ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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McDonough County

Established
January 25, 1826 Laws, 1826, p. 76)
County organization was completed on June 14, 1830.

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Thomas McDonough, a Commodore of the United States Navy, who commanded the fleet on Lake Champlain in a successful engagement with the British fleet, near Plattsburg in 1814.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1826–1830 — Attached to Schuyler (Laws, 1826, p. 76)
1825–1826 — Schuyler
1821–1825 — Pike
1812–1821 — Madison
1795–1812 — St. Clair

County Seats
1831–  — Macomb

History of county governing board
1830–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1857 — County Court
1857–  — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — November 4, 1856

Township Names
Bethel — Name changed from Eagle in October, 1857.
Blandinsville
Bushnell — Formed from Prairie City in June, 1866.
Chalmers — Name changed from Erin in October, 1857.
Colchester — Formed from Tennessee and Chalmers in July, 1879, to take effect on March 15, 1880.
Eldorado
Emmet — Name changed from Spring Creek in October, 1857.
Hire — Name changed frm Rock Creek in October, 1857.
Industry
Lamoine
Macomb
Macomb City — Formed from Emmet, Macomb, Chalmers and Scotland (date unknown, after 1921).
Mound
New Salem
Prairie City
Sciota
Scotland
Tennessee
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
McDonough County Guardian's Case Files Index (1838-1933)
McDonough County Probate Case Files Index (1833-1925)
Name Index to Illinois Local Governments