KNOXVILLE, p-v., capital of Knox co., Ill., 100 w. n. w. Springfield, 829 W. Situated on an elevated and rich prairie, near Haw cr. Organized in 1832, and contains a courthouse, 40 dwellings, and 250 inhabitants. (Haskell's Complete Descriptive and Statistical Gazetteer of the the United States...,1840)
KNOXVILLE, a neat and thriving post-village, capital of Knox county, Illinois, on the Peoria and Burlington railroad, 41 miles W. by N. from Peoria. It has a high and beautiful situation in the midst of an extensive prairie. Knoxville has several churches, and 1 newspaper office. Population in 1853, about 1200. (Baldwin's New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States..., 1854)
KNOXVILLE. This city is the capital of Knox county, is situated on the Illinois river and on the line of the Peoria and Oquawka railroad, 6 miles south-east from Galesburg, and 45 miles from Peoria. The place was settled in 1835, but did not obtain its charter as a city until 1853. It is laid out at right angles on an elevated prairie, in a flourishing and productive agricultural district, surrounded by thick groves of wood and timber, which serve to protect it from the strong winds which usually blow across the open prairie lands, and tends greatly to enhance the beauty of the situation. Mines of coal of a superior quality underlie the city, and an abundance of stone for building purposes can be found within a convenient distance. Lime and brick are also manufactured to a considerable extent. The city has not been marked by that rapid growth incident to most of the western cities and towns; not, however, from any lack of natural advantages so much as from a disposition among her inhabitants to confine themselves to old customs, thus allowing the more enterprising of the neighboring towns and villages to push forward every means of acquiring wealth, and placing themselves far in advance. In educational advantages Knoxville is not behind most of our western towns and cities of the same size, having a fine union school and four district schools, which are all well attended. There are also five churches in the city, having neat and commodious places of worship. The county buildings are all substantial structures, in keeping with the character of her people. The court house and clerks' offices are of brick, the former being built after the Grecian order of architecture, with a portico in front, supported by four massive stone pillars. The business houses of the city are chiefly built of brick. The manufactures of the city are a large steam flouring mill, a steam wagon factory, a plow factory, besides others of minor importance. A weekly paper is also published here, called the Knox Republican. The principal hotel is the Centre House, a fine building, under good management and conveniently situated to accommodate the traveling public. The soil in the vicinity is remarkable for its richness, and the city needs only an increase of enterprise in the development of its resources to render this a prominent point of interest in the west. Population, 1,800. H. G. Reynolds, Postmaster. (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer...,1859)