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72-517: Congerville is a village in Woodford County , Illinois , United States . The population was 474 as of the 2010 census, up from 466 in 2000. Congerville is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area . The site of Congerville was surveyed for Joseph Schrock on January 2, 1888, and the village was known as Schrock . The name was changed to Conger on February 27, 1888, after

144-426: A 4-year term. Board members appoint one member to act as chair at two-year intervals. The County Board provides governing ordinances for Woodford County, establishes a budget, levies taxes, and promulgates policies and regulations for the management of government operations. The County Board holds monthly meetings. It also selects five standing committees , each with five members, which meet monthly. The 15 members of

216-486: A college within the church laity grew. According to the US Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 543 square miles (1,410 km ), of which 528 square miles (1,370 km ) is land and 15 square miles (39 km ) (2.7%) is water. Most of the area is prairie land, with some bluffs originally covered with timber. In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Eureka have ranged from

288-490: A few Indians in the county at the time of settlement by the whites, but the two races did not come into conflict to any extent. The advancing wave of civilization seemed to follow up the retreating wave of barbarism. The first settlers encountered a few Indians ... and in 1832 were involved to some extent in the Black Hawk War , but the active operations were further north than Woodford County. The current boundaries of

360-413: A foot long. The resulting rolls of wool were then spun into thread upon a spinning wheel and thereby prepared for the loom . A sexual division of labor was practiced, with women engaged in home manufactures and food preparation while men were occupied with agriculture, hunting, and construction. Since a great percentage of the land of Woodford County was tillable, farming was the principal occupation of

432-705: A low of 13 °F (−11 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of 111 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.75 inches (44 mm) in January to 4.20 inches (107 mm) in May. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 38,664 people, 14,276 households, and 10,675 families residing in

504-524: A number of local worthies, including many active in the Church of Christ, guaranteeing payment of his salary. This school was formally launched in September 1848. Owing to the presence of a charismatic local religious leader, the Church of Christ showed great growth during this period, adding 100 adherents in 1848, with other supporters in neighboring counties. Demand grew for transformation of the school into

576-492: A runaway slave passed on his way to freedom. There was such a strong sentiment against the [slave] traffic that conductors and stations were found in sufficient number to carry on the work successfully. Church deacons named Mr. Dutton and Parker Morse were credited by Moore as leaders of the local anti-slavery effort. Despite the fact that these and other active conductors in the Underground Railroad were known to

648-430: A seminary with room and board for students from other localities, with instructional costs to be covered through collection of tuition . In September 1849, the school was rechristened Walnut Grove Seminary and relaunched with A.S. Fisher as principal, assisted by a young woman "of superior ability and tact as a teacher." Fisher would ultimately spend 38 years associated with the college which would emerge. In December 1849

720-602: A substantial Woodford County contingent. Serving under Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger , they participated in the initial phase of the Vicksburg Campaign. The 77th then participated in the Battle of Jackson, Mississippi (May 1863), and taking the city. Disaster struck in April 1864 near Alexandria, Louisiana , when the unit was isolated and crushed in a cavalry support operation at the Battle of Sabine Cross-roads . 176 men of

792-560: A temporary two-year interval. Competition for the honor (and related business opportunities) was fierce leading up to the June 1843 decision of the county commissioners to tap Metamora (then known as Hanover) as the new seat. A county courthouse was begun in Metamora in 1844 and a county jail in March 1852. It was during the pre-Civil War years that Woodford County adopted townships – which

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864-497: A wide range of units, making a universal summary of their wartime experience impossible. Some units composed largely of residents of Woodford County, including Company G of the 17th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment , mustered at Peoria May 25, 1861, and fought at the Battle of Shiloh in Hardin County, Tennessee in April 1862. Several Woodford County men were among the 130 members of the 17th Infantry killed and wounded in

936-636: Is derived from the Ojibwe Boodewaadamii(g) ( syncoped in the Ottawa as Boodewaadmii(g) ). The Potawatomi name for themselves ( autonym ) is Bodéwadmi (without syncope: Bodéwademi ; plural: Bodéwadmik ), a cognate of the Ojibwe form. Their name means "those who tend the hearth-fire," which refers to the hearth of the Council of Three Fires . The word comes from "to tend

