ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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Carroll County

Established
February 22, 1839 (Laws, 1839, p. 160)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Illinois, a statesman of the Revolutionary period, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and United States Senator from Maryland.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1827–1839 — JoDaviess
1825–1827 — Putnam
1825–1827 — Henry
1823–1825 — Fulton
1821–1823 — Pike
1812–1821 — Madison
1795–1812 — St. Clair

County Seats
1839–1843 — Savanna
1843–  — Mt. Carroll

History of county governing board
1839–1850 — County Commissioners’ Court
1850–  — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — November 6, 1849

Township Names
Cherry Grove — Originally included the area of Shannon (first designated Lost Grove) as a temporary attachment.
Elkhorn Grove
Fairhaven — Formed from territories originally attached to Harlem (York) and Wysox (date unknown).
Freedom
Lima — Originally included the east half of Rock Creek as a temporary attachment.
Mt. Carroll
Rock Creek — The west half of township was originally attached temporarily to Rosehall (Salem) and the east half to Lima (date of uniting two halves unknown).
Salem — Name changed from Rosehall (date unknown); originally included west half of Rock Creek as a temporary attachment.
Savanna — Originally included as temporary attachments an area called Rush Creek (eastern part of Washington) and an area called Portsmouth (western part of Washington).
Shannon — Formed from territory originally designated Lost Grove and attached temporarily to Cherry Grove (date unknown).
Washington — Created from territories originally designated Portsmouth (western part) and Rush Creek (eastern part) and attached temporarily to Savanna (date unknown).
Woodland
Wysox — Originally included southeast part of Fairhaven as a temporary attachment.
York — Name changed from Harlem (date unknown); originally included much of Fairhaven as a temporary attachment; western part, originally designated Bluffville, was also included as a temporary attachment that later became permanent.

Township Map

Pertinent Databases
Carroll County Birth Certificate Index (1877–1913)
Federal Township Plats of Illinois
Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950
Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
Local Governmental Records Database
Name Index to Illinois Local Governments