Stark

Formed January 1, 1839 (78^th county)

Stark County (5,405), Toulon (1195), Wyoming (1,301)

The old pillared Greek Revival courthouse was built in 1857.  It is on a square at Main Street, East Court, Jefferson Street, and West Court.  John Berfield is the architect of this white brick structure.  Illinois State Highway 17 is Main Street in the town.  The inside features wooden panels and a veteran’s plaque.  The outsides have veteran memorials.  The county was created on January 1, 1839 from Knox and Putnam counties as the 78^th county.  Toulon has always been the county seat.  Revolutionary War hero Colonel John Stark is the inspiration for the county name.  Toulon is named for Toulon, Tennessee which is named for Toulon, France. 

Stark County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 8 Board Members (legislative.)  Twenty Circuit Court Judges serve Stark, Marshall, Peoria, Putnam, and Tazewell counties and a court clerk serves Stark County (judicial.) The county is in north central Illinois.  Peoria, Illinois is southeast and Davenport, Iowa is northwest of the county.  The county center is 3 miles Southeast of Toulon nearer Wyoming.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Bureau, Marshall, Peoria, Knox, and Henry counties. 

The area of the county is 288 square miles.  It is 92 out of 102 in the state.  It ranks 95 out of 102 in population in the state.  It has a density of 18.8 persons per square mile making it 95 out of 102 in the state.  Stark County has 61.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is a rectangular shape with its northwest corner missing.  Toulon is in the western half of the county.  Wyoming is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Toulon is the county seat and Wyoming is the largest city.  Toulon is 22.1% of the county population while Wyoming is 24.1% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced TOO-LON.  This county is in the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Wyoming