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Knox County

Established
January 13, 1825 (Laws, 1825, p. 94)
County organization was completed on June 10, 1830.

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Henry Knox, a soldier of the Revolution who commanded the storming party at Stony Point, later a Major General and Washington’s Secretary of War.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1823–1825 — Fulton
1821–1823 — Pike
1812–1821 — Madison
1801–1812 — St. Clair

County Seats
1830–1831 — Home of John B. Gum in Henderson
1831–1873 — Henderson – New location, name changed to Knoxville.
1873–  — Galesburg

History of county governing board
1830–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1853 — County Court
1853–  — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — (November 6, 1849) – A Commissioners’ Report dated February 4, 1850 divided Knox County into 20 townships. With the exception of six townships noted below, the townships corresponded to those of the 1853 Commissioners’ Report. Township organization was not completed under this earlier election because a controversy arose concerning the type of majority necessary for adopting township form of government.
November 2, 1852

Township Names
Cedar — Name changed from Cherry Grove on June 8, 1853.
Chestnut
City of Galesburg — Formed as West Galesburg from Galesburg on January 9, 1866; name changed to City of Galesburg (date unknown, before 1921).
Copley — Name changed from Richfield on June 8, 1853. Named Prince Albert in 1850 report.
Elba — Name changed from Liberty on June 8, 1853.
Galesburg
Haw Creek — Name changed from Ohio on June 8, 1853.
Henderson
Indian Point
Knox — Named Knoxville in 1850 report.
Lynn — Named Frakers Grove in 1850 report.
Maquon
Ontario
Orange
Persifer
Rio — Named North Prairie in 1850 report.
Salem
Sparta
Truro — Named Chester in 1850 report.
Victoria — Named Worchester in 1850 report.
Walnut Grove

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