ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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Vermilion County

Established
January 18, 1826 (Laws, 1826, p. 50)

Origin of the name of the county
Named after the Vermilion River, the principal branches of which flow through the county.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1823–1826 — Edgar
1819–1823 — Clark
1816–1819 — Crawford
1815–1816 — Edwards
1812–1815 — Madison
1801–1812 — St. Clair
1790–1803 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
1826–1827 — Courts held at the home of James Butler and Asa Elliott (temporary designation).
1827–   — Danville

History of county governing board
1826–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1851 — County Court—Began to function on December 17, 1849.
1851–   — County Board of Supervisors—First meeting was held on June 13, 1851.

Documented Record Losses
1872 — Fire.
Some records probably lost or damaged.

Township Government
Adopted — November 5, 1850

Township Names
Blount — Formed as Fremont from Newell and Pilot on September 8, 1856; name changed from Fremont to Blount on September 14, 1857.
Butler — Formed from Middle Fork on June 13, 1864.
Carroll
Catlin — Formed from Danville and Union in March 9, 1858.
Danville
Elwood
Georgetown
Grant — Formed as Lyon on September 10, 1861; name changed from Lyon to Grant on April 1, 1862.
Jamaica — Formed from Catlin, Sidell and Vance in 1890.
Love — Formed from Elwood in June, 1902.
McKendree — Formed from Georgetown between 1910 and 1920
Middle Fork
Newell — Name changed from Richland on June 13, 1851.
Oakwood — Formed from Vance, Pilot and Catlin on March 10, 1868.
Pilot
Ross — Name changed from North Fork on June 13, 1851.
Sidell — Formed from Carroll on December 11, 1866.
South Ross — Formed from Ross on June 13, 1927.
Vance — Name changed from Union on June 13, 1851

Notes
A township named Trickels Grove was authorized in 1851, but when the electorate failed to organize, it was attached to Middle Fork.

The township of Prairie City was formed from Middle Fork on February 6, 1856; the name was changed to Patton on September 14, 1857; it is now part of Ford County. Other townships created from Patton include Drummers Grove (created in September, 1858) and Stockton (created on March 15, 1859). They are also part of Ford County, which was created on February 17, 1859.

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
Vermilion County Coroner's Inquest Files Index (1908–1956)