ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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Johnson County

Established
September 14, 1812
(By proclamation, Territorial Record of Illinois, p. 26)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Richard M. Johnson, a Colonel of the Kentucky militia, who served in Indian wars and the War of 1812, and reputed to have killed the Indian chief, Tecumseh, at the battle of Thames. Johnson served as Representative in Congress and United States Senator from Kentucky and Vice-President of the United States from 1837 to 1841.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1795–1812 — Randolph
1790–1801 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
1813–1814 — Home of John Bradshaw
1814–1818 — Elvira
1818–  — Vienna

History of county governing board
1812–1814 — Court of Common Pleas
1814–1818 — County Court
1818–1819 — Justices’ Court
1819–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1873 — County Court
1873–1876 — County Board of Supervisors
1876–  — Board of County Commissioners

Township Government
Adopted — November 8, 1870 – Division into townships completed in February, 1873.
Discontinued — November 7, 1876

Township Names (under 1870 township organization
Bloomfield
Burnside
Cache
Elvira
Goreville
Grantsburg
Simpson
Tunnel Hill
Vienna

Johnson County’s townships became precincts after the abandonment of township government in 1876.

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