Category Archives: Communities

Williamsville

Posted on March 26, 2013 by editor

European settlers lived in the Williamsville area by the early 1820s, but the village itself wasn’t laid out until 1853. The community’s first house was built by Jacob Flagg in the fall of that year. Williamsville is named after Col. … Continue reading →

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Sangamon County, founding of

Posted on March 22, 2013 by editor

Sangamon County was created by an act of the Illinois General Assembly on Jan. 30, 1821. It was subdivided from Madison and Bond counties and at the time was one of only 33 counties in the state (there are now … Continue reading →

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Springfield, origin of

Posted on March 18, 2013 by editor

Whether or not Elisha Kelley was the first resident of the area that later became Springfield, the “Kelley cabins,” occupied by Elisha, John and Henry Kelley and others, were the heart of early Springfield. Even though their settlement was tiny, nowhere … Continue reading →

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