ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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McHenry County

Established
January 16, 1836 (Laws, 1836, p. 273)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for William McHenry, a pioneer of White County, soldier of the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War, Representative in the first, fourth, fifth and ninth General Assemblies, and Senator in the sixth General Assembly.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1831–1836 — Cook
1831–1836 — LaSalle
1825–1831 — Putnam
1823–1825 — Fulton
1821–1823 — Pike
1819–1821 — Clark
1816–1819 — Crawford
1815–1816 — Edwards
1812–1815 — Madison
1801–1812 — St. Clair
1795–1801 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
1837–1843 — McHenry
1843–  — Woodstock – Named Centreville until 1844.

History of county governing board
1836–1850 — County Commissioners’ Court
1850–  — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — November 6, 1849

Township Names
Alden
Algonquin
Burton — Name changed from Benton on December 28, 1850.
Chemung
Coral
Dorr — Name changed from Centre on December 28, 1850.
Dunham — Name changed from Byron on December 28, 1850.
Grafton
Greenwood
Hartland
Hebron
McHenry
Marengo
Nunda — Name changed from Brooklyn on December 28, 1850.
Richmond
Riley
Seneca

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