text:
Rock Island County, Illinois

Rock Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, bounded on the west by the Mississippi River. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 144,672. Its county seat is Rock Island; its largest city is neighboring Moline. Rock Island County is one of the four counties that make up the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Rock Island County was formed in 1831 out of Jo Daviess County. It was named for Rock Island, an island in the Mississippi River now known as Arsenal Island. The Rock River (which the Sauk and Meskwaki peoples called Sinnissippi, meaning "rocky waters") flows from Whiteside County and points further east and north and joins the Mississippi River at Rock Island. The Sinnissippi Mounds, dating from the Hopewell period and on the National Register of Historic Places are upriver at Sterling in Whiteside County.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 451 sqmi, of which 428 sqmi is land and 24 sqmi (5.2%) is water.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Rock Island have ranged from a low of 13 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -22 °F was recorded in February 1996 and a record high of 103 °F was recorded in July 2006. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.28 in in January to 4.75 in in June.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-74.svg|20px]] Interstate 74
 * [[Image:I-80.svg|20px]] Interstate 80
 * [[Image:I-88.svg|20px]] Interstate 88
 * [[Image:I-280.svg|20px]] Interstate 280
 * [[Image:US 6.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 6
 * [[Image:US 67.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 67
 * [[Image:US 150.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 150
 * [[Image:Illinois 2.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 2 (formerly)
 * [[Image:Illinois 5.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 5
 * [[Image:Illinois 84.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 84
 * [[Image:Illinois 92.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 92
 * [[Image:Illinois 94.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 94
 * [[Image:Illinois 110.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 110
 * [[Image:Illinois 192.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 192

Transit

 * Quad Cities MetroLINK
 * List of intercity bus stops in Illinois

Adjacent counties

 * Clinton County, Iowa (north)
 * Whiteside County (northeast)
 * Henry County (southeast)
 * Mercer County (south)
 * Louisa County, Iowa (southwest)
 * Muscatine County, Iowa (west)
 * Scott County, Iowa (northwest)

National protected area

 * Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (part)

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 147,546 people, 61,303 households, and 38,384 families residing in the county. The population density was 345.0 PD/sqmi. There were 65,756 housing units at an average density of 153.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 81.6% white, 9.0% black or African American, 1.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 4.4% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 11.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.9% were German, 14.2% were Irish, 8.7% were English, 6.8% were Swedish, and 5.2% were American.

Of the 61,303 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.4% were non-families, and 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 40.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $46,226 and the median income for a family was $58,962. Males had a median income of $42,548 versus $31,917 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,071. About 8.7% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
At one time Mississippi Valley Airlines had its headquarters in Quad City Airport in the county. John Deere is headquartered in Moline.

Cities

 * East Moline
 * Moline
 * Rock Island
 * Silvis

Villages

 * Andalusia
 * Carbon Cliff
 * Coal Valley (part)
 * Cordova
 * Hampton
 * Hillsdale
 * Milan
 * Oak Grove
 * Port Byron
 * Rapids City
 * Reynolds (part)

Census-designated places

 * Coyne Center
 * Rock Island Arsenal

Unincorporated communities

 * Barstow
 * Buffalo Prairie
 * Campbell's Island
 * Edgington
 * Illinois City
 * Joslin
 * Taylor Ridge

Townships
Rock Island County is divided into eighteen townships:

 * Andalusia
 * Blackhawk
 * Bowling
 * Buffalo Prairie
 * Canoe Creek
 * Coal Valley
 * Coe
 * Cordova
 * Drury
 * Edgington
 * Hampton
 * Moline
 * Port Byron
 * Rock Island
 * Rural
 * South Moline
 * South Rock Island
 * Zuma

Forts

 * Fort Armstrong

Politics
Before 1932, Rock Island County was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections, backing the party's candidate in every election from 1892 to 1928. From 1932 on, it has consistently backed Democratic Party presidential candidates, except for the national Republican landslides of 1952, 1956, 1972, and 1980. In 2016, Donald Trump managed to keep Hillary Clinton to a single-digit margin of victory, the first Republican to do so since Ronald Reagan in 1984; in 2020, Joe Biden increased the Democratic margin from 8.3% to 12.1%. Due to the dominance of the Democratic Party in county politics, Rock Island County remains one of the most Democratic counties outside of the Chicago area in Illinois. Since 2010 the Republican Party began making inroads in county politics, gaining a few seats on the Democratic-dominated county board; however, since 2018, the Republican Party influence on the board has begun to decrease as the county resumed heavy Democratic voting.

title: Rock Island County, Illinois


text:
Richland County, Illinois

Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 15,813. Its county seat is Olney.

History
Richland County was established in 1841 out of portions of East part of Clay and West part of Lawrence counties. It was named for Richland County, Ohio, where many of the early settlers migrated from.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 362 sqmi, of which 360 sqmi is land and 1.9 sqmi (0.5%) is water.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Olney have ranged from a low of 19 °F in January to a high of 88 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in February 1951 and a record high of 112 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.73 in in February to 4.76 in in May.

Transit

 * Rides Mass Transit District

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 50.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 50
 * [[Image:Illinois 130.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 130
 * [[Image:Illinois 250.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 250

Adjacent counties

 * Jasper County (north)
 * Crawford County (northeast)
 * Lawrence County (east)
 * Wabash County (southeast)
 * Edwards County (south)
 * Wayne County (southwest)
 * Clay County (west)

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,233 people, 6,726 households, and 4,438 families residing in the county. By 2020, the population had decreased to 15,813 people. The 2010 population density was 45.1 PD/sqmi, which decreased to 43.1 PD/sqmi in the 2020 census. In 2010, there were 7,513 housing units, compared to 7,364 in 2020, at an average density of 20.9 /sqmi. The 2010 racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white (94.2%, 2020), 0.7% Asian (0.8%, 2020), 0.5% black or African American (same, 2020), 0.2% American Indian (same, 2020), 0.4% (0.5%, 2020) from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races (3.7%, 2020). Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% (1.7%, 2020) of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.6% were German, 11.7% were American, 11.4% were English, and 9.2% were Irish.

Of the 6,726 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.0% were non-families, and 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 42.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,917 and the median income for a family was $53,853. Males had a median income of $41,058 versus $31,296 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,874. About 9.5% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over. Richland is the top ranked most affordable county in Illinois to buy a car and is on average $932 less expensive than other Illinois counties.

City

 * Olney (seat)

Villages

 * Calhoun
 * Claremont
 * Noble
 * Parkersburg

Unincorporated communities

 * Berryville
 * Dundas
 * Elbow
 * Wynoose

Townships
Richland County is divided into nine townships:

 * Bonpas
 * Claremont
 * Decker
 * Denver
 * German
 * Madison
 * Noble
 * Olney
 * Preston

Notable people

 * Alexander W. Swanitz (1851–1915), civil engineer who participated in the construction of railroads in various parts of the country
 * Dial D. Ryder (1938–2011), gun smith

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Richland County, Illinois


text:
Randolph County, Illinois

Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 30,163. Its county seat is Chester.

Owing to its role in the state's history, the county motto is "Where Illinois Began." It contains the historically important village of Kaskaskia, Illinois's first capital.

The county is part of Southern Illinois in the southern portion of the state known locally as "Little Egypt", and includes fertile river flats, part of the American Bottom; it is near the Greater St. Louis area.

History
Randolph County was organized in 1795 out of a part of St. Clair County. It was named in honor of Edmund Randolph, Governor of Virginia. George Rogers Clark of the army of Virginia captured the area from the British on July 4, 1778, near the end of the Revolutionary War. The area then became the seat, for several years, of Illinois County, Virginia, although the Congress of the Confederation legislated the existence of the Northwest Territory on July 13, 1787. Edmund Randolph was Governor of Virginia at the time Virginia ceded the Northwest Territory to the United States. In 1809, when Illinois became a separate territory, Territorial Secretary Nathaniel Pope, in his capacity as acting governor, issued a proclamation establishing Randolph as one of the Illinois' two original counties. The county's boundaries were last changed in 1827, when land was taken to form Perry County.

The Mississippi River has played a prominent role in the county's history, altering its boundaries in 1881 when it severed the isthmus that connected Kaskaskia to the Illinois mainland, destroying the original village of Kaskaskia and forcing its historic cemetery to be relocated across the river to Fort Kaskaskia. Crains Island, southeast of Chester, is another enclave of Illinois west of the Mississippi that was created by a change in the river's course.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 597 sqmi, of which 576 sqmi is land and 22 sqmi (3.6%) is water.

