Lyons was the name of a town laid out on a beautiful and commanding prairie site, ten miles east of Lacon, by a company of about eighty persons, formed in New York city, ostensibly for the purpose of colonization, but really, in the case of many of them, for speculation. It was named from Hezekiah Lyons, of New York, who came out in 1836, with Josiah L, James and John H. Harris, entered forty-six sections- of land for the company, and had a quarter section surveyed and divided into building lots. - Each member of the company who owned a section of the company's property became entitled to sixteen lots in the town, and those who owned less were entitled to lots in proportion. There was a division sale, for preference of location upon the site, among the company in New York city; but there was no public sale upon the premises. Mr. Harris also contracted for the erection of a building in the town, as a hotel for the accommodation of such of the colony as might arrive. It was put up, but remained almost unoccupied until 1838, when Wm. B. Green took up his residence in it, where he has since lived, the town site being now covered by his fields. A very few of the company came to the place, apparently with the intention of settling; but after the crash of 1837, little or no attention was paid by the owners to their town property; and Lyons died an easy death. The only house ever built upon it is that occupied by Mr. Green. Some of the company, however, have held their lands in the vicinity to this time, though the association is dissolved.
Transcribed 04 Feb 2012 from History of Putnam and Marshall Counties, by Henry Allen Ford, 1860
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| Peoria | Woodford | ||
