Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Orvil Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Orvil Township is located in Logan County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, its population was 977 and it contained 471 housing units. Communities found in this township are Hartsburg and Emden.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,068 to 977 (-9%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Orvil Township in 1886
Passages that mention Orvil Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Logan County, Illinois1886 · page 847Read the page →
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EMDEN, a village of about 200 inhabitants, #is situated in the north part of the county, in Orvil Township. The village is the result of the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railroad passing through this township. It was completed in 1871, and on June 15 the town was surveyed by Thomas G. Gardner, County Surveyor, for John M. Gill, of Pekin, Illinois, the original proprietor. The land before com¬ prised part of the farm of A. J. Snyder, and at the date of the sur¬
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History of Logan County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent person, and biographies of representative citizens1886 · page 847Read the page →
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EMDEN, a village of about 200 inhabitants, is situated in the north part of the county, in Orvil Township. The village is the result of the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Eailroad passing through this township. It was completed in 1871, and on June 15 the town was surveyed by Thomas G. Gardner, County Surveyor, for John M. Gill, of Pekin, Illinois, the original proprietor. The land before comprised part of the farm of A. J. Snyder, and at the date of the sur-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Logan County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent person, and biographies of representative citizens1886 · page 844Read the page →
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Orvil Township is in the north tier of townships, and is bounded on the north by Tazewell County. To the east lies Eminence Township, to the south, West Lincoln Township, and to the west, Prairie Creek Township. Sugar Creek flows along its southern border. The township is crossed diagonally by the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Pailroad, with two stations — Emden and Hartsburg — in this township. Much of the land in Orvil is owned by William Scully, of London, England, and is rented to tenants.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Logan County, Illinois1886 · page 844Read the page →
Read the text
Orvil Township is in the north tier of townships, and is bounded on the north by Tazewell Couuty. To the east lies Eminence Township, to the south, West Lincoln Township, and to the west, Prairie Creek Township. Sugar Creek flows along its southern border. The township is crossed diagonally by the Peoria, Deca¬ tur & Evansville Railroad, with two stations — Emden and Harts¬ burg — in this township. Much of the land in Orvil is owned by William Scully, of London, England, and is rented to tenants.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Orvil Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1951Minier sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Orvil Township.
People over time
Orvil Township, census by census
Between 977 and 1,116 people in every census since 2000.
3 censuses, 2000–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Orvil Township’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Orvil Township
Nobody well known was born in Orvil Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (2), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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