ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
When Illinois was admitted to the Union as a State, in 1818, it was composed of fifteen counties. One of these, Crawford, included what is now Edgar County. The organization of the State drew the attention of emigrants toward it, and consequent enlargement of the settlements. This necessitated the formation of more counties, for men then, as now, considered themselves fully capable of managing their own governmental affairs, and, consequently, among the early acts of the Legislature appear the creation of counties almost as fast as the bills therefore could be presented and acted upon. The influx of immigrants to the northern portions of Crawford County, in 1819 and 1820, led to the formation of Clark county, which, by a similar manner, in the spring of 1823, suffered a division, and Edgar County was the result. The act for its formation we have been unable to obtain, and must, therefore, omit its insertion in this connection. For the benefit of our readers, however, we would state that the bill authorizing its formation as a county was passed by the Legislature January 23, 1823, and was approved and signed by Edward Coles, then Governor of the infant State. In pursuance of the act of organization, and election was held in the spring of 1823, when John B. Alexander, Elijah Austin and Charles Ives were elected County Commissioners.
When the county was organized, Judge Wilson appointed Col. Mayo Clerk of the Circuit Court. It was his duty now to put the county in proper shape to hold the election for County Commissioners. He went to Clark County, where he took the oath of office. Gov. Coles had appointed him Recorder and Notary Public, and, on his return from Clark County, he swore in Lewis Murphy as Judge of Probate Court, and all the Justices of the Peace that had been commissioned by the Governor. William Reed was appointed Sheriff, and as soon as the Commissioners were elected and qualified, Edgar County was a reality.
The county received its name from Hon. John Edgar, one of the first three Judges of the Illinois County, when that municipality was part of the "Old Dominion." He was a resident of old Kaskaskia when Gen. St. Clair arrived there, in February, 1790, under instructions of Gen. Washington.
The Commissioners met at the house of William Murphy on the first Monday in April, 1823, chose Amos Williams Clerk of Court, and were ready for business. The first thing on record is the report of John Boyd and John Houston, Commissioners appointed by the Legislature to locate the seat of justice for the new county. The seat of justice for Edgar County was to be located on twenty-six acres of land, the property of Samuel Vance, and to be known by the name of Paris.
The government of the county continued under the precinct system until 1856. By this system, the Court consisted of three Commissioners elected by the people. All business relating to the county was transacted by this Court as it is now done by the Board of Supervisors. In 1851, the newspapers of the county began a discussion as to the practicability of Edgar County abandoning the Board of Commissioners and adopting the township plan. It was agitated until 1856, when the Court, in answer to a united desire on the part of the people of the county, ordered an election to be held to determine the question. This election was held on November 4, 1856, and resulted in 1,349 votes in favor of township organization and 971 votes against it.
The County Officers
This list of officers from the organization of the county (January 23, 1823) to 1879, is furnished by the Secretary of State.
Note.--The dates designate "date of commission" unless otherwise stated:
County Judges.
Lewis Murphy, February 17, 1823, January 18, 1825; William Lowry, July 4, 1826; Smith Shaw, July 4, 1827 (resigned August 8, 1828); Jonathan Mayo, September 27, 1828, January 23, 1829; Henry Neville, September 11, 1837; Samuel Connely, August 31, 1839 August 18, 1843 August 18, 1847, November 21, 1849; James Steele, November 19, 1853; A. B. Austin, November 13, 1857; George K. Larkin, November 15, 1861; A. Y. Trogdon, November 17, 1865; R. B. Lamon, November 10, 1869, November 13, 1873; A. Y. Trogdon, December 1, 1877.
Recorders.
Jonathan Mayo, February 15, 1823; John M. Kelley, August 29, 1835; R. N. Dickenson, August 17, 1839, August 15, 1843, August 19, 1847.
County Clerks.
Robert N. Dickenson, November 21, 1849; George W. Rives, November 19, 1843, January 26, 1858; A. B. Austin, November 15, 1861; O. H. P. Forker, November 17, 1865; A. J. Hogue, November 10, 1869; George W. Baber, November 11, 1873, November 1, 1877.
Surveyors.
