The salt industry fueled the county's early economy, and led to the growth of Equality, located near Lower Lick in the southern portion of the county. Special provisions in Illinois law allowed slaves to provide most of the labor in the salt-making operation, and for many years the home of salt and land baron John Crenshaw has been a tourist attraction as the Old Slave House, where runaway slaves and unfortunate free blacks were held before being sold in Kentucky or Tennesee. (The home closed to tourists in September, 1996 and the owners are threatening to auction the contents if the State of Illinois refuses to purchase the property.) Equality served as county seat from 1827 to 1847.638

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