Illinois (territory) -- Washington (county)


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County Quick Reference

County Seat: Nashville

County Name: Named for George Washington, President of the United States.


 
Boundary Changes
(click on the name of a change to see more information)
 
Date
Area
Change
02 JAN 1818918Created from St. Clair County
   

 

 

Authority
(click on a title below to view laws involved in the formation or governance of the area)
Background
(general information on the area to put it in the context of history)

Washington County was formed on 02 January 1818 by Territorial Law [click here for more information]. The county's boundaries remained unchanged before statehood.

The following map shows the original size of the county at its founding (in red with yellow border) superimposed on a modern map.


Washington County in 1818

 

Census
(click on a year below to view information on the population of the area)


DatePopulationChange
18181,705---


Bibliography
(click on the title of the following works to learn more about life in the area; for those items not available online, check with your local library for availability)


    History of Washington County, Illinois. With Illustrations Descriptive of Its Scenery, and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia,: Brink McDonough, 1879.
  • Copy of the Old Church Records : St. Peters United Church of Christ, Stone Church, 2003.
  • Brinkman, Grover and Historical Society of Washington County Illinois. This Is Washington County; Its First 50 Years, 1818-1968. n.p.: Sesquicentennial Committee of the Historical Society of Washington County, 1968.
  • Chesney, Alexander. Family History of Alexander Chesney Deceased of Plum Hill, Washington County, Illinois. S.l.: s.n., 1970.
  • General Map Company Rockford Ill. Plat Book, Washington County, Illinois. Rockford, Ill.: General Map Co., 1952.
  • Historical Society of Washington County (Ill.). Washington County, Illinois, 1979 History. Nashville, Ill. (P.O. Box 9, Nashville 62263): Historical Society of Washington County, 1980.
  • Historical Society of Washington County (Ill.). Combined History and 1906 Standard Atlas of Washington County, Illinois. Evansville, Ind.: Windmill Publications, 1990.
  • Saleska, E. J. A Short History and Souvenir Program Published in Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of Venedy, Washington County, Illinois, July 3-4. N.p.,, 1937.
  • Smith, Earl R. and Wanda Calloway Groennert. The Story of Darter Cemetery (Washington County, Illinois). S.l.: s.n., 1976.
  • Washington County 175th Anniversary Book Committee. Washington County, Il, 1818-1993 : Celebrating 175 Years, a Pictorial History. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub., 1993.
  • Washington County (Ill.). County Clerk. and Wm F. Boeschen. Blue Book of Washington County, Illinois, September 1, 1959. Illinois: The County, 1959.
  • Washington County (Ill.). County Clerk. and William F. Boeschen. Blue Book of Washington County, Illinois. Illinois: County Clerk, 1963.
  • Washington County (Ill.). County Clerk. and William F. Boeschen. Blue Book of Washington County, Illinois. Illinois: County Clerk, 1965.
  • Washington County (Ill.). County Clerk. and J. J. Hawkins. The "Little" Blue Book of Washington County, Illinois, June 1, 1937. Illinois: The County, 1937.
  • Washington County (Ill.). County Clerk. and H. F. Heckert. The "Little" Blue Book of Washington County, Illinois, May 1, 1916. Illinois: The County, 1916.
  • Washington County (Ill.). County Clerk. and H. F. Heckert. The "Little" Blue Book of Washington County, Illinois, June 1, 1923. Illinois: The County, 1923.
  • Washington County (Ill.). County Clerk. and H. F. Heckert. The "Little" Blue Book of Washington County, Illinois, June 1, 1925. Illinois: The County, 1925.
  • Washington County (Ill.). County Clerk. and Virgil May. Blue Book of Washington County, Illinois. Illinois: The County Clerk, 1967.
  • Washington County Genealogical Society. "Looking Back from Washington County, Illinois." Nashville, Ill.: Washington County Genealogical Society.
  • Winnetka Public Library. Genealogy Projects Committee. and Marie Rabbitt Fulk. An Index to the Names of Persons Appearing in History of Washington County, Illinois. Thomson, Ill.,: Heritage House, 1973.
 
Related Content
(the links below contain information related to this area)

Census of Illinois Territory, 1818, Washington County

The census covers Washington county. The census includes name of county and for each household name of head of household, numbers of free white males twenty-one years of age or older, other white inhabitants, free Negroes and mulattoes, and servants and slaves.

An Act forming a new County out of the County of St. Clair, 1818

Be it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Illinois territory, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all that district of country within the following bounds and limits to-wit : Commencing at the north west corner of township No. two, north of range No. five west ; thence east to the north east of township No. two north on the third principal meridian line ; thence south with the said meridian line to the south east corner of township No. three south ; thence west to the south west corner of township three south of range five west ; thence north between ranges five and six west to the beginning, shall constitute a separate and distinct county, to be called Washington : and the seat of justice for said county shall be the house of James Bankson, until it shall be permanently established, in the following manner, that is to say, there shall be appointed five persons, to-wit: Jacob Turman, Thomas Rattan, Leven Maddux, Reuben Middleton and James Fisher, who, or a majority of them, being duly sworn before some judge or justice of the peace of this territory, faithfully and impartially to take into view the situation of the settlement, the geography of the county, the convenience of the citizens, and the eligibility of the place, shall meet on the first Monday in March next, and proceed to examine and determine on the place for the permanent seat of justice, and designate the same

 

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