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Edgar County, Illinois

67 topographic sheets cover 49 settlements here, and 9 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

“Sheriff 0 Hair, attacked some men of the regiment .it Charleston, killing Major Sliubal York, Surgeon, and four privates, and wounding Col. One hour later the regiment arrived from Mattoon and occupied the town and capturing some of the most prominent traitors.”

Fifty-Fourth Infantry - The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated (1879). Machine-read text.

9 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources tell 8 stories and name 7 people · people the book names include Alexander M. Blackburn (Stratton Township, 1879) · J General Business (Paris Township, 1879) (machine-read).

Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service

Illinois within the United States
Edgar County within Illinois

What the record shows

  • 762 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 9 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 9 buildings.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 49 populated places in this county; 49 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
  • 1 public-domain county history, 1879, supplies 131,630 words of narrative reproduced here.

What happened here

8 accounts

Among them: Biographical Sketches; Past And Present; War History And Record. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.

From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879 - Hunter Township

Biographical Sketches

Levi Boyer, a farmer, and has always been a faithful and hard worker, the result of which is a good property. They came to Illinois, locating where they now reside in *1864; they have raised a family of seven - Eliza J. (now Mrs. A. Hendricks), Da¬ vid J. (deceased ; was killed in the army, at the battle of Atlanta), Emma (deceased), Charity (now Mrs.

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From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879 - Young America Township

Past And Present

As has been incidentally mentioned, the first settler in this part of the county located at Hickory Grove. In the year 1820, a man named Helvene Stine came to this grove, began cutting trees, principally for coons or for honey. A\ bile engaged in this sport, he got after a good-sized coon, and in cutting down the tree, by some means, he was killed by its falling.

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From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879 - Hunter Township

Biographical Sketches

Levi Boyer, a farmer, and has always been a faithful and hard worker, the result of which is a good property. They came to Illinois, locating where they now reside in 1864 ; they have raised a family of seven - Eliza J. (now Mrs. A. Hendricks), Da¬ vid J. (deceased ; was killed in the army, at the battle of Atlanta), Emma (deceased), Charity (now Mrs.

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From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879 - Young America Township

Past And Present

As has been incidentally mentioned, the first [settler in this part of the county located at Hickory Grove. In the year 1820, a man named Helvene Stine came to this grove, began cutting trees, principally for coons or for honey. While engaged in this sport, he got after a good-sized coon, and in cutting down the tree, by some means, he was killed by its falling.

Read the rest of this passage

From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879 - Hunter Township

Biographical Sketches

Levi Boyer, a farmer, and has always been j a faithful and hard worker, the result of j which is a good property. They came to i Illinois, locating where they now reside in i 1864; they have raised a family of seven \ - Eliza J. (now Mrs. A. Hendricks), David J. (deceased ; was killed in the army, at the battle of Atlanta), Emma (deceased), j * Charity (now Mrs.

Read the rest of this passage

From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879 - Shiloh Township

War History And Record

The first engagement the regiment participated in was Lay's Ferry and Rome Cross Roads, 13th, 14th and 15th May, losing 2 killed and 21 wounded. May 27, assisted in repulsing a heavy night attack on Dallas. June 2, left the line and swung around toward Lost Mountain and Ackworth. June 1U, passed through Ackworth and Big- Shanty.

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From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879 - Shiloh Township

Fifty-Fourth Infantry

Sheriff 0 Hair, attacked some men of the regiment .it Charleston, killing Major Sliubal York, Surgeon, and four privates, and wounding Col. G. M. Mitchell. One hour later the regiment arrived from Mattoon and occupied the town and capturing some of the most prominent traitors. April 12, moved to Cairo ; 14.

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From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879 - Young America Township

Past And Present

As has been incidentally mentioned, the first settler in this part of the county located at Hickory Grove. In the year 1820, a man named Helvene Stine came to this grove, began cutting trees, principally for coons or for honey. While engaged in this sport, he got after a good-sized coon, and in cutting down the tree, by some means, he was killed by its falling.

