The Village of Xenia

This is a small village in the northern part of Des Moines township, located on section 4, township 81, range 26, near the northeast corner of the county, and about one mile and a-half west of the Des Moines river. It was laid out as a town many years ago, and made something of a growth in that direction for several years, but being left far to one side by the railroad, without any prospect of ever getting one, and being situated so near the corner of the county, with so many towns springing up near and around it in much more favorable circumstances, its growth soon ceased, and its prospects for becoming a city of considerable dimensions vanished, leaving it a small inland village, with ten or a dozen houses. There is still one store in the village, kept by Messrs. Learning & Parks, which has quite a local trade; one boarding house, J. Casebeer, proprietor; two physicians, Dr. Sanks and Dr. Brooking, each of whom has a good country practice, having a large scope of territory at their command, in much of which are thick settlements; and there is a Methodist Episcopal church in the village, a neat frame structure, neatly finished and comfortably arranged for the accommodation and convenience of the village and country people around in that vicinity.

There is also a post-office in the place, a blacksmith shop, and a good school-house.ool-house.

It is an old settled place, and has a good country and farming community around it, composed chiefly of industrious, sturdy, well-to-do farmers.