History of the County and Courthouse, Macoupin County IL
History of the county and courthouse
Macoupin County Illinois
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Macoupin County
became
the 50th county in Illinois on 17 January 1829 by an Act of the General Assembly out of unorganized Greene County and Madison County. Carlinville, the county seat, has a population of 5,416. The 2000 US Census shows the county's total population is 49,019. |
This index is layed out like the county. If we have history for a
town
in or the township itself, the township will be linked.
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North Otter Twp |
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South Otter Twp |
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Western Mound Twp |
Bird Twp |
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Shaws Point Twp |
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Brushy Mound Twp |
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Brighton Twp |
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| Carlinville
Township
History includes Courthouse Act of the General Assembly creating Macoupin County Illinois contributed by Robert Fletcher "The first known white men to cross the land that became Macoupin County were 350 soldiers from Fort Russell in 1812, led by Territorial Governor Ninian Edwards. Perhaps the earliest settlers were part of the so-called "Great Migration," which began at the close of the War of 1812 and had as one of its results the founding of the State of Illinois in 1818." (Taken from the Macoupin County Courthouse Centennial 1867-1967 booklet provided by a committee of citizens with Lucille Paul Carney, Chairman.) First Macoupin County Courthouse 1829 Newspaper Excerpts relating to that courthouse excerpts from Missi Darnell A Brief History of Macoupin County an article by Joseph Howell (many area names) - from James Stratmann Personal Recollections of the Early Settlement of Carlinville, Illinois(by Mrs. M.B.W.) - from Mary Ann Stewart Kaylor The first white child born in Macoupin County was probably Samuel Love born in South Palmyra Township 1822. Descendant of Samuel Love is family researcher Ron Grassi. The Macoupin County Courthouse is a grand and huge structure for such a small county, 47,000 population. In the 1860's, the price of a courthouse costing over a million dollars sounds unthinkable but it was built and still stands off the square in Carlinville as the largest courthouse of its time. Macoupin County's Famous Courthouse by Cynthia K. Leonard, a genealogy researcher and a newspaper column writer for the Staunton Star Times. Cynthia's article provides a brief history of Macoupin County from its beginning in 1829, the origination of the name Macoupin and the problems in the building of the elaborate courthouse. Macoupin County Courthouse by Pat Hauter, The courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Sites - printed in The Story Of Macoupin County 1829-1979, p 1, by Pat Hauter. Picture of the 1870 million dollar courthouse (recent) courtesy Wayne Hinton **Self-guided tours are available of the Macoupin County Courthouse. The Carlinville Community Chamber of Commerce has recorded the tour on cassette (which takes 20 - 30 minutes) and provided Walkmans for individuals to take their own tours. The walkman and cassette are available in County Clerk Mike Mathis' office during regular business hours. A small deposit is collected, but fully refunded upon return of tape and recorder. Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville (taken early 1900's) from Marilyn Trover Galvan Early Macoupin County Courthouse postcard from Annette Miner Heard Mr. Lincoln Make His Speech In Carlinville (Macoupin County Enquirer, August 7, 1929, p 8.) - from Marilyn Trover Galvan Around The Square In Eighteen Ninety-Six from Mary McKenzie Ed Trover letter 1870, Carlinville Township from Marilyn Trover Galvan Ed Trover's Recollections of Carlinville from Marilyn Trover Galvan George Huston Holliday - George Huston Holliday was one of the commissioners appointed in the building of the courthouse and later he was county clerk when misuse of funds became an issue. Contributed by Dennis H. Watkins. Macoupin County Fair of 1859 (Macoupin County Enquirer, March 22, 1911, Page 