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Piatt County

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Piatt county was formed in 1841 from parts of Macon County and is located in central Illinois between Champaign and Decatur. It is named for James Piatt, the first permanent settler in the area.

The county seat is Monticello which lies along the banks of the Sangamon River. The town is named for Thomas Jefferson's estate in Virginia. Jefferson was known as the "Sage of Monticello" and the town became known as "Sage City".

The hamlet of Bement is believed to have been the meeting place for Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas to discuss the guidelines for the Abraham Lincoln-Stephen A. Douglas debates in 1858.

The county population on July 1, 1999, was 16,623, an increase of 1,075 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: Monticello Illinois

Other Illinois Counties nearby:
(Urbana) Champaign County
(Taylorville) Christian County
(Clinton) De Witt County
(Tuscola) Douglas County
(Paris) Edgar County
(Paxton) Ford County

01/10 Coming to The Monticello area
Peoria Heights Art Fair Peoria Heights IL May11 A great weekend is planned; the show coincides with the Race for the Cure and the Illinois Art League members show at the Village Hall. A hospitality tent will be open throughout the Art Fair with coffee and donuts in the morning and water and fruit during the day .
Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair Springfield IL May18-19 Whether you are a serious art collector or are just developing an appreciation, there is original art here for you, in the form of jewelry, sculpture, photography, glassware, pottery, wood, metalwork, oils, watercolors, and other media.
Summer Camp Music Festival Chillicothe IL May24-26 The first Summer Camp Music Festival was held in 2001 at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL. About 1,000 attended the festival that year, and enjoyed over 20 bands on 2 stages over the course of 2 days. Since then, Summer Camp Music Festival has grown to more than 15,000 attendees, hosting more than 100 bands on 7 stages over 3 days.
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.
Art on Main Fine Arts Festival Canton IL June1-2 This inaugural fine arts festival will feature original art from the best of our Midwest artists. Come to view and to purchase excellent art pieces in a variety of categories: Painting / Drawing, Jewelry, Clay / Ceramic, Photography, Glass, Sculpture, Woven Textiles, and Wood.
Gebhard Woods Dulcimer and Traditional Music Festival Morris IL June8-9 Relax with the sweet sounds of hammered and mountain dulcimers at the Gebhard Woods Dulcimer Festival. Gebhard Woods is a beautiful Illinois state park with trails to hike and ride on, rivers and streams to fish in, and plenty of great music to enjoy learning and listening to.