Sylvester Township

The town of Sylvester embraces the territory of congressional township 2 north, range 8 east of the fourth principal meridian. It is bounded on the north by the town of Mount Pleasant; on the east of Decatur; on the south by Jefferson, and on the west by Monroe.

The first settlement within the limits now comprising the town of Sylvester was made by William WOODLE who had located on section 31 before 1838.

Other settlers were: Amos R SYLVESTER for whom the town was named, Joseph McCRACKEN, Davis BOWAN, Reese RUSH, Benjamin MITCHELL, T. W. THOMPSON, Dr. A. G. HOUGHTON, Daniel WESSEL, John CHRYST, Mr. RODERICK, Jacob STAUFFACHER, and Samuel VANCE.

The first murder committed in the town was that of F. OHM, who was killed by his son, Fred, in June 1878.

The first death was that of Joshua DAVIS in the winter of 1837-38. His remains were buried on the southwest quarter of section 35, near what was then known as Rock Spring but was subsequently disinterred and now rests in the Mount Vernon cemetery.

One of the first marriages in the town, if not the first, was that of William BAIRD to Elizabeth WOODLE, daughter of Joseph WOODLE on the 4th of July 1839.

Religions were: Methodist, German Zion Church of the Evangelical Association of North America, and Baptist.