Sharing our Links to the Past
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The Town of McNabb, Illinois McNabb, Illinois was founded by two of the McNabbs. The nearby town of Mt. Palatine, once a prominent town in Putnam County, and the center of the social and religious life for the McNabbs and Morrisons is today a ghost town. This is because by the 1890s the steam locomotives came through the area where the McNabbs lived. The first line was the Illinois, Indiana and Iowa Railroad (called the 3-1.) The tracks came through Putnam County, by-passing Mt. Palatine on the south because it was too much of a grade to climb. The McNabb brothers (John Morrison McNabb and James Archibald McNabb, sons of John and Margaret) capitalized on the railroad by seeing that a depot was established on their land and founding a settlement about four miles southwest of Mt. Palatine, naming it after themselves. The community thrived as businesses moved in. As a result, Mt. Palatine ended up with few residents. The town of McNabb was platted and laid out on the farm the McNabbs owned in the year 1900. A later railroad (Toluca, Marquette & Northern) came through McNabb in 1902. It was said of John Morrison McNabb that he was very largely interested and instrumental in bringing about the establishing of the village of McNabb. He also, "perhaps more than any other one individual was instrumental in bringing the railroads thru this territory [of McNabb], proving as it has a blessing to the farmers, and the traveling public at large. He was public spirited, and was ever on the alert to advance the things, which had to do with the public welfare. His interest in all things, whether in the local community, the county or state, never abated." He helped to erect the Methodist church at McNabb. (From Funeral Program, Putnam County Historical Society, Hennepin, Illinois.) James Archibald McNabb and his wife Antoinette helped organize the McNabb Mutual Telephone Company and operated it for many years. At age 81, James, with his wife, 77, were still active with the phone company. James was chief operator and his wife was managing the central office. James also was taking care of the line work. (from 1937 newspaper clipping.) Of them it was said, "In Illinois--in a village which bears their name--Mr. and Mrs. McNabb reside in the house in which Mr. McNabb was born. It was in that same home they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary 10 years ago [March 10, 1931] with a son and two grandchildren." (from 1941 newspaper clipping.) The McNabb homestead was razed long ago. Lewis Wabel, author of Charles J. Devlin: Coal Mines & Railroads His Empire, wrote a letter to Wallace F. Gray on June 12, 1992 saying among other things: "John McNabb and his wife built their first cabin just west of the present village of McNabb. Later they built the homestead which was used for three generations. Children of John and Margaret McNabb were Daniel, John A.; who became a judge in Putnam County; James, who married Antoinette (Nettie) Laughlin and remained on the homestead; Arsilla; and Jane. "The 3-1 (Illinois, Indiana & Iowa Railroad) was built to Steator by 1887 and completed through Putnam County by the late 1890s by way of Loston, Mt. Palentine, McNabb and Granville. Thus the village of McNabb was brought into being. It was named for the McNabb family, pioneers on the farm upon which the original town was plotted." See McNabb, Putnam County, Illinois, USA. For a map of Putnam County, locating towns including McNabb, see Communities. More on McNabb, Illinois. (Population, facts.) Wabel cited his source as 150 Years in Review of Clear Creek Families and Friends, Putnam County Illinois. (Some of this information was taken from Life and Letters of Donald Oliver McNabb by Wallace F. Gray, August 1997, pp. 298-299.) See this website (Railroad History Database Project) for information on a site that is developing on the history of the railroad in the United States.
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