Wabash County, Illinois

Wabash County Education, Geography, and History

Wabash County is a county located in the state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 11,947. Wabash County was created on December 27, 1824. The county seat is Mount Carmel. The county is named for the Wabash River, which derived its name from the Indian word Oubache.

Etymology - Origin of Wabash County Name

The county is named for the Wabash River, which derived its name from the Indian word Oubache.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Wabash County History

Wabash County was created on December 27, 1824 (Laws, 1824, p. 25) and was formed from Edwards County. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Edwards County (1815-1824), Gallatin County (1812-1815), Randolph County (1809-1812) and Knox, Northwest Territory (1790-1809).

The County was named for he Wabash River which forms the eastern boundary of the county and derives its name from the Indian word Oubache. The County Seat is Mt. Carmel. Prior County Seats was Centreville (1825-1829) and Mt. Carmel (1829-Present). The county is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt".

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 228 square miles (590 km²), of which, 223 square miles (579 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (11 km²) of it (1.88%) is water.

Wabash county is located in southeast Illinois. Beall Woods State Park is located in this county.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Lawrence County; Knox County, Ind.
• Southeast: Gibson County, Ind.
• West: Edwards County
• Northwest: Richland County

Education

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