Coles county was created in 1830 from part of
Clark County and later contributed land to
Cumberland County and
Douglas County. It is named in honor of Edward Coles, the second Governor of Illinois. The area was first settled by immigrants from
Crawford, TN.
The first Courthouse was built in Charleston, the county seat, in 1831 out of hewn logs and floored with sawdust with wood benches provided for seating. A brick structure was erected in 1835 for more permanent usage.
Eastern Illinois University calls Coles county home. The school is located in Charleston. Lake Land College in Mattoon also serves the county's educational needs.
The county population on July 1, 1999, was 51,806, an increase of 162 over the 1990 census.
For information on county government, contact the National Association of Counties Web site.
Additional information is available at these pages:
