ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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DeWitt County

Established
March 1, 1839 (Laws, 1839, p. 199)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for DeWitt Clinton, a distinguished lawyer, financier and statesman, Mayor of the city and Governor of the State of New York, United States Senator and chief promoter of the Erie Canal.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1827–1839 — McLean
1831–1839 — Macon
1827–1831 — Tazewell
1827–1831 — Shelby
1821–1827 — Fayette
1819–1821 — Clark
1816–1819 — Crawford
1815–1816 — Edwards
1812–1815 — Madison
1801–1812 — St. Clair
1790–1801 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
1839–   — Clinton

History of county governing board
1839–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1859 — County Court
1859–   — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — November 2, 1858

Township Names
Barnett
Clintonia — Name changed from Clinton on June 7, 1859.
Creek
DeWitt — Name changed from Marion on June 7, 1859.
Harp
Nixon
Rutledge — Name changed from Douglas on June 7, 1859.
Santa Anna — Name changed from Mt. Pleasant on June 7, 1859.
Texas
Turnbridge
Wapella
Waynesville
Wilson

Township Map

Pertinent Databases
DeWitt County Coroner's Inquest Files Index (1924–1977)
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