1008-579: Is part of the El Paso-Gridley Community Unit School District 11 . Woodford County is among the most solidly Republican counties in Illinois when it comes to presidential elections. The last Republican to receive less than 50% of the county's vote was George H. W. Bush in 1992 who still won the county. In 1964, Barry Goldwater won the county despite losing the state by nearly 19%. Early Woodford County

1080-466: Is referred to as the Battle of Fort Dearborn . A Potawatomi chief named Mucktypoke ( Makdébki , Black Partridge), counseled his fellow warriors against the attack. Later he saved some of the civilian captives who were being ransomed by the Potawatomi. The French period of contact began with early explorers who reached the Potawatomi in western Michigan. They also found the tribe located along

1152-556: The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) . Its most noted alumnus is US President Ronald Reagan . Eureka College traces its roots back to the summer of 1848, when a young collegian named A.S. Fisher appeared in Walnut Grove (original name of Eureka) and expressed his interest in conducting a school that would teach language, science, mathematics, and philosophy. Fisher was employed to teach school for ten months, with

1224-813: The Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. By the end of the French period, the Potawatomi had begun a move to the Detroit area, leaving the large communities in Wisconsin. The British period of contact began when France ceded its lands after its defeat by Britain in the French and Indian War (the North American front of the Seven Years' War ). Pontiac's Rebellion was an attempt by Native Americans to push

1296-697: The Neutral Confederacy , who were seeking expanded hunting grounds. It is estimated that the Potawatomi numbered around 3,000 in 1658,. As an important part of Tecumseh 's Confederacy, Potawatomi warriors took part in Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812 . Their alliances switched repeatedly between United Kingdom and the United States as power relations shifted between the nations, and they calculated effects on their trade and land interests. At

1368-665: The Peoria , IL, Metropolitan Statistical Area . Its name comes from General William Woodford , an officer of the American Revolutionary War who served at the brutal military encampment at Valley Forge , Pennsylvania . Woodford County is part of what was formerly the homelands of several Native American peoples, including the Potawatomi , the Meskwaki , and the Sauk peoples. It was located just south of

1440-633: The St. Joseph River , the Kankakee River , Tippecanoe and Wabash Rivers , the Illinois River and Lake Peoria, and the Des Plaines and Fox Rivers . The chiefs listed below are grouped by geographic area. The removal period of Potawatomi history began with the treaties of the late 1820s, when the United States created reservations. Billy Caldwell and Alexander Robinson negotiated for

1512-532: The Treaty of Paris , which ended the American Revolutionary War and established the United States' interest in the lower Great Lakes. It lasted until the treaties for Indian removal were signed. The US recognized the Potawatomi as a single tribe. They often had a few tribal leaders whom all villages accepted. The Potawatomi had a decentralized society, with several main divisions based on geographic locations: Milwaukee or Wisconsin area, Detroit or Huron River ,

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1584-719: The " Trail of Death ". Potawatomi (also spelled Pottawatomie; in Potawatomi Bodéwadmimwen or Bodéwadmi Zheshmowen or Neshnabémwen ) is a Central Algonquian language and is spoken around the Great Lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin. It is also spoken by Potawatomi in Kansas , Oklahoma, and in southern Ontario . As of 2001, there were fewer than 1,300 people who speak Potawatomi as a first language, most of them elderly. The people are working to revitalize

1656-462: The "Seven Grandfather Teachings" of wisdom, respect, love, honesty, humility, bravery, and truth toward each other and all creation. Each principle teaches the equality and importance of their fellow tribesmen and respect for all of nature's creations. The story that underlies these teaches the importance of patience and listening. It follows the Water Spider's journey to retrieve fire so that

1728-410: The 14,276 households, 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.7% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.2% were non-families, and 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 39.6 years. The median income for a household in

1800-669: The 19th century, some bands of Potawatomi were pushed to the west by European/American encroachment. In the 1830s the federal government removed most from their lands east of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory - first in Kansas, Nebraska, and last to Oklahoma. Some bands survived in the Great Lakes region and today are federally recognized as tribes, in addition to the Potawatomi in Oklahoma. The English "Potawatomi"

