Montgomery County, Illinois – Bluegrass Capital of Illinois, Coffeen State Lake, Harkey House Museum

Montgomery County, Illinois

Montgomery County, Illinois About 30,000 live in quaint Montgomery County, located in central Illinois. The county was organized in 1821, and named for General Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War hero killed in the assault against Quebec on December 31, 1775.

Montgomery County cities include Butler, Fillmore, Litchfield, Ohlman, Raymond, Waggoner, Witt, and Hillsboro, the county seat. Hillsboro is also known as the “Bluegrass Capital of Illinois.”

The first courthouse in Hillsboro was made of logs, the second was a frame structure with a mostly dirt floor, and the third was a two-story brick structure. The current courthouse was completed in 1873. A few bricks were salvaged from the previous structure and were used in the new building, and the Historic Courthouse now houses non-judicial offices, i.e. treasurer, county clerk, regional office of education, supervisor of assessments and county coordinator.

County residents enjoy a variety of outdoor sports, including hunting, fishing and boating. There are four lakes in Montgomery County: Lake Hillsboro, Glenn Shoals Lake, Lake Lou Yaeger and Coffeen State Lake.

For history buffs, there are also a number of museums:

Harkey House Museum. Built in 1834, it is the oldest home in Hillsboro.
Witt Community Museum
Irving Area Historical Museum
Panama Community Museum
Fillmore Community Museum

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