56 topographic sheets cover 30 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources tell 1 story and name 2 people · people the book names include Douglas Countt (Garrett Township, 1876) · Douglas Countt (Tuscola Township, 1876) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: Douglas Countt. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
In the early days a principal part of the living was venison. Thomas Goodson once killed two deer with a single ball, on what is now the large farm of William Brian. He also assisted in exterminating the last family of wild cats in the Okaw timber. He relates having cut a large tree for rail timber in the exact spot where he had cut a similar one thirty-six years before, as if the timber is holding its own notwithstanding the large quantities used for fuel and improvement.
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Arcola Carnegie Public Library | building | 2002 | 02000459 |
| Henson House | building | 2020 | 100005967 | |
 | Streibich Blacksmith Shop | building | 1991 | 91000086 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 5 of them, burning about 3 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 July 2020 | Railroad operations and maintenance | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 20-0000046 |
| 7 January 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 19-006 |
| 25 October 2019 | Smoking | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 19-180 |
| 11 January 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 19-0010 |
| 20 July 2020 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 20-0000108 |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 266 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 47 injuries and about $112,477,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 128 |
| Hail | 72 |
| Tornado | 31 |
| Flash Flood | 26 |
| Flood | 8 |
| Lightning | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1963 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 20 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1980 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 7 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | 6 hurt | Six people were injured at a local festival in Atwood from flying debris, which is west of Tuscola on the Douglas/Piatt county line. One of the people injured was taken to a local hospital. Several power lines were reported down as well as a number of trees falling onto cars and houses in Atwood. Also, numerous power lines were blown down in Tuscola, Arthur and Arcola. Several large trees were blown down in Tuscola. |
| April 1998 | Tornado (F2) | Arthur | 4 hurt | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arcola | 3 hurt | As the severe thunderstorm moved across Douglas County, numerous reports of damage were received. In Arcola, several large trees were blown over, some of which caused damage to several tombstones and a storage shed in the cemetery. Several semis were blown over on I-57, injuring three people. A window was blown in on one business in Tuscola. In Villa Grove, the winds blew the roof off of an unoccupied house and destroyed the carport. Numerous trees were blown down countywide. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Tuscola | 2 hurt, $100,000,000 | Hail caused significant damage to the roofs, windows, and siding of numerous houses in Tuscola. Hundreds of vehicles sustained major window and body damage. Two men were injured when they were struck in the head by large hailstones. |
| March 1961 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 2 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Flash Flood | Villa Grove | 1 hurt | Over 6 inches of rain fell over northern portions of Douglas County in the Villa Grove area. This caused considerable flooding. One and a half to two feet of water flowed over roads in town, while roads on the west side of town were covered with 3 to 4 feet of water. Numerous garages and basements were flooded, with one business sustaining flood damage. Numerous people had to be rescued from their vehicles after driving around the baricades blocking flooded roads in town. Around 10 pm, a car was reported washed off the road near the intersection of county road 1350E and 1500N, a few miles west of Villa Grove. Two people were rescued from the car with one occupant sustaining a broken arm. No other injuries were reported. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrett | 1 hurt | Thunderstorm winds extensively damaged a home one mile west of Garrett, causing minor injuries to one person. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| June 1990 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| December 2015 | Flood | Garrett | $2,200,000 | An extended period of heavy rain during the late evening of December 26th in Douglas County combined with an already saturated ground to produce flash flooding. Rainfall amounts ranged from 4.00 to 4.25 inches in less than six hours. Most rural roads and state highways were flooded and impassable. Tuscola, Arcola, Villa Grove and Newman were the most impacted with severely flooded streets and basements. The flooding continued through all of December 27th. Additional rainfall of 1.50 to 2.75 from December 28th into the 29th aggravated the flooding situation significantly. More than 120 buildings and homes were damaged in various locations across the county, 23 of which sustained major flood damage. Every rural road and most state highways and city streets were flooded for nearly four days. The flood water finally subsided by the afternoon of December 31st. |
