1876 Atlas of the State of Illinois
County History
Johnson County is near the southern end of the State; has an area of 383 square
miles, and, in 1870, contained 11,248 inhabitants. Its organization dates back
to 1812. The tobacco crop for 1875 was over 3,000,000 pounds, valued at
$150,000. The streams are the Cache River and Big Bay Creek. The Cairo &
Vincennes Road runs diagonally through. Vienna, the county seat, was
incorporated in 1859; has a population of about 800, with two flouring-mills.
Included in the population are 7,197 natives of Illinois, 885 of Kentucky, and
62 of foreign birth – the latter element being the smallest of any county in the
State. The dividing ridge between the waters of Cache and Bay Rivers, running
south, and those of the Big Muddy and Saline, running north, stretches from east
to west through the northern part of the county. The southern portion is lower,
but mostly broken, and reaches to the Cypress Swamps. The regular coal measures
do not extend into Johnson County, but at several points there are outcrops of a
minor coal seam of variable thickness. No other valuable minerals have been
discovered. The soil is of a superior quality, and the great staples, for years,
have been wheat, corn and tobacco. Cotton thrives well, but has only been raised
for home consumption. For fruit trees of all kinds no better situation could
well be found, and for grape culture the prospects appear to be flattering.
Saltpeter has, in small quantities, been obtained from under some cliffs of
conglomerate sandstone along the bluffs. Weak copperas springs are very
numerous. One of these, on a small branch of Little Bay River, was formerly a
noted watering place, where people congregated from far and near, living in log
cabins, the remains of which are still to be seen. The principal ingredient of
the waters is sulphate of iron. In the ordinary materials for building the
county is rich. Sandstone is abundant, and limestone of good quality may be
obtained in the St. Louis and Chester groups.
The county is one of the smallest in the State, but the fine climate, rich soil,
excellent wataer, abundance of timber and building stone, besides the various
mineral deposits in the county, will in time place it among the wealthiest in
Illinois.
Business Directory
Directory provides for each person listed: Name, Occupation, Nativity, and Year Settled in State.
Geo. W. Adams, B. E. Allbritten, D. O. Anderson, John Anderson, Caswell Barnett, D. F. Beauman, Joseph Beleau, B. F. Bellemey, H. M. Boozer, W. W. Boyt, George Bratton, R. W. Brown, Frank Burndt, Asahel Burnett, Charles Burntett, T. R. Burris, H. C. Carson, Jas. H. Carter, W. H. Carter, J. B. Chapman, N. Choat, J. H. Clymore, C. Cohn, C. W. Cole, Harvy C. Craig, J. D. Craig, John S. Cram, A. G. Damron, J. M. C. Damron, Jas. M. Damron, A. W. Darter, W. J. Davis, W. D. Deans, James P. Dunn, Geo. W. Elkins, Wm. J. Fern, R. M. Fisher, J. S. Francis, Jeremiah Fulks, W. H. Gage, Wm. E. Galeener, J. B. Gillespie, E. M. Goss, Isaac N. Graves, W. R. Graves, Gilson L. Gray, Thomas L. Grissom, Alfred Gurley, Henry B. Hardy, O. A. Harker, H. T. Harris, Wm. Harris, S. Hess, Barton