ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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Shelby County

Established
January 23, 1827 (Laws, 1827, p. 115)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Isaac Shelby, a soldier of the Revolution and Indian wars, Governor of Kentucky from 1792 to 1796 and again from 1812 to 1816. He commanded the Kentucky troops in the battle of Thames in the War of 1812.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1821–1827 — Fayette
1819–1821 — Clark
1816–1819 — Crawford
1815–1816 — Edwards
1812–1815 — Madison
1801–1812 — St. Clair
1790–1801 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
1827–   — Shelbyville

History of county governing board
1827–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1860 — County Court
1860–   — County Board of Supervisors

Documented Record Losses
November 17, 1894 — Fire. Some records lost or damaged.

Township Government
Adopted — November 8, 1859

Township Names
Ash Grove
Big Spring
Clarksburg — Formed from Holland on September 19, 1918.
Cold Spring
Dry Point
Flat Branch
Herrick — Formed from Cold Spring (date unknown, before 1921.)
Holland
Lakewood — Formed from Dry Point on January 19, 1911.
Moweaqua
Oconee
Okaw
Penn — Formed from Pickaway (date unknown, before 1921.)
Pickaway
Prairie
Richland
Ridge
Rose
Rural
Shelbyville
Sigel — Formed from Big Spring (date unknown, before 1921.) Todds Point — Formed from Okaw (date unknown, before 1921.)
Tower Hill
Windsor

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
Shelby County Circuit Court Case Files Index (1828–1871)