| November 2013 | Tornado (EF3) | Ficklin | $1,200,000 | A tornado touched down 3.7 miles NW of Tuscola at 12:44 PM CST, then tracked northeastward and crossed into Champaign County about 1.5 miles NW of Villa Grove at 12:52 PM CST. The roof of a house and 2 outbuildings were damaged during the first 2 miles of the track. The tornado strengthened after it crossed U.S. Highway 45 doing major damage to 2 homes, several large farm buildings, numerous power poles, and a garage. The tornado then turned to the east, damaging the roofs of two homes and destroying several outbuildings. It then crossed I-57 near mile marker 218 where it destroyed a mobile home just east of the highway. The tornado did major damage to several more roofs and outbuildings before it merged with another tornado 2 miles WNW of Villa Grove, turned to the northeast, and crossed into Champaign County. |
| November 2013 | Tornado (EF1) | Garrett | $825,000 | This tornado crossed into Douglas County from Moultrie County about 5 miles north of Arthur at 12:37 PM CST, then tracked northeastward before lifting 0.8 miles east of Garrett at 12:41 PM CST. The tornado damaged the roofs of 3 homes and 5 outbuildings, as well as, numerous trees and power poles in rural western Douglas County. It then crossed U.S. Highway 36 and tracked into the town of Garrett where it damaged the roofs of about two dozen homes and mobile homes before dissipating. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Garrett | $510,000 | Extensive flooding across Douglas County was the result of 8 to 9 inches of rain that occurred between June 2nd and June 6th. More than 100 homes and businesses sustained damage from the flooding. Many county roads were closed for more than a week. Douglas County was declared a disaster area as a result of the flooding. |
| October 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $300,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused considerable damage throughout Douglas county, though the most intense damage occurred in a swath from Arcola to Hindsboro. Numerous trees, tree limbs, power poles, and power lines were blown down countywide. A 20 foot section of bleachers at the Arcola high school were blown onto the track. A metal roof from a lumber yard was blown off. Several sheds, grain bins, campers, and boats were destroyed between Arcola and Hindsboro. Also, two semis were blown over on I-57, one near Tuscola and one near Arcola. No injuries were reported. |
| June 1987 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| December 1971 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| November 2013 | Tornado (EF1) | Tuscola | $220,000 | A tornado touched down in a field just west of mile marker 216 along I-57 at 12:46 PM CST, then tracked northeastward before dissipating 2 miles WNW of Villa Grove at 12:51 PM CST. The tornado crossed the interstate, then destroyed 3 outbuildings and damaged the roofs of 2 homes. For the next 4 miles, it moved through mainly open fields, damaging trees and power lines. The tornado dissipated about 2 miles WNW of Villa Grove when it merged with a larger tornado that was moving ENE across north-central Douglas County. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Newman | $125,000 | Two houses sustained roof damage in Newman. A large shed and a small block warehouse were severely damaged. In addition, a small shed was tipped over and blown across a lot into an antique trailer. |
| November 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Newman | $80,000 | Numerous power poles and trees were blown down and a pole barn had its roof blown off. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Newman | $75,000 | Seven power poles were knocked down. |
| March 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrett | $70,000 | Numerous reports of wind damage in and near the east side of Atwood. Damage at the East Forest Estates Mobile Home Park included a mobile home blown off its foundation and numerous other homes with windows and doors blown out. A large tree was blown over onto a garage and caused significant damage to the structure and its contents in the Oaks subdivision on the southeast corner of Atwood. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in the area. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Newman | $65,000 | A tree was blown onto a roof in the 600 block of West Green Street in Newman. Power poles were snapped and powerlines were blown down at Gabe Street and North Howard Street. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arcola | $60,000 | A power pole was blown down and a large shed was destroyed. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Newman | $50,000 | Numerous tree branches and power lines were blown down in Newman. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Camargo | $50,000 | Numerous tree branches and power lines were blown down in Camargo. |
| November 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arthur | $50,000 | A portable buildings factory was damaged about 2.8 miles northeast of Arthur at 240E and 575N. |
| June 2009 | Lightning | Tuscola | $50,000 | Lightning struck an auto repair shop in Tuscola and started a fire. There was no one present in the building when the fire began. |
| April 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Tuscola | $50,000 | A tornado touched down at the intersection of 1300N and 750E in northwestern Douglas County. In this location it damaged the front porch of a home, destroyed the garage, damaged a couple of sheds and blew down several large trees. When the garage collapsed it damaged a 1975 Corvette, as well as another car and two antique tractors. The tornado then traveled to the north northeast damaging an abandoned home, before crossing from Douglas County into Champaign County, 5.7 miles north northwest of Tuscola. No injuries were reported. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arcola | $40,000 | Numerous semis were blown over on I-57 south of Arcola. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $40,000 | Numerous trees and powerlines down across Douglas County. Wind damaged a gas station and 2 hardware stores in Tuscola. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arthur | $40,000 | Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $40,000 | A tree was blown onto a house in Tuscola. Numerous power lines were downed around town as well. |
