DeKalb County | Kane County | Kendall County
Origin of Kendall County
KENDALL COUNTY was formed from
LaSalle and Kane counties on February 19, 1841. It was named
for Amos Kendall, a politician, journalist, Postmaster General under
President Jackson, and partner of Samuel Morse, the inventor of the
electric telegraph. Kendall County had a 1990 population of 39,413, and
is 320.7 square miles.
History of Kendall County Courthouses
As the population of Kendall County grew, pressure began to mount for removal of the county seat to a more central location. Petitions were filed with the state legislature, and on April 5, 1859 at the regular spring election, the matter was referred to the voters of Kendall County. 1,282 voted for relocation of the county seat to a spot near the island in the Fox River between the villages of Bristol and Yorkville, while 649 voted against the measure. Two county supervisors were named as a commission to locate the county seat, but legal challenges delayed the action until December, 1861.
Two locations were offered for the county seat, block 19 in Yorkville and village square in Bristol. The Yorkville site was chosen, and on March 27, 1862, a warranty deed was obtained for the property. On October 5, Marcus Steward, Jacob Budd, and Alanson Wheeler were welcomed to a building committee. The new building was completed in 1864 at a total estimated cost of $22,000.
In 1887, the courthouse burned. The structure was gutted, and only the exterior walls were left standing. The walls of the building were used for reconstruction, which was completed at a cost of $18,130. The location of the Kendall County Courthouse remained in the location chosen in 1862 until 1998 when the new courthouse was built and opened at 807 West John St. in Yorkville.
Page Modified 20 Apr 2007