetery (Stewardson) map
Robin
Robinson Creek Cemetery (Tower Hill) map
Robinson Creek Settlement
Robinson Creek Station
Rockford (Stewardson) map
Rockford Cemetery (Stewardson) map
Rockford Church (Stewardson) map
Rockford School (Stewardson) map
Rocky Branch - tributary in Rose Township
Rose Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Rose Township - earliest settler was John Mosley in 1824.
Royalton
Rural Township - earliest settler was Benjamin Hunter who settled on Section 14 as early as 1830.
Sacred Heart Cemetery (Oconee) map
St. John's Cemetery map
St. Patrick Cemetery (Trowbridge) map
St. Paul Cemetery (Tower Hill) map
St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery (Strasburg) map
St. Paul United Church of Christ Cemetery (Deutsche Evangelische St. Paul Kirche gemiendt) (Dollville)
Salem Cemetery
Salem Schoolhouse - meeting place for what later became Wesley Chapel
Sand Creek
Sand Creek Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Sargents
Section Creek - located in Cold Spring Township
Selby Chapel - Methodist families formed Selby Chapel by 1839; a chuch by 1845.
Sexson - located in Ash Grove Township between Sections 15 and 22; settled by 1830; first Ash Grove Township school house erected in 1833 on Section 4; first church, the Christian Church, was established in 1840; post office established in 1877; named after Morgan P. Sexson..
Sexson Corner map
Shelbyville - first cabin was built by Josiah Daniel in 1825 or 1826
Shelby Cemetery (Shelbyville) map
Shinkle
Shoal Creek Circuit
Shumway
Sigel - Big Spring Township, Section 14; surveyed in 1863.
Skates
Smith Cemetery (Shelbyville) map
Smithville - the original name of Mode, given by Jacob Smith who laid off the village in 1866.
Spain Cemetery (Stewardson) map
Stewardson - located in Prairie Township, Section 34, laid off by William Stewardson, Jr., in January of 1874.
Stewardson Cemetery (Stewardson) map
Stone Coal
Stone Quarry - tributary located in Oconee Township
Strasburg
Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Swafford's Branch - tributary in Rose Township
Swedith Cemetery (Stewardson) map
Templeton Cemetery (Windsor) map
Thompson's Mill
Thornton
Todd's Point - located in Todd's Point Township, Section 16; named in honor of William Todd who settled here in 1835. map
Tolley Cemetery (Moweaqua) map
Torrence Schoolhouse - meeting place in Cowden for the Cowden Circuit
Tower Hill - located in Tower Hill Township; laid out by Elias Smith in June 1857; business houses in Westminster was moved from Westminster to TOwer Hill.
Tower Hill Cemetery map
Traughber Cemetery map
Trowbridge
Trowbridge Catholic Cemetery
Tyler
Union
Union Cemetery (Findlay) map
Union Cemetery (Mode) located in Clarksburg Township next to the Hidden Springs State Forest Rock Springs Hiking Trail. map
Wabash Point
Wabash Precinct - In 1837, Joseph Blythe was elected the first justice of the peace of Wabash Precinct, a combination of Big Spring and Ash Grove Townships.
Wade Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Wakefield
Wakefield Settlement
Walden Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Walker Cemetery (Fancher) map
Wallis Cemetery (near Sand Creek) map
Warren Cemetery (Middlesworth) map
Washington
Washington Cemetery - located in Ridge Township map
Watton Cemetery (Fancher) map
Welborn Cemetery (Kirksville) map
Wendling Cemetery (Shelbyville) map
Wesley Chapel- grow out of Galigher's Class; commenced as a church in 1875; as early as 1855 met at the Salem Schoolhouse.
Westside Cemetery (Moweaqua) map
Westervelt
Westminster - located in Tower Hill Township in Section 33; laid off by Washbourn Wade i 1848; originally called Manyawper; later changed to Westminster.
Whitley Creek Settlement
Williamsburg - located in Cold Spring Township in 1839.
Williamsburg Hill map
Windsor - located in Windsor Township;
Windsor Cemetery (Route 32 North, Windsor) map

Windsor Township - first settlers arrived on Sand Creek in 1826
Wolf Creek - tributary located in Prairie Township
Wolf Creek Cemetery (near Shumway) map
Woodlawn
Yantisville - located in Pickaway Township; post office established in 1880 with Henry Yantis as post-master.