Hamilton County Enlarged

St. Clair County

The next county to be set off, was that of St. Clair, in that part of the territory now included in Illinois. It was proclaimed April 27, 1797, and was bounded as follows:

"Beginning at the mouth of the little Michilmacinack River, running thence southerly in a direct line to the mouth of the little river above Fort Massac, on the Ohio River; thence with the Ohio to its junction with the Mississippi; thence up the Mississippi to the mouth of the Illinois River, and so up the Illinois River to the place of beginning."

St. Clair divided the county bearing his name into three judicial districts, viz: Cahokia, Prairie du Rocher, and Kaskaskia, in which terms of court were to be held the same as if they were separate counties.

Knox County

On the 20th of June, 1790, St. Clair set off the county of Knox, most of which is now in the state of Indiana, with boundaries as follows:

"Beginning at the standing stone forks of the Great Miami River and down the said river to the confluence with the Ohio River, thence with the Ohio to the small stream or rivulet above Fort Massac; thence with the eastern boundary line of St. Clair County to the mouth of Little Michilmacinack ; thence up the Illinois River to the forks or confluence of the Theokiki and Chicago; thence by a line to be drawn due north to the boundary line of the territory of the United States, and so far easterly upon said boundary line as that a due south line may be drawn to the place of beginning."

Hamilton County Enlarged

February 11, 1792, St. Clair issued a proclamation, setting forth the new county provision of the Ordinance of 1787, by which it was provided that new counties should be laid out as fast as the Indian titles were extinguished. There was a portion of the Territory lying between the Scioto and the Little Miami, which had not yet been included in a county. This, he said, on account of the scattered nature of the settlements, did not justify the erection of a new county, and he added it to the county of Hamilton. The boundaries of this county were then as follows:

Hamilton County after being Enlarged

"Beginning at the confluence of the Scioto with the Ohio River, and up the Scioto with the courses thereof to the upper art of the old lower Shawnee town upon said river; thence by and with a line to be drawn due north to the territorial boundary line, and westerly along said boundary line to the eastern boundary of the county of Knox, and down along the said eastern boundary of Knox County by a due south line to the standing stone forks of the Great Miami River, and with the said Miami to its confluence of the Ohio River; thence up the Ohio River to its place of beginning."

Online Resources | Ohio AHGP

Source: Ohio Archaeological and Historical Publications, Volume 5, John L. Trauger, 1898.