John Edgar was an Illinois pioneer and politician. He was born in Ireland. In 1776, he was the commander of a British ship in the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

. He resigned from the British Navy rather than fight against the Americans.

Edgar settled at Fort Kaskaskia

Kaskaskia, Illinois

Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. In the 2010 census the population was 14, making it the second-smallest incorporated community in the State of Illinois in terms of population. A major French colonial town of the Illinois Country, its peak population was about...

 in 1784. He became a merchant, and built a flour mill. He shipped large quantities of flour from Illinois to New Orleans.

Edgar was an Illinois delegate to the Legislature of the Northwest Territory

Northwest Territory

The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...

. He also served as Justice of the Peace and Judge in Kaskaskia.

In his time, Edgar was believed to have been the wealthiest man in Illinois. He held many large land claims around the State. Edgar County, Illinois

Edgar County, Illinois

Edgar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 18,576, which is a decrease of 5.7% from 19,704 in 2000...

 was named in his honor. Although he probably never went there, there is an old story that he once bought and then sold the entire County.

Sources

• History of McKendree College, Walton, 1928