1872-526: The 5,000 mark. Illinois settlers were overwhelmingly opposed to the institution of slavery , and with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 , popular discontent grew and opponents began to engage in acts of resistance, hiding escaped slaves seeking escape to Canada . One branch of the so-called Underground Railroad along which escaped slaves furtively avoided their potential captors ran directly through Woodford County. The "stations" of

1944-619: The 77th Illinois were killed, wounded, or captured, leaving only 125 members of the regiment fit for duty. The unit was mustered out in July 1865, having participated in 16 battles. Woodford County men served in numbers in Company A, 86th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment , suffering losses in Kentucky at the Battle of Perryville in October 1862, and participating in Sherman's March to

2016-703: The British and other European settlers out of their territory. The Potawatomi captured every British frontier garrison but the one at Detroit. The Potawatomi nation continued to grow and expanded westward from Detroit, most notably in the development of the St. Joseph villages adjacent to the Miami in southwestern Michigan. The Wisconsin communities continued and moved south along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The United States treaty period of Potawatomi history began with

2088-473: The Fugitive Slave Law, subject to prosecution and punishment. Local historian Roy L. Moore wrote: There was bitter opposition to the enforcement of the fugitive slave law. This condition was not surprising, since the county had men who were strong opponents of slavery and likewise men who would make any sacrifice to have the institution stamped out. Over this branch of the underground road many

2160-760: The Indiana Potawatomi was documented by a Catholic priest, Benjamin Petit , who accompanied the Indians on the Potawatomi Trail of Death in 1838. Petit died while returning to Indiana in 1839. His diary was published in 1941, over 100 years after his death, by the Indiana Historical Society. Many Potawatomi found ways to remain, primarily those in Michigan. Others fled to their Odawa neighbors or to Canada to avoid removal to

2232-505: The Sea . Others were concentrated in Companies D and E of the 108th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment , in which 205 of the 214 fatalities suffered by the regiment were due to disease rather than combat, 134 of whom died in February and March 1863 alone. A leading community institution of Woodford County for more than 150 years is Eureka College , a liberal arts school affiliated with

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2304-512: The Underground Railroad were generally residences where escaping slaves could hide from their pursuers. These stations were located at convenient distances so that those escaping (and their "conductor" guides) could travel from one to the next in a single night. The journey was dangerous. Wanted posters offering rewards of $ 50, $ 100, and sometimes more for specific runaway slaves were placed by slaveowners, attracting bounty hunters. Moreover, those assisting escaping slaves were themselves violators of

2376-619: The United Nations of Chippewa, Ottawa and Potowatomi in the Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien (1829), by which they ceded most of their lands in Wisconsin and Michigan. Some Potawatomi became religious followers of the "Kickapoo Prophet", Kennekuk . Over the years, the US reduced the size of the reservations under pressure for land by incoming European Americans. The final step followed the Treaty of Chicago , negotiated in 1833 for

2448-422: The age of 18 living with them, 74.2% were married couples living together, 2.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.27. In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under

2520-466: The age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $ 51,786, and the median income for a family was $ 60,313. Males had a median income of $ 45,673 versus $ 25,132 for females. The per capita income for

2592-645: The board are elected from three electoral districts, each electing five board members. District 1 includes Clayton, Greene, El Paso, Kansas, Linn, Minonk, Roanoke, Palestine, and Panola Townships; District 2 includes Cazenovia, Partridge, Spring Bay, and Worth Townships; and District 3 includes Cruger, Metamora, Montgomery, and Olio Townships. Since 1949 Eureka has been a part of the Congerville-Eureka-Goodfield Community Unit School District 140 . The district's coverage area totals 113 square miles. El Paso

2664-540: The community, popular sentiment against slavery was such that there was "very little molestation for a long time" in Woodford County. Only one instance of an arrest of a Woodford County conductor is recorded by Roy Moore in his 1910 history, and that ultimately resulted in the quashing of the indictment . When it was first established in 1841, the county seat of Woodford County was placed in Versailles for

2736-404: The county seat from Metamora, including Eureka , El Paso , and Roanoke . El Paso was nearly awarded the seat in 1867, when it sent a local attorney to make an offer of $ 30,000 to the town of Metamora to relinquish the county seat. A closely contested vote ended with the apparent result in favor of El Paso reversed by a bare 10 votes in a recount . Another vote in 1869 rejected an appeal to move

