Now, along with many Saline County towns, Raleigh has been abandoned by business and commerce, leaving only 350 residents.

William St. C. Clark, Israel W. Crawford, and Martin Kittinger helped Archibald Sloan survey the town.

Lots in the town were sold to raise money to pay for the construction of a new county courthouse.

Some of the earliest Raleigh residents were: Alfred Aldrich from Posey County, Indiana (built a log house and opened a store), John F. Ammon (station agent), John Choisser from Kaskaskia, James M. Gaston, Henry Goodrich (blacksmith), Mr. McElvain, Tom Mitchell, Osborn Powell (blacksmith).

The second story held two rooms and a hallway, used during court proceedings for grant or petit purposes.

About 8 months after completion of the new building, a group began scheming to have the courthouse, and hence the County Seat, moved out of Raleigh.

Petitions were passed around that put the issue on the ballot; a margin of 15 votes decided the fate of Raleigh.

It is rumored, and is included in the records in the Inventory of the County Archives of Illinois that some Harrisburg residents bribed the court.

Accusations have been made that a group of people actually sneaked into Raleigh one night, broke into the Courthouse, stole the county records, and took them to Harrisburg.