Illinois County Court Houses

ILLINOIS COURTHOUSES

An Illustrated History

By Dennis Wiser

2009

QUOTES FOR DISCUSSION

Abraham Lincoln had a gift for securing improbable victories in court.

COOK CO

Great Chicago fire.

HANCOCK CO

Mormon exodus from Nauvoo.

Joseph and Hyrum Smith assassination at Carthage.

BROWN CO 

Abraham Lincoln photo in white suit.

Successfully defends Duff Armstrong in murder trial.

DE WITT CO

Abraham Lincoln practiced law. Abraham Lincoln begins presidential election.

SPRINGFIELD STATE CAPITOL BUILDING

Now a historic site; Lincoln's top hat sits on his desk. His chair is draped in black.

KANKAKEE CO

First soft serve ice cream; Dairy Queen created.

CLARK CO

Abraham Lincoln successfully defends a murder charge against William Davis.

CRAWFORD CO

Author of “From Here to Eternity”.

IROQUOIS CO

Katherine Clinton bequeaths $5 million to build a court house.

LOGAN CO

Abraham Lincoln serves as a circuit rider attorney. The town of Lincoln was named after him, one of the only that was named in his honor BEFORE he became president. He broke open a watermelon and squeezed juice on the ground as a baptism of the new town.

MENARD CO

As a surveyor, before practicing law, Abraham Lincoln platted the town of Petersburg.

MOULTRIE CO

1864 fire destroyed courthouse and records.

OGLE CO

Cattle bandits burned the courthouse to destroy evidence, but the clerk had taken the trial records home the night before. Convicted and sentenced too long prison terms.

John Deere moves to and opens a blacksmith tool shop in Illinois; designs a new style plow for the dark sticky soil. Now is a farm equipment company.