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Illinois (territory) -- Gallatin (county)


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County Quick Reference

County Seat: Shawneetown

County Name: Named for Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury.

 
Boundary Changes
(click on the name of a change to see more information)
 
Date
Area
Change
14 SEP 18124505Created from Randolph County
11 DEC 18134980Exchanged land with Randolph County
28 NOV 18142927Lost to creation of Edwards County
01 FEB 18161486Lost to creation of White County
01 APR 18161288Lost to creation of Pope County
26 DEC 18161224Lost land to Pope County
02 JAN 1818842Lost to creation of Franklin County
   

 

 

Authority
(click on a title below to view laws involved in the formation or governance of the area)
  
1812Proclamation establishing Gallatin, Johnson, and Madison counties
  
1813An Act establishing the boundary lines of Galletin County
  
1814An Act for the division of Galletin County
  
1815An Act for the division of Gallatin County
  
1816An Act to erect a new county out of the counties of Gallatin and Johnson
  
1816An Act to alter a part of the lines between the counties of Gallatin and Pope
  
1818An Act forming a separate County out of Gallatin, White and the detached part of Jackson county
  


Background
(general information on the area to put it in the context of history)

Gallatin County was formed on 14 September 1812 by by Territorial law [click here for more information]. The county's boundaries changed six times before statehood.

The following map shows the original size of the county at its founding (in red with yellow border) superimposed on a modern map.


Gallatin County in 1812

 

Census
(click on a year below to view information on the population of the area)


DatePopulationChange
18183,348---


Bibliography
(click on the title of the following works to learn more about life in the area; for those items not available online, check with your local library for availability)


  • "Map of Gallatin and Hardin Counties. (with) Harrisburg. (with) Elizabethtown. (Union Atlas Co., Warner & Beers, Proprietors. Lakeside Building Cor: Of Clark & Adams Sts. Chicago. 1876.
  • History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and Williamson Counties, Illinois, from the Earliest Time to the Present : Together With ... Biographical Sketches, Notes, Reminiscences, Etc. Chicago: Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1887.
  • Bender, Lucy. A Brief History of Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois : With Views from the Air of Shawneetown and Locality. S.l.: s.n.
  • Bender, Lucy. Early Settlers Records, Gallatin County, Illinois. S.l.: s.n., 1950.
  • Bender, Lucy Rearden. Early Settlers of Illinois, 1803-1840. S.l.: L. Bender, 1936.
  • Bender, Lucy Rearden. Illinois: Early Settlers of Gallatin County : With a Brief History of Gallatin County, Road Petitions, Constable Petitions, and Miscellaneous Lists. S.l.: s.n., 1936.
  • Bender, Lucy Rearden. Some Early Records of Estates Settled in Gallatin County, Illinois from 1821 to 1838. N.p., 1936.
  • Davis, Patricia S. Index to History and Families of Gallatin County, Illinois. Marion, IL: P.S. Davis, 1994.
  • Gallatin County Historical, Society. History and Families of Gallatin County, Illinois. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 1988.
  • Kershaw, Mary Catherine. "Early History of Shawneetown, Illinois from 1812 to 1832." 1941.
  • Levin, Pat Ann. "Kinships, Communities, and Conflicts : Bethel Creek Primitive Baptist Church, 1820-1840." 1995.
  • Metzger, John A. "The Gallatin County Saline and Slavery in Illinois." 1971.
  • Miner, Glen. Cemeteries of Gallatin County, Illinois & a History of the County. Hartford, KY: McDowell Publications, 1979.
  • Tri-City Genealogical Society, United States Census Office th census. Index to the 1850 Census of Gallatin County, Illinois. Pasco, Wash.: Tri-city Genealogical Society, 1972.
  • Winnetka Public Library, Genealogy Projects Committee. An Index to the Names of Persons Appearing in the History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin, and Williamson Counties, Illinois (Chicago, the Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887). Thomson, Ill. (Route 1, Box 211, Thomson 61285): Heritage House, 1973.
 