2808-510: The county seat to Eureka. A dubious recount in a third election held in November 1873 again overturned an apparent result to move the Woodford County seat to Roanoke. A fourth election in 1884, again proposing relocation to Roanoke, failed miserably. It was only in 1894 when a final election provided a decisive majority in favor of moving the county seat to Eureka that Metamora lost its status as county seat. An impressive new courthouse building

2880-426: The county was $ 65,890 and the median income for a family was $ 75,601. Males had a median income of $ 55,297 versus $ 35,435 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 29,475. About 4.9% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. Woodford County is governed by a 15-member elected County Board, each member serving

2952-544: The county were not those originally drawn; moreover, the names of various counties in the region changed frequently The Eastern portion of Woodford County was known as Edwards (1814–16), Crawford (1816–19), Clark (1819–21), and Fayette (1821-25) Counties, while the Western part of today's county was included in Madison (1814–17), Bond (1817–21), and Sangamon (1821–25) Counties. In 1827 new lines were drawn and Tazewell County

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3024-531: The county. The population density was 73.3 inhabitants per square mile (28.3/km ). There were 15,145 housing units at an average density of 28.7 per square mile (11.1/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 97.4% White, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 48.7% were German , 14.1% were Irish , 10.9% were English , and 8.8% were American . Of

3096-420: The early 19th century, major portions of Potawatomi lands were seized by the US government. Following the Treaty of Chicago in 1833, by which the tribe ceded its lands in Illinois, most of the Potawatomi people were removed to Indian Territory, west of the Mississippi River. Many perished en route to new lands in the west on their journey through Iowa , Kansas, and Indian Territory, following what became known as

3168-544: The early settler Ben Conger, and then to Congerville on July 31, 1888. Congerville is located at 40°36′51″N 89°12′24″W  /  40.614130°N 89.206576°W  / 40.614130; -89.206576 . After a January 5, 1999, reading of −36 °F (−38 °C), Congerville held the record for the coldest temperature ever officially recorded in Illinois . It took this title from Mount Carroll —which had recorded −35 °F (−37 °C) in 1930—and lost it to

3240-492: The early settlers. Plowing was by means of wooden plows with iron shares; corn was planted by hand and covered using a hoe . Hay , often using wild rather than cultivated grass, was cut with a scythe and taken up with rakes and pitchforks . With the advent of timber milling in the area, frame houses became possible. Settlers cooperated in construction, helping one another raise houses and barns. The latter could be 30 feet in length and width with walls perhaps 16 feet high. "It

3312-404: The future Woodford County region appeared in the 1820s. First settlement in the county came at Spring Bay , with pioneers managing to select the same ground occupied by an ancient Indian burial site which ran north-and-south through the entire settlement. The location was chosen due to its proximity to the Illinois River . In the 1870s, an early historian of Woodford County wrote: There were

3384-424: The hearth-fire," which is bodewadm (without syncope: bodewadem ) in the Potawatomi language ; the Ojibwe and Ottawa forms are boodawaadam and boodwaadam , respectively. Alternatively, the Potawatomi call themselves Neshnabé (without syncope: Eneshenabé ; plural: Neshnabék ), a cognate of Ojibwe Anishinaabe (g) , meaning "original people." The Potawatomi teach their children about

3456-471: The land of the Illiniwek . The western portion of the county in particular shows much archeological evidence of having supported extensive First Nations populations. At the time of the American Revolutionary War , three competing American colonies – Massachusetts, Virginia, and Connecticut – claimed part of what is today the state of Illinois. The matter was solved in 1778 when Virginia amalgamated lands in

3528-710: The language , as evidenced by recent efforts such as the online Potawatomi language Dictionary created by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation or the various resources available through the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians . The Potawatomi language is most similar to the Odawa language ; it also has borrowed a considerable amount of vocabulary from Sauk . Like the Odawa language, or the Ottawa dialect of

3600-424: The other animals can survive the cold. As the other animals step forth one after another to proclaim that they shall be the ones to retrieve the fire, the Water Spider sits and waits while listening to her fellows. As they finish and wrestle with their fears, she steps forward and announces that she will be the one to bring fire back. As they laugh and doubt her, she weaves a bowl out of her web, using it to sail across

