Ford County, Illinois
Founding: 1859 Parent county: Unorganized territory Namesake: Thomas Ford, Illinois governor Seat: Paxton (1859–) Land area: 486 square miles Population (2020): 13,534 Population (historic): 1,979 (1860); 15,099 (1880); 18,359 (1900); 15,489 (1930) Periods of population growth: pre-1860–1900; 1940–1960 Subdivisions: Two cities; seven villages; 12 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 2,107 (33.3%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 55% Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 3.5% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 5.3% Average farmhouse value (1930): $2,035 Average outbuilding value (1930): $2,574 Average farmhouse size (1940): 6.9 rooms Number of farms (1920): 1,655 Average farm size (1920): 175.8 acres Sources of settlement: Illinois, Sweden, Ohio, Germany, New York, Indiana, and Pennsylvania __________________________________________________________...