Related Content
(the links below contain information related to this area)

Proclamation establishing Gallatin, Johnson, and Madison counties, 1812

published by Matthew L. Helm on Sat, 06/01/2013 - 20:17
By virtue of the powers vested in the Governor of the Territory, I do hereby lay off a county or district to be called the County of Madison to be included within the following bounds, viz.: To begin on the Mississippi, to run with the second township line above Cahokia east until it strikes the dividing line between the Illinois and Indiana Territories therein with said dividing line to the line of Upper Canada, thence with said line to the Mississippi, and thence down the Mississippi to the beginning. I do appoint the house of Thomas Kirkpatrick to be the seat of justice of said county. I do also lay off a county or district to be called the County of Gallatin, to be bounded as follows, viz.:

An Act to alter a part of the lines between the counties of Gallatin and Pope, 1816

published by Matthew L. Helm on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 21:40

Be it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Illinois territory, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same. That the line dividing the counties of Gallatin and Pope, as established by the act passed at the last session of the general assembly, entitled an act to erect a new county out of the counties of Gallatin and Johnson, be, and the same is hereby altered as fol- lows, to wit : Beginning at the Rock and Cave on the Ohio river, thence a straight line to the corner of townships number ten and eleven south,

An Act to erect a new county out of the counties of Gallatin and Johnson, 1816

published by Matthew L. Helm on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 20:46

Be it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Illinois Territory, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all that tract of country situate and lying within the following bounds, to-wit : Beginning on the Ohio river where the meridian line leaves it that divide ranges number three and four, east of the third principal meridian ; thence north to the township line, dividing township ten and eleven south ; thence east eighteen miles ; thence to that point on the Ohio where the line dividing range eight and nine leaves it ; thence down the same to the beginning, shall constitute a separate county, to be called and known by the name of Pope

An Act for the division of Gallatin County, 1815

published by Matthew L. Helm on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 17:41

Be it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Illinois Territory, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all that tract of Country within the following boundaries, (to wit,) beginning at the mouth of the little Wabash running up the same to Joseph Boon's mill, thence due West to the third principal meredian, thence North to the South Best corner of Edwards County, thence with Edwards County line East to the Big Wabash, thence down the same to the beginning ; shall constitute a separate County to be called White ; and for the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of Justice for the said county the following persons be appointed commissioners (to wit,) James Ratliff, Benjamin White, Samuel Hay, Thomas E. Craig and Stephen Hog, which said commissioners or a majority of them being duly sworn before some Judge or Justice, of the Peace in this Territory to faithfully take into view the situation of the settlement, the geography of the county

An Act establishing the boundary lines of Galletin County, 1813

published by Matthew L. Helm on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 16:15

Be it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Illinois Territory and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same That the line of Galletin County do begin at the mouth of Lusks Creek on the Ohio River running up with said creek to miles 's old Trace, Thence along said Trace to the meridian Line which runs north from the mouth of the Ohio river, Thence north with said line to the lower line of Madison County, Thence with said line to the dividing line between Illinois & Indiana Territories and thence with said line to the mouth of the Wabash, & thence down the Ohio to the Beginning— This act to commence and be in force from and after the Passage thereof

Census of Illinois Territory, 1818, Gallatin County

published by Matthew L. Helm on Wed, 06/05/2013 - 21:06
The census covers Gallatin County. The census includes name of county and for each household name of head of household, numbers of free white males twenty-one years of age or older, other white inhabitants, free Negroes and mulattoes, and servants and slaves.

An Act forming a separate County out of Gallatin, White and the detached part of Jackson county, 1818

published by Matthew L. Helm on Fri, 04/19/2013 - 10:14
BE it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the lllinois territory, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all that tract of country within the following boundaries, to-wit: Beginning at the corner of townships ten and eleven on the line, between ranges four and five; thence north with said line thirty-six miles; thence west twenty four miles to the third principal meridian ; thence south with the same to the line dividing townships ten and eleven ; thence east to the beginning, shall constitute a separate county, to be called Franklin: And for the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of justice for said county, the following persons be appointed commissioners

 

 

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