CHATHAM - Chatham township lies in the middle of the second tier of townships from the county line on the south. It comprises all of government township 14 north, range 6 west and a small portion of the congressional township on the east. It is bounded by Curran on the north, Loami on the west, Auburn on the south and Ball on the east. The face of this township is mostly prairie, lying between two belts of timber-that of Sugar creek on the one side and of Lick creek on the other. Chatham village is in the northeastern part of the township, on the line of the Chicago and Alton railroad , and was first laid out and platted by Luther N. Ransom in 1836. It is a pleasantly situated village, and by the census of 1900 contained 629 inhabitants.

Chatham township was organized in 1861 under the name of Campbell, but this was soon after changed to correspond with the name of the village.

The first white settler of the township was John Campbell, who arrived in March, 1818, and located on Lick creek. The next settlers were John Darneille and Levi and Samuel Harbor, who came in 1819.

Population of the township, including the village - 1,337.

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