45 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 2 stories and name 28 people · people the book names include Rev. Bartholomew Bartels (Teutopolis Township, 1926) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: Pro Deo Et Patria; The Present St. Francis Church At Teutopolis, Illinois. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
On September 30, John Stumborg was killed in an automobile accident. In November 1917 the $104,000.00 hard road bonds for Effingham County were endorsed by the bankers; 19.8 miles of the old National Road are to be improved. Cost $306,700.00; of this sum the government allotted $202,700.00. In October the local schools were closed to prevent the spread of the fiu.
In July a very successful bazaar was held at Teutopolis. About midnight on Aug. 18-19th, Very Rev. Samuel Macke, 0. F. M., former rector of the college and killed in an auto accident east of town. On December 21, Schoenhoff's barber-shop was destroyed by fire and the furniture in the adjoining Habing store considerably damaged by smoke and water.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Effingham County Courthouse | building | 1985 | 85002304 |
| Heart Theater | building | 2023 | 100008843 | |
 | Dr. Charles M. Wright House | building | 1986 | 86001018 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 12 of them, burning about 34 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 December 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 14 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 2020173 |
| 3 December 2020 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 2020202 |
| 17 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 38 |
| 7 March 2004 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.5 acres | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 28 February 2004 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.5 acres | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 16 March 2009 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 36 |
| 28 February 2004 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.0 acres | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 14 March 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 380 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 13 injuries and about $4,505,160 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 194 |
| Hail | 86 |
| Flash Flood | 59 |
| Tornado | 29 |
| Flood | 12 |
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 1983 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | 2 killed, $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Tornado (F2) | Eberle to | 3 hurt, $500,000 | A tornado touched down 2 miles southwest of Eberle and destroyed a two-car garage. Several trees were also downed near this site. The tornado moved east-northeast and struck a two-story home just west of Eberle, partially placing the home on its side. This is where F2 damage occurred. Two children received minor injuries while the father was significantly injured after his neck was punctured by a two inch piece of glass. A small shed and siding from a barn was damaged as the tornado continued just north of Eberle. Several farm buildings and grain bins were damaged before the tornado lifted 4 miles northeast of Eberle. |
| March 1961 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 3 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| March 1959 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 2 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beecher City | 1 hurt, $250,000 | Numerous trees, tree branches, and power lines were blown down across Beecher City. One falling tree damaged a trailer. |
| February 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watson | 1 hurt | Thunderstorm winds contributed to a multi-vehicle accident on I-57 southwest of Watson, resulting in one indirect injury. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | 1 hurt | Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down in Altamont, Effingham, and Teutopolis. Some homes in Effingham sustained siding damage and a small shed was destroyed by a fallen tree. The roof of the junior high school in Teutopolis sustained minor damage. Also, a semi was blown over on southbound I-57 in Effingham. The driver sustained minor injuries. |
| May 2002 | Flash Flood | Countywide | 1 hurt | Up to four inches of rain fell over Effingham County in a short amount of time. Numerous roads were flooded, including Illinois Route 45 north of Effingham, Illinois Route 128 near Beecher City, and Route 40 west of Effingham. A school and the county courthouse sustained basement flood damage. One man had to be rescued after he attempted to cross a flooded creek in his ATV and was swept 150 yards downstream into some trees. He clung to the trees for two hours before he was rescued. He was treated and released from the hospital. |
| April 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| November 2013 | Tornado (EF1) | Altamont | $400,000 | This tornado continued from Fayette County in National Weather Service St. Louis' County Warning Area (CWA). The tornado crossed into Effingham County 3.2 miles WNW of Altamont at 12:28 PM CST before tracking northeastward and dissipating 2.9 miles NNW of Altamont at 12:32 PM CST. About a dozen outbuildings were damaged and minor damage occurred to the roofs of 3 homes. Several power poles were blown down as well. The tornado dissipated near North 200th Street and East 1300th Avenue in rural Effingham County. |
| December 2015 | Flood | Green Creek | $300,000 | An extended period of heavy rain during the late evening of December 26th in northwest Effingham County combined with an already saturated ground to produce flash flooding. Rainfall amounts ranged from 2.75 to 4.00 inches in less than six hours. Most rural roads and state highways were flooded and impassable northwest of Interstate 70. Beecher City, Altamont and Shumway were the most impacted with flooded streets and basements. Several streets were also flooded in the city of Effingham. The flooding continued through all of December 27th. Additional rainfall of 2.40 to 3.00 from December 28th into the 29th aggravated the flooding situation significantly and spread into the remainder of the county. Every rural road and most state highways were flooded for nearly four days. The flood water finally subsided by the afternoon of December 31st. |
