ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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Henry County

Established
January 13, 1825 (Laws, 1825, p. 94)
County organization was completed in 1837.

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Patrick Henry, a lawyer, orator and statesman of the Revolutionary period, a member of the Continental Congress, and Governor of Virginia.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1831–1837 — Attached to Knox (Laws, 1831, p. 63)
1825–1831 — Attached to Schuyler (Laws, 1825, p. 95)
1825–1831 — Putnam
1827–1831 — JoDaviess
1823–1825 — Fulton
1821–1823 — Pike
1812–1821 — Madison
1801–1812 — St. Clair

County Seats
1837–1839 — Richmond
1839–1840 — Geneseo – Temporarily appointed to house records.
1840–1843 — Morristown
1843–  — Cambridge

History of county governing board
1837–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1857 — County Court
1857–  — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — November 4, 1856

Township Names
Alba — Name changed from Elba on April 13, 1857.
Andover
Annawan
Atkinson
Burns
Cambridge
Clover — Name changed from Ashnelet (date unknown).
Colona — Name changed from Green River on April 13, 1857.
Cornwall
Edford
Galva
Geneseo
Hanna
Kewanee
Loraine
Lynn — Name changed from Linn Grove to Lynnville on April 13, 1857 and to Lynn (date unknown).
Munson — Name changed from Centre on April 13, 1857.
Osco — Name changed from Essex on April 13, 1857.
Oxford
Phoenix
Weller
Western — Name changed from Orion on April 13, 1857.
Wethersfield
Yorktown

Township Map

Pertinent Databases
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