Alexander County, Illinois
Founding: 1819 Parent county: Unorganized territory Namesake: William Alexander, local physician Seat: America (1819–1833); Unity (1833–1843); Thebes (1843–1860); Cairo (1860–) Land area: 236 square miles Population (2020): 5,240 Population (historic): 626 (1820); 2,484 (1850); 10,564 (1870); 19,384 (1900); 22,542 (1930) Periods of population growth: pre-1820–1840; 1850–1920; 1930s; 1970s Subdivisions: One city; four villages; one CDP; six precincts Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 1,310 (32.9%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 13% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940): 11.2% Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 17.3% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 20.5% Average farmhouse value (1930): $718 Average outbuilding value (1930): $640 Average farmhouse size (1940): 4 rooms Number of farms (1920): 731 Average farm size (1920): 85.3 acres Sources of settl...