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Population: 850 - Pine Rock Township
2000 Census
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  Chana History - Facts and Figures |
Chana Time Line |
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David Maxwell is believed to have been the first settler in the area that is now Chana. Maxwell passed through the area on his way home from the Battle of Stillman’s Run in 1832.
Over the next few years, Maxwell’s brother-in-law, Samuel Aikens, and several members of Aikens’ family joined him in the area. Some of the Aikens boys are believed to have been associated with the infamous gang of Prairie Pirates headed up by John Driscoll.
Another of the earliest settlers in the area was Phineas Chaney. Chaney first settled in White Rock Grove in the mid-1830s and was one of the organizers and early captains of The Regulators, a vigilante group organized to strike back against the Driscoll gang.
Chaney resigned as captain of that group after a death threat, and was replaced by John Campbell, who was promptly murdered by the Driscoll gang. The Regulators’ kidnapping and execution of two leaders of the Driscoll gang led to the now-famous trial in which 112 men were tried and acquitted for the Driscolls’ murder.
In 1871 when the Chicago & Iowa Railroad built a line through the area that is now Chana, Chaney bought 80 acres and created a stock company, dividing the property into 20 shares. The newly organized village was named “Chana” in honor of its founder.
Chaney’s grain warehouse, completed on July 4, 1871, was the first building in Chana. By 1875 the village boasted a general store, a blacksmith’s shop, a drugstore, a saloon, and a grand hotel and a post office—the first in the area. The Methodist Church, built that same year, still stands in Chana today.
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1832: |
The first known settler to the area, David Maxwell, passes through what is now Chana on his way home from the Battle of Stillman’s Run.
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1841: |
Chana founder resigns as captain of the vigilante group known as The Regulators after his life is threatened.
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1871: |
The Chicago & Iowa Railroad builds a line through what is now Chana.
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1871: |
Phineas Chaney buys the land where Chana now sits and lays it out as the village of Chana.
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1871: |
The first building in the new village of Chana is constructed.
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1871: |
The Chana Post Office — the first post office in the area — opens with John Matson as Postmaster.
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1875: |
The Chana Methodist Church, which still stands today, is built.
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1883: |
The first school is built in Chana.
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1954: |
The first electric streetlights are installed in Chana.
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For additional information
Ogle County Historical Society
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| Pine Rock Township Officials |
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Position
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Name
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Address
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Supervisor
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Donald Huntley
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5038 S. Chana Rd., Chana 61015
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Clerk
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Lindy Eckerd
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4794 S. Prairie Rd., Chana 61015
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Assessor
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Charles Jolicoeur
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1006 White Pine Dr., Dixon 61021
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Highway Commissioner
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Gary Clark
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6573 E. Cottonwood Rd., Chana 61015
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Trustees
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Bob Mortimer
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3368 Sweeney Road, Chana 61015
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Gary E. Myers
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6898 E. Brick Rd, Oregon 61061
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Gerald Beck
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2311 S. Chana Rd., Chana 61015
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Marla Spratt
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5540 S. Prairie Road, Chana 61015
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| Oregon Community School District 220 |
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Jefferson Elementary School
1100 Jefferson Street
Oregon, Illinois 61061
Entyre Middle School
1200 Jefferson Street
Oregon, Illinois 61061
Blackhawk Junior High School
105 West Brayton Road
Mount Morris, Illinois 61054
Oregon High School
210 South 10th Street
Oregon, Illinois 61061 |
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Educational opportunities in Chana are provided by the Oregon Community Unit School District 220 which consists of 4 schools in Oregon and Mount Morris and enrolls approximately 1800 students. |
For additional information
www.ocusd.net
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| Ogle County Sheriff's Office |
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Ogle County Sheriff's Office
103 Jefferson Street
Oregon, Illinois 61061
Emergency - 911
Non-Emergency (24 hrs) 815.732.2162
Additional Law Enforcement Links:
Oregon Police Department
Illinois State Police
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Illinois Sex Offender Information
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The Ogle County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Gregory A. Beitel and Chief Deputy Clint D. Myers
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For additional information
www.oglecountysheriff.org
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| Oregon Fire Protection District |
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Oregon Volunteer Fire Department
307 S. 7th Street
Oregon, IL 61061
Emergency - 911
Non-Emergency - 815.732.2867
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| Chana Area Parks and Recreation |
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There are numerous parks and recreation opportunities just minutes from Chana. Three State parks and a State Forest offer incredible wildlife viewing, access to the Rock River and numerous scenic hiking trails.
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For additional information
Lowden State Park
Castle Rock State Park
Lowden-Miller State Forest
White Pines State Park
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