Hettick, R. D. Hight, D. M. Howell, S. P. Howell, N. S. Hudson, H. J. Huggins, J. N. H. Huggins, L. F. Jacobs, Jas. M. Jones, Wm. Jones, H. R. Kelly, L. Kelly, Solomon Kraemer, W. A. Looney, G. B. Lovelace, O. P. Martin, R. A. Martin, J. L. Mathews, C. J. Mathis, Daniel Mathis, Jas. P. Mathis, John McCabe, J. R. McCorkle, Wm. H. McCoy, H. W. Mercer, Green B. Miller, W. R. Mizell, Thos. S. Morgan, E. F. Morton, John T. Mozley, I. N. Pearce, John N. Pearce, Wm. B. Pearce, J. J. Penny, Wm. Perkins, R. M. Pickens, S. D. Poor, David Ragains, W. D. Ragsdale, S. T. Reed, A. A. Ridenhower, H. M. Ridenhower, F. Robberts, J. A. Roberts, S. B. Roberts, W. J. Russell, Ellis R. Shain, W. F. Shuckers, F. M. Simpson, L. J. Simpson, John W. Slack, Andrew J. Smith, J. A. Smith, James Smith, M. S. Smith, W. Y. Smith, Wm. D. Smith, Y. H. Smith, D. A. Stahl, G. A. Standard, J. B. Stringer, R. E. Stublefield, W. N. Stublefield, W. J. Suit, C. A. Tacker, W. C. Taylor, Greene N. Thacker, S. P. Thacker, Wm. H. Thomas, D. Turner, Wm. R. Vancleave, J. P. West, Wm. H. Whiteaker, S. Whitehead, R. M. Whitnel, Wm. H. Wilhelm, brothers Williams, W. W. Wilson, Curtis P. Wise, O. J. Wise, Chas. Wright, James D. Wright, Mrs. Barbara Wright, Owen T. Wright
Patrons
Patrons listing provides for each person listed: Name, Post Office, Section, Occupation, Nativity, and Year Settled in State.
Bleuette Bain, Geo. S. Barnwell, James Betts, John E. Betts, C. C. Boyd, Felix A. Boyt, S. C. Bradford, John C. Brading, Wm. M. Bridges, Wilson Brown, John W. Brumit, I. J. Burklow, C. D. Calhoon, John Cardwell, R. W. Carlton, John W. Carson, W. J. Cavitt, D. C. Chapman, L. Chapman, T. S. Clayton, M. C. Cochrane, Elias Cotton, W. A. Cover, J. A. Crecelins, B. T. Dallis, Wm. Y. Davis, L. D. Dempsey, B. D. Dismakes, Levi Dunn, J. D. Emerson, A. J. Fern, G. W. Fern, L. Wm. Fern, W. B. File, Simpson W. Foster, E. T. Francis, WM. H. Gann, Samuel M. Glassford, G. W. Goddard, W. W. Gold, A. J. Gray, J. M. Green, Thomas Hart, Felix G. Head, I. C. Holt, Robert Hood, W. R. Howell, U. L. Huggins, R. A. Hundley, J. W. Hutchinson, R. H. Jackson, W. T. Johnson, J. M. Jones, William Jones, R. J. Jonison, W. R. Kelley, T. L. Lambert, F. M. Lasley, I. L Marberry, J. H. Martin, Thos. J. McCormack, John W. McKee, Wm. McLanahan, Franklin Modglin, Wm. Modglin, A. J. Morris, J. M. Murie, W. J. Murie, Henry Newton, S. H. Norwell, J. F. Oliver, J. H. Ollis, E. T. Oneal, J. W. Parker, J. F. Parks, Mrs. Catharine Pender, R. Penrod, James A. Pierce, James M. Price, D. F. Ramay, J. F. M. Ramay, W. P. Ramay, John H. Reed, Eli. Rion, Isac Rion, J. W. Roberts, M. L. Robertson, J. F. Roundtree, Wm. V. Rushing, John Sanders, S. G. Scott, Richard Shourd, S. H. Simmons, John H. Simpson, Silas Sivia, John Slack, J. M. Slasley, T. A. Smith, James Stack, H. H. Stanley, G. A. Stanton, C. J. Stevens, W. A. Stewart, J. W. Sullivan, W. G. Thomas, J. H. Travis, P. M. Usrey, Peter P. Ussery, Mrs. S. V. Waters, W. Waters, William Waters, Mark Whiteaker, Finas Whitehead, John Whitehead, J. J. Whiteside, W. R. Whiteside, J. S. Whittenberg, John Wiggins, B. L. Wiley, A. B. Womack, W. S. Wymore, F. M. Yeckley
Contributed 2022 Apr 22 by Norma Hass, extracted from 1876 Atlas of the State of Illinois, pages 195, 256, and 279-280.