The Kaskaskia River flows into the Mississippi River in Randolph County. At this point the Mississippi, which usually defines the border between Illinois and Missouri, is entirely in Illinois. The Mississippi changed its course in the late-nineteenth century, leaving Kaskaskia, the former state capital, on the west side of the river. The boundary of the State, however, follows the old course of the river, leaving Illinois with an exclave on the western shore of the Mississippi River. A smaller enclave, Crains Island, is a few miles further down the river.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Chester have ranged from a low of 22 °F in January to a high of 91 °F in July, although a record low of -18 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 113 °F was recorded in July 2012. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.85 in in January to 4.30 in in May.

Major highways

 * [[Image:Illinois 3.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 3
 * [[Image:Illinois 4.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 4
 * [[Image:Illinois 13.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 13
 * [[Image:Illinois 150.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 150
 * [[Image:Illinois 153.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 153
 * [[Image:Illinois 154.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 154
 * [[Image:Illinois 155.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 155
 * [[Image:Illinois 159.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 159

Adjacent counties

 * Monroe County (northwest)
 * St. Clair County (north)
 * Washington County (northeast)
 * Perry County (east)
 * Jackson County (southeast)
 * Perry County, Missouri (south)
 * Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri (southwest)

Randolph County is among the few counties in the United States to border two counties with the same name (Perry County in Missouri and Illinois).

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,476 people, 12,314 households, and 8,188 families residing in the county. The population density was 58.2 PD/sqmi. There were 13,707 housing units at an average density of 23.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 87.6% white, 9.7% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 40.3% were German, 11.3% were Irish, 9.4% were English, and 5.7% were American.

Of the 12,314 households, 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.5% were non-families, and 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,020 and the median income for a family was $55,113. Males had a median income of $43,359 versus $28,376 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,950. About 7.0% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure
The Illinois Department of Corrections Menard Correctional Center is located in Chester. Prior to the January 11, 2003, commutation of death row sentences, male death row inmates were housed in Menard, Tamms, and Pontiac correctional centers. After that date, only Pontiac continued to host the male death row.

Politics
Randolph is a rural conservative county in southern Illinois that has trended Republican since 2000 in presidential elections.

Media
There are two AM radio stations licensed in the county — WHCO 1230AM in Sparta and KSGM 980AM in Chester.

Weekly newspapers in the county are The Randolph County Herald Tribune located in Chester, The County Journal, which is based in Percy and also covers Perry and Jackson Counties, the North County News in Red Bud, and the Sparta News-Plaindealer.

The area is also served by the on-line newspaper based in Chester which is SunTimesNews.com

Cities

 * Chester
 * Red Bud
 * Sparta

Villages

 * Baldwin
 * Coulterville
 * Ellis Grove
 * Evansville
 * Kaskaskia
 * Percy
 * Prairie du Rocher
 * Rockwood
 * Ruma
 * Steeleville
 * Tilden

Unincorporated communities

 * Blair
 * Bremen
 * Dozaville
 * Eden
 * Fort Gage
 * Grigg
 * Houston
 * Leanderville
 * Marigold
 * Menard
 * Modoc
 * New Palestine
 * Prairie
 * Preston
 * Reily Lake
 * Schuline
 * Shiloh Hill
 * Walsh
 * Welge
 * Wine Hill

Forts

 * Fort de Chartres

title: Randolph County, Illinois


text:
ʻElepaio

The elepaio are three species of monarch flycatcher in the genus Chasiempis. They are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, and were formerly considered conspecific. They measure 14 cm long and weigh 12–18 g. One species inhabits the Big Island, another Oahu and the third Kauai. Being one of the most adaptable native birds of Hawaii, no subspecies have yet become extinct, though two have become quite rare.

The elepaio is the first native bird to sing in the morning and the last to stop singing at night; apart from whistled and chattering contact and alarm calls, it is probably best known for its song, from which derives the common name: a pleasant and rather loud warble which sounds like e-le-PAI-o or ele-PAI-o. It nests between January and June.

Species
The genus Chasiempis contains three species:

Distribution
Uniquely among Hawaiian passerines, the distribution of the elepaio is peculiarly discontinuous. According to fossil remains, the birds did not occur on Maui Nui or its successor islands. Their current distribution is absent from the Maui Nui island group. If this assumption is correct, the reasons are unknown at present. However, the strange "flycatcher finches", extinct honeycreepers of the genus Vangulifer, are only known to have inhabited Maui and probably evolved on Maui Nui. There, they probably filled the same ecological niche as the elepaio did on the other islands. Competition from Vangulifer may thus have prevented a successful colonization of Maui Nui by Chasiempis.

Cultural significance
In Hawaiian tradition, the elepaio was among the most celebrated of the birds. It is associated with a number of significant roles in culture and mythology. Chiefly, it helped kālai waa (canoe-builders) to select the right koa tree to use for their waa (canoe). The elepaio is a bold and curious little bird, and thus it was attracted to humans whom it found working in its habitat, and it quickly learned to exploit feeding opportunities created by human activity, altering its behavior accordingly – which incidentally made it even more conspicuous.

For example, it followed canoe builders through dense vegetation, watching them as they searched for suitable trees. They considered it their guardian spirit, an incarnation of their patron goddess Lea, because if the bird pecked at a fallen tree, it was a sign that the tree was riddled with burrowing insects and thus not good anymore, but when the bird showed no interest in a tree, it indicated that the wood was suitable. This is the origin of the ancient Hawaiian proverb, Uā elepaio ia ka waa ("The canoe is marked out by the elepaio"). Due to its insectivorous habit, farmers believed the elepaio to be the incarnation of Lea's sister goddess, Hina-puku-ai, who protected food plants and was a patron of agriculture.

Status
Although deforestation for agriculture destroyed large areas of habitat, the elepaio managed to adapt well to the initial settlement. Thus, its population was large enough to withstand the additional pressures that came about with Western colonization of the islands. However, the Oahu species has declined precipitously in recent years and is now endangered.

title: ʻElepaio


text:
Talk:Putnam County, Illinois

Untitled
Wondering how to edit this U.S. County Entry? The WikiProject U.S. Counties standards might help.

title: Talk:Putnam County, Illinois


text:
Fa'atiu

In Samoan mythology Fa'atiu is the wind and storm god. In one Samoan legend, Tiʻitiʻi imprisons the winds one by one in his canoe or calabash, leaving only Fisaga free.

title: Fa'atiu


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Pulaski County, Illinois

Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 5,193. Its county seat is Mound City. Its largest city is Mounds. It is located along the Ohio River in the southwestern portion of the state, known locally as "Little Egypt".

History
Pulaski County was formed on March 3, 1843, out of parts of Alexander and Johnson counties. It was named in honor of Casimir Pułaski who was killed at the siege of Savannah in the Revolutionary War.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 203 sqmi, of which 199 sqmi is land and 4.0 sqmi (2.0%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Illinois by area.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Mound City have ranged from a low of 26 °F in January to a high of 90 °F in July, although a record low of -12 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.04 in in September to 4.76 in in May.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-57.svg|20px]] Interstate 57, which has been listed as a speed trap.
 * [[Image:US 51.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 51
 * [[Image:Illinois 3.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 3
 * [[Image:Illinois 37.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 37
 * [[Image:Illinois 169.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 169

Adjacent counties

 * Union County (north)
 * Johnson County (northeast)
 * Massac County (east)
 * Ballard County, Kentucky (southeast)
 * Alexander County (west)

National protected area

 * Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 6,161 people, 2,642 households, and 1,658 families living in the county. The population density was 30.9 PD/sqmi. There were 3,155 housing units at an average density of 15.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 64.4% white, 32.4% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 15.1% were German, 6.8% were Irish, 6.6% were English, and 6.6% were American.

Of the 2,642 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.2% were non-families, and 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 43.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,173 and the median income for a family was $39,699. Males had a median income of $36,915 versus $29,007 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,444. About 16.7% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Mound City
 * Mounds

Villages

 * Karnak
 * New Grand Chain (usually referred to as "Grand Chain")
 * Olmsted
 * Pulaski
 * Ullin

Unincorporated communities

 * America
 * Perks
 * Spencer Heights
 * Villa Ridge
 * Wetaug

Politics
Pulaski County was often a swing county at the presidential level, but has voted for the Republican candidates for U.S. president since 2012.

This trend in Pulaski County has begun to affect down-ballot races as well. In the 2020 Senate election, longtime Democratic Senator Dick Durbin lost the county for the first time in his career, after winning it in his four prior elections.

title: Pulaski County, Illinois


text:
Pope County, Illinois

Pope County is the southeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,763, making it the second-least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Golconda. The county was organized in 1816 from portions of Gallatin and Johnson counties and named after Nathaniel Pope, a politician and jurist from the Illinois Territory and State of Illinois.

History
The first permanent settlement in future Pope County was established in 1798 at the modern-day site of Golconda, then a part of the Northwest Territory which operated as a ferry point across the Ohio River. The county was formed in 1816 from portions of Gallatin and Johnson Counties.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 374 sqmi, of which 369 sqmi is land and 5.5 sqmi (1.5%) is water.

