The History of Montgomery County

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The History of Montgomery County (Photo shows Civil War cannon in front of Historic Courthouse, Hillsboro, Montgomery County, Illinois.) There were few white settlers in the area of Montgomery County prior to 1816. But it didn't take long for it to become settled. When they arrived, they found the area was populated by scattered settlements of Kickapoo Indians. White people drifted in and settled, first in the southeast part of the county, arriving most immediately from Bond and Fayette counties. The new arrivals built homes and began to farm along Hurricane Creek in the VanBurensburg area and in the Clear Springs neighborhood of Shoal Creek. After the War of 1812, Congress awarded each soldier who had served a bonus of 160 acres of "Soldiers' Bounty Lands" in the then Illinois Territory. It was an award, but also an incentive to populate the western lands. Early residents of the area, including John Tillson, Jr., Hiram Rountree, Israel Seward and Eleaser Townsend, petitioned the state legislature to allow formation of Montgomery County on February 12, 1821, just three years after the state itself was officially organized. The area was then part of Bond County. When the county was organized, it included all of its present boundary and more, except for Audubon Township, the township and a half that is now east of Nokomis and Witt Townships. That land was part of Fayette County but was added to Montgomery in 1827. Montgomery County at that time also included parts of eight additional townships to the north of Raymond, Rountree and Nokomis and east of Bois D'Arc and Harvel Townships. In 1839, when Dane County was formed, most of those were detached and the present line was finally set. Dane County was later renamed Christian County. The county was named for General Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War hero killed in the assault against Quebec on December 31, 1775. First county seat On March 21, 1821, in a cabin located in the Taylor Springs area, three special commissioners met to decide on a site for a county seat. They voted to establish it about three miles southwest of present day Hillsboro. It would be called Hamilton. The town was established, log cabins built, a store opened and logs even cut for a courthouse to be built there. But then three men got themselves named as new special commissioners by the state legislature and they proceeded to relocate the county seat to a different site on 20 acres owned by Newton Coffey, where downtown Hillsboro is now located. The new site was quickly approved by county commissioners, also newly appointed by the state legislature. The commissioners included Major James Wilson, Harris Reavis and Newton Coffey. The present courthouse shortly after it was built in 1873. Once the county was organized, a county commissioners' court was held and the first county officers appointed. First county sheriff was Joel Wright; clerk, Hiram Rountree; coroner, Jarvis Forehand; treasurer, John Tillson; L.M. Townsend, probate judge and James Wright and Daniel Meredith, first constables of the county. Tillson, said to be the first merchant in the new county seat, also became the first postmaster and built the first brick house in the county. The first courthouse was a 20' by 24', two story structure built of "hewn logs" and partially completed for the first term of circuit court to be held there June 17 and 18, 1824. The second courthouse, a frame structure begun in 1833, was also two-story, 40' by 20', and two-thirds of the first floor courtroom was a dirt floor. In 1854 a two-story brick structure replaced the frame building. It had four large white columns in front supporting a portico facing the main street. The present courthouse was completed in 1873 at a cost of over $100,000. A few bricks were salvaged from the previous structure and were used in the new building. Since construction of a new courts complex, the Historic Courthouse now houses non-judicial offices, i.e. treasurer, county clerk, regional office of education, supervisor of assessments and county coordinator. This is the most important building for those doing genealogical research. The building is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.