BEARDSTOWN

beardstown, a city of cass county, illinois, u.s.a., in the w. part of the state, on the e. bank of the illinois river, about 111 m. n. of st louis, missouri. it is served by the baltimore & ohio south-western, and the burlington (chicago, burlington & quincy) railways, and by steamboats plying between it and st. louis. pop. (1890) 4226; (1900) 4827 (444 foreign-born); (1910) 6107. the industrial establishments of the city include flour, planing and saw mills, the machine shops (of the st louis division) of the chicago, burlington & quincy railway, ice factories, pearl button factories and a shoe factory. the fishing interests are also important. beardstown was laid out in 1827 and was incorporated as a city in 1896. it was named in honour of thomas beard, who settled in the vicinity in 1820. during the black hawk war (1832) it was a base of supplies for the illinois troops. the old court house in which abraham lincoln, in 1854, won his famous "armstrong murder case," is now used for a city hall.