| April 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Camargo | $35,000 | A front porch was detached from a house, roof damage occurred to two homes, a large shed had its doors blown in, and several trees were knocked down. |
| November 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Galton | $35,000 | A grain elevator was damaged. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Villa Grove | $35,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down in Villa Grove. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $30,000 | Power poles were snapped off and fell onto a car at Eagle Mountain Church. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $30,000 | A shed was blown down 1 mile east of Tuscola on US 36. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $30,000 | Several trees were blown down between Tuscola and Arcola. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $30,000 | Numerous trees and tree limbs down across Douglas County. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $25,000 | Tree limbs and power lines were blown down near the mall in Tuscola. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arthur | $25,000 | Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. |
| September 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrett | $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arthur | $20,000 | A roof was partially blown off a building and a sign and fence were damaged. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $20,000 | Powerlines were blown down in Tuscola. |
| September 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $20,000 | Several trees were blown down in Tuscola. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrett | $20,000 | Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Garrett. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Newman | $20,000 | Several 6 to 10-inch diamter trees were blown down. |
| September 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Villa Grove | $15,000 | Several trees were blown down in Villa Grove. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $15,000 | A few trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. One tree fell onto a house and damaged a portion of the roof. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $12,000 | Several 3-inch diameter tree branches were blown down in Tuscola. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $10,000 | Several large tree limbs were blown down on Scott Street, damaging a porch. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $10,000 | A semi was blown over on I-57 between mile markers 212 and 213 north of Tuscola. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arthur | $10,000 | A tree and a few power lines were blown down in Arthur. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Villa Grove | $10,000 | A tree was blown onto a garage in Villa Grove. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Camargo | $10,000 | Powerlines were blown down. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $10,000 | Several large tree limbs blown down, some of which knocked down a couple of power lines. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tuscola | $9,000 | A tree was blown onto a home on Overton Street. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Newman | $9,000 | A two-foot diameter tree limb and power lines were blown down on Lytle Street in Newman. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 2 workings inside this county. 1 still produces and 1 is closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone | 1 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas City Hwy Dept Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Tuscola Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 8 are 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcola Township | Arcola, Filson, Galton | 3,848 words | 2 | |
| Bourbon Township | Arthur, Bourbon, Chesterville, Fillmore | 1,730 words | 1 | |
| Bowdre Township | Hindsboro, Hugo, Kemp | 850 words | 0 | |
| Camargo Township | Camargo, Patterson Springs, Villa Grove | 1,502 words | 0 | |
| Garrett Township | Atwood, Chicken Bristle, Ficklin, Garrett | 1,650 words | 2 | |
| Murdock Township | Fairland, Murdock | 10,468 words | 2 | |
| Newman Township | Newman | 2,558 words | 4 | |
| Tuscola Township | Hayes, Hillcrest, Meadowview, North Prairie Acres, Northgate, Parkview, Southland Acres, Tuscola, West Ridge, Yoder Addition | 2,739 words | 2 |
2 books written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 4 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 |
|---|---|
| The whole text | 22,947 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter 3: The Military Record of Douglas County | 7,564 words |
| Chapter 4: Township Historical Sketches | 28,019 words in 2 parts |
| Biographical sketches | 75,831 words in 5 parts |
Everyone Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas 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 1900.
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.
Bourbon township · 61911 · Arthur quadrangle
13 sheets, 1935 to 1998
No longer a settlement
Newman township · 61942 · On Newman Number 2 Drain · Newman quadrangle
14 sheets, 1953 to 1998
Camargo township · 61956 · On Jordan Slough · Villa Grove quadrangle
11 sheets, 1956 to 1998
The vanished settlements of Douglas County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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