McDonough County Genealogical Society
This is the final Image of the Past in this series.
In honor of McDonough County’s Bicentennial and starting with the January 23, 2026 issue, we will be running a new series called “Pioneers of the Past”. This series will be introducing you to early pioneers of McDonough County.
The final image is a repeat from 2022 but a fitting conclusion to this series. A resolution passed to construct the building in the center of our town Square was in September of 1868 since the previous brick structure was falling apart. Meanwhile citizens of Bushnell were arranging to have the Courthouse built there, but with some maneuvering, money was secured in Macomb and the new building was erected while offices were rented close by for the county government to operate. Bids were rejected many times for the new building of the Courthouse. The bid of Walbaum & Co. of Chicago was accepted for $129,000.
It was finished in the summer of 1872 with the final cost of the building and furnishings was $155,370. The Architect of our Courthouse was, Elijah Myers, who designed state capitol buildings in Michigan, Texas and Colorado, as well as the McDonough County Courthouse, Macomb, IL.
Images of the Past furnished by Allen R. Nemec, of the McDonough County Genealogical Society, facebook. com/mcdcgs, www. mcdcgs.com, PO Box 202, Macomb, IL 61455
