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Johnson County ILGenWeb is a free genealogical site about the history of Johnson County, Illinois. We hope you find helpful clues for your research of ancestors and relatives of the county.

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COUNTY FORMATION

Johnson County was created 14 Sep 1812 by proclamation: "I do lay off a county or district to be called Johnson county, to be bounded as follows viz.: To begin at the mouth of Lusk's Creek on the Ohio; thence with the line of Gallatin county to Big Muddy; thence down Big Muddy and the Mississippi to mouth of the Ohio, and up the Ohio to the beginning. And I do appoint the house of John Bradshaw to be the seat of Justice of Johnson county."

The original boundries were carved from Randolph county and included portions of present day Jackson, Williamson, Saline, Pope, Union, Alexander, Pulaski, and Massac counties.

Johnson county was named in honor of Richard Mentor Johnson who served in the Indian Wars and the war of 1812. He also served as Vice-President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 in the administration of Martin Van Buren.