ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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Coles County

Established
December 25, 1830 (Laws, 1831, p. 59)

Origin of the name of the county
Named after Edward Coles, the second Governor of the State of Illinois. Coles served as Governor from December 5, 1822 to December 6, 1826.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1823–1830 — Edgar
1819–1823 — Clark
1815–1819 — Crawford
1812–1815 — Madison
1801–1812 — St. Clair
1790–1801 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
1831–   — Charleston

History of county governing board
1831–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1860 — County Court
1860–   — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — November 8, 1859

Township Names
Ashmore
Charleston
East Oakland — Name changed from Oakland on May 7, 1860.
Humboldt — Name changed from Milton on May 7, 1860.
Hutton
Lafayette
Mattoon
Morgan
North Okaw — Name changed from Okaw on May 7, 1860.
Paradise
Pleasant Grove
Seven Hickory — Name changed from Hickory on May 7, 1860.

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
Mattoon Court of Common Pleas Case Files Index (1869–1873)
Mattoon Death Certificate Registers Index (1899–1918)
Name Index to Illinois Local Governments