Centennial of Marshall, Illinois - Community Commemoration on Waymarking.com

County of marker: Clark County
Location of marker: Archer Ave., courthouse lawn, Marshall
Marker erected by: The Walter Burdick Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution
Date marker erected: 1935

Marker text:

"In 1839 Colonel William Archer of Marshall platted the village of Westfield. The village was laid out on the cross roads of the line between sections 29 and 30 and consisted of 46 blocks of varying size. State Street passed through the plat east and west and Washington Street passed through the center at a right angle to State. With public spirit he donated block 29 (our park) as a public square and block 19 for a meeting house. The Methodist Church was built on this site. Block 5 was set aside for a school.

"Col. Archer was interested in building a road from Marshall to Charleston. The viewing committee did not approve, so Archer, at his own expense, hired twenty men, surveyed and cut out the road sixty feet wide and placed mile stones all the way to Westfield. This led to the platting of the Village of Westfield in 1839.

"Col. Archer soon sold the village to David Evinger and his sisters Polly and Catherine. These owners put the lots on sale. Thomas Tefft bought the first lot, erected a log cabin on Washington St. and had the first post office. Others who bought lots were Samuel Tefft, J.C. Skinner, a blacksmith, William P. Bennett, John Fiers, and Nathan Tefft. Charles Whitlock ran the first store for two years. The second store was opened in 1842 by William Hampton who sold it to Thomas Moore who later went into partnership with Michael York. The first hotel was located on the corner of State and Washington Streets and was kept from 1841 to 1848 by Captain Tefft.

"The first mill in the village was owned by Delaney, Bennett, and Evinger. It burned in 1850. In 1854 a four-story mill was build by Parcel and Evinger in the northeast part of town. It burned in 1856 but was replaced. In 1868 Rardin erected a mill on the Parcel site."
~ Village of Westfield History

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