Early Calhoun County, IL History
Records Preservation Project
Calhoun County, Illinois was established on January 10, 1825. The territory which is now Calhoun changed hands many times over the years before becoming the “Kingdom of Calhoun” that it is today. Predominantly Native American period in Calhoun County utilized the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers because these rivers are known as the Nile of North America many civilizations lived and traveled along these “River Highways”. Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian cultures were discovered at the Koster Site (1969-1979) and excavated by the Center of American Archaeology in Kampsville. Evidence is still gathered today by the Center about Native American Cultures within Calhoun County. The tribes of the Illinois Confederation of Indians were Peorias, Cahokias, Kaskaskias, Mitchagamies, and finally the Tarmaria Tribes. The Tarmaria Tribe included Bill Cappell who shared the oral history and language of Tamaria Tribe in the area before passing away. He lived near present day Golden Eagle Ferry.
Father Marquette and Louis Joliet in July 1673, visited Calhoun County while staying the night with friendly Native Americans at Perrin’s Ledge North of Kampsville. There is currently a marker between Perrin’s Ledge and the Illinois River marking this event. Explorer La Salle also visited Calhoun County in 1680 and documented a massacre of 1200 Illinois Native Americans in Southern Calhoun County. In May 1812 the last Native American fight took place at Cap Au Gris near present day Winfield or West Point Ferry. The battle was between Native Americans and Soldiers of The War of 1812 including John Shaw under General Zachary Taylor’s group stationed at Fort Howard in Troy, MO.
The territory between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers were military tract bounty lands or given to soldiers that served during the War of 1812. The tracts were 160 acres or 320 acres of land to soldiers for payment of service during the War of 1812. The War of 1812 ended in 1817. Most tracts were bought from those veterans by speculators because they lived in the East. These tracts of land needed the property taxes paid in Madison County. In January 21, 1821 this changed when Gilead became the County Seat of all lands between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. These payments became easier for landowners because there was less travel needed to pay taxes. The County Seat at Gilead remained from 1821-1825. Pike County included thirty seven counties and part of seven others from Chicago to the Wisconsin State Border to all land between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The formation of Illinois took place in December 1818. From 1818 to 1821 Calhoun County was part of Madison County. On January 31, 1821 the state legislature created the County of Pike. The state government appointed commissioners John Shaw, Levi Roberts, and Nicholas Hansen to set up a county seat. Shaw and Roberts’ homes were located in Cole’s Grove which was later renamed Gilead. It became the County Seat.
John Shaw became one of the most powerful politicians in the new state and especially in the Calhoun County area. He ruled his Kingdom through many means, sometimes questionable means. Finally in 1824 the two factions of Shaw (Pro-Slavery) vs Ross Brothers and Hansen (Anti-Slavery) split Pike County apart. Atlas (Ross’s Settlement) became the County Seat of Pike County and Gilead remained the County Seat for the newly created Calhoun County. January 18, 1825, Gilead was the County Seat for Pike County (1821 to 1825) transferring to seat Calhoun County (1825-1847). In 1847 the Gilead County Courthouse burned to the ground. An heroic effort by Gilead’s townspeople saved every document from this fire. These documents are thought to exist in today’s Calhoun County records. Many years later (1931-1933) University of Illinois Doctoral Student George W. Carpenter wrote his thesis “Calhoun is My Kingdom”. While he was writing this book (and later fourteen more books on Calhoun History), George used the records moved from Gilead Courthouse and saved from the 1847 Fire to paint the vibrant history of Calhoun County. Before the January 10, 2025’s 200th Anniversary of Calhoun County Celebration, there will be an exhaustive search to locate, preserve, and promote public awareness of Calhoun County History Records that were saved from the Gilead Courthouse Records during the Gilead Fire of 1847. This project is supported by the current Calhoun County Commissioners, while utilizing grants funds and volunteers. The use of George Carpenter’s books as an index of what records did exist should help greatly in the project. There is hope that these documents can be found again within Calhoun County records during the project. This project will look for information that George Carpenter brought to light in his books, but also create an index enabling citizens in the future to interpret these saved documents themselves. A grant application will use current technology to make these records come alive for future generations. Calhoun County is rich in history and caring citizens.
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