Jefferson County History

Jefferson
County
History

Source: History of Jefferson County, Illinois
By: John A. Wall © 1909

Jefferson county, so called in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, and the reputed writer and signer of the Declaration of Independence. As designated by Legislative act, it is situated southeast of the intersection of the old Ohio & Mississippi (now Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern) Railroad, and is bounded on the north by Marion county, on the east by Wayne and Hamilton counties, on the south by Franklin county, on the west by Washington and Perry counties, and has an area of five hundred seventy-six square miles. When it was "first attacked" by the settlers, about four-fifths of the territory was timber land, and one fifth prairie, the latter being in elevated levels between the watercourses.
The first settlements of Jefferson County were made under great difficulties, and amid hardships and dangers. Most of the settlers were from the states south of the Ohio river, and were poor in wordly wealth called by some "poor white trash." But while they had but little education, and comparitively no wealth, they were men and women of sterling worth physically stalwart and strenuous, looking upon labor as an honor, and a glory, which nothing could be accomplished without.

Source: History of Jefferson County, Illinois
Compiled by: Continental Historical Bureau 1962
exerts from pages 1 through 3
The county of Jefferson was organized in 1819, a few months after Illinois became a state. The new county which bore the name of the author of the Declaration of Independence was to contain sixteen townships.
The next major step after establishing the boundaries of the county was to decide on the county seat of justice was to be. The decision that was to be made was to be permanent. The founding fathers decided that the capital of the newly organized county was to be where the city of Mt. Vernon, Illinois is now located.
It will be interesting to know that Jefferson County was organized much sooner than many of the other counties in Illinois. Marion County, which borders Jefferson County on the north, was not organized until 1823, five years after Congress had admitted the new state.
Mount Vernon has had two names, founders of the newly established hamlet were desirous of giving their new town a name that in their opinion would sound beautiful, and they first named it Mount Pleasant. The center of the hamlet was located on the summit of a slope, and it is believed that this is where they concieved the idea of using the word Mount. The slope mentioned is the location of the Jefferson County Court House.
The name George Washington has always been popular with the American people, and he is the idol of many. Following the war for Independence, the "Father of His Country" and his home at Mt. Vernon, Virginia, were already held in high esteem by the people of the country. Not too long after the hamlet had been given it;s original name, the early inhabitants of the community decided that they wanted their town to be named after the home of their hero. This idea met popular approval of the settlers of the community. As a result of the strong demand for the name to be changed, it was given the official name of Mount Vernon.
The admission of Illinois to the union occured December 3, 1818, the County of Jefferson was organized March 26, 1819, a period of 113 days later. The official beginning of Mt. Vernon took place June 7, 1819, seventy-three days after the organization; it was only 186 days after the state had officially been admitted to the Union until Mt. Vernon was officially born.

Submitted By: Cindy Ford

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