Read the rest of this passage

Places on the National Register

9

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 PropertyType ListedReference
Edgar County Courthousebuilding198181000221
France Hotelbuilding198787001305
Asher Morton Farmsteadbuilding199696000096
Henry Clay Moss Housebuilding200808000295
Paris Carnegie Public Librarybuilding200202000464
Paris Elks Lodge No. 812 Buildingbuilding198787001343
Paris High School and Gymnasiumbuilding2019100003647
Pine Grove Community Clubbuilding198484001071
Shaw-Van Gilder Housebuilding200707000116

Wildfire, 2007

1 fire

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 1 of them, burning about 5 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Equipment and vehicle use1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
16 November 2007Equipment and vehicle use5.0 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resourcesnot named

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1955 to 2025

60 of 297 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 297 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 23 injuries and about $3,731,060 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind148
Hail73
Flash Flood37
Tornado34
Flood5

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
April 1963Tornado (F3)not stated20 hurt, $25,000no account filed
April 1994Thunderstorm WindChrisman2 hurtThunderstorm winds damaged a mobile home and moved a utility shed in Chrisman.
April 1994Thunderstorm WindParis1 hurtThunderstorm winds blew a pickup truck off of Route 133 five miles west of Paris. One person was injured in the truck. Also, several trees and numerous tree limbs were blown down in Paris, as well as, one parked tractor semi-trailer.
June 2008FloodPalermo$700,000Widespread flooding impacted about 200 homes and businesses in Edgar County after 8 to 9 inches of rain fell across the county during three heavy rain events between June 2nd and the 6th. Edgar County was declared a disaster area as result.
May 2002Flash FloodCountywide$485,000Numerous rural roads were flooded countywide, as well as several basements in the Paris area. Also, a 76 foot bridge south of Paris collapsed due to the flooding. No injuries were reported.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindChrisman$300,000A barn and grain bin were destroyed and a machine shed was damaged. A tractor and new combine sustained damage. Two horses were injured, and one had to be put down.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindParis$250,000Widespread wind damage occurred across Paris. Numerous trees were blown down or uprooted, including one that crushed a truck. Power lines were blown down and minor roof and siding damage took place as well.
April 2016Flash FloodEdgar Cty Arpt Paris$250,000Thunderstorms along a nearly stationary front produced periods of heavy rain of 3.00 to 5.00 inches during a three hour period during the mid-afternoon of April 26th in central and eastern Edgar County, including the city of Paris. Many roads along and five north of U.S. Route 150 were closed between Paris and the Illinois/Indiana state line, where the water was up to three feet deep. A basement wall in a Paris home collapsed due to the water. The flooding rapidly subsided by the evening.
May 1984Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
April 2002Thunderstorm WindParis$200,000Several trees and powerlines were blown down. Some of the fallen trees caused minor damage to a couple of homes. A large farm shed was destroyed on the south edge of town.
April 2011Tornado (EF1)Chrisman$140,000A tornado touched down 1.7 miles northeast of Chrisman at 659 PM CST. It traveled northeastward, tearing the roof off a house, destroying two pole barns, and damaging a garage. The tornado dissipated 2.8 miles northeast of Chrisman at 701 PM CST.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindChrisman$110,000Multiple tree branches greater than 12 inches in diameter were blown down throughout Chrisman. Some of the falling branches caused structural damage to homes.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindParis$110,000Winds blew three large trees over onto a house that used to be a funeral home. Several other homes and businesses were damaged by fallen trees. Also, an airport hanger was damaged. Crops in the area sustained wind and hail damage. Damage was estimated around $110,000 for properties and around $35,000 in crop damage.
July 2008Tornado (EF1)Metcalf$85,000An EF1 tornado touched down 7.2 miles WSW of Chrisman then travelled east-southeast for 2 miles across rural Edgar County. The tornado damaged two homes and several outbuildings and destroyed an old barn.
July 2008Tornado (EF0)Horace$60,000A trained spotter sighted a tornado for a few minutes just west of highway 1 and near 1600 Street. It damaged several pole barns and grain bins before dissipating.
September 2005HailParis$55,000A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail for 10 minutes as it moved across portions of northern Edgar county. The hail caused $170,000 damage to corn and soybean crops. Six homes had roof damage and broken windows, and numerous vehicles were dented from the hail.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindParis$50,000Numerous trees and power poles were blown down. Also, a barn and a house sustained damage and a semi trailer was overturned.
April 2020Thunderstorm WindChrisman$45,000A house was damaged and power lines were blown down near Chrisman.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindParis$40,000Several tree limbs were blown onto houses and nine power lines were reported down on the east side of Paris.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindKansas$40,000Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. A semi trailer was blown over north of Kansas.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindChrisman$35,000Downburst winds caused damage to a pole barn, the roof of a house, and numerous power poles about 1.5 miles west of Chrisman.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindKansas$35,000Several trees were blown down. Falling tree limbs caused damage to some vehicles in the town of Kansas.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindBrocton$30,000Several trees were blown down. Falling tree limbs cuased damage to a few vehicles in Brocton.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindParis$25,000Several trees and power lines were blown down in Paris.
