What is the history of Murphysboro, Illinois?
Established in September 1843, Murphysboro is the second county seat of Jackson County. Its birth is tied to the disastrous fire that destroyed the courthouse in first county seat, Brownsville. The fire proved to be the catalyst to move the county seat to a more central location. The name was decided for the new town when William C. Murphy’s name was drawn from a hat containing the names of the three commissioners who chose the new location, a 20-acre tract of land donated by Dr. John and Elizabeth Logan. Logan County, Illinois is named after Dr. Logan. The son of the site’s donors, Major General John A. Logan, later became a volunteer general in the Civil War. General Logan is also remembered for a distinguished political career, serving as Illinois’ US Senator, as well as for running for Vice President in 1884. At the time of his death he was considered a presidential hopeful. Logan’s greatest legacy, however, is his creation of Memorial Day as a national holiday. Murphysboro was ess
