Rutland Township - Marseilles

Rutland Township Hall is located at
2835 E. 24th Rd. in Marseilles, Illinois

Our mailing address is
P.O. Box 66
Marseilles, Illinois 61341

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 a.m to noon

Telephone: 815.795.2725

Fax: 815.795.2924
E-mail: rutland@mtco.com

 The History of Rutland Township, LaSalle County, Illinois

            In LaSalle County, Rutland Township was one of the first areas of the county to attract settlers. A former historian in 1886 stated it this way: “Its (Rutland Township) location is an enviable one, having the grand rapids of the Illinois River on the south, the Village of Marseilles in the southeast corner, and Ottawa near the southwest. The Fox River, in the north and west, with its vast water-power resources, makes for Rutland a situation of unsurpassed for manufacturing interests.”

            When the Township was organized on April 2, 1850 it was labeled Trenton. After a few years, the name was switched to “Rutland Township” in honor of the vast holdings of rich Rutland silty loam soil found in the area containing very little slope and good for farming. For years, Rutland Township held the distinction of purveying these indigenous soils as one would distribute valuables.

            In 1850, the first corps of officials holding office was as follows:

                        Supervisor-----A. D. Butterfield

                        Clerk-------------J. R. Shaver

                        Assessor:-------W. Pitzer

                        Collector-------Cyrus Shaver

                        Highway Commissioners---E. S. Hallowell, O. Olmstead, John Nichol

                        Justices of the Peace—John Gibson, J. Smith

                        Constables----J. M. Trenery, C. Shaver