Coltonville, Illinois

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Coltonville, Illinois was a community in the U.S. state of Illinois. It was once located in DeKalb County.

[edit] History

In June 1839 DeKalb County was considering building a courthouse and, as such, placement of a county seat. Rufus Colton, Clerk of the Court in the county, was leading a push for Coltonville, where he lived.[1] Through political wrangling, and underhanded techniques Colton nearly led Coltonville into a new era as county seat. He had arranged for court to convene at his home, this, only after he had set up an election, as clerk, for county seat. The election was unique in that only the residents of Colton's choice for county seat, Coltonville, were informed of it.[1] When the DeKalb County Court convened, in Colton's Coltonville home, the sheriff served a court order which stated a courthouse was to be built in Sycamore, the city which would become the county seat. Even without the court order Colton's actions would have never been deemed legal, they were cancelled by an act of the Illinois General Assembly eventually.[2] Along with the other community considered for county seat, Brush Point, Coltonville disappeared after losing out to Sycamore.[1]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Klein, Ron and McIntyre, Mac. Looking Back at the DeKalb County Courthouse, DeKalb County Online, Retrieved January 13, 2007.
  2. ^ History of DeKalb County Courthouse, 16th Judicial Circuit, 2005, Retrieved January 13, 2007.


Flag of Illinois Municipalities and Communities of DeKalb County, Illinois
(County Seat: Sycamore)
Cities, Towns and Villages Cortland | DeKalb | Esmond | Genoa | Hinckley | Kingston | Kirkland | Lee | Malta | Sandwich | Shabbona | Somonauk | Sycamore | Waterman
Townships Afton | Clinton | Cortland | DeKalb | Franklin | Genoa | Kingston | Malta | Mayfield | Milan | Paw Paw | Pierce | Sandwich | Shabbona | Somonauk | South Grove | Squaw Grove | Sycamore | Victor