81 topographic sheets cover 56 settlements here, and 26 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
26 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources tell 4 stories and name 293 people · people the book names include Frederick Miller (Quincy Township, 1919) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: Unwersity Of Illinois; Fire. Two German Newspapers. Fall; St. Aloysius Orphan Society. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
It wa.s a tragic loss to the family aud a source of sorrow to the entire community when Charles W. Seymour, the only son of Henry M. Seymour, was accidentallj' killed, at the age of sixteen, while playing ball on the High School grounds at Payson. His young life gave promise of a career of great usefulness, and his father, recognizing that fact and endeavoring to give some memorial to his son, so prematurely taken away, has erected and donated to the village of Payson the present High School building, known as the Charles \V.
The ice blockade of the winter of 1840-50 was of brief continuance. The river closed in 1849. on Christmas day, and opened on Januar.y 29th, giving good average navigation througliout the year, and not closing at all during the winter of 1850-51. The dreaded cholera which had so fearfull}^ scourged the city in the previous j'ear, returned, but its ravages were comparatively light.
St. Aloysius Orphan Society, whose asylum is located at Twentieth and Vine streets, was founded in 1852 by Joseph Kuenster, at the suggestion of ilission Father, the Rev. F. W. Wenninger. The suggestion grew out of effects of the cholera epidemic. The present building was dedicated April 18, 1865. It contains about thirty children at this time.
Quincy's first visit i'lMiii i-liolera was in July, 1833. There were two or three deaths from the disease on July 4. One authority fixes that date as the beginning of the disease. Another authority holds that it developed some days earlier. The exact number of deaths from cholera is not on record, but out of a population of about 400 forty-three deaths occurred from July 4 to July 7.
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 60 of them, burning about 340 acres. 2 started naturally and 6 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 33 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 6 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 5 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Three of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 March 2009 | Equipment and vehicle use | 50 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | COR |
| 27 February 2016 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 2016011 |
| 17 March 2009 | Arson/incendiarism | 25 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 4 April 2015 | Debris and open burning | 15 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 2015017 |
| 17 March 2009 | Arson/incendiarism | 14 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | HUBLES |
| 4 March 2009 | Equipment and vehicle use | 12 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | GENEBACKER |
| 20 March 2015 | Debris and open burning | 11 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 32020151 |
| 13 July 2009 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | KLINE |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 515 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 23 injuries and about $4,442,550 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 252 |
| Hail | 191 |
| Tornado | 36 |
| Flash Flood | 25 |
| Flood | 7 |
| Lightning | 3 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1974 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 12 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Tornado (F2) | Meyer | 4 hurt | The tornado that hit Canton, Missouri crossed the Mississippi River Lock and Dam 20 just southwest of Meyer. The tornado was weak, F0 in intensity, as it moved east northeast across the Illinois flood plain causing only sporadic tree damage. The tornado began to strengthen as it moved off the flood plain and severely damaged a home and garage along County Road 603 about 1 mile southwest of Lima. The tornado reached its maximum strength just southwest of Lima where it caused major damage. The tornado cut a 200-300 yard wide path of damage across the north side of Lima. About 40-50 structures were damaged by the tornado. Several barns and similar type buildings were destroyed as were 2 mobile homes. One frame house lost its entire roof with several others suffering major roof damage. There were only 4 injuries as everyone took shelter in basements or interior rooms. |
| September 1977 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 3 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 2 hurt | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Coatsburg | 1 hurt | An intense bow echo moved through Coatsburg, Camp Point and Clayton. Hundreds of trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. A couple of power poles were also snapped off. Several trees and tree limbs landed on homes causing minor to moderate roof damage. Also, in Camp Point the entire roof of a business was blown off. One woman was injured after falling down her basement steps as her family was taking shelter from the storm. It took more than an hour for an ambulance to respond to the woman's home near Coatsburg because of the downed trees blocking highways and lots of secondary roads. |
| June 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Quincy | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Meyer | $500,000 | A levee on the Mississippi River near Meyer failed and caused flash flooding in an area from Bear Creek northward toward the Adams/Hancock county line. The flood waters spread as far east as East 500th Street along the bluffs. A couple hours later a second levee break occurred aggravating the flooding situation. A couple dozen homes in Meyer were flooded as well as a couple of businesses. The entire town of 40 to 50 people had evacuated before the levee was breached. |