3672-485: The region into a massive county called Illinois, borrowing the name of a native people. Indiana Territory was formed in 1800 with William Henry Harrison as Governor; the future Illinois was part of this territory. It was not until 1809 that Illinois Territory was formally established as an official territory of the United States of America. Statehood followed in December 1818. The first organized Anglo settlements in

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3744-563: The root of Uvularia grandiflora with lard and use it as salve to massage sore muscles and tendons. They use Symphyotrichum novae-angliae as a fumigating reviver. Vaccinium myrtilloides is part of their traditional cuisine, and is eaten fresh, dried, and canned. They also use the root bark of the plant for an unspecified ailment. The Potawatomi first lived in Lower Michigan, then moved to northern Wisconsin and eventually settled into northern Indiana and central Illinois. In

3816-417: The same town on January 31, 2019, when the temperature there dropped to −38 °F (−39 °C). According to the 2010 census, Congerville has a total area of 1.124 square miles (2.91 km), of which 1.12 square miles (2.90 km) (or 99.64%) is land and 0.004 square miles (0.01 km) (or 0.36%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 466 people, 163 households, and 131 families residing in

3888-409: The school was incorporated as Walnut Grove Academy. Money was collected for an expansion of the facility and a new two-story building constructed. The enterprise continued to expand and planning began for expansion of the academy into a college, with necessary buildings and a library. Appeals were made to the state Missionary Convention of the Church of Christ in 1851 and enthusiasm for establishment of

3960-593: The time of the War of 1812, a band of Potawatomi inhabited the area near Fort Dearborn , where Chicago developed. Led by the chiefs Blackbird and Nuscotomeg (Mad Sturgeon), a force of about 500 warriors attacked the United States evacuation column leaving Fort Dearborn. They killed most of the civilians and 54 of Captain Nathan Heald 's force, and wounded many others. George Ronan , the first graduate of West Point to be killed in combat, died in this ambush. The incident

4032-492: The tribes by Caldwell and Robinson. In return for land cessions, the US promised new lands, annuities and supplies to enable the peoples to develop new homes. The Illinois Potawatomi were removed to Nebraska and the Indiana Potawatomi to Kansas , both west of the Mississippi River. Often annuities and supplies were reduced, or late in arrival, and the Potawatomi suffered after their relocations. Those in Kansas were later removed to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma ). The removal of

4104-466: The two-day battle. This unit also participated in the last phase of the 1863 Siege of Vicksburg in Warren County, Mississippi , a protracted battle which led to the surrender of over 29,000 Confederate troops. Another unit containing numerous Woodford County men was the 47th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment , especially Companies B and I. Mustered into service at Peoria on August 16, 1861,

4176-473: The unit lost 30 killed and 100 wounded in the Battle of Corinth , Mississippi, in October 1862. The unit also suffered casualties in a May 1863 charge during the Vicksburg Campaign . After the fall of Vicksburg in July 1863, the unit spent the duration guarding railroad lines, being discharged in October of that year. The 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment , Companies C, F and H, also had

4248-399: The village was $ 20,795. None of the families and 0.7% of the population were living below the poverty line , including no under eighteens and 2.8% of those over 64. Woodford County, Illinois Woodford County is a county located in the state of Illinois . The 2020 United States Census listed its population at 38,467. Its county seat is Eureka . Woodford County is part of

4320-489: The village. The population density was 615.3 inhabitants per square mile (237.6/km). There were 167 housing units at an average density of 220.5 per square mile (85.1/km). The racial makeup of the village was 98.93% White , 0.43% Native American , 0.21% Asian , and 0.43% from two or more races. None of the population is African American , Pacific Islander , Hispanic or Latino of any race, or from other races. There were 163 households, out of which 37.4% had children under

4392-514: The water to retrieve the fire. She brings back a hot coal out of which the animals make fire, and they celebrate her honor and bravery. The Potawatomi are first mentioned in French records, which suggest that in the early 17th century, they lived in what is now southwestern Michigan . During the Beaver Wars they fled to the area around Green Bay to escape attacks by both the Iroquois and