Amos Williams, January 17, 1823; Hugh Scott, February 2, 1827; William J. Mayo, March 12, 1829, March 22, 1831; Brown Wilson, January 10, 1833, August 29, 1835, August 17, 1839; N. Guthrie, August 15, 1843; Benjamin F. Lodge, August 19, 1847, November 21, 1849; C. B. Jones, December 7, 1853; Edw. Woolcott, November 12, 1855; E. F. Miller, November 21, 1857; John Y. Allison, November 14, 1859; B. F. Lodge, February 3, 1862; George Anthony, December 9, 1863; Lewis Wallace, December 8, 1865; George W. Foreman, November 20, 1869, March 7, 1872, November 15, 1875.
Public Administrators.
Elijah Austin, January 18, 1825; Robert J. Scott, March 4, 1843; W. B. Edwards, March 3, 1854; Joseph E. Dyas, March 30, 1874.
Circuit Clerks.
James M. Miller, elected September 4, 1848, November 11, 1851; William J. Gregg, November --. 1852, November 14, 1856; W. D. Latshaw; O. J. Martin, November 22, 1864; A. B. Powell, November 6, 1868, November 18, 1872; S. O. Augustus, November 29, 1876.
Sheriffs.
William Reed, May 8, 1823, September 3, 1824; S. B. Shellady, April 18, 1826; William Whitley, September 1, 1826, September 9, 1828; Joseph Dunn, September, 7, 1830, September 5, 1832, August 25, 1834, August 9,1836; Robert M. Rhea, October 16, 1837, September 5, 1838, August 17, 1840; James Gordon, August 13, 1842, August 27, 1844; John Hunter, August 27, 1846; Robert Clark, August 17, 1848; James F. Whitney, November 20, 1850; James Gordon, September 29, 1851; Michael O'Hair, November 23, 1852; John C. Means, November 14, 1854; Michael O'Hair, November 11, 1856; William M. Snyder, November 10, 1858; M. E. O'Hair, November 26, 1860; William S. O'Hair, November 21, 1862; John W. Sheets, November 18, 1864; J. H. Magner, November 13, 1866; H. M. Swisher, November 6, 1868; W. S. O'Hair, December 1, 1870; Burt Holcomb, November 15, 1872, November 24, 1874; Charles L. Holley, November 15, 1876, December 2, 1878.
Associate Justices.
Joseph Neville (resigned), November 22, 1853; J. W. Parrish, November 22, 1853; John Ross, November 29, 1856.
School Commissioners.
S. P. Read, R. N. Bishop, George Hunt, R. S. Cusick, December 1, 1873; W. H. Roth, December 1, 1877.
Coroners.
George Govid, May 8, 1823; David Crosier, August 20, 1824; George Board, September 1, 1826, September 11, 1828; L. R. Noel, August 12, 1830; George Board, September 5, 1832; H. M. Elder, August 25, 1834; George Board, August 9, 1836, August 23, 1838, August 8, 1840, August 13, 1842, August 14, 1844; Levi James, August 27, 1846; Richard Childres, August 23, 1848; George W. Turner, November 20, 1850; Thomas Crimmings, November 23, 1852; Thomas Evans, November 14, 1854; Otis Brown, November 11, 1856, November 10, 1858; Levi James, November 15, 1860, December 6, 1862; George Titus, November 22, 1864; S. J. Young, November 13, 1866, November 6, 1868; Asher Morton, November 10, 1869, December 12, 1870, December 8, 1874; J. W. Garner, November 15, 1876, December 2, 1878.
Treasurers.
J. H. Connely, A. J. Hogue; A. J. Baber, March 4, 1869; William J. Hunter, March 7, 1872; James L. Vance, December 1, 1873, November 11, 1875; A. J. Barr, December 6, 1877.
The First Birth, Death and Marriage.
The first white child born in the county is supposed to have been Charlotte Stratton, a daughter of John Stratton, one of the first five white settlers, who is said to have been the first white man that ate his dinner in his own house on this side of the Wabash. The daughter above referred to was born in August, 1817, and, after arriving at maturity, married Andrew Hunter, a son of S. K. Hunter, of Paris. They had two children and then removed to Platte County, Mo., where the parents died. The children were brought back to Edgar County, and raised by their grandparents. The first marriage of which there is any definite information was that of Edward Wheeler and Miss Narissa Jones, a daughter of Jacob Jones, an early settler of the county. They were married in 1822, by Elijah Austin, one of the Justices of the Peace. After marriage, they went to New York, his native State, where they remained several years, then returned to Edgar County and made it their permanent home. There is little certainty regarding the first death in the county. The first that has come under our notice was that of Dr. Url Murphy, a younger brother of James and William Murphy, early settlers of the county. He died in 1822, and if not the first, was one of the first, that occurred.