ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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Franklin County

Established
January 2, 1818 (Laws, 1817/18, p. 11)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Benjamin Franklin, philosopher, statesman, diplomatist, author, printer, a member of the Continental Congress, Ambassador to France, and (before the Revolution) Deputy Postmaster General of the British Colonies in America.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1815–1818 — White
1812–1818 — Gallatin
1795–1813 — Randolph
1790–1795 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
1818–1821 — Shawneetown–Kaskaskia Road, at Moses Garrett’s tavern.
1821–1841 — Frankfort
1841–  — Benton

History of county governing board
1818–1819 — Justices’ Court
1819–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1871 — County Court
1872–1875 — County Board of Supervisors
1875–1876 — Board of County Commissioners — 1876–1880 — County Board of Supervisors
1880–1885 — Board of County Commissioners
1885–  — County Board of Supervisors

Documented Record Losses
November 18, 1843 — Fire. Most records lost (1818–1843).

Township Government
Adopted — November 7, 1871
Discontinued — November 3, 1874
Adopted — November 2, 1875 – Divided into 9 townships (see notes below).
Discontinued — November 1879
Adopted — November 4, 1884

Township Names
Barren — Part of Goode under 1875 organization.
Benton
Browning — Part of Benton under 1875 organization.
Cave
Denning — Named Town Mount under 1871 organization; part of Frankfort under 1875 organization.
Eastern
Ewing
Frankfort
Goode
Northern
Six Mile — Named Six Mile Prairie under 1871 organization.
Tyrone

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