Editing Tremont, Illinois (section)

==History==
James Chapman settled in the Tremont area in 1820, followed by William Sterling, William and James Broyhill, Michael Trout, and David Lackland.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Williams |first=Frank J. |last2=Williams |first2=Virginia |last3=Bates |first3=William Henry |title=Souvenir of Early and Notable Events in the History of the North West Territory, Illinois, and Tazewell County, including the Names of those who have Served the County in Various Official Capacities. |url=https://jstor.org/stable/community.33273062 |journal=Document |language=English |JSTOR=community.33273062}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Troll |first=Millie |url=http://archive.org/details/historicalaccoun00trol |title=Historical account of the origin, growth and development of the village of Tremont, Illinois, together with biographical sketches of some of its early citizens |date=1925 |publisher=[Morton, Ill., Johnson Printing Co.] |others=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Blue |first=Harold M. |url=http://archive.org/details/historicalprogra00blue |title=Historical program commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of Tremont, Illinois, second county seat of Tazewell County, 1835. Celebrated, Thursday, August 1, 1935 |date=1935 |publisher= |others=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign}}</ref> Margaret E. Lackland was the first to be born in the new settlement.<ref name=":3" /> A post office was established in 1835 and the first postmaster was Wiliam Sampson.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> Josiah James and J. H. Harris laid out the village, built a school house, and built a church.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> Tremont was governed under district control until March 11, 1835, when it was organized as a town.<ref name=":0" />

=== Courthouse ===
Tremont became the seat of Tazewell County in 1836.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Soady |first=Fred W. |date=1964 |title=In These Waste Places: Pekin, Illinois, 1824–1849 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40190022 |jstor=40190022|journal=Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=156–171 |issn=0019-2287}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=March 9, 2013 |title=A succession of county courthouses |url=https://www.pekintimes.com/story/entertainment/human-interest/2013/03/09/a-succession-county-courthouses/49041889007/ |access-date=November 7, 2023 |website=Pekin Daily Times |language=en-US}}</ref> John Harris donated 20 acres of land, and the citizens raised $2,000 to bring the county seat to the town.<ref name=":0" /> The two-story red brick courthouse was 40 by 60 feet with Grecian columns and an octagonal cupola topped with a weathervane.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Construction began in 1837 and completed in 1839.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Due to a political rivalry, the county seat transferred back to Pekin in 1849.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />

Tremont was also host to [[Abraham Lincoln]] during his travels as a lawyer before his advancement into higher office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMHFQH_Abraham_Lincoln_Eighth_Judicial_District_Bloomington_IL |title=Abraham Lincoln – Eighth Judicial District – Bloomington, IL – Illinois Historical Markers on |publisher=Waymarking.com |date= |accessdate=May 3, 2022}}</ref> Lincoln visited the Tremont Courthouse in 1842; here, James Shields challenged him to a duel.<ref name=":0" /> Lincoln last spoke in Tremont on August 30, 1858.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tremont Courthouse Historical Marker|url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=12184|access-date=November 27, 2021|website=www.hmdb.org|language=en}}</ref> A marker now stands in commemoration of the courthouse.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tremont Courthouse Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=12184 |access-date=November 7, 2023 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}</ref>