The entire county is hilly and during rainy weather rivulets cascade down the hills in the park forming waterfalls of varying sizes and heights. The county contains Dixon Springs State Park, one of many state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills, and is part of the Shawnee National Forest. It is bordered to the south and east by the Ohio River, which marks the state's border with Kentucky.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Golconda have ranged from a low of 21 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July, although a record low of -22 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in August 2007. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.22 in in October to 5.02 in in May.

Transit

 * Rides Mass Transit District

Major highways

 * [[Image:Illinois 34.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 34
 * [[Image:Illinois 145.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 145
 * [[Image:Illinois 146.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 146
 * [[Image:Illinois 147.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 147

Adjacent counties

 * Saline County - north
 * Hardin County - east
 * Livingston County, Kentucky - southeast
 * Massac County - southwest
 * Johnson County - west
 * Williamson County - northwest

National protected area

 * Shawnee National Forest (part)

Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 4,470 people, 1,829 households, and 1,209 families living in the county. The population density was 12.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,491 housing units at an average density of 6.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% white, 6.0% black or African American, 0.6% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.8% were German, 19.1% were Irish, 11.4% were English, and 5.4% were American.

Of the 1,829 households, 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.9% were non-families, and 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age was 46.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,672 and the median income for a family was $51,500. Males had a median income of $45,865 versus $28,519 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,134. About 6.6% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
In its early days Pope County, being strongly Southern in its culture and opposed to Northern Illinois, was powerfully Democratic, giving a majority to that party in every pre-war Presidential election. However, during the Civil War, under the influence of Congressman John A. Logan, this region of dubious initial loyalty was to provide a number of Union soldiers rivalled on a per capita basis only by a few fiercely Unionist counties in Appalachia. Stephen A. Douglas in 1860 remains the last Democrat to win a majority of the county's vote, although Bill Clinton won pluralities in both 1992 and 1996 due to Ross Perot siphoning votes from Republican opponents George Bush senior and Bob Dole. Hillary Clinton in 2016 fared extremely poorly, carrying fewer than eighteen percent of Pope County's votes.

City

 * Golconda

Village

 * Eddyville

Unincorporated communities

 * Allens Spring
 * Bay City
 * Brownfield
 * Dixon Springs
 * Glendale
 * Hamletsburg
 * Herod
 * Homberg
 * Lusk's Ferry
 * McCormick
 * New Liberty
 * Rising Sun
 * Robbs

Notable people

 * James Lusk Alcorn (1816-1894), born near Golconda, American Civil War general in the Confederate Army
 * John R. Hodge (1893-1963), born in Golconda; Military Governor of South Korea preceding the Korean War and Commanding General of the U.S. Third Army
 * C. L. McCormick (1919-1987), born in McCormick, Illinois state representative and businessman
 * Green B. Raum (1820-1909), born in Golconda, American Civil War general in the Union Army
 * James A. Rose (1850-1912), born in Golconda, Illinois Secretary of State
 * Mason Ramsey (2006-), born in Golconda, star of viral video “Walmart Kid Singing” and country singer
 * Victor Belenko (1947-2023) born in the USSR, served in the Soviet Air Force until he stole a MiG-25 and flew to Japan providing the West with invaluable intelligence. He became an American and settled in the town of Rosebud, where he died in 2023.

title: Pope County, Illinois


text:
Pike County, Illinois

Pike County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located between the Mississippi River and the Illinois River in western Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 14,739. Its county seat is Pittsfield.

History
Pike County was formed in January 1821 out of Madison County. It was named in honor of Zebulon Pike, leader of the Pike Expedition in 1806 to map out the south and west portions of the Louisiana Purchase. Pike served at the Battle of Tippecanoe, and was killed in 1813 in the War of 1812.

Prior to the coming of the first European settler to the future Pike County, French traders, hunters, and travelers passed through the native forests and prairies. Originally Pike County began on the south junction of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. The east boundary was the Illinois River north to the Kankakee River to the Indiana State line on north to Wisconsin territorial line and then west to the Mississippi River to the original point at the south end. The first county seat was Cole's Grove, a post town, in what later became Calhoun County. The Gazetteer of Illinois and Missouri, published in 1822, mentioned Chicago as "a village of Pike County" containing 12 or 15 houses and about 60 or 70 inhabitants.

The New Philadelphia Town Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2009, and established as a National Park in 2022. Founded by Frank McWorter, an early free black settler in Pike County, it was the first town founded by a black man in the United States. McWorter had invested in land there sight unseen after purchasing the first few members of his family out of slavery. In 1836 he founded the town of New Philadelphia, near Barry. He was elected mayor and lived there the rest of his life. With the sale of land, he made enough money to purchase the freedom of his children. After the railroad bypassed the town, its growth slowed and it was eventually abandoned in the 20th century. The town site is now an archaeological site.

In the early 21st century, Pike County acquired notability as a whitetail deer hunting center, especially for bowhunting.

Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 849 sqmi, of which 831 sqmi is land and 18 sqmi (2.1%) is water.

Pike County is located on the highlands between the Illinois River, which forms its eastern border, and the Mississippi River, which borders Missouri. It has two interstate highways, I-72, with bridges spanning both rivers to enter the county, and I-172 which extends about 300 ft into the county to its intersection with I-72.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Pittsfield have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of 115 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.74 in in January to 4.11 in in May.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-72.svg|20px]] Interstate 72
 * [[Image:I-172.svg|20px]] Interstate 172
 * [[Image:US 36.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 36
 * [[Image:US 54.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 54
 * [[Image:Illinois 57.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 57
 * [[Image:Illinois 96.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 96
 * [[Image:Illinois 99.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 99
 * [[Image:Illinois 100.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 100
 * [[Image:Illinois 104.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 104
 * [[Image:Illinois 106.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 106
 * [[Image:Illinois 107.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 107

Adjacent counties

 * Adams County – north
 * Brown County – northeast
 * Scott County – east
 * Morgan County – east
 * Greene County – southeast
 * Calhoun County – south
 * Pike County, Missouri – southwest
 * Ralls County, Missouri – west
 * Marion County, Missouri – northwest

Pike County is one of the few US counties to border as many as nine counties. Illinois has two – Pike and LaSalle.

National protected area

 * Great River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,430 people, 6,639 households, and 4,527 families residing in the county. The population density was 19.8 PD/sqmi. There were 7,951 housing units at an average density of 9.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.9% white, 1.7% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.3% were German, 16.8% were American, 15.1% were English, and 13.4% were Irish.

Of the 6,639 households, 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.8% were non-families, and 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 42.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,205 and the median income for a family was $50,426. Males had a median income of $39,071 versus $26,835 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,996. About 11.3% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Pike County was reliably Democratic from 1892 through 1948; only 2 Republican Party nominees carried the county vote during that period. However, it was a national bellwether in every presidential election from 1912 to 2004 aside from 1924 & 1988. Since 2000, the county has become a Republican stronghold, with Donald Trump winning it in the 2016 presidential election by a margin of 57.6 points.

The county is located in Illinois's 15th Congressional District and is currently represented by Republican Mary Miller. In the Illinois General Assembly, the county is located in the 50th legislative district and the 100th house district represented by Senator Steve McClure and Representative C. D. Davidsmeyer.

Settlements
† – County seat

Townships

 * Atlas Township
 * Barry Township
 * Chambersburg Township
 * Cincinnati Township
 * Derry Township
 * Detroit Township
 * Fairmount Township
 * Flint Township
 * Griggsville Township
 * Hadley Township
 * Hardin Township
 * Kinderhook Township
 * Levee Township
 * Martinsburg Township
 * Montezuma Township
 * Newburg Township
 * New Salem Township
 * Pearl Township
 * Perry Township
 * Pittsfield Township
 * Pleasant Hill Township
 * Pleasant Vale Township
 * Ross Township
 * Spring Creek Township

Unincorporated communities

 * Atlas
 * Bedford
 * Chambersburg
 * East Hannibal
 * Fishhook
 * Maysville
 * Munger
 * New Hartford
 * Pike Station
 * Seehorn
 * Straut
 * Summer Hill

Ghost towns

 * Dutton
 * Griggsville Landing
 * New Philadelphia

title: Pike County, Illinois


text:
The Last Stage

The Last Stage (Polish: Ostatni etap) is a 1948 Polish historical drama film directed and co-written by Wanda Jakubowska, depicting her experiences in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. The film was one of the early cinematic efforts to describe the Holocaust. Jakubowska’s film influenced subsequent directors that dealt with the subject, including Alain Resnais, Gillo Pontecorvo and Steven Spielberg. In film criticism, it is often referred to as "the mother of all holocaust films".

