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Franklin County

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Established in 1818 as one of the 15 original counties, Franklin county's first seat was in Frankfort. Benton is the current county seat. It is located in southern Illinois in the heart of "Little Egypt" country.

Historically significant sites in the county include the Franklin county jail. Built in 1874 (as the third of a succession of courthouse/jails), it is home to memorabilia of the gangster era during the days of prohibition as well as famous Benton natives such as General Gen. John A. Logan and a visit by George Harrison of the Beatles, a band from England popular in the 1960's.

The county population on July 1, 1999, was 40,365, an increase of 46 over the 1990 census.

For information on county government, contact the National Association of Counties Web site.

Additional information is available at these pages:

Location: Benton Illinois

Other Illinois Counties nearby:
(Albion) Edwards County
(Benton) Franklin County
(Shawneetown) Gallatin County
(McLeansboro) Hamilton County
(Murphysboro) Jackson County
(Mt. Vernon) Jefferson County

01/09 Coming to The Benton area
International Bar-B-Q Festival Owensboro KY May10-11 The Owensboro riverfront becomes a hub of activity when cooking teams gather to compete with their secret recipes for barbecue.
Historic Newburgh Wine, Art and Jazz Festival Newburgh IN May17-18 There will be non stop jazz, wonderful wines, great food, and the opportunity to browse and purchase local art. All of this overlooking the beautiful Ohio River at the Old Lock & Dam Park.
Belleville Art on the Square Belleville IL May17-19
Lower Town Arts and Music Festival Paducah KY May17-19 The Lower Town Arts and Music Festival in Paducah, Kentucky is THE regional Festival for Western Kentucky and the surrounding area. The Festival's mission is to celebrate the cultural richness of this part of the country.
International Horseradish Festival Collinsville IL May31-June2 Admission is always free, parking is always free and musical entertainment is always free at the Horseradish Festival.
Clay City Pottery Festival Clay City IN June8-9 The activities are centered around the pottery that is over 126 years old and still operated by the fourth generation of the founders of the pottery. Other events of interest are a craft show and sale, flea market, antique cars and farm equipment, area yard sales, and the annual quilt show organized by the Clay City Calico Quilters. There are also many food stands all around town.