Lawrence county was created in 1821 from parts of Crawford County and Edwards County. It is situated in the "Little Egypt" area of Illinois along the banks of the Wabash River in southern Illinois.
The county is named for Commodore James Lawrence, a U.S. Naval hero in the War of 1812 against the British. He is credited with the now-classic admonition "Don't give up the ship."
The Lincoln Heritage Trail State Monument, commemorating Abraham Lincoln's family's emigration from Indiana in 1830, is located just east of Lawrenceville, the county seat.
Red Hills State Park is located to the west of Lawrenceville near Sumner for those who enjoy the outdoors.
The county population on July 1, 1999, was 15,149, a decrease of 823 over the 1990 census.
For information on county government, contact the National Association of Counties Web site.
Additional information is available at these pages: