| East Dubuque Local Area History Project | |
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by
Fawn P. 5/1/00
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| Around the year 1827, more and more settlers were coming to northern Illinois, mostly to the Galena lead mines. That inspired the state legislature to form a new county. The area was originally part of a county named Peoria, but as time went on, new counties were created as the population got higher. | |
| While it was being debated, one of the representatives thought the name "Ludlow" would be a good name because the name was to honor a naval hero from New England. The Illinois legislature finally decided they would call the county "Daviess," in honor of a man named Joseph Hamilton Daviess. He was a lawyer from Kentucky, who also fought Indians. He died in 1811 during a fight against Indians in Indiana. | |
| The representatives also added the name "Jo" because another member of the house had the name Daviess, and so the county was named "Jo Daviess." When the county started out, it included most of the counties in Northern Illinois, but now it is a better size. | |
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Bibliography Watson, Daryl. Who Was Jo Daviess?, [online] Available http://www.galenahistorymuseum.org /history_full.cfm?num11, 4/27/00. |
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