Jackson County is on the southwestern border of the State, with an area of 587 miles. Its history begins with the century, at which date Grand Tower was a stopping place for flatboats. W. Boon settled in 1814. Joseph Duncan was in the county in 1815. Oliver Cross located in Sand Ridge in 1817, as also Mrs. William Kimmel, in Bradley Precinct, S. Lewis, E. Harrold and George Butcher, in Ora, and W. Eakin in Levan. The Bysleys appear as landholders in Levan as early as 1818, as also Mark Bradley, James Hughes and John Barrow, the three latter being doubtless the first to locate back from the river. Between 1820 and 1830, few immigrants arrived, the clearing up of the dense woodlands beginning in earnest in the latter year. The county government was established in 1816, and the scat of justice placed at Brownsville, on the Big Muddy, upon a twenty acre tract donated by Conrad Will. Among other pioneers were S. Etherton, who located in Ridge precinct in 1827; John Robinson, settling in Elk precinct in 1829; S. and W. Manskier, locating in Fountain Bluff the same year; W. Doty, who made a claim in Vergennes in 1831; besides Edward and G. Schwartz, W. Davis, D. B. Tuthill, R. Cheatham, M. Etherton and Edward Youngman, who scattered over the region in 1833. In 1850, the population had increased to nearly 6,000. Along the river stretches abroad valley of bottom land, while the southern and southwestern portion of the county is broken by hills believed to be the outrunners of the Ozark Mountains. The soil of the bottoms is exceedingly rich, but liable to overflow. Eastward of this we find compositions of warm soil, especially adapted to fruit, beneath which are some of the richest coal beds in the State of Illinois. In many places, coal crops out to the surface, varying in thickness from a few inches to four or five feet. From 1,500 to 4,000 miners are constantly employed, and the four leading companies ship daily about 3,000 tons. A sandstone found in Makanda Township has been largely used by the Illinois Central Railway, and marble quarries and salt springs abound. The flats are timbered with post oak, and nearly every town has its saw-mill. Wheat is the staple crop, and tobacco and fruit flourish. The county has 93 school houses, and over 11,000 scholars. The county buildings at Brownsville were burned in January, 1843, causing the removal of the seat of government to Murphysboro, where a tract of land was donated by Dr. John Logan. Here was born Senator John A. Logan. The place is a thriving mining town of 2,000 inhabitants. Carbondale was laid out in 1850, by John Dougherty, with the proviso that lots subsequently used for the sale of liquors should revert to the city and be sold for the benefit of the public schools. Grand Tower was platted for a town in 1867, although an ancient steamboat landing, and has two extensive iron furnaces. The scenery of the vicinity attracts many travelers. Makanda has good sandstone, and some of the finest fruit orchards in the region. The Illinois Central and the Cairo & St. Louis Railroads traverse the county north and south, and the Carbondale &, Shawneetown road, joined with the Grand Tower & Carbondale line, crosses the county from east to west.
The last census of Jackson County gives the population as 19,634. It now amounts to nearly 25,000, and a steady growth in population, wealth and importance, from this time forward, can be safely predicted. That it will retain the position it now holds as the most important county in Egypt there is no reason to doubt.
Ainyer, A. C.
Akin, H. M.
Albright, F. E.
Allen, Wm. J.
Allyn, Robert
Altimus, Uria
Ashley, W. H.
Bain, Charles
Barber, J. C.
Barclay, John
Baronowsky, F.
Barton, J. H.
Beck, Michael
Beecher, Alex
Bierer, Dr. F. C.
Bilderbach, Henry
Bodeker, Wm.
Bowlby, Joel M.
Boyd, Frank L.
Braemmer, Peter N.
Brete, Jeremiah
Brewster, Jas.
Bryden, Jas. C.
Brydin, Robert
Burke, J. Henry
Butler, J. G.
Butler, Lewis P.
Butler, O. S.
Carpenter, Miss Lizzie
Carpenter, Miss Mary
Carr, David
Catlin, O. W.
Cavanaugh, T. H.
Chapman, John, Jr.
Clarke, I. B.
Crandall, James H.
Cross, Oliver
Culley, J. H.
Cully, John H.
Davis, Willis
Deyo, V. K.
Dihon & Grear
Duff, Andrew D.
Eaton, B. W.
Eighme, H. D.
Elliott, Geo.
Etherton, H. H.
Ferreira, John Emerson
Finch, Orrin
Fisher, Wm.
Forgher, John H.
Foster, Granville F.
Freeman, Ethan A.
Gager, Chas.
Gibbons, H. A.
Gilbert, D.
Gleeson, Frank
Goldman, M.
Goodwin, Chas.
Gorham, Geo. W.
Green, James M.
Groff, J. H.
Hackney, Miss Eva May
Haden & Ward
Hagler, T. J.
Hamilton, Robert W.
Hanks, F. B.
Heiple, Henry
Hewitt, Samuel
Hill, Geo. W.
Hillman, A. C.
Hodges, H. C.
Holland, S. W.
Hopkins, Wm. F.
Hurdman, Wm. H.
Jenkins, S. N.
Jerome, Chas. W.
Johnson, Ben
Johnson, R. J.
Kimmel, Edward
King, Jacob
Lamma, Wm. A.
Larish, W. K.
Layman, C. H.
Lienert, August
Linehan, John
Lirely, S. P.
Logan, THos. M.
Loy, Henry G.
Lybe, D. W.
Lynch, Geo.
Mahoney, O. L.