It was Jakubowska's first theatrically-released film and was both a commercial and critical success. It was seen by more than 7.8 million people in Poland and exported to dozens of countries. It also won a BAFTA Award for Best Film from Any Source in 1950.

Plot
Marta Weiss (Barbara Drapinska), a Polish Jew, arrives by cattle car to the Auschwitz concentration camp. While there, she catches the attention of the guards as she is multilingual and is put to work as a translator. When she inquires about the factory at the camp, a fellow inmate informs her that it is a crematorium and that the rest of her family likely has been murdered. The character Marta Weiss is based on the true life of Mala Zimetbaum.

In the barracks, many of the women are dying and ill. Eugenia, a prisoner and doctor, tries her best to minister to them but is unable to do much as supplies are limited. The women learn that an international commission is coming to the camp to observe the conditions of the prisoners. Eugenia learns a few key phrases in German and is able to tell the observers that everything they see is a lie and people are dying. Unfortunately the commanders tell the observers that Eugenia is mentally ill. Later they torture her to find out who taught her the German phrases but Eugenia refuses to tell them and is murdered.

Eugenia is replaced by Lalunia, a Polish woman who claims to have been rounded up by mistake and who says she is a doctor though she is actually only a pharmacist's wife. However rather than administer medicine to the women of the camp she distributes them among the Kapos in exchange for luxuries like clothes and perfume. The nurses' aide searches her room and confiscates the remaining medicine. Lalunia later turns the aide in and has her killed after discovering messages she had written that the Russians were advancing.

Meanwhile, Marta is able to temporarily escape in order to smuggle information about the camps to a resistance broadcaster. When she is returned to the camp, she is tortured and then sentenced to death by hanging. A prisoner frees her wrists and hands her a knife before she is to die, and she tells the camp that the Russians are coming and slashes the face of the Nazi commander who tortured her. Before the guards can retaliate, planes are heard overhead, and Marta realizes that the Russians have come to liberate them.

Production
The film was written by Jakubowska and Gerda Schneider, also an Auschwitz survivor. Jakubowska initially thought about creating a film documenting her experience at Auschwitz while she was still an inmate at the camp: "The decision to make a film about Auschwitz originated as soon as I crossed the camp's gate." Upon her release from the camp she immediately began to work on a script and had completed a first draft by December 1945. As a survivor, she felt it was her duty and as a director to bear witness and register the magnitude of evil. In 1946 she travelled to Moscow with a filmic novella of the script translated into Russian and met with Mikhail Kalatozov, who was then responsible for Soviet cinema. Deeply moved, Kalatozov passed on the novella to Andrei Zhdanov. Zhadanov was deeply affected and sent the novella to Joseph Stalin. Stalin's personal approval and the Soviet blessing made it possible for Jakubowska to make the film. Film Polski still required script revisions and sought input from writers, outsiders, political activists and former Auschwitz inmates.

The film is both set and filmed at Auschwitz and it was made with the participation of local inhabitants of Oświęcim, Red Army personnel and German prisoners of war as extras. Several of the actresses were former inmates of the camp themselves. Jerzy Kawalerowicz, an assistant director on the film said that these women "were wiser than all assistant directors; they knew everything from experience. They saw it. Those former inmates were returning to their places." Czeslaw Piaskowski, the co-set designer, was also a concentration camp survivor. Jakubowska restored part of the camp for filming and the film crew stayed in the former SS quarters, with Jakubowska staying at the former home of Rudolf Höss.

Reception
The film won the Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1948, and it was nominated for Grand International Award at Venice Film Festival in 1948 and for a BAFTA Award for Best Film from Any Source in 1950. It was reviewed by Bosley Crowther for The New York Times in 1949: "...this latest import from Europe is a stark and uncompromising film... it carries a powerful comprehension of the shame and pathos of one of history's darkest hours." In 1996, Stephen Holden also wrote about the film in The New York Times: "Bleaker and more terrifying than "Schindler's List," this inky, nightmarish film has the atmosphere of a horror movie up until its sentimental ending." In the introduction to Jakubowska's published script, Jerzy Toeplitz wrote: "The value of the film lies in the ideological stand of its maker, who put her great talent and all her strength into the effort to fight fascism, to unmask its genocidal method."

Film critic Peter Bradshaw gave the film a five star review in 2023 in The Guardian upon its release on streaming platform, Mubi. Bradshaw wrote: "The Last Stage is a forthright, vehement film with a confident and almost Hollywoodised way of portraying the nightmare, but with a distinctive emphasis on the leftist Polish patriots and their defiant plan to resist. The existence of the gas chambers themselves is casually, in fact bloodfreezingly, invoked, though they are not in direct sight...The Last Stage is essential both as a film and historical document." In the same year it was described as a "masterpiece" by Sight and Sound magazine: "The Last Stage accords respect and dignity to the prisoners, shows them as complex human beings, puts them at the centre of the narrative."

title: The Last Stage


text:
Piatt County, Illinois

Piatt County is a county in Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 16,673. Its county seat is Monticello.

Piatt County is part of the Champaign–Urbana, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The first settler was George Haworth, a Quaker, followed by James Martin, Abraham Hanline, Solomon Carter and William Cordell.

Piatt County was formed in 1841 from Macon and DeWitt counties. Two local residents, James A. Piatt and Jesse Warner, were instrumental in forming the county. It was named after James A. Piatt after winning a coin flip against Jesse Warner.

Abraham Lincoln practiced law in Piatt County as a circuit lawyer. Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas planned their presidential debates in Piatt County in 1858, one of which is ornamented by a marker just south of Monticello.

The first courthouse was built in 1843. It was replaced by the current courthouse in 1904.

Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 439 sqmi, of which 439 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi (0.06%) is water.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Monticello have ranged from a low of 14 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 105 °F was recorded in July 1966. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.61 in in January to 3.99 in in August.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-72.svg|20px]] Interstate 72
 * [[Image:I-74.svg|20px]] Interstate 74
 * [[Image:US 36.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 36
 * [[Image:US 150.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 150
 * [[Image:Illinois 10.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 10
 * [[Image:Illinois 32.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 32
 * [[Image:Illinois 48.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 48
 * [[Image:Illinois 105.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 105

Adjacent counties

 * McLean County - north
 * Champaign County - east
 * Douglas County - southeast
 * Moultrie County - south
 * Macon County - southwest
 * De Witt County - west

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,729 people, 6,782 households, and 4,823 families residing in the county. The population density was 38.1 PD/sqmi. There were 7,269 housing units at an average density of 16.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.0% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.1% were German, 21.9% were American, 15.2% were English, and 13.4% were Irish.

Of the 6,782 households, 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.9% were non-families, and 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 42.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $55,752 and the median income for a family was $65,850. Males had a median income of $50,425 versus $32,304 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,492. About 5.1% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

City

 * Monticello (seat)

Villages

 * Atwood (partial)
 * Bement
 * Cerro Gordo
 * Cisco
 * De Land
 * Hammond
 * Mansfield

Census-designated places

 * La Place
 * White Heath

Other unincorporated communities

 * Amenia
 * Galesville
 * Lodge
 * Milmine
 * Pierson
 * Voorhies

Former places

 * Blue Ridge

Townships

 * Bement
 * Blue Ridge
 * Cerro Gordo
 * Goose Creek
 * Monticello
 * Sangamon
 * Unity
 * Willow Branch

title: Piatt County, Illinois


text:
Perry County, Illinois

Perry County is a county in Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 20,945. Its county seat is Pinckneyville. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known as "Little Egypt".

History
Perry County was formed in 1827 out of Jackson and Randolph counties. It was named in honor of Oliver Hazard Perry who defeated the British fleet at the decisive Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.

In its early history, Perry County was mainly an inland pioneer outpost. Early settlers, including some Revolutionary War veterans bearing land grants, moved here from the Eastern United States. These were primarily Protestant settlers. Growth boomed in the 1850s for two reasons: construction of the Illinois Central Railroad through the eastern portion of the county, and the discovery of large coal reserves. Immigrants from Ireland, Poland, Germany, Italy and elsewhere steadily increased the county's population from 1850 through the 1920s. African Americans also were established in the county during northward migration following the Civil War.

Mining continued to be the dominant employment sector through the 1990s.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 447 sqmi, of which 442 sqmi is land and 5.2 sqmi (1.2%) is water.

Perry County is located in Southern Illinois. Pinckneyville, at the center of the county, is approximately 70 mi southeast of St. Louis, Missouri and 300 mi southwest of Chicago. The Mississippi River lies about 10 mi west and southwest of the County at its closest point.

The county's topography is mainly flat with some rolling hills. The part of the county's eastern border, the part shared with Franklin County, is formed by the Little Muddy River. Beaucoup Creek runs north to south through the county and lies just east of Pinckneyville.