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4464-518: The west. There are several active bands of Potawatomi. Federally recognized Potawatomi tribes in the United States: La Chauvignerie (1736) and Morgan (1877) mention among the Potawatomi doodems (clans) being: They regard Epigaea repens as their tribal flower and consider it to have come directly from their divinity. Allium tricoccum is consumed in traditional Potawatomi cuisine. They mix an infusion of

4536-496: Was customarily apportioned to the various counties according to their population. Enlistment bonuses were paid. After 1862 when the number of volunteers ultimately failed to fulfill a state's enlistment quota, a draft was begun. Substitutes for those drafted could be sent, with prices paid by the draftee to his substitute generally ranging of $ 500 to $ 600, although prices of up to $ 1,000 were reportedly paid. Woodford County's volunteers – and later on conscripts – were dispersed among

4608-464: Was established in 1837 in the home of Parker Morse in Cazenovia . The first settlers of Woodford County occupied crude log cabins . Windows were covered with oiled papers; doors and floors were constructed of rough boards split from trees and held together with wooden pegs. Construction of the cabins was primitive, with the floor plan generally involving a single room heated with a fireplace. Meat

4680-415: Was established, including all of today's Woodford County. Settlers began arriving from neighboring territories during the early 1830s. This led to the formal creation of Woodford County along its current boundaries in February 1841 from a portion of Tazewell County and a portion of McLean County that had been part of Tazewell County before 1830. The county was named for Woodford County , Kentucky , which

4752-417: Was frequently roasted on a spit; cornbread was generally baked on the fireplace coals. A common staple of pioneer life was waffles , baked from batter in a folding iron mold three or four feet long. Modern canning processes were unknown and the wintertime larder consisted primarily of bread and meat. Vegetables were consumed seasonally, with pumpkin, red peppers, corn, and venison dried for later use. Clothing

4824-429: Was heavy and dangerous work, and the raising of a large barn required the united energies of a whole community," one settler recalled. Other buildings commonly constructed included stables, corn-cribs, smokehouses, and ash-hoppers. Plank fences began to appear in the 1850s. Governance by the early settlers was not by secret ballot, but by voice vote. By 1850, Woodford County was well settled; county's population topped

4896-475: Was in turn named after General William Woodford , who served with General George Washington at Valley Forge , Pennsylvania during the brutal winter of 1777–78. The first post office in today's Woodford County was established in 1836 at Partridge township , named for local tribal leader Black Partridge. Also in 1836, the area's first (private) school was founded, by Miss Betsy Page. The first public school followed shortly thereafter. The first Sunday school

4968-442: Was made at home, generally of linen made from homegrown flax . In addition, other heavier compound fabrics known as " linsey ," made of linen or cotton with woolen filling, and "jeans," made of an even heavier material and dyed brown with walnut bark, were also used. Prior to 1831 all preparation of wool had to be done by hand at home, with the raw fiber "carded" between pairs of thin, metal spiked boards about 4 inches wide and

5040-562: Was met with strong opposition. No fewer than four public elections were held between 1850 and 1854 before the township system gained a majority of votes. Following the division of the county into townships in early 1855, the system of county government was likewise altered, with a county commission giving way to a board of supervisors. Early county officers, including the sheriff, coroner, school commissioner, surveyor, and treasurer were elected to two-year terms of office, later changed to four-year terms. Other claimants arose attempting to wrest

5112-696: Was quickly constructed in Eureka, cementing that town's status as legal and governmental center of Woodford County. Woodford County's population continued to swell, standing at 13,281 when the American Civil War started in 1861. Support for the Union Cause was strong throughout the county; by war's end 1,643 county residents had enlisted in the Union forces – 12.4% of the population. Calls for troops were translated into state quotas, which in Illinois

5184-601: Was served by a variety of newspapers. Probably the first was the Woodford County Times (1854). By 1880 there were five weekly papers in the county: Woodford Sentinel, El Paso Journal, Eureka Journal, Minonk Blade, Washburn News . The Eureka College also produced a monthly periodical, the Eureka College Messenger. 40°47′N 89°13′W  /  40.79°N 89.21°W  / 40.79; -89.21 Potawatomi In

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