Illinois State...
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Illinois Counties
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Franklin County, Illinois
Franklin County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Benton
Year Organized: 1818
Square Miles: 412 |
Court House: P.O. Box 607
County Courthouse
Benton, IL 62812-0607
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
Benjamin Franklin, famed statesman and US ambassador to
France during the American Revolution.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Franklin County was created on January 2, 1818 (Laws, 1817/18, p. 11) and was formed from Gallatin and White
Counties. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: White County (1815–1818), Gallatin County (1812–1818),
Randolph County (1795–1813) and Knox, Northwest Territory (1790–1795).
The County was named for Benjamin Franklin, philosopher, statesman, diplomatist, author, printer, a member of the
Continental Congress, Ambassador to France, and (before the Revolution) Deputy Postmaster General of the British
Colonies in America. The County Seat is Benton . Prior County Seats was Shawneetown–Kaskaskia Road, at Moses Garrett’s
tavern (1818–1821), Frankfort (1821–1841) and Benton (1841–Presaent).
The first settlers arrived in Franklin County in 1804. This
group included six brothers named Jordan. They settled
near the southeastern corner of the County, near
modern Thompsonville. The first year they built a pole
shed, covered with brush, chinked with mud, thatched
with grass, and open to the south. They kept a fire
burning outside the south face. This was called the
Jordan Settlement.
(NOTE: The 1804 has not been proven as stated in some
Historical writtings. There are documents showing this
date should be more in the range of 1808-1809.)
In the winter of 1809, during Tecumseh's War, there
was fear of attacks by Indians. Governor Edwards
issued a call for the building of forts. Frank Jordan
built two forts. The one at the settlement was called
"Jordan's Fort". The second was several miles west.
It was called "Frank's Fort", which eventually
became West Frankfort.
Franklin County was formed in 1818 out of Gallatin,
White and part of Jackson Counties. It is 36 miles
long and 24 miles wide; making 864 square miles. It's
bounded north by Jefferson County; east,by Hamilton
and Gallatin County; south by Johnson and Union County;
west by Jackson and Perry Counties.
Franklin County is watered by Rend Lake and the Big
Muddy River and branches, and the south fork of saline
creek. The prairies are generally small and fertile, but
rather to level; the timber good and in ambundance; the
soil rather sandy. Its products are similar to those of
the counties adjoining and it is capable of being made a
rich agricultural county.
It was named for Benjamin Franklin.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 431 square miles (1,117 kmē), of which, 412
square miles (1,067 kmē) of it is land and 19 square miles (50 kmē) of it (4.48%) is water. Wayne Fitzgerrell State
Recreation Area is located in this county.
Neighboring Counties:
- North: Jefferson County
- Northeast: Hamilton County
- Southeast: Saline County
- South: Williamson County
- Southwest: Jackson County
- Northwest: Perry County
Cities and Towns:
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- Barren |
township |
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- Benton
(County Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Buckner |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- Cave |
township |
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- Christopher |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Denning |
township |
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- Eastern |
township |
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- Ewing |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- Goode |
township |
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- Hanaford |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- Logan |
township |
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- North City |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- Northern |
township |
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- Orient |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Royalton |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- Sesser |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Six Mile |
township |
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- Thompsonville |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- Tyrone |
township |
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- Valier |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- West City |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- West Frankfort |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Zeigler |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our 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." |
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Penn Foster High School
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