metamora courthouse photo @family-tree.us

Woodford County Courthouse at Metamora
Township Supervisors?

My brother and I have been thinking about this project for several years now. We are assuming this is a photo of the seventeen township supervisors for Woodford County Illinois - while the county seat was still located in Metamora. Most likely the photo was taken before the courthouse was moved to Eureka in 1896. We can recognize our great-grandfather, Herman John Tjaden (1864-1943), six from the left, in the top row. Herman's older brother, Ludwig (1860-1938), is four from the left in the top row. The Woodford County Townships are: Cazenovia, Clayton, Cruger, El Paso, Greene, Kansas, Linn, Metamora, Minonk, Montgomery, Olio, Palestine, Panola, Partridge, Roanoke, Spring Bay, and Worth. We are pretty sure that Herman served for Linn Township and Ludwig served for Roanoke Township. However… that was our father's remembering from many years ago. The project at hand: Is there anyone out there who can help complete the roster? Were any of these men your ancestors? There was more than one photo captured that day. The museum in Metamora as a slightly different image in their collection. See below.

What we need is a volunteer to search the courthouse archives to see if there is a record of township supervisors serving during this period. If Herman or Ludwig's names are present would present a clue as to the year of the photo ...and to the names of the others. I live in Cedar Rapids, IA and don't get back to Illinois but once a year for reunions and such. Anyone willing to, at least, find out if there is records for the township supervisors would be much appreciated. Contact me, Larry Tjaden, via email tree-editor@family-tree.us

The photo at the museum (left) has, in the window, a hand on the glass - our photo (right) has the owner of the hand. I'm thinking he is holding a broom handle ...probably cleaning up after the dignitaries, in the photo, left the building.
In the photo owned by the museum most everyone has shifted a bit, the camera angle changes - and a hand appears in the window.