The county's topography also features many "strip cut" lakes, lakes left behind following above-ground coal mining. Lakes at two of the county's chief recreation areas, the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds and Pyramid State Recreation Area, were formed this way.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Pinckneyville have ranged from a low of 22 °F in January to a high of 90 °F in July, although a record low of -22 °F was recorded in January 1912 and a record high of 113 °F was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.61 in in February to 4.81 in in May.

Public transit

 * South Central Transit
 * Du Quoin station

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 51.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 51
 * [[Image:Illinois 4.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 4
 * [[Image:Illinois 13.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 13
 * [[Image:Illinois 14.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 14
 * [[Image:Illinois 127.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 127
 * [[Image:Illinois 150.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 150
 * [[Image:Illinois 152.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 152
 * [[Image:Illinois 154.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 154

Adjacent counties

 * Washington County - north
 * Jefferson County - northeast
 * Franklin County - east
 * Jackson County - south
 * Randolph County - west

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 22,350 people, 8,335 households, and 5,622 families residing in the county. The population density was 50.6 PD/sqmi. There were 9,426 housing units at an average density of 21.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 87.9% white, 8.3% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.6% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.8% were German, 14.3% were Irish, 10.6% were English, 8.1% were American, and 6.3% were Polish.

Of the 8,335 households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 39.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,696 and the median income for a family was $50,130. Males had a median income of $40,768 versus $28,377 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,926. About 11.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities
Perry County never adopted a township form of government. Federal township plats were prepared for each township which include legal descriptions of 14 townships.

Perry County has been divided into precincts: Beaucoup, Cutler, Denmark, DuQuoin, Paradise, Pinckneyville, Sunfield, Swanwick, Tamaroa and Willisville. To provide election precincts of similar population based on recent census data, precincts are divided or combined to form election precincts. The election precincts in 2020 were: Beaucoup, Cutler, Du Quoin Number 1, Du Quoin Number 2, Du Quoin Number 3, Du Quoin Number 4, Du Quoin Number 5, Du Quoin Number 6, Du Quoin Number 7, Du Quoin Number 8, Du Quoin Number 9, Du Quoin Number 10, Du Quoin Number 11, Du Quoin Number 12, Pinckneyville Number 1, Pinckneyville Number 2, Pinckneyville Number 3, Pinckneyville Number 4, Pinckneyville Number 5, Pinckneyville Number 6, Pinckneyville Number 7, Pinckneyville Number 8, Sunfield, Swanwick, Tamaroa Number 1, Tamaroa Number 2, and Willisville.

Cities

 * Du Quoin
 * Pinckneyville

Villages

 * Cutler
 * St. Johns
 * Tamaroa
 * Willisville

Unincorporated communities

 * Conant
 * Denmark
 * Denny
 * Layfield
 * Matthews
 * Old Du Quoin
 * Pyatts
 * Rice
 * Sunfield
 * Swanwick
 * Todds Mill
 * Winkle

Politics
Perry County has been reliably Republican county since 2012, when it backed Mitt Romney (R) by nearly 18 points over Illinois native Barack Obama, even as Obama won both Illinois and the country. By 2020 it was so heavily Republican that incumbent Donald Trump beat Democrat Joe Biden by nearly 45 points in his bid for reelection, even as Biden won the race nationally (and Illinois). The county last voted blue, by a very narrow margin of 0.6%, in 2000. The table below includes a list of Perry County's election results at the presidential level.

title: Perry County, Illinois


text:
Peoria County, Illinois

Peoria County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The 2020 United States Census listed its population at 181,830. Its county seat is Peoria. Peoria County is part of the Peoria metropolitan area.

History
Peoria County was formed in 1825 out of Fulton County. It was named for the Peoria, an Illiniwek people who lived there. It included most of the western valley of the Illinois River up to the Chicago river portage.

Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 631 sqmi, of which 619 sqmi is land and 11 sqmi (1.8%) is water. The county is drained by Spoon River, Kickapoo Creek, Elbow Creek, and Copperas Creek.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Peoria have ranged from a low of 14 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -27 °F was recorded in January 1884 and a record high of 113 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.50 in in January to 4.17 in in May.

Adjacent counties

 * Knox County – northwest
 * Stark County – north
 * Marshall County – northeast
 * Woodford County – east
 * Tazewell County – south
 * Fulton County – southwest

Transit

 * Greater Peoria Mass Transit District
 * Burlington Trailways
 * Peoria Charter Coach Company
 * List of intercity bus stops in Illinois

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-74.svg|20px]] Interstate 74
 * [[Image:I-474.svg|20px]] Interstate 474
 * [[Image:US 24.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 24
 * [[Image:US 150.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 150
 * [[Image:Illinois 6.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 6
 * [[Image:Illinois 8.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 8
 * [[Image:Illinois 9.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 9
 * [[Image:Illinois 29.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 29
 * [[Image:Illinois 40.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 40
 * [[Image:Illinois 78.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 78
 * [[Image:Illinois 90.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 90
 * [[Image:Illinois 91.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 91
 * [[Image:Illinois 116.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 116

Defunct highways

 * [[Image:Illinois 174.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 174
 * [[Image:Illinois 175.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 175

Airports

 * General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA), formerly Greater Peoria Regional Airport
 * Mount Hawley Auxiliary Airport (3MY) – Peoria, Illinois

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 181,830 people, including 73,253 households. The population density was 301.2 PD/sqmi. There were 83,034 housing units at an average density of 134.1 /sqmi.

The racial makeup of the county was 73.5% white alone, 18.8% black or African American alone, 4.1% Asian alone, 0.4% American Indian alone, .1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, 3.1% listed two or more races, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 69.4% were white and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. In terms of ancestry, per the 2010 US Census, 28.3% were German, 14.8% were Irish, 10.4% were English, and 5.5% were American.

Of the 75,793 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.7% were non-families, and 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 36.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,747 and the median income for a family was $63,163. Males had a median income of $51,246 versus $32,881 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,157. About 10.3% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

 * Glasford crater
 * Jubilee College State Park
 * WMBD World's Most Beautiful Drive (Grandview Drive/Prospect)
 * Forest Park Nature Center
 * Peoria Heights Tower Park
 * Rock Island Trail

Cities

 * Chillicothe
 * Elmwood
 * Peoria (seat)
 * West Peoria

Villages

 * Bartonville
 * Bellevue
 * Brimfield
 * Dunlap
 * Glasford
 * Hanna City
 * Kingston Mines
 * Mapleton
 * Norwood
 * Peoria Heights
 * Princeville

Census-designated places

 * Lake Camelot
 * Mossville
 * Rome
 * Smithville
 * Trivoli

Unincorporated communities

 * Edelstein
 * Edwards
 * Kickapoo
 * Laura
 * Mossville

Townships

 * Brimfield
 * Chillicothe
 * Elmwood
 * Kickapoo
 * Peoria City
 * Princeville
 * Trivoli
 * West Peoria (former, now defunct)

Notable residents
People from Peoria County other than in the city of Peoria:
 * Chris Brackett, host of Arrow Affliction on The Sportsman Channel
 * Mike Dunne, pitcher for several Major League Baseball teams
 * Mary Emma Holmes (1839-1937), reformer, suffragist, and educator
 * Bill Krieg, Major League Baseball player
 * Lance (Henry) LeGault, TV and movie actor: Colonel Roderick Decker on The A-Team
 * Zach McAllister, Major League Baseball player: Cleveland Indians pitcher
 * Johnston McCulley, pulp fiction author: creator of Zorro
 * Richard Pryor, Actor, Comedian
 * David Ogden Stiers, actor, Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on M*A*S*H
 * Josh Taylor, TV actor: Chris Kostichek on the soap opera Days of Our Lives
 * Jim Thome, first baseman for several Major League Baseball teams

Government
Peoria County is governed by an 18-member County Board which meets on the second Thursday of each month. Each member represents a district with roughly 10,000 residents.

The County also elects an Auditor, Circuit Clerk, Coroner, County Clerk, Sheriff, State's Attorney, Regional Superintendent (Education), and Treasurer to four-year terms.

Politics
Peoria County, along with Champaign County, is a reliable state bellwether, having voted for Illinois' statewide winner in every presidential election since 1964. Prior to 1992, Peoria County, like most of central Illinois, was powerfully Republican. Usually, it only voted for Democratic Party presidential candidates when they won nationally by a landslide. It began trending away from the GOP in the mid-1980s, as evidenced when Ronald Reagan only carried it with 55 percent of the vote in 1984 even as he was winning reelection in a landslide nationally.

From 1992 onward, the county has backed the Democratic candidate in every presidential election, though never by a margin greater than 10 percent aside from 2008 when Illinoisan Barack Obama won it by nearly 14 points. This relative closeness in results was most evident in 2004 when the county backed John Kerry over George W. Bush by only 70 votes.

