ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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Clay County

Established
December 23, 1824 (Laws, 1825, p. 19)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Henry Clay, a statesman and political orator, Representative in Congress and United States Senator from Kentucky, three times Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, famous as the author of the political measures know as the "Missouri Compromise," and a prominent candidate for the Presidency.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1819–1824 — Wayne
1821–1824 — Fayette
1816–1824 — Crawford
1815–1819 — Edwards
1812–1815 — Gallatin
1812–1815 — Madison
1803–1812 — Randolph
1801–1812 — St. Clair
1790–1801 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
1825–1841 — Maysville
1841–   — Louisville

History of county governing board
1825–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1862 — County Court
1862–   — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — November 5, 1861

Township Names
Bible Grove
Blair
Clay City
Harter
Hoosier
Larkinsburg
Louisville
Oskaloosa
Pixley
Songer
Stanford
Xenia

Township Map

Pertinent Databases
Federal Township Plats of Illinois
Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950
Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
Local Governmental Records Database
Name Index to Illinois Local Governments