Edwards County

Contact Information

Established

• November 28, 1814 (Territorial Laws, 1814, Pope’s Digest, p. 85)

Origin of the name of the county

• Named after Ninian Edwards, Governor of the Illinois Territory and the third Governor of the State of Illinois. Edwards served as Territorial Governor from May 27, 1809 to October 6, 1818 and Governor of the State of Illinois from December 6, 1826 to December 6, 1830.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in

• 1812–1814 — Gallatin
• 1803–1812 — Randolph
• 1801–1809 — St. Clair
• 1790–1809 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats

• 1814–1821 — Palmyra
• 1821–present — Albion

History of county governing board

• 1814–1818 — County Court
• 1818–1819 — Justices’ Court
• 1819–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
• 1849–1873 — County Court
• 1873–present — Board of County Commissioners

Township Government

• Edwards County has never adopted township form of government. The county has been divided into precincts.

Precinct Names

• Albion
• Bone Gap
• Browns
• Dixon
• Ellery
• French Creek
• Salem
• Shelby

County Map