In Congress, Peoria County is represented by Democrat Eric Sorensen of Illinois's 17th congressional district and Republican Darin LaHood of the Illinois's 18th congressional district.

In the Illinois Senate, Peoria County is represented by Republican Win Stoller of the 37th Legislative District and Democrat Dave Koehler of the 46th Legislative District. In the Illinois House of Representatives, Peoria County is represented by Republican Ryan Spain of the 73rd Representative District, Republican Travis Weaver of the 91st Representative District and Democrat Jehan Gordon-Booth of the 92nd Representative District.

title: Peoria County, Illinois


text:
Fisaga

Fisaga in Samoan mythology is a light and the gentle breeze. In one Samoan legend, Tiʻitiʻi imprisons the winds one by one in his canoe or calabash, leaving only Fisaga free. Other versions of the story attribute this to Maui.

In the Samoan language, fisaga refers to a “gentle, pleasant wind associated with good weather.”

title: Fisaga


text:
Ogle County, Illinois

Ogle County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 51,788. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle. Ogle County comprises Rochelle, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Rockford-Freeport-Rochelle, IL Combined Statistical Area.

History
Ogle County was formed in 1836 out of Jo Daviess and LaSalle counties, and named in honor of Captain Joseph Ogle, a veteran of the Revolutionary War who settled in Illinois in 1785. Ogle County government was organized in 1837; before that time it remained assigned to Jo Daviess County for legislative, taxation, and judicial matters. In 1839, part of Ogle County was partitioned off to form Lee County.

Ogle County was a New England settlement. The founders of Oregon and Rochelle arrived from New England; they were "Yankees", descendants of English Puritans who had settled New England in the 1600s. They were part of a wave of farmers who migrated into the Northwest Territory in the early 1800s, their trek eased by completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. They found virgin forest and wild prairie, and quickly laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought a passion for education and strong abolitionism. They were members of the Congregationalist or Episcopalian Church. Culturally Ogle County, like much of northern Illinois would maintain values similar to those of New England.

Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 763 sqmi, of which 759 sqmi is land and 4.4 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Winnebago County - north
 * Boone County - northeast
 * Stephenson County - northwest
 * DeKalb County - east
 * Carroll County - west
 * Lee County - south
 * Whiteside County - southwest

Climate
In recent years, average temperatures in Oregon have ranged from a low of 10 °F in January to a high of 82 °F in July, although a record low of -27 °F was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 110 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.43 in in February to 4.88 in in June.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 53,497 people, 20,856 households, and 14,711 families residing in the county. The population density was 70.5 PD/sqmi. There were 22,561 housing units at an average density of 29.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.2% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 3.8% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 38.0% were German, 15.3% were Irish, 10.2% were English, 6.4% were American, 5.3% were Swedish, and 5.3% were Norwegian.

Of the 20,856 households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 40.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $55,733 and the median income for a family was $64,927. Males had a median income of $49,996 versus $32,082 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,959. About 6.6% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
By 2000, 65% of the county labor force was employed as white-collar workers with an increase of 20 points in comparison with 1990 statistics. Manufacturing remains the leading employment sector absorbing more than 21.7% of the labor force though there was a decrease from 30,4% in 1995. However it is expected that services would replace manufacturing starting 2015 as the leading activity.

Agriculture remains important in Ogle county, mainly corn and soybeans. In 2003, the Illinois Department of Agriculture ranked Ogle County 17th in the State for crop cash receipts, and 14th in the state for livestock cash receipts. As for livestock production, hogs and pigs are still leading even though productions decreased from 57,000 units in 1998 to 48,900 in 2002.

The county also got some investment packages such as a $180 million truck-to-train cargo hub in 2006. In August 2006, it was announced that a new ethanol production facility would receive a package of $5.5 million Opportunity Returns grant from the State.

Politics
Along with its neighbor Lee County, Ogle County is one of the most consistently Republican counties in the nation when it comes to presidential elections. Except for the 1912 election when the GOP was divided between Progressive nominee Theodore Roosevelt and incumbent president William Howard Taft, Ogle County has voted Republican in every Presidential election since the Republican Party first participated in 1856. No Democratic candidate has ever won the county, which favored the Whig Party before the Republican Party was formed.

Historically, Republicans have easily carried the county in statewide and national Democratic landslides. Franklin D. Roosevelt never garnered more than 39 percent of the county's vote in any of his four runs for president, and Barry Goldwater won over 60 percent here in 1964–almost identical to Lyndon Johnson's winning margin statewide. Illinois' own Barack Obama is the only Democrat to ever win at least 40 percent of the county's vote.

The county is part of Illinois's 16th congressional district. represented by Republican Darin LaHood.

Transit

 * List of intercity bus stops in Illinois

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-39.svg|20px]] Interstate 39
 * [[Image:I-88.svg|20px]] Interstate 88
 * [[Image:US 51.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 51
 * [[Image:US 52.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 52
 * [[Image:Illinois 2.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 2
 * [[Image:Illinois 26.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 26
 * [[Image:Illinois 38.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 38
 * [[Image:Illinois 64.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 64
 * [[Image:Illinois 72.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 72
 * [[Image:Illinois 110.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 110
 * [[Image:Illinois 251.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 251

Airports
The following public-use airports are located in the county:
 * Ogle County Airport (C55) - Mount Morris, Illinois
 * Rochelle Municipal Airport (RPJ) - Rochelle, Illinois

Railroads
The Union Pacific line to Omaha (Chicago & North Western), BNSF line to Minneapolis (Burlington Route, later Burlington Northern), Canadian Pacific Kansas City line to Sabula (Milwaukee Road) all run through Ogle County.

Parks

 * Castle Rock State Park
 * Lowden State Park
 * Lowden-Miller State Forest
 * Sinnissippi Farms
 * Weld Park
 * White Pines State Park

Nature Preserves

 * Beach Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve
 * Douglas E. Wade Prairie Nature Preserve
 * Jarrett Prairie Nature Preserve
 * Nachusa Grasslands

Cities

 * Byron
 * Oregon
 * Polo
 * Rochelle

Villages

 * Adeline
 * Creston
 * Davis Junction
 * Forreston
 * Hillcrest
 * Leaf River
 * Monroe Center
 * Mount Morris
 * Stillman Valley

Unincorporated communities

 * Baileyville
 * Brookville
 * Buffalo Grove
 * Chana
 * Daysville
 * Egan
 * Flagg
 * Flagg Center
 * Hazelhurst (partial)
 * Holcomb
 * Kings
 * Lindenwood
 * Paynes Point
 * Stratford
 * Woosung

Census-designated places

 * Grand Detour
 * Lost Nation

Townships

 * Brookville Township
 * Buffalo Township
 * Byron Township
 * Dement Township
 * Eagle Point Township
 * Flagg Township
 * Forreston Township
 * Grand Detour Township
 * Lafayette Township
 * Leaf River Township
 * Lincoln Township
 * Lynnville Township
 * Marion Township
 * Maryland Township
 * Monroe Township
 * Mount Morris Township
 * Oregon-Nashua Township
 * Pine Creek Township
 * Pine Rock Township
 * Rockvale Township
 * Scott Township
 * Taylor Township
 * White Rock Township
 * Woosung Township

title: Ogle County, Illinois


text:
Moultrie County, Illinois

Moultrie County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, its population was 14,526. Its county seat is Sullivan. The name is pronounced as in "mole tree", unlike the pronunciation of its namesake, the South Carolinian Revolutionary War hero William Moultrie.

History
Moultrie County was formed in 1843 with areas taken from Shelby and Macon counties. It is named for South Carolina General, and later Governor, William Moultrie. General Moultrie defended Sullivan's Island, South Carolina from British attack in 1776. The site was later renamed Fort Moultrie. Nearby Jasper County was named for Sgt. William Jasper, another hero of the defense of Sullivan's Island.

The official flag of the county is the Moultrie Flag, which was flown over the new fortress on Sullivan's Island, when Moultrie defended it, and was designed by Moultrie. It went on to become iconic of liberty in the South.

When Abraham Kellar of Lovington, John Cook of Marrowbone, and John Fleming of Nelson proposed the formation of a new county from Macon, Shelby, and Coles counties, Macon gave up a strip of “worthless swamp” that is now among the most fertile land in the world, but Shelby and Coles voters refused to give up any land. Finally, Shelby County gave up some of its land to make a zig-zag border with Moultrie County.

Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 344 sqmi, of which 336 sqmi is land and 8.5 sqmi (2.5%) is water.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Sullivan have ranged from a low of 19 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in January 1915 and a record high of 111 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.89 in in February to 4.05 in in June.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 36.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 36
 * [[Image:Illinois 16.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 16
 * [[Image:Illinois 32.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 32
 * [[Image:Illinois 121.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 121
 * [[Image:Illinois 133.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 133

Adjacent counties

 * Piatt County - north
 * Douglas County - east
 * Coles County - southeast
 * Shelby County - south
 * Macon County - northwest

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,846 people, 5,758 households, and 4,053 families living in the county. The population density was 44.2 PD/sqmi. There were 6,260 housing units at an average density of 18.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.5% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.8% were German, 12.0% were Irish, 11.4% were American, and 10.9% were English.

Of the 5,758 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.6% were non-families, and 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 40.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $46,364 and the median income for a family was $54,494. Males had a median income of $42,581 versus $26,799 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,954. About 6.2% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

City

 * Sullivan (seat)

Villages

 * Allenville
 * Arthur (partial)
 * Bethany
 * Dalton City
 * Gays
 * Lovington

Unincorporated Communities

 * Bruce
 * Dunn
 * Fuller
 * Kirksville
 * Lake City

Townships

 * Dora
 * East Nelson
 * Jonathan Creek
 * Lovington
 * Lowe
 * Marrowbone
 * Sullivan
 * Whitley

Education
Moultrie County is served by three school districts.
 * Sullivan Community Unit School District 300
 * Okaw Valley Community Unit School District 302
 * Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond Community Unit School District 305

Politics
Moultrie County voters have voted for the Republican Party candidate in eight of the last ten national election campaigns.

title: Moultrie County, Illinois


text:
Morgan County, Illinois

Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 32,915. Its county seat is Jacksonville.

Morgan County is part of the Jacksonville, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Springfield–Jacksonville–Lincoln, IL Combined Statistical Area.

History
Morgan County was formed in 1823 out of Greene and Sangamon Counties. It was named in honor of General Daniel Morgan, who defeated the British at the Battle of Cowpens in the American Revolutionary War. General Morgan was serving under General Nathanael Greene at Cowpens. Jacksonville was established by European Americans on a 160-acre tract of land in the center of Morgan County in 1825, two years after the county was founded. The founders of Jacksonville, Illinois consisted entirely of settlers from New England. These so-called Yankee settlers were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. They were part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the Erie Canal and the end of the Black Hawk War. The Yankee migration to Illinois was a result of several factors, one of which was the overpopulation of New England. The old stock Yankee population had large families, often bearing up to ten children in one household. Most people were expected to have their own piece of land to farm, and due to the massive and nonstop population boom, land in New England became scarce as every son claimed his own farmstead. As a result, there was not enough land for every family to have a self-sustaining farm, and Yankee settlers began leaving New England for the Midwestern United States. When they arrived in what is now Jacksonville there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie, the New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their Yankee New England values, such as a passion for education, establishing many schools as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church though some were Episcopalian. Due to the second Great Awakening some of them had converted to Methodism and Presbyterianism while some others became Baptist, before moving to what is now Jacksonville. Jacksonville, like some other parts of Illinois, would be culturally very continuous with early New England culture for most of its early history.

Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 572 sqmi, of which 569 sqmi is land and 3.5 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

The 90th Meridian of Longitude goes through Morgan County, as seen on a road sign at mile 78 of I-72.

Climate and weather
Average temperatures in the county seat of Jacksonville range from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July; a record low of -28 °F was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of 114 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.35 in in January to 4.86 in in May.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-72.svg|20px]] Interstate 72
 * [[Image:US 36.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 36
 * [[Image:US 67.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 67
 * [[Image:Illinois 78.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 78
 * [[Image:Illinois 100.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 100
 * [[Image:Illinois 104.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 104
 * [[Image:Illinois 111.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 111
 * [[Image:Illinois 267.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 267

Adjacent counties

 * Cass County – north
 * Sangamon County – east
 * Macoupin County – southeast
 * Greene County – south
 * Pike County – west
 * Scott County – southwest
 * Brown County – northwest

National protected area

 * Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 35,547 people, 14,104 households, and 8,851 families residing in the county. The population density was 62.5 PD/sqmi. There were 15,515 housing units at an average density of 27.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 90.9% white, 6.0% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.9% were German, 21.6% were American, 15.4% were Irish, and 14.5% were English. Those citing American ancestry in Morgan County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, in many cases going back to colonial New England, however most English Americans identify simply as having American ancestry because their roots have been in North America for so long, in many cases since the early sixteen hundreds.

Of the 14,104 households, 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.2% were non-families, and 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 40.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,645 and the median income for a family was $59,185. Males had a median income of $43,609 versus $29,893 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,244. About 11.2% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Jacksonville (seat)
 * Waverly

Villages

 * Chapin
 * Concord
 * Franklin
 * Lynnville
 * Meredosia
 * Murrayville
 * South Jacksonville
 * Woodson

Unincorporated communities

 * Alexander
 * Arcadia
 * Arnold
 * Literberry
 * Markham
 * Pisgah

Politics
Morgan County has been reliably Republican from its beginning; the Democratic nominee has gained a plurality only 19% of the time (6 of 32 elections).

Education
Here is a list of school districts with any territory in the county (all are full K-12 school districts), no matter how slight, even if the schools and/or administrative offices are located in other counties:
 * A-C Central Community Unit School District 262
 * Community Unit School District 16
 * Franklin Community Unit School District 1
 * Greenfield Community Unit School District 10
 * Jacksonville School District 117
 * Meredosia-Chambersburg Community Unit School District 11
 * Pleasant Plains Community Unit School District 8
 * Scott-Morgan Consolidated Unit School District 2
 * Triopia Community Unit School District 27
 * Virginia Community Unit School District 64
 * Waverly Community Unit School District 6
 * Winchester Community Unit School District 1

Additionally the following state-operated schools are in Morgan County:
 * Illinois School for the Deaf
 * Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (School for the Blind)

Private schools:
 * Routt Catholic High School

Tertiary:
 * Illinois College
 * Lincoln Land Community College Jacksonville Outreach Center
 * MacMurray College (closed)

title: Morgan County, Illinois


text:
Talk:Montgomery County, Illinois

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title: Talk:Montgomery County, Illinois


text:
Monroe County, Illinois

Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 34,962. Its county seat and largest city is Waterloo.

Monroe County is included in the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known historically as "Little Egypt".

History
Indigenous peoples lived along the Mississippi River and related waterways for thousands of years before European contact. French Jesuit priests in the Illinois Country encountered the Kaskaskia and Cahokia, bands of the Illiniwek confederacy.

The first European settlement in this area was St. Philippe, founded in 1723 by Philippe François Renault, a French courtier, on his concession about three miles north of Fort de Chartres along the Mississippi River. This early agricultural community quickly produced a surplus, and grains were sold to the lower Louisiana colony for years. They were integral to that community's survival, as its climate did not allow cultivation of such staple grains.

Monroe County was formed in 1816 out of Randolph and St. Clair counties, as the 8th county created from the then Illinois Territory. Beginning on the Mississippi River where the base line, which is about three-fourths of a mile below Judge Briggs's present residence, strikes the said river; thence with the base line until it strikes the first township line therefrom; thence southeast to the southeast corner of township two south, range nine west; thence south to the southeast corner of township four north, range nine west; thence southwestwardly to the Mississippi, so as to include Alexander McNabb's farm, and thence up the Mississippi to the beginning shall constitute a separate county, to be called MONROE.

Illinois Territorial Laws 1815-16, p. 25

It was named in honor of James Monroe, who had just served as United States Secretary of War and who was elected President later that same year. Its first county seat was Harrisonville, named for William Henry Harrison, former governor of the Northwest Territory and future President. Harrison invested in several tracts of land in the American Bottoms above Harrisonville, mostly in the present precinct of Moredock, ownership of which he retained until his death.

Waterloo was designated as the mantle of county seat in 1825. The sites of the colonial towns of St. Philippe and Harrisonville were submerged by the Mississippi River, in flooding caused by deforestation of river banks during the steamboat years. Crews cut so many trees that banks destabilized and collapsed in the current, making the river wider and more shallow from St. Louis to the confluence with the Ohio River. This change caused more severe flooding, as well as lateral channel changes, such as the one that cut off the village of Kaskaskia from the Illinois mainland.

An unincorporated community of Harrisonville was re-established east of the original site. The bounds of Monroe County in 1816 did not include Precincts 1 and 6 (village of Hecker and Prairie du Long), Precinct 1 and most of 6 was added in 1825 from St. Clair County. The strip of Precinct 6 from the survey township line east to the Kaskaskia was added, once again from St. Clair, two years later in 1827. Some minor adjustments and clarifications of the boundaries have taken place, but the borders have remained essentially static since 1827.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 398 sqmi, of which 385 sqmi is land and 13 sqmi (3.3%) is water.

