Free Family Records for Researching Hancock County, Illinois Ancestry

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Hancock County
Formed, on January 13, 1825, out of Pike County.

Population in 2020: 17,620
County seat: Carthage
Named for John Hancock, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
Hancock County covers 795 square miles

Hancock County was part of the "Military Tract" set aside by Congress to reward veterans of the War of 1812. After the defeat of the Native Americans in the Blackhawk War in 1832, settlement proceeded quickly.

Its county seat is Carthage, and its largest city is Hamilton. The county is composed of rural towns with many farmers.

HANCOCK COUNTY, on the western border of the State, bounded on the west by the Mississippi River; was organized in 1825 and named for John Hancock; has an area of 769 square miles; population (1900), 32,215. Its early settlers were chiefly from the Middle and Southern States, among them being I. J. Waggen, for nearly sixty years a resident of Montebello Township. Black Hawk, the famous Indian Chief, is reputed to have been born within the limits of Camp Creek Township, in this county. Fort Edwards was erected on the present site of Warsaw, soon after the War of 1812, but was shortly afterwards evacuated. Abraham Lincoln, a cousin of the President of that name, was one of the early settlers. Among the earliest were John Day, Abraham Brewer, Jacob Compton, D. F. Parker, the Dixons, Mendenhalls, Logans, and Luther Whitney. James White, George Y. Cutler and Henry Nichols were the first Commissioners In 1839 the Mormons crossed the Mississippi, after being expelled from Missouri, and founded the city of Nauvoo in this county.
Carthage and Appanoose were surveyed and laid out in 1835 and 1836. A ferry across the Mississippi was established at Montebello (near the present site of Hamilton) in 1829, and another, two years later, near the site of old Fort Edwards. The county is crossed by six lines of railway, has a fine public school system, numerous thriving towns, and is among the wealthy counties of the State. [Source: "Historical Encylopedia of Illinois, 1901"]

Towns and Cities

Cities
Carthage ~ Dallas City (partly in Henderson County)
Hamilton ~ La Harpe ~ Nauvoo ~ Warsaw

Town
Bentley

Villages
Augusta ~ Basco ~ Bowen ~ Elvaston ~ Ferris ~ Plymouth ~ Pontoosuc ~ West Point

Unincorporated Communities
Adrian ~ Breckenridge ~ Burnside ~ Chili ~ Colusa ~ Denver ~ Disco ~ Durham ~ Elderville
Fountain Green ~ Joetta ~ La Crosse ~ McCall ~ Middle Creek ~ Niota ~ Old Niota
~ Powellton ~ Saint Mary ~ Stillwell ~ Sutter ~ Tioga ~ Webster ~

Forts
Fort Johnson

Townships of Hancock County

* Appanoose * Augusta * Bear Creek * Carthage * Chili * Dallas City * Durham
* Fountain Green * Hancock *Harmony * La Harpe * Montebello
* Nauvoo * Pilot Grove * Pontoosuc * Prairie * Rock Creek * Rocky Run * St. Albans
* St. Mary's * Sonora * Walker * Warsaw * Wilcox * Wythe