Bigneck in Keene Township is located here in Adams County
The low down on Bigneck
Bigneck, also known as Big Neck, is an unincorporated community in Keene Township, Adams County, Illinois. Bigneck or what is left of is located of just east of Loraine IL on Illinois Rte 61 and 7.7 miles west-northwest of Golden, IL. The community is served by Illinois Route 61. There remain about two houses in the community and no businesses. Bigneck once had a post office which is now defunct.
Big Neck was once a larger community than it is today. Little mention of Big Neck remains other than some historical references in some books on Illinois history and some geneology references such as these below.
Excerpted from http://genealogytrails.com/ill/adams/history/prairiepioneersadams.html
Thomas Rogers. Settled in Adams County, IL in 1839. Born Sept. 15, 1793 in New York. Died Spet. 20, 1883 in Big Neck, IL. Married (no date listed for marriage) to Margaret De Lisle-Martin. Born circa 1800 in New York. Died Jan. 13, 1871 in Big Neck, IL.
Jane Hamilton. Born Aug. 2, 1800 in PA. Died Jan. 1, 1867 in Big Neck, IL.
The road sign on the village limit. Pay attention so you don’t miss it.
Excerpted from Adams County ILGenWeb.
This township was first settled about the year 1834. Joel Benton, Thomas Hudson, Ralph Harden and John Caldwell were among the pioneers who commenced the culture of its soil and took advantage of the rich source of revenue furnished by the valuable timber, belts of which interspersed the fine prairies. This township is a valuable stock raising section, more especially because of the fact that it is so well watered. The principal streams are South Fork, Thurman creek, Middle Fork and Big Neck creek.
The first school house in the township was built of logs in 1843, on section 16. The first church organized was of the Methodist Episcopal denomination under the name of “Union Society,” in 1860. They erected a frame church building on section 24. The officers were Granville Bond, pastor; Samuel Curless, class leader and Ezekiel Walters, steward. The church was organized with fifteen members.
The first (fraternal) society organized in Keene township was Loraine lodge, No. 641, I.O.O.F., instituted under dispensation June 20, 1877, by District Deputy James A. Benneson of Robert Brooker lodge, No. 406, of Quincy, in the hall fitted up for the purpose over the store of Christopher Seals. The charter members were David Andrews, John Pollock, Frank Seals, James M. Curless, Christopher Seals and James Coffield. The first officers elected were Christopher Seals, N. G.; James Coffield, V. G.; James W. Curless, secretary, and James M. Seals, treasurer.
The first mill in the township was known as “Seals” Corn Cracker,” built in 1852, on section 21.
The village of Loraine was laid out in December, 1870, by Messrs. Woods and Lionberger, during the construction of the Carthage branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. James H. Wade, in 1870, built a store house and began a general merchandising business. In 1871 he was appointed postmaster. Christopher Seals, in the spring of 1871, built a store house and a dwelling, and did a general merchandising business, and also kept a hotel known as the ‘Traveler’s Rest.” S. P. Halton, in the summer of 1871, built a blacksmith shop and a dwelling. Other store houses, dwellings, shops, etc., followed soon. In the spring of 1872 George A. Yenter built a grain house and bought and shipped grain, as well as livestock. The first drug store was built by P. S. Cavilee in the spring of 1873. E. J. Selleck, in the summer of 1873, built a grist mill, which, before its completion, he sold to George Jackson and son. Rust & Barniber, in the spring of 1874, built a blacksmith shop. Drs. Coffield and Akins, in the spring of 1875, built a drug store and office and also practiced medicine, and in August of the same year Dr. Akins was appointed postmaster, and remained in office until January, 1878, after which James Coffield was appointed to the position, which he retained for some years.
All lines of trade incident to a railroad point in the midst of a thriving agricultural and stock raising region has been continued, and the village is in every way calculated to do and to maintain a good business. Woodville, a small place of about fifty inhabitants, is situated on the line of the railroad, in the extreme northern portion of the township. It was laid out in 1836.
Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois by William Collins. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1905, pp 328-329.
A really nice history time of Adams County line is found here.
Points of interest near Bigneck
Airports
Churches
- Loraine Community Church, which is on 610 East Center Street, Loraine.
