PAWNEE - Pawnee township lies in the southeast corner of the county and is one of the oldest settled sections of the county. It was organized in 1861 and was then twice as large, territorially, as it is now. It comprises at present part of government township 13 north, ranges 4 and 5 west, and is bounded on the west by Divernon, north by Ball and Cotton Hill, east by Christian county and south by Montgomery county. The township is watered by Horse creek and its tributaries, along the banks of which is scattered some timber. Pawnee village is the local center of trade for the township and is connected by railroad with Auburn. This village was founded about 1854 and now contains 595 inhabitants.
Population of the township, with the village - 1,191.
The first settler in what is now Pawnee township was Justus Henkle, from Virginia. He arrived in March, 1818, and located on the west side of Horse creek, about one mile north of the present village, where he made improvements and entered the land when it came into market. In the same year came Martin and William Baker, and in 1820 George and Joseph Dixon, but none of these appear to have remained as permanent residents.