Inventory of the County Archives of Illinois
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L I B RA R.Y OF THL U N IVER5 ITY or ILLI NOIS cop. 4- ^ lUIJiOIS HISiORV SO., LIBRARY .^550RYoftke COUNTY ^^iin CHIVES onmnois MORGAN COUHTY [JACKSOHYILLE No.691 THE HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY CHICAGO ILUNOIS INVENTORY OF THE COUNTY ARCHIVES OP ILLINOIS Prepared ty The Historical Records Survey Division of Professional and Service Projects Works Progress Administration No. 69. MOHG-AN COUNTY (JACSSCMILLE) * * * « m * Chicago, Illinois The Historical Records Survey June 1939 The Historical P-ecorda Survey Luther H, Evans, National Director Royal S. Van de T7oestyne, State Director Division of Professional and Service Projects Florence Kerr, Assistant Administrator Alma B. Kerr, Chief Regional Supervisor Mary Gillette Moon, State Director WORKS PROGRESS ADt!IHISTPJ^TIO>I F. C. Harrington, Administrator Bruce Uthus, Regional Director Charles E. Miner, State Administrator . ILL . f4iS'^»yK^^ f^ (,2Z ho tq PORSWORD The Inventory of County Archives of Illinoi s is one of a number of bibliographies of historical material prepared throughout the United States hy workers on the Historical Records Survey of the Works Progress Administration, Tlie publication herewith presented, an inventory of the archives of Morgan County, is number 69 of the Illinois series* The Historical Records Survey was undertaken in the winter of 1935- 36 for the purpose of providing useful employment to needy unemployed historians, lawyers, teachers, and research and clerical workers. In carrying out this objective, the project was organized to compile inven- tories of historical materials, particularly the unpublished government documents and records which are basic in the administration of local government, and which provide invaluable data for students of political, economic, and social history. The archival guide herewith presented is intended to meet the requirements of day-to-day administration by the officials of the county, and also the needs of lav/yers, business men and other citizens who require facts from the public records for the proper conduct of their affairs. The volume is so designed that it can be used by the historian in his research in unprinted sources in the same way he uses the library card catalog for printed sources. The inventories produced by The Historical Records Survey attempt to do more than give merely a list of records - they attempt further to sketch in the historical background of the county or other unit of government, and to describe precisely and in detail the organization and functions of the government agencies whose records they list. The county, town, and other local inventories for the entire country will, when completed, constitute an encyclopedia of local government as well as a bibliography of local archives. The successful conclusion of the work of The Historical Records Survey, even in a single county, would not be possible without the support of pub- ^ lie officials, historical and legal specialists, and many other groups in the community. Their cooperation is gratefully acknowledged. 5 The Survey was organized and has been directed by Luther H, Evans, and R operates as a nation-wide project in the Division of Professional and Ser- r\< vice Projects, of which Florence Kerr, Assistant Administrator, is in ' ^charge •j;^ P. C. Harrington JK Administrator PREFACE The Historical Records Survey was initiated as a nation-wide under- taking in January 1936, as part of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, In Illinois the Survey "became an inde- pendent unit in August 1936, "but continued to operate as a part of the nation-wide project under the technical supervision of Dr. Luther H« Evans, National Director, and under the administrative supervision of the Division of Professional and Service Projects. Alston G, Field and Howard E, Colgan were the first two state directors, the former serving until Novomher 1, 1937, and the latter to May 16, 1939. In compiling this Inventory of the Archives of Morgan County, the Survey has sought to locate, describe, and classify all extant county rec- ords and to make them more easily accessible to county officials, the general public, and research workers. It is helieved that this Inventory will he useful in the preservation of this valuable material, and as a guide to the archives wherein may he found so much important information in the field of history, sociology, political science, and economics. While some historians have realized this for many years, the general public has never been made aware of the intrinsic vrorth of this material. In the official documents of Morgan County are found the materials of another chapter in the story of the coming into the Illinois wilderness of settlers who created a territory and the rudiments of a simple frontier government, bought and sold land, built roads, established schools, and later founded a state. The Historical Records S\irvey has proved to bo of considerable assistance to local and county governments in Illinois. Records have been rearranged and made more accessible, material believed to be lost has been located, indexing projects have been fostered, and county officials have been encouraged and induced to provide new equipment for their offices and better storage space for the records. In addition, the program of the Survey has been planned to dovetail with the long range plans of the State of Illinois for the care of state and local archives. For example, the first step in the Illinois program, the removal of all state records to a new Archives Building, has been materially aided by the preparation of preliminary inventories by survey workers for the various state departments. Furthermore, the program of the State for the preservation of coxinty records, including the making of microphotographic copies of all important historical documents, obviously presupposes in- ventories such as The Historical Records Survey is now making. The inventories being compiled by The Historical Records Survey also make possible for the first time a scientific study of the whole question of record destruction. Under Illinois law no records may be destroyed without specific enabling legislation. This provision, together with the tremendous increase in the quantity of records in recent years, has made it impossible for either the state or the counties to take care of the documents adequately. Hence, a certain amount of record destruction has been inevitable. If, as seems provable, a study of these inventories should lead to the enactment of adequate and sensible legislation governing the disposition of public records* these compilations may prove to be the most important contribution of the Survey, Preliminary work on the Survey of records in Morgan County, the sixty- ninth county on the alphabetically arranged list of the one h-ondred and two counties in Illinois, was begun April 17, 1936 and finished as far as possible March 31, 1937. The initial inventory was taken by Winfrod E» Marine and A. Ralph Cisne under the supervision of V. C, Karcher, Recheck- ing was started Janiiarj' 16, and completed July 15, 1938, under the super- vision of Kenneth C. Blood. Abstracting and transcribing of county board records was started June 1, 1938 and completed January 1, 1939. This work was later supplemented by thorough research into the laws, as well as other county records, in order to trace fully the development of the county commissioners' form of government. The inventory was prepared for publication by the state editorial staff of The Historical Records Survey at Chicago, under the supervision of Herbert R. Riflcind, Preparation of the part B of the inventory was under the supervision of Kathleen Summitt. Irving E, Barnett, assisted by Katherine D, Holmgren, supervised the prepsiration of the legal essays. The format of the Inventory was prepared and collated under the supervision of Edward J, McDonough. Typing, stencil cutting, and mimeographing were supervised by Dorothy V, Herold. In addition, too much credit cannot be given to the other members of the editorial, research, and typing staffs for their in- telligent and diligent cooperation in the compilation of this Inventoiy, All of the officers of Morgan County cooperated in every possible way with the workers, and grateful acknowledgment of their aid is hereby made. I also wish to express appreciation for the assistance rendered by the officers of the Illinois State Library, and by the officials of the Illinois Works Progress Administration, and the Federal Writers' Project. For the cover design we are indebted to the Federal Art Project, Chicago, Illinois. The various units of the Inventory of County Archives of Illinois will be available for distribution to governmental offices, libraries, schools, and historical societies in Illinois, and libraries and governmental agencies in other states. Requests for information concerning paxticular units of the Inventory should be addressed to the State Director. (foYol S. Van do Woestyne (/ State Director June 30, 1939 The Historical Records Survey _ 1 - TABLE OF CONTEITTS Page A, Morgan County and Its Records System 1, Historical Sketch -4 Location and terrain. Early settlements. Organization of county government. First public buildings. Further development of county. Coming of the railroad. Growth of education. Public welfare, 2, Governmental Organization and Records System 16 Introduction. General administration. Finances: taxation; fiscal control. Administration of justice: courts; clerks of courts; ministerial officers;