Early Hancock County Courts

The first county courthouse was at Montebello, on the banks of the Mississippi River between Warsaw and Nauvoo. The town site is no longer occupied, but is marked by a plaque placed by the Hancock County Historical Society at the Hoot Owl Rest Area along the River.

In 1833, the General Assembly of the state of Illinois, commisioned the founding of the first permanent county seat at Carthage, in the center of the county. The first log courthouse was built in 1833 on the south side of the square. It was used from 1839-45 for other purposes.

The second courthouse in Carthage, was built in the center of the square 1839 by Moses Stephens, at a cost of $3,700. It was razed in 1906 to make way for the new courthouse.

The present county courthouse was dedicated on October 21, 1908.

On October 2, 1925, during the Hancock County's centennial year, a plaque was placed on the north side of the Hancock County Courthouse:

The Founding of Hancock County, commemorated by the Six Thousand Children of the Elementary Schools. October 2, 1925 Erected and dedicated in honor of John Hancock.
The plaque was unveiled by 10-year-old John Siepel, a native of Hancock Township, Hancock County, Illinois.

FIRST COURT SESSION

The first sessions of the circut court in Hancock County were held at the home of James White by the Mississippi River where the first postoffice in the county was located in a place called Venus.

The first judges of Hancock County were:

Richard M. Young, James H. Ralston, Peter Lott, Stephen A. Douglas, Jessie R. Thomas, and Norman H. Purple.

The first Licensed attorney was Robert R. Williams

Grand Jury

The First Grand Jury was ordered on August 4, 1829 it was comprised of twenty three men. They were summoned to attend the October term of the circut court of Hancock County as grand jurors. These men were:

Daniel Crenshaw, Luther Whitney, Morrill Marston, John Clark, Leonard L. Abney, Philip Malette, William Clark, Reuben Brattan, Thomas Payne, John Sikes, John Johnson, John Harding, william Vance, Hazen Bedell, John Waggonner, Robert Wallace, James Miller, Davidson Hibbard, Mr. Dewey, Samuel Gooch, John Reed, Isaac R. Campbell, Edward White, Hugh Wilson

Petit Jury

Thirty-six men were petit jurors for the same term. They were:

Horace B. Whitney, John R. Wilcox, Edward Robertson, Samuel Brierly, James Brierly, Robert Harding, Aaron Harding, Abijah Wilson, Abdiel Parsons, Rchard Chaney, Benjamin T. Tungate, George W. Harper, Charles Robison, Charles Smith, Patrick Moffit, William Wallace, Nathaniel Kennedy, John Campbell, Ralph Raborn, Thomas Sofly, Enoch Hankins, Arthur Parvin, Abraham Moore, Alexander White, Asa Reed, William Flint, Peter Williams, Daniel Van Burkloe, Amzi Doolittle, Hezekiah Spillman, Richard Dunn, Mr Yaples, Samuel Bell, Noah, W. Payne, Joseph P. Puryear, and Mr. Lewis

©2006 Hancock County, IL Genealogy Trails