Click Image to Enlarge
Illinois Counties
There are one hundred and two counties in Illinois. St. Clair County was the first county established in what is today Illinois. Most counties in Illinois were named after early American leaders, especially of the American Revolutionary War, as well as soldiers from the Battle of Tippecanoe and the War of 1812.Henderson County, Illinois
Henderson County Education, Geography, and History
Henderson County is a county located in the state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a
population of 7,331. Henderson County was
created on January 20, 1841.The county seat is Oquawka.
The county is named for Henderson County, Kentucky,
which was itself named after Richard Henderson.
Henderson County is part of the Burlington, IA-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Henderson County Name
The county is named for Henderson County, Kentucky, which was itself named after Richard Henderson.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Henderson County History
Henderson County was created on January 20, 1841 (Laws, 1841, p. 67) and was formed from Warren County. Present area,
or parts of it, formerly included in: Warren County (1825-1841), Pike County (1821-1825), Madison County (1812-1821) and
St. Clair County (1795-1812).
The County was named for Henderson County in Kentucky through the influence of emigrants from that county. Henderson
County, Kentucky was named for Richard Henderson, founder of the Transylvania Company, an early attempt to organize what
later became Kentucky around 1775. The County Seat is Oquawka (1841-Present).
A county comprising 380 square miles of territory, located in the western section of the State and bordering on
the Mississippi River. The first settlements were made about 1827-28 at Yellow Banks, now Oquawka. Immigration was
checked by the Black Hawk War, but revived after the removal of the Indians from Warren in 1841, with Oquawka as the
county-seat. Population in 1880 was 10,722; In 1890, 9,876. The soil is fertile and underlaid by limestone. The
surface is undulating, and well timbered. Population in 1900 was 10,836. "Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, 1901"
Oquawka - the county seat of Henderson County, situated on the Mississippi River, about 15 miles above Burlington,
Iowa, and 32 miles west of Galesburg. It is in a farming region, but has some manufactories. The town has 5
churches, a graded school, a bank and three newspapers. Population in 1900 was 1,010. "Historical Encyclopedia of
Illinois, 1901"
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 395 square miles (1,023 km2), of which, 379 square miles (981 km2) of it is land and 16 square miles (42 km2) of it (4.13%) is water.
Henderson county is located in northwest Illinois. Big River State
Forest and Delabar State Park are located in this county.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Northeast: Mercer County
- East: Warren County
- Southeast: McDonough County
- Southwest: Hancock County; Lee County, Iowa
- Northwest: Des Moines County, Iowa
Education
Click Image to Enlarge