5 -from Glenda Sue Raffurty McMurry Lawyer Gives Farm To Blackburn College, St Louis Post Dispatch -from Larry Clark Harris Law School - Just a Dream written by Lucille Carney - from Cindy LeMons See each township in Townships and Towns of Macoupin County for more history. Macoupin County Fact Sheet at the IL State Archives site 1875 Atlas - Early Settler Names Barr Township Barr Township History from Mary Ann Stewart Kaylor Asbury Cemetery History from Mary Ann Stewart Kaylor Bunker Hill Township Old Bunker Hill Macoupin Co IL Newspaper Stories from Mary McKenzie Bill Behrens Memories, Bunker Hill, as told to Lula Vaughn Grandma Ladendroff - Bunker Hill IL written by Lula Vaughn A Sketch of Woodburn - Bunker Hill Township (Bunker Hill Gazette, July 6, 1876, page 2.) Charles A. Jacobi letter from Frank Sellers Cahokia Township Eagerville, Cahokia Township, history from Freida Price Hornsby History Cahokia Township from Shirley Denson Chesterfield Township History of the Loomis House, Chesterfield Township (Macoupin County Enquirer January 9, 1901) - from Glenda Sue Raffurty McMurry History of Historic Chesterfield Church (Macoupin County Enquirer, February 21, 1923) - from Glenda Sue Raffurty McMurry Medora History, Chesterfield Township from Mary McKenzie 1934 Medora High School Yearbook from Jere Braden Dorchester Township Dorchester History Carlinville Free Democrat and Macoupin Times - from Cindy Leonard and Mary McKenzie Wilsonville Is Newest Town In Old Macoupin, Litchfield News Herald - from Edna Grosenheider Gillespie Township Larry Clark remembers Gillespie Growing Up In Coal Town: Main Street by Victor Hicken Mount Clare History from Edna Grosenheider Girard Township Girard History, Girard Gazette - from Carolynn Jones Bettis Hilyard Township Where Was Brooklyn, Macoupin County, and When Was It Laid Out, and By Whom?(Carlinville Democrat, 24 December 1930) - from Robert L. Shultz Honey Point Township Honey Point Township history, 1879 History of Macoupin County - from Jacque York Sparks Mt Olive Township Mt Olive High School Graduates 1895 - 1910, Mt Olive Herald - from Gloria Frazier Sawyerville History, Mt Olive Township White City Remembrances - Mt Olive Township from Gerry Clark Nilwood Township Nilwood History from Baptist Church History and remembrances Greenridge Nilwood Township History from Carolynn Jones Bettis North Palmyra Township Palmyra Village Organization from Robert Fletcher Palmyra Village History from Mary Ann Stewart Kaylor Modesto History - North Palmyra Township from Robert Fletcher City Fathers Of Modesto And Their Families from Robert Fletcher Polk Township Beaver Dam State Park History by James H. Frank History of Polk Township by James H. Frank Shipman Township History of Piasa, Shipman Township by Mrs. Howard Reno History of Shipman by James H. Frank South Palmyra Township South Palmyra Township History, 1879 Macoupin County History - from Mary Ann Stewart Kaylor History of Hettick - South Palmyra Township written by Mary Wheeler Ladley - from Mary Ann Stewart Kaylor Staunton Township Old Newspaper Articles, Staunton Star Times - from Cindy Leonard How Staunton Got Its Name from the book, Staunton in Illinois, by Dorrell Kilduff - from Cindy Leonard History: Poem about Staunton - An Interrupted Dream - Macoupin County IL, Staunton Star - from Cindy Leonard Black Town News - from Glenn E. Sheets Scottville Township Scottville History and Charter, History of Macoupin 1879 and Charter - from Robert Fletcher Virden Township Virden History excerpted from Carlinville Free Democrat, October 27, 1859 - from Mary McKenzie Miscellaneous Letters - 1837 to 1854 written to Caroline Churchill Bingham and found in a barn in Monroe Wisconsin - from Fredi Perry Indian Tribes in Illinois History at Lee Sultzman's site Bond County History Book Index with Macoupin names - from Norma Hass Haunted Macoupin - a research of the haunted buildings in Macoupin County Books published - Macoupin County History and some of them may be For Sale. Townships and Towns of Macoupin County. Illinois History - an ILGenWeb Special Project |
page design by Rose Hyde
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All
materials contained on these pages are furnished for the free use of individuals
engaged in researching their personal genealogy. |
