History: Dorchester - 1 Jan 1998 - Macoupin County Illinois
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Project Archives ©1997 Mary McKenzie

Dorchester Macoupin County IL History

contributed by Mary McKenzie

Excerpted from the Macoupin Times, Carlinville, August 20, 1868, page 4. and 
the Bunker Hill Gazette, July 13, 1876, page 1.

The post office at Dorchester was established 1 Aug 1860. Dorchester was 
incorporated as a village 2 Mar 1875. In 1875, Dorchester's RFD postal route 
included Bayless, formerly Baylestown, and before Baylestown Bayless was 
called. Boylestown. Bayless is now part of Dorchester and in the part of 
Dorchester which lies in Gillespie Township.

Dorchester is located in Sections 4 and 5 of Dorchester Township. Dorchester is 
five miles from Bunker Hill. Dorchester's population was 155 in 1980 and, in 
1990, the population was 145.

The first settle was T R Hayden who owned the large tract of land where the 
town now stands. In 1859, Alonzo Cutler owned some of the land where the 
town now stands and layed out a portion of his land in town lots. In 1860 T R 
Hayden followed Cutler's land development and layed some of his own land in 
land lots. Mr Reece Bayless layed some of his land into town lots about a half 
mile east which is now known as Baylesstown. When the question where to put a 
railroad switch in at Dorchester, Bayless or between, Col Moore was called in to 
settle the dispute. T R Hayden agreed to grade the sidetrack and ready it for ties 
and iron. Col Moore settled the question by putting the switch where it is. If 
the switch had been more centrally located to both towns, Dorchester and 
Bayless would have been one town.

In 1862, W T Hayden was the first railroad agent and B T Williamson was the 
first postmaster in 1861. The first school was established in a small building in 
Hayden's addition by 1863 and different religious denominations began using the 
school building for worship in 1863.

Dorchester had always had a saloon or bar. By 1876, Dorchester had 350 
citizens, two churches, school, country store, one wagon and carriage shop, two 
blacksmith shops, one boot and shoe shop a good house for handling grain and 
hay, two hotels and boarding houses, postoffice, and railroad depot and ticket 
office. 

Other names in the articles include Dewhurst, Luke Dillard, John Richards, 
Cummings, Williamson, Peter Rice, Dr Erwin, Meyers, Gregg, Calvin, Bless, 
August Kardell, Jas Gibson, Peter Conrad, Jt DeDaun, and Gaunt.


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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Project Archives by ©1997 Mary McKenzie