| July 1961 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 1955 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Tornado (EF0) | Camp Pt | $120,000 | A weak tornado touched down along Hickman Road at 7:04 PM and destroyed an outbuilding with winds estimated as strong as 85 mph. It then moved northeast through Bailey Park and produced roof damage to another outbuilding along E 2400th Street near N 2150th Ave. The tornado continued to move northeast past Golden, IL and produced roof damage to multiple outbuildings along E 2700th Street between N 2500th Ave and N 2600th Ave before dissipating just north of N 2600th Ave at 7:10 PM. The tornado was rated EF-0 with a path length of 8.17 miles and a maximum path width of 100 yards. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Meyer | $100,000 | The Mississippi River at Quincy crested at 30.80 feet on 6/18/2008. This is the second highest crest ever recorded. A major levee break just north of Meyer likely kept the crest from reaching a record. Several homes and businesses in the Meyer area were flooded. The Quincy, IL riverfront area was flooded closing one restaurant affecting some other businesses. Agricultural losses were estimated at $23.8 million. |
| September 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $50,000 | Widespread wind damage extending from 2 miles northwest of Loraine to between Golden and Camp Point. Many trees, as well as tree limbs were blown down in Loraine, Golden and Camp Point. In Golden, a tree fell onto a house causing moderate roof damage. Also, numerous power lines and a couple of power poles were blown down. No injuries were reported. |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $35,000 | no account filed |
| May 2025 | Flash Flood | Quincy | $25,000 | An emergency manager reported a subject stuck in her car in a foot of flood water between 12th Street and 18th Street on Seminary Road. |
| October 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Quincy | $25,000 | An EF-0 tornado formed at 1130pm CDT just east of South 24th St. off of Lake Dr. North. As it quickly moved eastward, it produced sporadic tree damage and then minor structural in Payson Heights. From there, it continued eastward, producing sporadic tree damage, including several trees uprooted or snapped, before dissipating at Schildt Ln. The tornado had a path length of 0.35 miles and a max path width of 100 yards. No deaths or injuries were reported. |
| June 1960 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1955 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ursa | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a barn near Ursa. |
| April 2025 | Tornado (EF0) | North Quincy | $20,000 | A weak tornado began near the intersection of Highways 172 and 57, and traveled roughly 4.2 miles to the northeast before dissipating. Damage to trees was most common, with some damage to bleachers as well. The tornado was rated EF-0 with a path length of 4.18 miles and a maximum path width of 25 yards. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused a large tree limb to snap and fall onto a vehicle. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Payson | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a barn north of Payson. |
| August 2002 | Lightning | Quincy | $20,000 | A lightning strike was responsible for a fire at a home east of Quincy. The lighting struck an enclosed porch on the south side of the house and quickly spread to the kitchen. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plainville | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew a large tree onto a house in town causing moderate roof damage. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $15,000 | Power lines were reported down at 5 locations in Quincy. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Liberty | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds uprooted a couple of trees, broke large branches, and downed some power lines. Several windows at the elementary school were broken by flying debris. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Coatsburg | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds lifted off a portion of a school's old gym roof. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $10,000 | Broadcast media relayed reports of medium sized tree branches snapped. There was also a report of power poles broken. Both reports are from the south side of Quincy. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rock Creek | $10,000 | Widespread wind damage across the Quincy metropolitan area. Numerous large trees were blown down. |
| June 2017 | Lightning | Rock Creek | $10,000 | Lightning struck a garage on the north side of Quincy, causing a fire which destroyed the structure. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Meyer | $10,000 | From 3 to 5 inches of rain fell over Adams county in a short amount of time during the morning hours of June 3rd. Numerous roads were closed due to flooding including 90th Street 3 miles south southeast of Fowler, various roads in Payson, and several county and secondary roads in the Kingston and Richfield areas. A couple of the secondary gravel roads were washed out due to the flash flooding. Mill Creek, just north of Marblehead, was out of its banks and brought down several nearby trees and flooded East 753rd Lane for a time. |
| April 1997 | Tornado (F0) | (Uin)Quincy Muni Arp | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Kellerville | $9,000 | no account filed |
| March 2023 | Hail | Liberty | $5,000 | Hail up to an inch in diameter caused minor damage to siding and window frames on a house. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fowler | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down four power poles just south southwest of Fowler. |
| April 2013 | Flood | Meyer | $5,000 | The Mississippi River reached major flood levels along the border of Adams County. The river crested at most locations on April 21st but remained above flood stage into May. Damage was limited to agricultural lowlands. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Payson | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a couple of trees and power lines. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $5,000 | A local television station reported hail 0.75 inch in diameter and wind gusts to 55 mph. Minor damage to a building was reported. |
| May 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | $5,000 | Power poles and lines were blown down in Quincy between 1800 and 1830 CST. A weather observer at Baldwin Field also reported three-quarter-inch diameter hail. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $5,000 | The county sheriff reported numerous trees down north of Quincy. Trees and power lines were also blown down across much of the city of Quincy between 1315 and 1330 CST. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bigneck | $5,000 | The county sheriff reported numerous large trees down. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $5,000 | The public and county sheriff reported downed power lines and poles. |