- First Congregational Church, which is on 106 East High Street, Mendon.
- Salem Lutheran Church, which is on 218 South State Road, Mendon.
- St Edward Catholic Church, which is on 214 South State Road, Mendon.
- Immanuel Lutheran Church, which is on 209 Congress Street, Golden.
- Camp Point United Methodist Church, which is on 104 West Wood Street, Camp Point.
- St. Thomas Catholic Church, which is on 109 East Spring Street, Camp Point.
- Bowen Christian Church, which is on 2336 Illinois 61, Bowen.
- Faith Baptist Church, which is on 1926 State Highway 94, Camp Point.
- Centennial Ebenezer UMC, which is on 1945 Illinois 61, Loraine.
Fire Stations
- Loraine Fire Protection District, which is on Loraine.
- Coatsburg Fire Department, which is on 300 South Main Street, Coatsburg.
- Mendon Fire Department, which is on 136 West Collins Street, Mendon.
- Golden Fire Protection District, which is on 210 East 3rd Street, Golden.
- Columbus Fire Department, which is on Paloma.
- La Prairie Police Department, which is on La Prairie.
- Bowen Fire Department, which is on Bowen.
Secondary Schools
- Central Junior High School, which is on 2110 State Highway 94, Camp Point.
- Unity High School, which is on 453 West Collins Street, Mendon.
- strasburg nd, which is on 196 North Co Road 2200, Bowen.
Parks
- Veterans Memorial, which is on 330 North State Street, Mendon.
- Saukenauk Scout Reservation, which is on 2948 East 1000th Street, Mendon.
- Oak Wood Acres Campground, which is on 2124 East 1300th Place, Mendon.
- City Park, which is on 401 West 3rd Street, Golden.
- Chittenden Park, which is on 224 North Fair Street, Mendon.
- Bailey Psrk, which is on 102 East Park Street, Camp Point.
- Cedar Lakes, which is on 2000 North 1850th Avenue, Camp Point.
- Pierce Park, which is on 108 West Washington Street, West Point.
- Samuel Barnum Mead Savanna Nature Preserve, which is on Basco.
- Paulton Park, which is on Loraine.
- Bailey Park N, which is on Camp Point.
City halls
- Village of Camp Point, which is on 111 East Wood Street, Camp Point.
- KEENE TOWN HALL, which is on 108 East South Street, Loraine.
- HOUSTON TOWN HALL, which is on 2599 East 2200th Street, Golden.
- MENDON TOWN HALL, which is on 139 East South Street, Mendon.
- West Point Town Hall, which is on 108 East Center Street, West Point.
Govt offices
- Village of Mendon, which is on 330 North State Street, Mendon.
- Village of Camp Point, which is on 111 East Wood Street, Camp Point.
- Loraine Village Office, which is on 120 Broad Street, Loraine.
- KEENE TOWN HALL, which is on 108 East South Street, Loraine.
- HOUSTON TOWN HALL, which is on 2599 East 2200th Street, Golden.
- Camp Point Village Sewer Plant, which is on 107 South Main Street, Coatsburg.
- MENDON TOWN HALL, which is on 139 East South Street, Mendon.
- Mendon Twp Office, which is on Mendon.
- Village of Golden, which is on 704 Smith Street, Golden.
- Camp Point Community Building, which is on 208 East State Street, Camp Point.
- Bowen Village Hall, which is on 123 East 5th Street, Bowen.
Nearby Towns and Suburbs
- Loraine is 3 miles to the west.
- Woodville is 3 miles to the north.
- Chili is 5 miles to the north.
- Stillwell is 5 miles to the north.
- Chatton is 6 miles to the east.
- Coatsburg is 7 miles to the south.
- Mendon is 7 miles to the south-west.
- Golden is 7 miles to the east.
- Paloma is 8 miles to the south.
- Camp Point is 8 miles to the south-east.
- La Prairie is 8 miles to the east.
- West Point is 8 miles to the north.
- Bowen is 8 miles to the north-east.
- Blacks is 9 miles to the south-east.
- Columbus is 10 miles to the south.
- Fowler is 10 miles to the south-west.
- Denver is 11 miles to the north.
- Marcelline is 11 miles to the west.
- Bloomfield is 11 miles to the south-west.
