Perry county is located in southern Illinois with Pinckneyville serving as the county seat.
Du Quoin is the largest town in the county and is the site of the Illinois State Fair. The town is named for Louis Jefferson Ducoigne, Chief of the Kaskaskias in the early 1800's.
The county is rich in coal deposits and St. Johns, just north of DuQuoin, was known for its salt works.
An area just southeast of DuQuoin was settled by Scots driven from Scotland during religious wars there. Among their number was John Campbell--the King of Scotland.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the county offers 3100-acre Pyramid State Park located just south of Pinkneyville.
The county population on July 1, 1999, was 21,330, a decrease of 82 over the 1990 census.
For information on county government, contact the National Association of Counties Web site.
Additional information is available at these pages:
