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Illinois Counties
Illinois CountiesThere are 102 Counties in the state of Illinois. |
Clay County, IllinoisClay County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
Etymology - Origin of County NameHenry Clay, US Representative and Senator, author of the "Missouri Compromise" and three-time presidential candidate. Demographics:County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts County HistoryClay County was created on December 23, 1824 (Laws, 1825, p. 19) and was formed from Crawford, Fayette and Wayne
Counties. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Wayne County (1819–1824), Fayette County (1821–1824),
Crawford County (1816–1824), Edwards County (1815–1819), Gallatin County (1812–1815), Madison County (1812–1815),
Randolph County (1803–1812), St. Clair County (1801–1812) and Knox, Northwest Territory (1790–1801). The County was
named for Henry Clay, a statesman and political orator, Representative in Congress and United States Senator from
Kentucky, three times Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, famous as the author of the political
measures know as the "Missouri Compromise," and a prominent candidate for the Presidency. Records show as early as 1818 that a Mr. Elliot laid claim to land in the southeastern part of Illinois now known as
Clay County. In 1842, Clay County, named for Mr. Henry Clay, was created from areas of Lawrence, Fayette and Wayne
counties with Maysville as the first seat of government. This was most likely due to Maysville’s location on the
national road between St. Louis and Cincinnati. GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 470 square miles (1,217 kmē), of which 469
square miles (1,215 kmē) is land and 1 square mile (2 kmē) (0.13%) is water. Neighboring Counties:
Cities and Towns:
County Resources:Enter County Resources and Information Here |
County Resources
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The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define
the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local.
And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions,
reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history. Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally." |