The western part of the county on the Mississippi River is part of the American Bottom floodplain, while the eastern portion of the county is relatively flat and was originally prairie. The transition zone between has high bluffs of limestone and dolomite and has distinctive Karst topography with numerous sinkholes, caves, and springs. Mississippi River bluffs along Monroe County's western border make the county part of the “Illinois Ozarks.” The county's roughly 500 limestone sinkholes, most filled with dense woods, add to Monroe County's unusual visual appeal.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Waterloo have ranged from a low of 20 °F in January to a high of 89 °F in July, although a record low of -18 °F was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of 107 °F was recorded in August 1962. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.32 in in January to 4.25 in in July.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-255.svg|20px]] Interstate 255
 * [[Image:US 50.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 50
 * [[Image:Illinois 3.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 3
 * [[Image:Illinois 156.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 156
 * [[Image:Illinois 158.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 158
 * [[Image:Illinois 159.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 159

Adjacent counties

 * St. Clair County - northeast
 * Randolph County - southeast
 * Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri - south
 * Jefferson County, Missouri - west
 * St. Louis County, Missouri - northwest

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 32,957 people, 12,589 households, and 9,375 families residing in the county. The population density was 85.6 PD/sqmi. There were 13,392 housing units at an average density of 34.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.0% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 53.9% were German, 16.5% were Irish, 9.6% were English, and 6.2% were American.

Of the 12,589 households, 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.5% were non-families, and 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 41.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $68,253 and the median income for a family was $80,832. Males had a median income of $55,988 versus $39,375 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,091. About 3.5% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Highways

 * Interstate 255 Overlaps U.S. Highway 50 From Jefferson Barracks Bridge and Missouri east to Route 3 north of Columbia, then north toward Dupo
 * Provides access to the Interstate System, South Saint Louis County via the J.B. bridge as well as Downtown St. Louis and western St. Clair County

 * U.S. Highway 50 Overlaps Interstate 255 From Jefferson Barracks Bridge and Missouri east to Route 3 north of Columbia, then north toward Dupo
 * Provides access to the Interstate System, South Saint Louis County via the J.B. bridge as well as Downtown St. Louis and western St. Clair County

 * Illinois Route 3 From Interstate 255 and Dupo south southeast through Columbia and Waterloo on turning east toward Red Bud
 * Main north-south corridor and the backbone of Monroe County

 * Illinois Route 156 From western terminus at Valmeyer east through Waterloo to Hecker and on to the eastern terminus at Illinois Route 13 west of New Athens and south of Freeburg
 * Briefly overlaps Illinois Route 159 in and just north of Hecker
 * Also called the Valmeyer highway or Hecker highway, west and east of Waterloo, respectively, it runs from the bluffs of the Mississippi to the Kaskaskia

 * Illinois Route 158 From western terminus south of Columbia at Route 3, east northeast toward Millstadt
 * The area's main link with central and eastern St. Clair County for those not near Hecker

 * Illinois Route 159 From southern terminus in Red Bud at Route 3 and Route 154, north through Prairie du Long to Hecker and on toward Smithton
 * Briefly overlaps Illinois Route 156 in and just north of Hecker
 * Significant eastern north-south corridor, provides alternate routes, and primary north-south link for Prairie Du Long and Hecker

County roads

 * Bluff Road
 * runs along the bluffs from Palmer Rd. northwest of Columbia, through old Valmeyer and Chalfin Bridge, past Fults to Prairie du Rocher in Randolph County

 * Maeystown Road
 * runs from Illinois Route 3 in Waterloo (as Lakeview Drive) through Wartburg and Maeystown to Bluff Rd. at Chalfin Bridge

 * Kaskaskia Road
 * historic route from Kaskaskia to St. Louis, leaves Illinois Route 3 south of Waterloo, passes through Burksville and St. Joe, descends into the Bottoms outside Renault, crosses Bluff Rd. and railroad tracks to Stringtown Rd.

 * Hanover Road
 * Runs from Route 3 west, past New Hanover down the Fountain Gap to Bluff Rd. at Miles Rd. and B Rd.. Marks approximate future border between Columbia and Waterloo.

 * Gall Road
 * Northern terminus at Rt. 3/Main St. four-way in Columbia, south across Hanover Rd., and southern terminus at HH Rd. northwest of Waterloo and near Annbriar Golf Course.

 * HH Road
 * Runs from Gilmore Lakes Rd., north of Floraville Rd., west across Route 3 in Waterloo (as Country Club Ln.) to Bluff Rd. east of Fountain

 * KK Road
 * Runs from the Mississippi River levee opposite Crystal City, Missouri, west across Bluff Rd. up the bluffs at Monroe City, through Madonnaville, across Maeystown Rd., through Burksville and Burksville Station, across Route 3 to J Rd. south of Route 156

 * LL Road
 * With a western terminus at Franklin St. in Maeystown, it travels east across Kaskaskia Rd., through Tipton, across Route 3, temporarily overlaps with J Rd. for about 0.5 miles east of Rt. 3 and west of Rt. 159, crosses Rt. 159 south of Hecker and north of Red Bud, ends with eastern terminus at Beck Rd. just west of the Kaskaskia River and near the Nike Missile Site.

Public Transportation

 * There is a regular MetroBus express bus, 502X Waterloo-Columbia, running from Waterloo, through Columbia, to the MetroLink station in East St. Louis.

Rivers

 * Mississippi River

 * Bridges and ferries
 * Jefferson Barracks Bridge - crosses the Mississippi northwest of Columbia, carries Interstate 255
 * Access
 * none

 * Kaskaskia River
 * Bridges and ferries
 * none
 * Access
 * none

The closest access to and bridges over the Kaskaskia are downriver at Baldwin in Randolph County via Route 154 and upriver at New Athens in St. Clair County via Route 13. South of Monroe County, there is a ferry across the Mississippi in Randolph County, providing access to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and Pere Marquette State Park, and a bridge at Chester via Route 150.

Rail
While the railroad played a large part in the history and development of the county, the main line through the county, running along Illinois Route 3, has been abandoned and removed. However, Union Pacific tracks run through the Bottoms from the intermodal yard at Dupo in St. Clair County, running roughly parallel to Bluff Rd. which crosses them several times, through old Valmeyer and Fults on past Prairie du Rocher in Randolph County. The tracks are still in use, but carry only freight, and have no stops in Monroe County.

Aviation
There is a small airfield in the Bottoms west of Columbia called Sackman Field.

Cities

 * Columbia
 * Waterloo

Villages

 * Fults
 * Hecker
 * Maeystown
 * Valmeyer

Unincorporated Communities

 * Ames
 * Burksville
 * Burksville Station
 * Chalfin Bridge
 * Fountain
 * Harrisonville
 * Madonnaville
 * Merrimac
 * Monroe City
 * New Hanover
 * Renault
 * St. Joe
 * Tipton
 * Wartburg

Former Settlement

 * St. Philippe

Precincts
For census and election purposes, Monroe County is currently divided into 37 numbered precincts. However, for geographical, genealogical, and historic purposes the older, named precincts are of greater utility.
 * Bluff Precinct
 * named for the ubiquitous limestone cliffs it sits atop and which run along its western bounds.

 * Columbia Precinct
 * formerly Eagle Precinct from the original French name for their settlement, L'Aigle

 * Harrisonville Precinct
 * honors William Henry Harrison who also gave his name to a settlement

 * Mitchie Precinct
 * so named for the Mitchegamie Indians who at one time inhabited the extreme southern part of the county

 * Moredock Precinct
 * after John Moredock, territorial legislator, and Major commanding a battalion in the War of 1812

 * New Design Precinct
 * named after the settlement began by James Lemen, a confidante of Thomas Jefferson, in 1786

 * New Hanover Precinct
 * as with the settlement, its name recalls Hanover, Germany, hometown of the settlement's founder

 * Prairie Du Long Precinct
 * from hybrid French/English "Long Prairie", it was added in 1825, after the county's genesis, the strip along the river in 1827.

 * Renault Precinct
 * also a settlement, for Philip Francois Renault of the French Company of the Indies, an early exploiter of the area

 * Waterloo Precinct
 * formerly Fountain Precinct, from Fountain Creek which runs through it on its way to the bluffs and down to the river

Government
Monroe County, along with neighboring Randolph County, is located within Regional Office of Education #45.

Politics
Monroe County was hostile to the “Yankee” Civil War and voted solidly Democratic until Theodore Roosevelt carried the county in 1904. Since that time, however, the county has become predominately Republican, and the only Democrats to gain a majority since 1904 have been Catholic Al Smith in 1928, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, and Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Since 1968, Monroe County has been carried by the Republican Presidential nominee in every election except when Bill Clinton won a narrow plurality in 1992.

Education

 * Columbia Community Unit School District 4
 * Valmeyer Community Unit School District 3
 * Waterloo Community Unit School District 5

title: Monroe County, Illinois