Place:Franklin, Illinois, United States

Franklin County, Illinois is located about 75 miles north of Cairo, Illinois, the southernmost tip of the state where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers converge. Benton is the county seat. The population for the year 2000 was 39,018. [1]

Contents

History

The earliest inhabitants of southern Illinois were undoubtedly the American Indian tribes. The Illinois Indian tribes were part of the Algonquin confederacy that aligned with the French fur traders and missionaries up and down the Mississippi River. The city of Kaskaskia, the center of French life in the Midwest, was just 75 miles due west of what was later Benton, Illinois, the Franklin County seat.
In 1802, two Illinois tribes, the Kaskaskia and Tamaroas battled the Shawnees to gain control of the land in what would become Franklin County. This “Battle of Battle Creek” took place where the road between Frankfort and DuQuoin (the Shawnee Trail) crossed the Big Muddy River. The Shawnees prevailed and the Kaskaskias were forced to draw back west of the river. [2]

Timeline

Date Event Source
1818 County formed Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1820 First census Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1835 Land records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1836 Court records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1836 Marriage records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1837 Probate records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1840 No significant boundary changes after this year Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1877 Birth records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources

Population History

source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
Census Year Population
1820 1,763
1830 4,083
1840 3,682
1850 5,681
1860 9,393
1870 12,652
1880 16,129
1890 17,138
1900 19,675
1910 25,943
1920 57,293
1930 59,442
1940 53,137
1950 48,685
1960 39,281
1970 38,329
1980 43,201
1990 40,319

References

  1. United States Census Bureau, State and County Quick Facts, Franklin County, Illinois
  2. Smith, George Washington, M.A., The History of Southern Illinois, Volume I-III, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago and New York, 1912. Book Online at Mardos Memorial Library

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Franklin County, Illinois, United States

Research Tips

External links

Sources

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog