History of the County and Courthouse, Macoupin County IL




History of the county and courthouse
Macoupin County Illinois



gif IL map with Abe 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.

Scottville Twp

North Palmyra Twp

North Otter Twp

Virden Twp
Girard Twp

Barr Twp

South Palmyra Twp

South Otter Twp

Nilwood Twp

Western Mound Twp

Bird Twp

County and Carlinville Twp and courthouse

Shaws Point Twp

Chesterfield Twp

Polk Twp

Brushy Mound Twp

Honey Point Twp

Shipman Twp

Hilyard Twp

Gillespie Twp

Cahokia Twp

Brighton Twp

Bunker Hill Twp

Dorchester Twp

Mount Olive Twp Staunton Twp

   Biographical Sketches
History Book 1904

Miscellaneous

 1911 History Book Online



Also see Townships and Towns of Macoupin County section.

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
Macoupin County Courthouse picture showing the iron fence around it. borrowed by Anne Michael

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

Alms House


Bethel Holiness Orphanage and other known orphanages

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

Fire - 1899 in the County Courthouse

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


Brighton Township

Merchants in Brighton -1880

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

Greenridge Nilwood Township - 1985 Reunion from Wanda Mayernick Bober

Stead's Park

Wild Rural Park

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 ILStaunton 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




Macoupin County ILGenWeb Main Page





page design by Rose Hyde






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