| April 1997 | Tornado (F0) | Ursa | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1992 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 1992 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1987 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ewbanks | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew a trampoline over a 15 foot high porch roof and landed in a neighbors yard. Also, numerous tree limbs were blown down. |
| May 2013 | Flood | Meyer | $2,000 | The Mississippi River along the border of Adams County continued at major flood levels into early May. The river gradually fell and dropped below flood stage on the 23rd, only to rise over flood stage on the 27th and hit major flood levels again at the end of May. Major flooding continued into early June. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ursa | $2,000 | Adams County emergency management reported winds around 65 mph in Ursa. An awning on a State of Illinois Mobile Command Post, which was park in town to cover the Mississippi River flooding, was ripped off by the wind. |
| June 2013 | Flood | Meyer | $1,000 | The Mississippi River bordering Adams County started June in flood and rose to major flood levels cresting on the 1st. The river fell below flood stage on the 20th. Damage was limited to some closed roads and flooded farmland. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Liberty | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew the door off a barn, damaged a cattle gate, and scattered lawn ornaments at a farm northeast of Payson. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Liberty | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged a machine shed at a farm northeast of Payson. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $500 | The county sheriff reported numerous trees down north of Quincy. Trees and power lines were also blown down across much of the city of Quincy between 1315 and 1330 CST. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $500 | The county sheriff reported numerous large trees down. |
| September 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | $500 | The county sheriff's office reported trees and power lines down in Quincy. Winds gusted to 69 mph at Quincy Municipal Airport and 65 mph at Camp Point. |
| September 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Camp Point | $500 | The county sheriff's office reported trees and power lines down in Quincy. Winds gusted to 69 mph at Quincy Municipal Airport and 65 mph at Camp Point. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quincy | $50 | Tree limbs larger than four inches in diameter were broke off. |
| April 2026 | Tornado (EF1) | Bigneck | - | A brief tornado touched down east of County Road 2150 just north of Highway 61 in Adams County. The tornado tracked parallel to Highway 61 where it caused significant damage to several small farm outbuildings and to one home. As it moved east, it damaged mostly trees. The tornado dissipated just after crossing Bigneck Creek. |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | (Uin)Quincy Muni Arp | - | A 62 mph gust was recorded at Quincy Regional Airport. |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beverly | - | Thunderstorm winds produced a swath of tree and structural damage extending from Pleasant Hill northeast through Pittsfield, Griggsville, and beyond. Other municipalities within that line include Martinsburg and Chambersburg. In Pleasant Hill, winds peeled portions of the roof from the local high school, threw the roof of an outbuilding a block away, and caused major tree damage. In Pittsfield, a power pole was snapped off on the 200 block of North Illinois Street. Several trees were downed here. Griggsville incurred more structural damage, with a home sustained roof damage, part of a metal roof torn from an outbuilding, power poles snapped, and a large carport structure collapsed onto a combine to the northeast of town. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 22 workings inside this county. 11 still produce and 11 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 17 |
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 4 |
| Limestone, Dimension | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarry-3 Calcium Carbonate Co. | Limestone, Dimension | Producer | ||
| Fall Creek Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Marce Number 7 Quarry | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Mill Creek Sand & Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Quincy Sand Co. Dredge | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Adams Quarry Quarry #1 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Binger Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Black White Lime Company | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Calcium Carbonate Mills | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Campbell Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Jm Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Marblehead Lime Company Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Marblehead Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Menke Quary | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Meyers Plant No. 8 & Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Quarry-2 Calcium Carbonate Co. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Quincy City Public Wks & Bridge Dpt | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Quincy Mineral Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Quincy Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Richfield Plant #12 & Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Vinson Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Weitholder Lorraine Plt.#10 Qry. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
The History of Adams County, Illinois devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. The one chapter is reproduced here in full. Each row shows the township's own shape and where it lies in the county, drawn from the Census Bureau's boundary. Which settlements belong to which township is computed from that same boundary, not taken from the book.
