”Washington County has in times past been favored with a learned and upright Judiciary as well as a Bar profound in the lore of the law.

This county originally belonged to the twenty-third Judicial district, which was composed of the following counties; Marion, Clinton, Washington, Perry, Randolph and Monroe.

Southern Illinois in the early days, like all other newly settled countries, had but little litigation to occupy the attention of the Courts. A term of the Circuit Court seldom lasted more than a day or two. …

Judge C. T. Ware, at present Judge of the City court of East St. Louis, was a resident lawyer in Nashville in 1870.”

Reference Data:

History of Washington County, Illinois, 1879, pages26-7