BOONE COUNTY, in the north boundary of Illinois, and drained by Kishwaukee river. Area, 400 square miles. Seat of justice, Belvidere. Pop. in 1840, 1,705; in 1850, 7,626. (Fanning's, 1853)
BOONE COUNTY One of the northern tier of counties, lying about seventy miles north-west of Chicago. It contains eight towns, and an area of twelve by twenty-four miles. The north end joins the Wisconsin line. The first settlements were made at Belvidere, about 1835. The county is one of the thickest settled in the state, the inhabitants being mostly from New York and New England. It is traversed by three streams, the Kishwaukee, Pikesaw and Beaver, each of which affords power for several mills. It has a fair supply of timber and the farming land is mostly rich, rolling prairie. The main products are wheat, oats, corn, etc. Two railroads cross the county, the Galena & Chicago Union, and the Beloit Branch. The county seat is Belvidere, where a fine, substantial court house and jail are erected, costing about $15,000, on the public square; a beautiful mound, on the top of which is the grave of "Big Thunder," the noted chief of Pottawattomies. The county has a flourishing agricultural society. Population, about 12,000. County Judge, Allen C. Fuller. Sheriff, Elias L. Tisdel. (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer...,1859)