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Effingham County (as well as the county seat, Effingham) was named after a British nobleman, Lord Edward Effingham, who resigned his commission as general in the British army in 1775, refusing to serve in the war against the colonies. (Information courtesy of Jon N. Austin, Executive Director of The Illinois State Historical Society. From Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties published by the Illinois Secretary of State, 1994).

There is a growing belief that the county was named after General Edward Effingham. He was a surveyor in Effingham County and served with General Ewing in the Blackhawk War.  It seems that it was a common practice to name communities and counties after the surveyors who surveyed them.

So.....there are two possibilities to account for the origin of Effingham County's name as well as the city of Effingham's name.

Effingham County traces its roots back to 1814, when the first pioneers settled along the Little Wabash River.  For the next 40 years, this area witnessed little growth, adding population only when a farm family journeying west along the old Cumberland Trail stopped to work for a living in the rich prairie soil.

When the railroad came in the early 1850's, the sleepy farming area changed. Stores and hotels opened as the county's first "boom" took place. The first name of the community located on the ground where Effingham now stands was Wehunka, named for an Indian chief whose followers had located here.  The name was changed from Wehunka to Ewington and then to Broughton (not to be confused with Broughton in Hamilton County).

In 1859, the village of Broughton was made the county seat and its name was changed to Effingham. The second "boom" in 1959 took place when the Interstate Highway System was formed. The city of Effingham is located at the intersection of I-57 and I-70 and has become a hub for America's motoring public.

Effingham County Courthouse
Effingham County government website.

Contact Information:
County Clerk and Recorder
Effingham County Office Building
101 N. 4th St.
Effingham, IL 62401
217-342-6535

Circuit Clerk:
Effingham County Courthouse
120 W. Jefferson Ave., Ste. 101
Effingham, IL 62401
217-342-4065

Effingham County---the "Crossroads of America"

Effingham County is located in the south central part of the U.S. state Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,668. Its couty seat and largest city is Effingham. Some other cities in Effingham County, Illinois include Altamont, Teutopolis, Beecher City, Montrose, Dieterich, Shumway, Watson, Mason, and Edgewood.

Effingham County NEEDS VOLUNTEERS to do lookups. If you own or have access to any Effingham County reference books (such as census, cemetery, marriage, obituaries, newspaper abstracts, etc.) and would be willing to do lookups for other Effingham County researchers contact County Coordinator.

EFFINGHAM COUNTY SPECIAL EVENTS

If you know of anything that is genealogy or history related that you would like included here, please contact me. This means genealogy workshops, genealogy seminars, family reunions, school reunions, family anniversaries (particularly 25th and 50th anniversaries), church picnics, genealogy software classses, (anything related to genealogy), genealogy society meetings, genealogy software user group meetings, historical tours, etc.

Send me your information (use the link below) so that I can add it. Don't you think this would be a good way to reach those long-lost cousins? Perhaps they would attend......(it's worth a try, don't you think?)

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