Village of Davis Junction Town Hall
About this property
The Village of Davis Junction Town Hall is a historic building in Davis Junction, Illinois, United States. It is associated with the administration of Scott Township and is the only municipal building left from the early history of Davis Junction. Davis Junction, Illinois was founded by Jeremiah Davis in the 1850s. Davis made his fortune in the California Gold Rush and purchased over 1,000 acres (400 ha) in Scott Township, Ogle County. Davis submitted a plat in 1875, officially establishing the town. He allowed the Chicago & Iowa Railroad and the Pacific Railroad to lay track through the town. The railroads spurred development, and by 1878, it had a population around 200. The town hall building was probably constructed in 1876 as Union Hall in response to the town's organization. Davis moved a schoolhouse north of town to make room for the hall. The town hall held the town meetings and elections, which previously were held in schoolhouses. As one of the few developments in Scott Township, Davis Junction was home to the township meetings and elections as well until 1880. In the 1890s, management of the building was entrusted to the Modern Woodmen of America, and the building became known as Bushman Camp after the local chapter. A dispute in 1894 made statewide news: a dance club leased the hall, but an anti-dancing group forbid them to hold a dance there. When the dance proceeded anyway, the anti-dance group pumped sulfuric gas into the hall to clear out the youngsters. However, the dancers returned to the hall later that day. A small fire occurred in 1908. Later that year, the town purchased the hall from Davis for $50. The village rehabilitated the hall, restoring its place as a center of civic activity. The Modern Woodmen continued to regularly rent the venue until 1930. In the 1960s, Scott Township voted to move township functions into a newly constructed firehouse. The action was approved, although the town hall was still used for occasional town functions. In 1975, it became home to the Davis Junction Historical Society. The building was sold into private hands in 1993, then sold to the Historical Society in 2006.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Village of Davis Junction Town Hall
This page lists Village of Davis Junction Town Hall. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Village of Davis Junction Town Hall listed on the National Register?
Village of Davis Junction Town Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 2008.
What type of historic resource is Village of Davis Junction Town Hall?
Village of Davis Junction Town Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Village of Davis Junction Town Hall?
The period of significance for Village of Davis Junction Town Hall is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Village of Davis Junction Town Hall?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Village of Davis Junction Town Hall will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Ogle County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Ogle County.
Explore OgleCounty ›More historic places in Illinois
Browse all historic places in Illinois.
View Illinoishistoric sites ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Village of Davis Junction Town Hall will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.