December 1998Thunderstorm WindParis$25,000Thunderstorm winds blew down a large sign and several power poles in Paris. Just east of Paris a pole barn was destroyed. No injuries were reported and damage to the pole barn was estimated around $25,000.
July 1992Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1990Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1986Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1958Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 2018Thunderstorm WindElbridge$20,000Numerous large tree limbs were blown down.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindParis$20,000Multiple 2 to 3-inch diameter tree branches were blown down.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindBrocton$20,000A TV antenna tower was blown down. Roof shingles were stripped off a building and several tree branches were blown down.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindRedmon$20,000Numerous tree branches were blown down and a corn field was flattened west of Redmon.
October 2010Thunderstorm WindParis$20,000Numerous trees and tree branches were blown down in Paris.
February 2008Thunderstorm WindKansas$20,000Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
August 1999Thunderstorm WindParis$20,000Several power lines blown down. A large tree limb went through the roof of a house on the northwest side of town, causing minor damage.
May 2016Thunderstorm WindRedmon$15,000A shed was damaged and a few trees were blown down.
May 2016Thunderstorm WindParis$15,000Metal shed doors were blown in and some roofing was peeled off.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindKansas$15,000A few trees and power lines were blown down in Kansas.
August 2012Thunderstorm WindHume$15,000Three power poles were snapped and several tree branches were blown down.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindParis$15,000Several trees were blown down at the cemetary on High Street on the north side of Paris.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindChrisman$12,000Power lines were blown down about 2 miles west of Chrisman.
May 2016HailParis$10,000The hail damaged the siding of a home.
October 2007Thunderstorm WindParis$10,000Several trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindChrisman$7,000Power lines were blown down in Chrisman.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindEdgar$6,000A tree was blown down onto power lines in Edgar Township.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindHume$5,000A large tree was blown down.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindChrisman$4,000A power pole was blown down in Chrisman.
August 2012Thunderstorm WindMetcalf$3,000Three large trees were blown down.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindChrisman$3,000A tree was blown down across Route 36, two miles west of Chrisman.
May 1970Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 2016Thunderstorm WindKansas$2,000A large tree was snapped.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindKansas$2,000A tree was blown down onto Highway 16 just east of Kansas.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindKansas$2,000A tree was blown down onto Highway 49 just north of Kansas.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindHume$1,500A tree was blown down.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindScotland$1,000Thunderstorm winds blew down several large trees and a chapel lost some guttering in Scotland. Also, numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down. No injuries were reported.
July 1982Tornado (F0)not stated$30no account filed
May 1958Tornado (F2)not stated$30no account filed
March 2025Tornado (EF1)Paris Stewart Arpt-The tornado began one mile south of Paris near the intersection of east 750th Road and north 1400th St., where it leveled an outbuilding and snapped a tree, resulting in damage to a house. The tornado then tracked northeast, moving through the south and east parts of Paris where it damaged several homes, mobile homes, and trees. The tornado continued to snap and uproot trees as it tracked to the west and north of the Sycamore Hills County Club. The tornado then damaged numerous trees at properties along Indian Boundary Road. The tornado crossed an open field before downing a dozen power poles along east 1200 road before dissipating to the northeast.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindParis-Barns and other farm outbuildings sustained minor damage from thunderstorm wind gusts at this location. This damage occurred about a quarter mile east of a tornado track.

Mines and quarries

6 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 6 workings inside this county. None of them still produces: all are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Stone, Crushed/Broken6

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Perry County Highway DepartmentStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

The townships, in 1879

131,630 words

The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 13 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.

The county's history books

373,153 words

One book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 1 chapter 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.

The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated (1879)

ChapterLength
The whole text373,153 words in 24 parts

The people it describes

7 named

Everyone The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated 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.

Every populated place in the county

49

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.

The vanished settlements of Edgar County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.