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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.Jackson County, Illinois
Jackson County Education, Geography, and History
Jackson County is a county located in the state of Illinois with a
population of 60,218 at the 2010 census. Jackson County
was created on January 10, 1816. The county
seat is
Murphysboro. The county is named for Andrew Jackson.
Jackson County is included in the Carbondale-Marion, IL Metropolitan
Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Jackson County Name
The county is name for President Andrew Jackson, known as "Old Hickory," during the War of 1812, used presidential veto power to dramatically strengthen the office.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Jackson County History
Jackson County was created on January 10, 1816 (Laws, 1815/16, p. 62) and was formed from Johnson and Randolph
Counties. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Johnson County (1812-1816), Randolph County (1795-1816)
and St. Clair County (1790-1795).
The County was named for Andrew Jackson, statesman and seventh President of the United States (1829-1837). His army
defeated the British at New Orleans during the War of 1812. As Democratic president (1829-1837), he opposed the Bank of
America and greatly strengthened the presidency. The County Seat is Murphysboro . Prior County Seats was House of Nathan
Davis on Big Muddy River (1816-1817), Brownsville (1817-1843) and Murphysboro- Name changed from Murphys Borough, date
unknown (1843-Present).
Copyright Leslie Riney 2008 All Rights Reserved
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 603 square miles (1,561 km2), of which, 588 square miles (1,523 km2) of it is land and 14 square miles (37 km2) of it (2.39%) is water.
Jackson county is located in south Illinois. The average elevation is
around 400 feet (120 m), except near the Mississippi River. Parts of Crab
Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and Shawnee National Forest are located
in this county. Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is located in
Jackson county and part of Giant City State Park.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- North: Perry County
- Northeast: Franklin County
- East: Williamson County
- Southeast: Union County
- West: Perry County, Mo.
- Northwest: Randolph County
Education
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