 
This county is adoptable. Contact: ILGenWeb State Coordinator This page has been managed by Cheryl Rothwell. Cheryl stated: "My 5th great grandparents, John and Hannah Ballinger Turner, following their son Walter and other family members, purchased land in Menard in 1824. They sent for the extended family and church members. My 4th great grandparents, Abraham and Marcy Kelsey Lucas, bought land in 1825. However, only the early Turners stayed. My other ancestors moved to neighboring Logan County. I have a connection to Menard but it is nearly 200 years old. Thus we are looking for someone to adopt or at least help with Menard."Menard County was established in the winter of 1839 by action of the Illinois State Legislature, being one of three counties split off from Sangamon County. At the time, Abraham Lincoln was a Representative to the State Legislature and Chairman of the Committee on Counties. The bill to separate Menard from Sangamon was written and presented by Lincoln on January 16, 1839 and passed the legislature on February 15, 1839. The action defined the boundaries of Menard County and provided for an election on the first Monday in April 1839 to elect public officials and three county commissioners. Menard County is located slightly west of the center of the state and contains approximately 314 square miles. Petersburg, the county seat, is about 20 miles northwest of Springfield. A large number of settlers from Southern states and European immigrants came to Menard County to farm. The county continues to be known for agriculture and its rural character. When searching for Menard information some records will be found in Sangamon County including marriage and court records prior to 1839. The Illinois Regional Archives Depository in Springfield holds many of those. Unlike most Illinois counties, Menard does not have Township government. It uses the old Precinct system. More information on the Precincts as well as other Menard information can be found here. Population for Menard County in 2022 was 11,917. Menard County map with Town Names Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, about 2 miles South of Petersburg and about 20 miles Northwest of Springfield, is a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. The six years Lincoln spent in New Salem formed a turning point in his career. Although he never owned a home here, Lincoln was engaged in a variety of activities while he was at New Salem. He clerked in a store, split rails, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster and deputy surveyor, failed in business, and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 and 1836 after an unsuccessful try in 1832. Courthouse address: |
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