1809 List of Township Officers

Justices of the Peace. – The early Justices of the Peace held their offices by appointment, and it was not until 1827 that the people were deemed “competent” to elect their township judicial officers. The general view on the subject seems to have been that...

First Taxes Levied

The first county court of Randolph County, composed of the Worshipful Philip Fouke, William Arundel and John McFerron, met at the tavern of Thomas Cox on the 4th of January 1810, and proceeded immediately to levy a tax for the county and also a territorial tax on...

Will of Archibald Thompson

Archibald Thompson, (Son of Robert Thompson and Mary Doris.) was born 3 Sept 1760 Cork Co. Ireland and died 15 Sept 1833 Evansville, Randolph Co. Illinois. Buried Preston Cemetery. His wife was Mary “Mollie” McBride. Be it remembered that on this 20th day...

Estate of William McBride Sr.

William McBride Sr dec’d1 Execution Bond Filed 11th Nov 1831 approved  James Thompson, Judge of Probate Recorded in pages 25 & 26 Know all men by these presents that we Archibald Thompson Senr, John Anderson Senr Samuel Douglass  & Samuel Hill of the...

Warren N. Wilson

The ranks of the legal profession are largely recruited from among farmers’ ambitious sons. Such an one was Warren N. Wilson. He was born February 8, 1821, on the present site of the village of Baldwin. His parents were James and Jennie Wilson, (nee McBride.) They...

Archibald Thompson

At the close of the year 1804 another important colony reached the Irish settlement, among which were Absalom Cox, Archibald Thompson, James Thompson, Robert McDonald, and William McBride. Archibald Thompson was a man of excellent character. In 1812 he moved to a farm...

Biography of John T. McBride

Quite a colony of enterprising citizens came to Randolph County early in the present century, 1804 from South Carolina whose ancestors were from the northern part of Ireland, and yet earlier from the mountain portions of Scotland, among them was the grandfather and...

J. B. Matlock and James F. Wassell

Matlock and Wassell are the publishers and editors of that recognized leader among Republican journals of southern Illinois, the Chester Tribune. They are both young, energetic, determined men. J. B. Matlack was born in the city of St. Louis, Mo., June 7, 1847. His...

Rev. James C. Elliott Biography

The history of Perry and Randolph Counties would be incomplete without a sketch of the Elliott family.  They are the descendants of English and Scotch-Irish ancestry.  Members of the family came to America prior to the Revolutionary War.  William Preston Elliott, the...

John B. Burk

John B. Burk, leaving his family in Tennessee, came to Shiloh Hill community in 1827, and built a log house. After completing the house, he fastened his two dogs in it with a plentiful supply of cornmeal and water. He then set out for Tennessee to bring his wife and...