OLNEY, a neat post-village, capital of Richland co., Illinois, on the railroad from St. Louis to Vincennes, 130 miles S. E. of Springfield. It was settled about 1845, by people from the Eastern states. Pop., about 400. (Baldwin's New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States..., 1854)
OLNEY A thriving post village, capital of Richland county, on the line of the Ohio and Mississippi railroad, 118 miles east from St. Louis. The improvement of the town has been steady, but not rapid, and it has now two steam mills, two steam furniture factories, all sorts of mechanics, doctors, lawyers, etc. The principal business of the place is packing, a large amount of which is done yearly. During the past season, over 12,000 hogs have been packed here. There is also a fine large marble factory in operation, and doing a good business. In addition to other public institutions of the place (to use the language of a correspondent), "there are four licensed places for selling liquor, where the imbibers of sod-corn can help return the six hundred dollars license—a mode of collecting the revenue agreeable both to the tax-payers and the sod-corn admirers aforesaid." Population, 1,500. Josiah F. Reed Postmaster. (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer...,1859)