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LATHAM
Latham is situated in the southeast corner of the county on the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railroad. It was named in honor of Col. Latham and was laid out on the lands of Edwin A. Joynt and L. Parrish in November, 1871. The first store in town was built by William Dardin, who has since gone, and the building is now unoccupied.The second was erected by Frederick Joynt; the third by Dr. Leathers, now the grocery of Joseph Rue; and the fourth by Henry Metchner. The postmaster was Thomas Hayes. In 1872 an elevator was erected by G. M. Stines & Co. It was burned on the night of October 8, 1875. The next Spring the present elevator was built in its place. The shipments of grain from this point are large, the greater portion of it going to Toledo. In 1875 a two-story schoolhouse was erected which is now occupied. The school is ungraded and under the township control.
The Methodist Church was erected here in the Spring of 1872. The Congregation had been organized in a schoolhouse about a mile west of town. The Baptists were organized in "Two Mile Grove" in the schoolhouse and in the fall of 1872 removed their place of worship to Latham where they erected a church. The oldest settlers in this locality came about 1849. These were Samuel Parrish, who came from Jersey County, and is still living here; Fred. and E. A. Joynt, the first-named settling in 1849, the second in 1852. Andrew Simpson and Henry Hall were also early settlers. The country about town is quite level and very productive.