The histories of most of the 28 people – 26 men and two women – who have held the office of Sangamon County circuit clerk were researched in 2011 by Savannah Little. The resulting brief biographies can be read on the circuit clerk’s web site.
Here is a list of circuit clerks and their years in office.
Charles R. Matheny (1821-May 1835)
Mordecai Mobley (May-August 1835)
David Prickett (December 1835)
William Butler (1836-42)
John C. Calhoun (1842-48)
Benjamin Talbott (1848-52)
James H. Matheny (1852-56)
Presco Wright (1860-64)
Stephen S. Whitehurst (1860-64)
Charles H. Lanphier (1864-72)
James A. Winston (1872-80)
Edward R. Roberts (1880-88)
Edward Cahill (1888-96)
E. Dow Matheny (1896-1902)
John L. Bliss (pro tem) (1902)
Samuel T. Jones (1902-12)
Joseph H. Drennan (1912-16)
Charles L. Koehn (1916-24)
Robert G. Moore (1924-32)
Edgar L. Crane (1932-40)
Harry H. Mason (1940-44)
J. Harry Happer (1944-56)
Joseph P. Knox (1956-68)
Dwight H. O’Keefe Jr. (1968-72)
Edward W. Ryan (1972-80)
Karen Hasara (1980-86)
Candice Trees (1986-92)
Carl D. Oblinger (1992-96)
Tony Libri (1996-2015)
Paul Palazzolo (2015-23)
Joe Roesch was named circuit clerk in 2023.
This entry was updated in 2024.
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