Edgar County, Illinois: History
Edgar County was formed out of Clark County in 1823. It was named for John Edgar, an Irish-born officer in the Royal Navy who resigned rather than fight against the Americans in the Revolutionary War. Edgar moved to Kaskaskia, Illinois, in 1784, becoming a miller and merchant in that town.
Bloomfield started as a watering point for livestock, but during the 1840s, it became a thriving town along the highway between Vincennes, Indiana, and Chicago. In 1872, the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad bypassed the town by a mile to the west. As a result, the town's businesses moved to Edgar, beginning Bloomfield's decline.