Wilmington, Illinois (Will Co.)

City: Wilmington

County: Will

State: Illinois

Lat/Long: 41.3000, -88.1333

Located in northeastern Illinois, Wilmington sits in the southwestern corner of Will County along the Kankakee River. Initially settled by Euro-Americans in the 1830s, Thomas Cox laid out the town in 1836 and named it Winchester. The town was renamed Wilmington shortly after, however, once it was discovered that a town in Scott County, Illinois was already dubbed Winchester. Wilmington received a U.S. Post Office in March 1837, and was incorporated four months later. Wilmington became known for its coal mines and water-powered manufacturing.

Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1997), 511; The History of Will County, Illinois (Chicago: Wm. Le Baron, Jr., 1878), 267, 269, 444, 447; James N. Adams, comp., Illinois Place Names (Springfield: Illinois State Historical Society, 1989), 548.