| May 1990 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1960 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| February 2026 | Tornado (EF0) | Eberle | $170,000 | A tornado developed just south of the Clay-Effingham county line, producing damage at a farmstead along the county line east of 1800th Street. At this location, metal from the top of a silo was blown off, and a barn was damaged with roof pieces blown off to the northeast for about a half mile. The tornado was in Clay County for less than a minute, before continuing northeast into Effingham County where it produced tracks through corn stubble in fields. It dissipated northwest of the intersection of East 200th Avenue and County Road 2200. This tornado had a maximum intensity of EF-0, and its total lifespan was 11 minutes. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dieterich | $100,000 | Two farm buildings were destroyed, a house was damaged, and a silo was blown over near Dietrich. A large tree was blown down as well. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $90,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in Altamont. A few houses were damaged by falling trees. |
| May 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mason | $85,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down along the Mason Eberle Road. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dieterich | $85,000 | Numerous trees and powerlines were blown down in Dieterich. In addition, a 157-foot wireless internet tower was blown down and the roofs of a few homes lost shingles. |
| February 2014 | Tornado (EF1) | Moccasin | $80,000 | A tornado touched down in an open field 4 miles west-southwest of Shumway at 4:54 PM CST. The tornado tracked northeastward, crossing state highway 33 between Shumway and Beecher City. The tornado snapped several power poles as it crossed the highway before dissipating in an open field 3 miles west-northwest of Shumway at 4:56 PM CST. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dieterich | $75,000 | Shingles were blown off several houses. A large tree was blown down and two empty semis were tipped over. |
| June 2015 | Flash Flood | Beecher City | $75,000 | Thunderstorms produced 4.00 to 7.00 of rainfall in a large part of Effingham County, mainly between 2300 and 0200 local standard time. Flash flooding rapidly developed, which made many streets impassable in Effingham. Rural roads in the southwest corner and southeast parts of the county were impassable. Illinois State Highway 37 southwest of Watson was closed. A county bridge 4 miles southwest of Shumway was washed out when the Blue Creek flooded out of its banks. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $60,000 | Numerous large tree branches were blown down in Altamont. Some of the branches fell onto homes, causing minor damage. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shumway | $60,000 | Several trees were blown into power lines and one house was damaged in Shumway. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Dieterich | $60,000 | Several evacuations due to high water in the town of Dieterich. Six to eight houses experienced damage with approximately one foot of water in the basements. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Funkhouser | $50,000 | Several trees were blown down and a few buildings were damaged at Lake Sara. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Effingham | $50,000 | Two tractor-semitrailers were blown over in Effingham while numerous trees and power lines were reportedly down across the county. The county sheriff also reported partial roof damage to two homes three miles south of Effingham. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dieterich | $45,000 | A grain bin was toppled over onto another grain bin. A storage building lost its roof and numerous trees were blown down. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $45,000 | A mobile home was destroyed 7 miles south of Altamont. In addition, numerous trees and power lines were blown down. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Effingham | $45,000 | Multiple roads flooded out in Effingham. Four people were rescued from stranded vehicles within the city. |
| April 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Montrose | $40,000 | A gas station awning was blown down and damaged two cars. |
| February 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dieterich | $40,000 | Part of the roof was blown off a church north of Dieterich. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dieterich | $40,000 | The roof was ripped off a breezeway at Dieterich High School. The roof contained a water pipe that broke and flooded the adjacent gym floor. |
| October 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dieterich | $30,000 | A few trees were blown onto houses and power lines were knocked down. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beecher City | $30,000 | Several trees were blown down in various locations across Effingham County. |
| February 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $30,000 | Power poles were bent over and a pole barn suffered minor damage. |
| February 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $30,000 | A lean-to shed was destroyed and minor roof damage occurred to a house. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Effingham | $30,000 | A large tree was blown onto a house, causing significant damage to the roof. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hill | $25,000 | Four power poles were broken at the top and several others were leaning along U.S. Highway 45 just north of the Clay-Effingham County line. |
