Editing Perry County, Illinois (section)

==History==
Perry County was formed in 1827 out of [[Jackson County, Illinois|Jackson]] and [[Randolph County, Illinois|Randolph]] counties. It was named in honor of [[Oliver Hazard Perry]] who defeated the British fleet at the decisive [[Battle of Lake Erie]] in the [[War of 1812]].

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File:Perry County Illinois 1827.png|Perry County at the time of its creation in 1827
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In its early history, Perry County was mainly an inland pioneer outpost. Early settlers, including some [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] veterans bearing land grants, moved here from the Eastern United States. These were primarily Protestant settlers. Growth boomed in the 1850s for two reasons: construction of the Illinois Central Railroad through the eastern portion of the county, and the discovery of large coal reserves. Immigrants from [[Ireland]], [[Poland]], [[Germany]], [[Italy]] and elsewhere steadily increased the county's population from 1850 through the 1920s. African Americans also were established in the county during northward migration following the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].

Mining continued to be the dominant employment sector through the 1990s.