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McDonough County

McDonough County Courthouse
1 Courthouse Square
Macomb, IL 61455
309-833-2474 – County Clerk
309-837-4889 – Circuit Clerk
309-833-2474 – Recorder
IRAD Depository
University Library
Western Illinois University
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455-1390
309-298-2716
Established
- January 25, 1826 (Laws, 1826, p. 76)
- County organization was completed on June 14, 1830.
Origin of the name of the county
- Named for Thomas McDonough, a Commodore of the United States Navy, who commanded the fleet on Lake Champlain in a successful engagement with the British fleet, near Plattsburg in 1814.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
- 1826–1830 – Attached to Schuyler (Laws, 1826, p. 76)
- 1825–1826 – Schuyler
- 1821–1825 – Pike
- 1812–1821 – Madison
- 1795–1812 – St. Clair
County Seats
- 1831–present – Macomb
History of county governing board
- 1830–1849 – County Commissioners’ Court
- 1849–1857 – County Court
- 1857–present – County Board of Supervisors
Township Government
- Adopted – November 4, 1856
Township Names
- Bethel – Name changed from Eagle in October, 1857.
- Blandinsville
- Bushnell – Formed from Prairie City in June, 1866.
- Chalmers – Name changed from Erin in October, 1857.
- Colchester – Formed from Tennessee and Chalmers in July, 1879, to take effect on March 15, 1880.
- Eldorado
- Emmet – Name changed from Spring Creek in October, 1857.
- Hire – Name changed from Rock Creek in October, 1857.
- Industry
- Lamoine
- Macomb
- Macomb City – Formed from Emmet, Macomb, Chalmers and Scotland (date unknown, after 1921).
- Mound
- New Salem
- Prairie City
- Sciota
- Scotland
- Tennessee
- Walnut Grove

Pertinent Databases
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
- Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950
- Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
- Local Governmental Records Database
- McDonough County Guardian's Case Files Index (1838-1933)
- McDonough County Probate Case Files Index (1833-1925)
- Name Index to Illinois Local Governments