Coles County, Illinois

County: Coles

State: Illinois

Lat/Long: 39.5167, -88.4667

The Illinois General Assembly created Coles County out of Clark County and unorganized territory in 1830, naming it for Edward Coles, the second governor of the state. In 1841, part of it was removed to create a portion of Cumberland County and the same happened in 1859 to create Douglas County, setting Coles' current limits. Charleston became the county seat. Coles County was the home of Thomas Lincoln from 1831 to the end of his life.

Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties (Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State, 2010), 9-11, 60; History of Coles County, Illinois (Chicago: Wm. Le Baron, Jr., 1879), 224, 245.