Maier, C. F.
Marks, W. S.
Martin, John
Martin, Lewis W.
Massey, Jesse
Mayham, J. B.
McBride, James P.
McCord, Robert
McDonald, M.
McElhase, H. S.
McNair, David
McNiff, Bernard
Michaelis, Samuel
Miller, L. A.
Modgelin, James
Morse, Edward W.
Murden, James E.
Murphy, T. Jeff
Murphy, Wm. S.
Murray, Geo.
Norbury, E. M.
Norman, Allen D.
North, Thomas
O'Connell, Patrick
O'Hara, Geo. M.
O'Hara, John
Outten, J. M.
Palmer, Enoch C.
Parker, B. F.
Parres, Vincent
Phelps, G. W.
Pickard, Joseph C.
Powers, N. J.
Prickett, Jas. M.
Prickett, Thomas, J.
Pugh, A. R.
Rainbow, J. C.
Reeder, John M.
Reeves, J. G.
Risling, C.
Ritter, C. & L.
Roach, C. W.
Robarts & Evans
Roberts, A. H.
Robinson, Jas. W.
Robinson, W. U.
Ross, Wm. H.
Rosson, John B.
Schulze, Geo.
Scott, Curtis M.
Seaver, N. L.
Seyferth, Andrew
Shults, Norman L.
Sides, D. A.
Skinner, James L
Smith, Hugh
Smith, P. A.
Sommers, Alex
Sorels, J.
Springer, J. S.
Stevens, John, Jr.
Stuart, G. W.
Swartz, Hiram
Swartz, Samuel
Swetland, L. A.
Swortzcope, M. F.
Sylvester, R. G.
Tabouring, Peter
Taylor, Chas. W.
Teeter, Geo. H.
Teeter, Horace H.
Thomas, Richard
Thompson, J. W.
Tismer, Wm. F.
Waggoner, F. R.
Watkins, T. C.
Watson, Robert W.
West, J. & Co.
Wiley, Col. Ben. L.
Woodward, Wm. H.
Yocum, A. E.
Zimmerman, G. E.
Asbury, A. L.
Aubry, M. H.
Austin, Henry
Banes, L. E.
Bardmass, Silas
Battson, A. G.
Beasley, Peter
Benefiel, William
Benson, Marion
Blackwood, I. N.
Blackwood, James M.
Blue, Uriah
Boots, Garrett
Bouscher, Samuel
Bousher, Mrs. M. A.
Bower, Sylvester,
Brantley, Robert L.
Brayshaw, Franklin
Broder, Frank A.
Bush, Francis
Campbell, John
Carmichael, W. G.
Carson, Daniel
Cheatham, Henry
Cleland, James
Cox, M. C.
Craigwell, D. F.
Crain, Frank W.
Crews, C. T.
Crews, Hardy
Cristler, Leonard
Crocker, Alonzo S.
Cross, Thomas J.
Daily, Charles
Davis, A. H.
Davis, Asa V.
Deason, Isaac
Dilday, W. S.
Dow, J. W.
Dry, J. M.
Easterly, George A.
Easterly, John R.
Edington, John
Fisher, John
Franklin, Samuel H.
Freiens, John
Friedline, Andrew
Gagler, Isom
Good, James
Grammer, E. H.
Grammer, J. C.
Greenbau, G. B.
Greenbau, Samuel
Griffin, Chalres A.
Grosvenor, Parker
Haldaman, D. C. L.
Hall, Mrs. Mary E.
Halsted, Mrs. M. W.
Hann, Harmon
Harris, W. L.
Heppert, Adolph
Hightower, A. J.
Holliday, William
Imhoff, Andrew
Johnston, G. W.
Jones, John H.
Kessel, Albert
Kessel, Herman
Killion, Mary A.
Kimmel, Cyrus
Kimmel, J. & A.
King, W. J.
Knaner, Frederick
Koen, Abraham
Koremdo, Vincents
Lepere, Miss Mary
Lindsey, R. G.
Lipe, W. R.
Lodge, Thomas
Looney, David
Lovejoy, W. R.
Malone, Sandford
Manor, A.
McBride, Bastley
McCluer, John A.
McCormick, W. C.
McDaniel, J. C.
Myer, George
Parrish, F. P.
Pates, P.
Pierson, John L.
Pike, W. B.
Poerter, John B.
Pool, Fletcher T.
Porter, B. F.
Reiman, Andrew
Renner, George W.
Roberts, Charles
Robinson, Joseph F.
Robinson, T. T.
Rude, Allen
Rude, Thomas
Saul, William
Schaeffer, Michael
Schwartz, Edward
Shirley, Thomas
Smith, Andrew
Starks, G. W.
Stoffle, David
Sykes, Catharine
Talbott, Peter K.
Thompson, James C.
Tuthill, D. B.
Tuthill, L. P.
Tyler, Joshua
Virbeck, W. F.
Wall, Thomas A.
Waller, William
Wayman, John W.
Webb, John E.
Whipkey, S. F.
Whitson, B. B.
Whitson, Joseph D.
Will, B. F.
Will, Daniel R.
Will, G. G.
Will, William B.
Williamson, Dempsey
Williamson, Henry E.
Woosley, James
Worthen, Thomas
York, Robert L.
Young, Richard C.
Youngman, Jacob
Youngman, John
Zimmerman, B. D.
Contributed 2022 Apr 20 by Norma Hass, extracted from Atlas of the State of Illinois, published in 1876, pages 194, 254-255, 277-278.