The first land entered in the township was by James Edwards, March 16th, 1833, 40 acres in section No. 20; Garland Hall entered December 18th, 1833, 77.40 acres in section 19--and Dempsey Pope entered on the same day 80 acres, same section--all in township No. 15 N., R. ! E. of the 3d P.M. Benjamin Wilson entered Nov. 13th, 1827, 160 acres in section 34; also 80 acres in section 35; and on the same day Francis G. Hill entered 80 acres in section 36. The last three entries are in township No. 16 N., R. 1 E. of the 3d P.M.

The first church erected in this township was the one known as the "Mosquito Church," near the Mosquito creek, in the neighborhood of section 20. Rev. Mr. Paisley was the first preacher to lacte here. Willis Zachariah Pope, son of Dempsey and Sarah (Edwards) Pope, in the year 1828, was the first child born in this township. The first death was that of Nancy Wilson, the daughter of Benjamin Wilson; this occurred in 1828, being the nest year after the Wilson family settled here. Benjamin R. Austin, a native of Virginia, who came to this county in 1825, was the first justice of the peace; he was elected in 1822, and held this position for a number of years. He was a surveyor, and subsequently became quite prominent in Macon county. To him is due the honor of having laid out the original town plat of the city of Decatur. Austin township, in the extreme north-western part of the county, was named in his honor. Mr. Austin and his wife, Margaret (Warnick) Austin, who was a daughter of William Warnick, a colonel in the Black Hawk war, were the first couple married in this township. This occurred about the year 1825. William A. Austin, who married Eleanor Warnick, also a daughter of Col. William Warnick, settled here in 1828. Not until as late a date as 1854 was there a mill of any kind erected in this township, when Marshal Randle built a horse-power saw-mill on section 19. Greenbury Call established the first blacksmithing business for a number of years. The first post-office in the township was established at the town of Boody in 1870, with Frederick Nientker as post-master.

The supervisors who have represented this township since its organization may be seen:
J.C. Armstrong was elected in 1860
W.T. Moffett, elected in 1861
F.A. Brown, elected in 1862, and re-elected in 1863
W.T. Moffett re-elected in 1864, and by re-election continued to hold the office to 1869
R.H. Hill, elected in 1870, and re-elected in 1871
D.F. Barber, elected in 1872
Frank Coleman, elected in 1873, re-elected in 1874 and '75
W.T. Moffett, re-elected in 1876
H.H. Rosengrants, elected in 1877
R.H. Hill, re-elected in 1878
H.H. Rosengrants, re-elected in 1879 and 1880.

Town Of Boody--This place is located on the line of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway, in the eastern portion of the township, on each side of the line dividing sections 11 and 12, about six miles southwest from Decatur. The town was named in compliment of the Hon. William Boody, the first president of the Decatur and East St. Louis Railroad. The town was originally laid out by Messrs. Neintker and Smith on sections eleven and twelve, in the year 1870. Frank Reafly erected the first dwelling-house in the same year the town was laid out; and Frederick Nientker, one of the original proprietors of the town, erected and opened the first store with a general stock of goods for sale. This was also in the same year, 1870. In 1872, Charles Mush established the first blacksmithing business. The first elevator was built by a gentleman named Binkley, about 1871; its capacity was about five thousand bushels. The post-office--Boody--was created in 1870, and Frederick NNeintker was appointed the first post-master. Dr. A.C. Douglas was the first physician to locate here. In 1874, four years after the founding of the town, the first school-house was etected, and Byron Lewis became the first teacher. T.D. Weems was another early teacher in the Boody school. Among the present business houses of the town will be found: General Stores--Sauter & Hauck, Hill & Blankenship, Martin Loewer. Elevators--Hill & Blankenship, with a capacity os wix thousand bushels, run by steam; Sauter & Hauck, with a capacity of five thousand or six thousand bushels, steam power.

Although Boody is but a small place, with perhaps not more than one hundred inhabitants, it rivals many others much larger in point of business and shipping. It is in the heart of some of the best improved and richest farms in the state, and large quantities of grain are annually handled by the two elevators above mentioned.

BOODY NAMED FOR COLONEL

Town Laid Out in 1870 by Frederick Nientker

Boody was named after Col. William Boody, first president of the Decatur & East St. Louis railroad. Exactly why Colonel Boody was chosen to be honored in this way is not known. Perhaps the founders wanted a name that was different. In this they succeeded. The Boody in Blue Mound Township is the only one listed in the U.S. Postal Guide. The town was laid out in 1870 by Frederick Nientker who owned most of the land on the site, and Rev. John D. Smith, a professional townsied promoter from California who stayed to become a stalward of the school board.

That same year Frank Reafly erected the first house and Mr. Nientker built and opened the first store, with a general stock of goods and groceries. That year also the post office was established with Mr. Nientker as postmaster. The school was not built until 1872. Byron Lewis was the first teacher. He was succeeded in 1874 by Miss Ruth Culver who was followed by I.W. Weems. This was not the first school in the area, however. That was established in 1856 one-half mile north of Boody on the Warnick farm. It was known as the "Dutch" school because of its many German pupils. By the time the new school was opened in Boody in 1872 the shool year had lenghtened from three months to five and the number of pupils had increased from 30 to 50.

The first elevator in this grain-shipping center was built by a man named Binkley about 1871. Its capacity was 5000 bushels. In 1872 Charles Mush established the first blacksmith business. Dr. A.C. Douglass was the first physician in Boody.

Boody did not receive its first church until 1889. Professor Klinfelter occupied the pulpit at the dedication on Feb 13 of that year.

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