Places

VERMILION COUNTY, situated on the east boundary of Illinois. Area, 1,000 square miles. Face of the country, level; soil, rich. Seat of justice, Danville. Pop. in 1830, 5,836; in 1840, 9,303; in 1850, 11,492. (Fanning's, 1853)

VIENNA, a post-village, capital of Johnson co., Illinois, 190 miles S. by E. of Springfield. Population in 1853, about 200.  (Baldwin's New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States..., 1854) 

VIENNA   A post village, capital of Johnson county, 190 miles south by east from Springfield. Population, about 800. (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer...,1859)

WABASH, county, Ill. Situated toward the S. E. part of the state, and contains 180 square ms. Wabash r. runs on its E. and S. border, and Bon Pas cr. on its W. border. Drained by Crawfish, Jordan, and Coffee creeks. The soil is generally fertile. Organized from Edwards co., in 1824. Capital, Mount Carmel. There were in 1840, neat cattle 5,570, sheep 3,602, swine 10,392; wheat 19,156 bush. produced, Ind.

WARREN, county, Ill. Situated in the W. toward the N. part of the stale, and contains 900 sq. ms. Formed in 1825, organized in 1830.  Mississippi r. bounds it on the W. Drained by Henderson r. and its branches, and by Ellison, Honey, and Camp creeks. The surface is level; soil very fertile, particularly on the streams. On the Mississippi it is liable to submersion.

WARREN   Warren is situated in the north-east part of Jo Daviess county. Its settlement commenced over 30 years ago. It is surrounded by a fine farming country. The soil is well watered, is of a rich black loam, deep and enduring, and surpassed by none in the west. Forty bushels of wheat to the acre have been raised at various places in the surrounding country.

WARSAW, p-v., Hancock co., Ill., 114 W. N. W. Springfield, 892 W. Situated on the E. side of Mississippi r., at the foot of the Des Moines rapids. It contains several stores, a steam m., and about 800 inhabitants. It is near the site of old Fort Edwards.   (Haskell's Complete Descriptive and Statistical Gazetteer of the the United States...,1843)

WASHINGTON COUNTY, situated toward the south part of Illinois, with Kaskaskia river on the northwest. Area, 656 square miles. Seat of justice, Nashville. Pop. in 1820, 1,517; in 1830, 1,674; in 1840, 4,810; in 1850, 6,593. (Fanning's, 1853)

WASHINGTON   A post village in Tazewell county, situated on the line of the Peoria and Oquawka railroad, 71 miles north from Springfield.  Robert W. Burton, Postmaster.  (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer..., 1859)

WATAGA  A post office of Knox county, on the line of the Chicago and Burlington railroad.  Distance from Chicago, 160 miles.  Joseph Holyoke, Postmaster.   (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer..., 1859)

WATERLOO, p-v., capital of Monroe co.. Ill., 115 s. by w. Springfield, 828 W. Situated on elevated ground, and contains a brick court house, 2 stores, and about 25 dwellings.  (Haskell's Complete Descriptive and Statistical Gazetteer of the the United States...,1843)

WAUKEGAN, formerly LITTLEFORT, a flourishing post-village, capital of Lake county, Illinois, on the W. shore of Lake Michigan, and on the Chicago and Milwaukee railroad, 44 miles N. by W. from Chicago, and 50 miles S. from Milwaukee. The lake is about 80 miles wide opposite this place. The principal part of the village is built on a bluff which rises rather abruptly to the height of 60 feet, from which extensive views of water scenery may be obtained.

WAVERLY  A post village in a township of the same name of Morgan county 230 miles from Chicago and 80 miles from St. Louis. Population of village, 1,000; township, 2,000.  P. C. Arnett, Postmaster.  (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer..., 1859)

WAYNE COUNTY, situated in the southeast part of Illinois, with Little Wabash river on the east. Area, 720 square miles. Seat of justice, Fairfield. Pop. in 1820, 111; in 1830, 2,553; in 1840, 5,133; in 1850, 6,828. (Fanning's, 1853)

WHEATON   A post village of Du Page county, on the  Galena and Chicago Railroad, 25 miles west  from Chicago.  Frederick C. Hageman, Postmaster.  (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer..., 1859)

WHITE COUNTY, situated on the southeasterly boundary of Illinois, with Wabash river on the east. Area, 480 square miles. Face of the country, even; soil, fertile. Seat of justice, Carmi. Pop. in 1820, 4,828; in 1830, 6,091; in 1840, 7,919; in 1850, 8,925. (Fanning's, 1853)

WHITESIDES, county, Ill. Situated in the N. W. part of the state, and contains 770 sq. miles. Formed in 1836 from Jo-Daviess co. Watered by Rock river and its branches. The surface is level or undulating; soil, fertile. Capital, Lyndon. There were in 1840, neat cattle 2,832, sheep 765, swine 6,751; wheat 27,206 bushels produced, Indian com 80,680, oats 26,886, potatoes 33,918, sugar 1,020 pounds; 12 stores, cap. $32,500; 4 grist m., 12 saw m. Cap. in manufac. $24,700. 8 sch.

WILL, county, Ill. Situated toward the N. E. part of the stale, and contains 504 square miles. Drained by Kankakee r. and its branches. Desplaines r. bounds it on the N. W. Capital, Juliet. There were in 1840, neat cattle 9,278, sheep 2,584, swine 15,690; wheat 110,464 bush. produced, Ind. corn 173,383, buckwheat 1,561, barley 5,729, oats 271,587, potatoes 112,482, sugar 8,100 pounds; 41 stores, cap.

WILLIAMSON, county, Ill. Situated in the a. part of the state, and contains 432 sq. ms. Drained by Muddy cr., which flows into Mississippi r., and by Saline cr., flowing into Ohio r. Capital, Bainbridge. There were in 1840, neat cattle 4,736, sheep 3,1988, swine 13,902; wheat 11,932 bush. produced, Ind. com 172,890, oats 29,370, potatoes 3,881, tobacco 115,419 pounds, cotton 45,423; 7 stores, cap.

WINCHESTER, p-v., capital of Scott co., Ill., 15 s. w. Jacksonville, 50 w. s. w. Springfield, 830 W. It has 11 stores, cap. $15,800; 2 tanneries, 1 pottery, 1 flouring in., 1 grist m., 1 saw m. Cap. in manufac. $16,600. 1 acad. 60 students, 2 sen. 69 scholars. Pop. 720.  (Haskell's Complete Descriptive and Statistical Gazetteer of the the United States...,1840)

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, situated on the north boundary of Illinois, and traversed by Rock river.  Area, 504 squared miles.  Seat of justice, Rockford.  Pop. in 1840, 4,609; in 1850, 11,773.(Fanning's, 1853)

WOODFORD COUNTY, situated in the central part of Illinois, with Illinois river on the northwest. Area, 470 squared miles. Seat of justice, Woodford. Pop. in 1850, 4,416. (Fanning's, 1853)

WOODSTOCK  Woodstock, county seat of McHenry county, is situated on the Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac railroad, 48 miles from Chicago, has several steam manufacturing establishments, several churches, flourishing public schools, two commodious hotels, two weekly newspapers, the Sentinel and Democrat. Population, 2,600.  Orvis S. Johnson, Postmaster.  (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer...,1859)