Carrollton, Illinois

was laid out by Thomas Carlin soon after Greene County was named on January 20, 1820. Carlin lost his bid to name it Carroll County, but he did name the county seat for Charles Carroll of Carrollton (Maryland). In 1832 the new courthouse was considered the finest in the state. In 1840 a scholar, Professor John Russell, moved his "Backwoodsman" to Carrollton
to be the first newspaper.
In 1865 the Jacksonville, Alton and St. Louis Railroad extended to Carrollton. Samuel Lee, Jr., the first recorder of Greene County resided in a Federalist-style house on the northwest
corner of the square. Squire Lee's widow married Col. Edward Baker, who was famous for being the closest friend of Abraham Lincoln. Carrollton had a stove factory, three cigar factories and a
vegetable canning factory.
One flour mill ran day and night. A machine shop and foundry made farm tools. A poultry packing business shipped to New York and Boston. The only woman pictured in the 1879 Greene County History, Angeline Varble Underwood, invented the innerspring mattress, and made it in the Underwood Spring Bed Factory in Carrollton.

		Carrollton, Illinois was laid out by Thomas Carlin soon after Greene County was named on January 20, 1820. Carlin lost his bid to name it Carroll County, but he did name the county seat for Charles Carroll of Carrollton (Maryland). In 1832 the new courthouse was considered the finest in the state. In 1840 a scholar, Professor John Russell, moved his "Backwoodsman" to Carrollton to be the first newspaper. In 1865 the Jacksonville, Alton and St. Louis Railroad extended to Carrollton. Samuel Lee, Jr., the first recorder of Greene County resided in a Federalist-style house on the northwest corner of the square. Squire Lee's widow married Col. Edward Baker, who was famous for being the closest friend of Abraham Lincoln. Carrollton had a stove factory, three cigar factories and a vegetable canning factory. One flour mill ran day and night. A machine shop and foundry made farm tools. A poultry packing business shipped to New York and Boston. The only woman pictured in the 1879 Greene County History, Angeline Varble Underwood, invented the innerspring mattress, and made it in the Underwood Spring Bed Factory in Carrollton.	Greene County Courthouse