Welcome!

Montgomery County ILGenWeb is a free genealogical site about the history of the county. We hope you find helpful clues for your research of ancestors

Are you familiar with the area? Do you have a family tree connection to the area? Volunteers are always needed! Please consider contributing your pieces of Montgomery County family history. Corrections, updates, and additions to this site are always welcome. If you are interested in helping, please contact me via email.

County Coordinator: Carrie Wilson

COUNTY FORMATION
There were few white settlers in the area of Montgomery County prior to 1816. But it didn't take long for it to become settled. When they arrived, they found the area was populated by scattered settlements of Kickapoo Indians. White people drifted in and settled, first in the southeast part of the county, arriving most immediately from Bond and Fayette counties. The new arrivals built homes and began to farm along Hurricane Creek in the VanBurenburg area and in the Clear Springs neighborhood of Shoal Creek. After the War of 1812, Congress awarded each soldier who had served a bonus of 160 acres of "Soldiers Bounty Lands" in the then Illinois Territory. It was an award, but also an incentive to populate the western lands.
Early residents of the area, including John Tilson Jr., Hiram Rountree, Israel Steward and Eleasar Townsend, petitioned the state legislature to allow formation of Montgomery County on February 12, 1821, just three years after the state itself was officially organized. The area was then part of Bond County. Montgomery County at that time also included parts of eight additional townships to the north of Raymond, Rountree and Nokomis and east of Bois D'Arc and Harvel Townships. In 1839, when Dane County was formed, most of those were detached and the present line was finally set. Dane County was later renamed Christian County.
Montgomery County was named in honor of General Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War hero killed in the assault against Quebec on December 31, 1775.

Templates in Time