Early History of Dorsey
Dorsey (also called Dorsey Station or Dorsey's Prairie) is an
unincorporated community along the St. Louis and Indianapolis
Railroad in Moro Township, Madison County. The community is east of
Fosterburg on Seiler Road. A post office was established in 1857.
The community was named after the Dorsey family, who were pioneer
settlers and large land owners in the area. The railroad station
provided a shipping and transportation for local farmers.
Nimrod Dorsey was born May 30, 1789, in Baltimore County, Maryland.
He was the son of Johnsa and Sarah (Hammond) Dorsey. He married in
Jefferson County, Kentucky, on June 15, 1809, to Matilda Lawrence
Dorsey, a cousin of his (their fathers were brothers). Both Nimrod
and Matilda were grandchildren of Vachel and Ruth Dorsey. Nimrod and
Matilda Dorsey had the following known children: Samuel Lawrence
Dorsey (1814-1893), Edward Johnsa Dorsey (1816-1873), Susan Sarah
Dorsey Hundley (1818-1844), Nimrod Mortimer Dorsey (1821-1852),
Caroline Virginia Dorsey (1834-1835), and Urath Dorsey. In 1834, the
Dorsey family moved to Madison County, Illinois. They settled in
Moro Township on what was later called Dorsey’s Prairie, and raised
eleven children. When the St. Louis & Terre Haute Railroad
constructed a railroad through the area, they named their station
after the Dorsey family. Nimrod Dorsey died in August 25, 1849, on
Dorsey’s Prairie. He was 61 years of age. Surviving were his wife,
Matilda, and four of his children. He was buried in the Moro
Cemetery. His wife, Matilda Dorsey, died in 1881, at the age of 87.
In 1868, Dorsey School was opened, with George Dunn as the first
teacher. Two years later, Dunn opened a grocery store at the depot,
which served the Big Four Railroad at that time. Dunn was the first
postmaster and railroad station agent in Dorsey. After a few years,
Dunn sold his store to Henry L. Kolneman, who transferred it to
William D. Kuethe. Kuethe became postmaster in 1894, and served in
that position for 47 years.
In 1894, Dorsey consisted of a depot, which housed a store and post
office, and two houses. Later there was Aljets Feed and Milling
(founded in 1930 by Edward Aljets), and the A. C. Tractor, Sales,
and Repair Shop (founded in 1929 by Louis Bertels), and Aljets
Garage (founded in 1949 by Frederick Aljets).
Edward Dietzel opened a saloon in Dorsey in 1913, adding a grocery,
hardware, and dry goods store in 1919. He retired in 1953, and sold
out to Hessie Deen, who was later postmaster.
In 1913, Adam Thortan bought ground from William D. Kuethe, and
opened the Dorsey Creamery. The business had various owners, and in
1936 was resold to Kuethe, the creamery no longer being in
operation.
Clifford Dietzel was appointed postmaster in 1940, and the office
was then moved from the Kuethe building to the Dietzel general store
across the street.