Hancock

Formed January 13, 1825 (41^st county)

Hancock County (17,621), Carthage (2,498), Hamilton (2,756)                

The Classic Revival domed courthouse of Hancock County was built in 1908.  It sits on a square at Main, Adams, Wabash and Madison streets.  This is two blocks north of United States Highway 136.  J. E. Mills provided the designs for the stone and masonry courthouse.  The building features a clock tower and the grounds have veteran memorials.  Hancock County was formed on January 13, 1825 out of Pike County as the 41^st county with Carthage as the only county seat.  John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence is the county’s namesake.  The county seat is presumably named for the city in Africa.  Montebello was the first county seat and replaced in 1839 by Carthage. 

Hancock County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 15 Board Members (legislative.)  Fifteen Circuit Court Judges serve Hancock, Fulton, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren counties and a court clerk serves Hancock County (judicial.) The county is in western Illinois on the border with both Iowa and Missouri.  Peoria, Illinois is east of the county.  The county center is 4.3 miles Northwest of Carthage.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Henderson, McDonough, Schuyler, and Adams counties and Missouri and Iowa. 

The area of the county is 793 square miles.  It is 16 out of 102 in the state.  It ranks 60 out of 102 in population in the state.  It has a density of 22.2 persons per square mile making it 88 out of 102 in the state.  Hancock County has 65.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 136 crosses the county east to west from McDonough County to Iowa.  The Mississippi River forms its western border with the remaining sides of the county being straight.  Carthage is located near the county’s center.  Hamilton is on the western border with Iowa.  Carthage is the county seat and Hamilton is the largest city.  Carthage is 14.2% of the county population while Hamilton is 15.6% of the county population.