Editing Jersey County, Illinois (section)

==History==
Jersey County lies just northeast of where the great [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] and [[Illinois River|Illinois]] rivers meet. It is the former home of the [[Kickapoo people|Kickapoo]], [[Menomini]], [[Potawatomi]], and [[Illiniwek Confederation]] American Indians. The first European explorers to visit the area, [[Father Marquette]] and [[Louis Jolliet]], arrived in 1673,<ref name=JCYAug07>[http://www.greatriverroad.com/jerseyco.htm Jersey County description & history] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105060605/http://www.greatriverroad.com/jerseyco.htm |date=November 5, 2012 }}, retrieved August 24, 2007</ref> where they encountered the fearsome painting of the [[Piasa]] bird. The present day [[Pere Marquette State Park]], located near [[Grafton, Illinois|Grafton]], is named in Father Marquette's honor, and a monument to him is located at the park.

Jersey County was founded on February 28, 1839, and was formed out of [[Greene County, Illinois|Greene County]]. The county was named for the state of [[New Jersey]],<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n168 169]}}</ref> from which many of the early settlers emigrated - which was itself named for the [[Channel Islands|Channel Island]] of [[Jersey]] in [[Great Britain]]. The area quickly evolved into several small agricultural communities. As the area soon began to flourish, a county government was established and a courthouse was built in Jerseyville, the county seat. The Jersey County Courthouse was designed by architect Henry Elliott who also designed the courthouses in nearby [[Greene County, Illinois|Greene County]], [[Edgar County, Illinois]], [[DeWitt County, Illinois]] (later demolished in 1987) and [[Pike County, Illinois]]. The cornerstone for the courthouse was laid on July 4, 1893. The Romanesque Revival style courthouse is a magnificent architectural structure of limestone quarried from the nearby town of Grafton, Illinois.
<gallery>
File:Jersey County Illinois 1839.png|Jersey County at the time of its creation in 1839
</gallery>

===Recent history===
Today, while the county maintains its agricultural base, it is also within commuting distance of jobs and industry in [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], [[Missouri]] and the surrounding area. A large portion of the population works outside of Jersey County and benefits from being "Near the crowd, but not in it.", the official slogan of the [http://www.jerseycounty.org/ Jersey County Business Association's] advertising campaign. The bordering rivers play an important part in Jersey County's economy by supporting agricultural producers and [[agribusiness]], and by creating a strong tourist market. Education, manufacturing, and retail are also among the county's largest industries.