| Shape and position in the county | Township | Settlements in it | Length | Sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy Township | Calftown, Cherry Lane Estates, Cheshire Hills, Glendale, Grandview Acres, Hillside Manor, Holiday Hills, Lincoln Hills, Meadowbrook, Melrose, Northbrook, Northridge, Quincy, South Crest, South Park Terrace, Southern View, Sunnybrook Meadows, Woodlawn Court | 1,162,005 words | 494 |
One book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 12 chapters in all. Every chapter is public domain, machine-read from the scan and reproduced complete. A chapter already given under one of the county's towns is not repeated in this list.
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 1 of those read) | 12,497 words |
| Chapter 3 | 2,506 words |
| Chapter 4 | 24,229 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 8 | 3,665 words |
| Chapter 9 | 8,091 words |
| Chapter 10: Abbreviations | 4,256 words |
| Chapter 11 | 12,585 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 8 of those read) | 1,492 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 9 of those read) | 11,974 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 10 of those read) | 24,566 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 11 of those read) | 41,348 words in 3 parts |
| Biographical sketches | 241,629 words in 16 parts |
Everyone The History of Adams County, Illinois stops to write about, with the section that describes them. Among them are the men who founded the place and governed the Territory. Each name opens the passage itself, in the words of 1879.
Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
Quincy township · 62301 · Near Alstynes Prairie · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
No longer a settlement
Quincy township · 62301 · On Emery Creek · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Fall Creek township · 62360 · On Austin Creek · Marblehead quadrangle
19 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Quincy township · 62301 · On Emery Creek · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Ellington township · 62305 · On Little Mill Creek · Quincy East quadrangle
19 sheets, 1925 to 1995
Quincy township · 62301 · On Emery Creek · Quincy East quadrangle
19 sheets, 1925 to 1995
Quincy township · 62305 · On Emery Creek · Quincy East quadrangle
19 sheets, 1925 to 1995
Concord township · 62324 · On Durbin Branch · Kellerville quadrangle
11 sheets, 1926 to 1990
Quincy township · 62301 · On Emery Creek · Quincy East quadrangle
19 sheets, 1925 to 1995
Fall Creek township · 62305 · Near Beebe Island · Marblehead quadrangle
19 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Quincy township · 62305 · On Emery Creek · Quincy East quadrangle
19 sheets, 1925 to 1995
Riverside township · 62305 · On Frazier Creek · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Quincy township · 62305 · On Cedar Creek · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Quincy township · 62301 · Near Alstynes Prairie · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Melrose township · 62305 · Near Ghost Hollow · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Quincy township · 62305 · Near Ghost Hollow · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Quincy township · 62301 · On Emery Creek · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Quincy township · 62305 · On Curtis Creek · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
McKee township · 62324 · On Coal Creek · Kellerville quadrangle
11 sheets, 1926 to 1990
Quincy township · 62301 · On Emery Creek · Quincy West quadrangle
18 sheets, 1925 to 1996
Quincy township · 62301 · On Emery Creek · Quincy East quadrangle
19 sheets, 1925 to 1995
The vanished settlements of Adams County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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