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 Who
was Jo Daviess?" many ask, and why was the county named
after him? To find the answers we must go back to 1827, when the
flow of population into northwestern Illinois, especially into
the Galena lead mines, encouraged the state legislature to form
a new county. The area started out as part of Peoria County, but
following the practice of the time, new counties of more
manageable size were created as settlement and population
increased.
During house debate, a Yankee representative suggested the
name "Ludlow", intending to honor and perpetuate the
memory of a naval hero, who was a native of New England. But the
make-up of the Illinois legislature at that time was of a more
southern persuasion, primarily Kentuckian. As a result, the name
Daveiss was offered, in honor of Col. Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, a
prominent Kentucky lawyer and Indian fighter who died in 1811
while leading a charge against Indians at the Battle of
Tippecanoe, in Indiana.
After further discussion ... "Jo" was added to the
name because another member of the House had the name Daveiss,
and it was thought that people might think the honor for him.
The amended bill passed both houses overwhelmingly.
Interestingly, a previous clerical error led to the spelling of
Daveiss with an "ie" rather than "ei."
When first established, Jo Daviess County included most of
northwestern Illinois, including all or parts of the following
counties: Carroll, Stephenson, Winnebago, Whiteside, Ogle, Lee,
Henry, Bureau, and Rock Island.
Today, the county is of more manageable size, but it still
retains the unique name. Kentucky, Indiana, and Missouri also
have Daviess counties, named after the same man, but without the
first name added. Many visitors ask about the correct
pronunciation: In most parts of the county Daviess is pronounced
the same as "Davis" with a short "i". One
often hears, however, particularly from those who have not grown
up in the county, the long "e", as in "Daves."
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