Saline county is located in southern Illinois, one county removed from the Ohio River at its eastern and southern borders. It was created in 1847, the 99th out of 102 in the state.
It is named for Saline Springs, a vital resource of the area. The Springs supplied salt for much of the Midwest and was used in tanning animal hides as well as being a dietary supplement.
The county seat is Harrisburg the county population on July 1, 1999, was 26,044, a decrease of 507 over the 1990 census. The town is host to Southeastern Illinois College, the area's community college.
The 277,000-acre Shawnee National Forest is located just to the south of Harrisburg and provides nearly unlimited recreational opportunities--something for almost everybody.
For information on county government, contact the National Association of Counties Web site.
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