| February 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $25,000 | Power poles were bent over and numerous tree limbs were blown down. |
| February 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watson | $25,000 | A small utility shed roof and porch roof were blown off. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Effingham | $25,000 | Several trees and tree limbs were blown down. Some falling trees and tree limbs also downed power lines. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Effingham | $25,000 | Numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down. One large tree fell onto a house causing minor damage. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Teutopolis | $25,000 | Three submerged vehicles on St. Francis Road, with one water rescue being performed. |
| May 1989 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1984 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1960 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| January 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mason | $24,000 | Numerous power lines were blown down in Mason. |
| February 2026 | Tornado (EF0) | Edgewood | $20,000 | A tornado developed near Scooter Drive in Clay County. It tracked northeast, moving into Effingham County and tracking east of Edgewood. It dissipated near the intersection of East 100th Avenue and County Road 880. The maximum intensity of this tornado was EF-0, with damage limited to tree branches. The total duration of this tornado was four minutes, one minute in Clay County and three minutes in Effingham County. |
| November 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shumway | $20,000 | A power pole, power lines, and several tree branches were blown down in Shumway. |
| January 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $20,000 | A large overhead door was blown out at the ADM plant. A tree was blown down onto a house, doing damage to its roof. In addition, numerous tree branches were knocked down around town. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $20,000 | Several powerlines were blown down. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Effingham | $20,000 | Numerous tree limbs were blown down in Effingham. Spotty power outages were also reported around town. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $20,000 | Several trees and tree limbs were blown down. |
| April 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $18,000 | A power pole was blown down and a semi truck was knocked over on I-70. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Edgewood | $15,000 | A semi was blown over on I-57 at Edgewood. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mason | $15,000 | Numerous large tree limbs were blown down in Mason. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $12,000 | Several large tree branches were blown down across County Road 1200 N about 2 miles northwest of Altamont. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Green Creek | $12,000 | Several large tree branches were blown down across highway 9 about 3 miles north of Effingham. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dieterich | $12,000 | A semi truck was blown over on Route 33 near Dieterich. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | $12,000 | Railroad crossing gates were torn off at 10th and Division Streets in Altamont. In addition, several trees and tree branches were blown down. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 4 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/Broken | 2 |
| Stone | 1 |
| Clay | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effinghham City Hwy Dept. Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Wabash Shale Exposure | Clay | Prospect | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence |
History of Effingham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teutopolis Township | Teutopolis | 44,476 words | 88 |
One book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 26 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 1 | 7,056 words |
| Chapter 2 | 7,509 words |
| Chapter 3 | 10,491 words |
| Chapter 4 | 12,427 words |
| Chapter 6 | 4,472 words |
| Chapter 7 | 6,216 words |
| Chapter 8 | 14,532 words |
| Chapter 9 | 5,200 words |
| Chapter 10 | 6,160 words |
| Chapter 11 | 2,850 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 11 of those read) | 4,479 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 12 of those read) | 4,377 words |
| Chapter 14 | 7,342 words |
| Chapter 15 | 4,219 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 15 of those read) | 6,227 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 16 of those read) | 5,919 words |
| Yiil | 4,717 words |
| Chapter 19 | 4,119 words |
| Chapter 20 | 5,595 words |
| Chapter 21 | 2,227 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 21 of those read) | 7,548 words |
| Chapter 24 | 2,619 words |
| Chapter 25 | 3,792 words |
| Chapter 26 | 2,507 words |
| Chapter 27 | 29,660 words in 2 parts |
| Biographical sketches | 190,267 words in 13 parts |
Everyone History of Effingham 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 1883.
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.
Liberty township · 62414 · On Corwin Branch · Beecher City quadrangle
12 sheets, 1941 to 1986
Summit township · 62401 · On Blue Point Creek · Effingham South quadrangle
15 sheets, 1950 to 1998
Union township · 62443 · On Coon Creek · Hord quadrangle
9 sheets, 1956 to 1986
No longer a settlement
Jackson township · 62411 · Altamont East quadrangle
15 sheets, 1950 to 1998
No longer a settlement
Douglas township · 62401 · On East Branch Green Creek · Effingham North quadrangle
15 sheets, 1950 to 1998
Teutopolis township · 62467 · On First Salt Creek · Teutopolis quadrangle
11 sheets, 1953 to 1998
The vanished settlements of Effingham County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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