Odell History

The History Of Odell Part one of Year -1854 Livingston County was called by outsiders as the "Land of the Frogs" as it was so marshy undrained. There were no trees except along the river banks. Those traveling westward all but ignored, the area as they sought a more prospercus life. Little did they know that the land they scurried held a secret - it was among the most fertile soil the world would come to know.The Kickapoo Indians had camps in this area at the time the first white settlers arrived in Livingston County in 1830. Seven years later, the Illinois legislature created Livingston County, carving it or land formerly in Mclean and Lasalle counties, and, prior to that, Cook and Vermillion. It was now after Edward Livingston, Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson. Pontiac was selected ar county seat. Despite the move by the legislature, settlement had come slowly to this area. Aside ftom the (lenge of the terain, the federal land office for all area south of Grundy County was located in Da Many early settlers opted to stay on the Chicago side of the boundary, sparing themselves the long jney to Danville to register their claims In 1847, the Illinois legislatue made a move that would dramatically transform Central Illinois. legislature passed atr act authorizing the building of a railroad from Alton to Springfield, to be called (Alton & Sangamon Railroad. The charter was amended in 1851 to include a line to Bloomington. As previously witnessed in other sectiotrs of the United States, construction of a railroad would open the the doors for growth of jobs and commerce. But what about the marshy prairie land? In 1850, William Scully came [...]