77 topographic sheets cover 41 settlements here, and 9 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 National Register listings published here, 1 of them a National Historic Landmark · the county-history sources tell 2 stories and name 3 people · people the book names include William W. I'Helps (Nauvoo Township, 1880) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: John D. Lee; A Story From Stenhoctse. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
Our readers will remember this individual as having been tried, found guilt}-, and executed a few j-ears ago in Utah, for his participation in the Mountain Meadow Massacre. In looking over the Church organ, we find his name as having been a resident at K^auvoo in ISiS, and a ti-aveling elder, preaching and healing the sick, as reported.
" It is stated that on leaving Nauvoo for Carthage, he said: ' I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer morning. I have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me, " lie was murdered in cold blood."'" - [Doctrine and Covenants, p.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cambre House and Farm | building | 1984 | 84000308 |
 | Carthage Courthouse Square Historic District | district | 1986 | 86001482 |
 | Carthage Jail | building | 1973 | 73000703 |
 | Cyrus Felt House | building | 1980 | 80001366 |
 | LaHarpe City Hall | building | 1991 | 91001689 |
 | LaHarpe Historic District | district | 1987 | 87000031 |
 | Nauvoo Historic District | district | 1966 | 66000321 |
 | William J. Reimbold House | building | 1987 | 87002033 |
 | Warsaw Historic District | district | 1977 | 77000486 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 6 of them, burning about 16 acres. 1 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 use | 2 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
| Natural | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 October 2003 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 19 October 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.5 acres | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 30 October 2003 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 6 April 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 22 June 2003 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 24 May 2004 | Natural | 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 510 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 21 injuries and about $42,415,280 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 214 |
| Hail | 175 |
| Flood | 41 |
| Flash Flood | 37 |
| Tornado | 32 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 |
| Lightning | 2 |
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 1974 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 10 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F4) | Niota | 7 hurt, $10,000,000 | The supercell storm that produced this tornado developed over Clark County, Missouri and produced a funnel cloud over Fort Madison, Iowa before it moved into west-central Illinois and preceded to produce a large tornado. The tornado started out as an F0 when it first touched down south of Niota and, based on damage surveyed the following day, grew to F3 strength by the time it reached Dallas City. Eye witnesses saw three separate funnels at on point. The Dallas City school received major damage and one older house was blown off its foundation. Several mobile homes were destroyed and a car was rolled six feet up a hill. The tornado preceded to the northeast and gained in strength. About one mile northwest of Disco the tornado reached F4 strength. At this time the tornado was just about right on the county line between Hancock and Henderson Counties and struck the Maxine Clover farm site. The Clover brick home was totally destroyed with only a few parts of walls still standing. The tornado appeared to be about one-half mile wide. The tornado continued to the northeast where it struck the Dick Edmunds farm site. The Edmunds seventeen year old brick home was destroyed along with most of the other farm buildings. Sixty animals had to be destroyed. As the tornado crossed highway 94 just south of Terre Haute it only produced F0 to F1 damage, but still appeared to be about one-half mile wide by the scoured dirt path it ground into the area farm fields. At this time the tornado was approaching the small community of Raritan. The Wendell Shaner farm site, located one and one-half miles southwest of Raritan, was hit at this time. Mr. Shaner was thrown about 70 yards out of his home into a field east of the house. Mr. Shaner received broken rips and other internal injuries. The Shaner farm site was totally destroyed. Where the home had been located there was nothing left, but the basement stuffed full of debris. Hundreds of dead hogs were scattered along and up a hill to the northeast of the home site. The tornado then clipped the southeast corner of the community of Raritan where damage was limited to areas along and south of main street. The Carl Huss home was totally destroyed while he was in the basement. Mr. Huss received a large bruise on his back when cement blocks were pulled in from the west side of the basement as the home was shredded off its foundation. The 137-year-old farmstead of John and Bev Livermore was also hit at about this time. Mr. Livermore was in the basement with his two grand-children when the tornado struck. The home heating fuel tank, located in the basement, was sucked up and thrown 50 yards away from the house. Mr. Livermore literally had to lay on his grandson to keep him from being pulled out of the basement. The home was totally destroyed. The Richard Likes home, also on the east side of Raritan, was totally blown off the foundation and pushed 50 yards into the field to the east. The Likes were not home at the time. This is also about the time the tornado appeared to reach its maximum width of 0.6 miles. One to two miles northeast of Rariton the large tornado either weakened or dissipated. Regardless, F0 to F1 damage and debris continued across Warren County from either the weakened tornado or multiple spinoff tornados. The tornado finally exited Warren county about six miles southwest of Abingdon. This large tornado produced no fatalities and only one injury was of a serious nature. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ferris | 2 hurt | Roof ripped off mobile home, 2 injuries per emergency management. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hamilton | 1 hurt, $60,000 | Numerous trees down |
| June 1986 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Tornado (F3) | Warsaw | $15,000,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nauvoo | $3,500,000 | Also by spotters. Trees flattened. |
| June 1981 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| April 1974 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Tornado (F2) | Tioga | $400,000 | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Tornado (F0) | Warsaw | $400,000 | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Warsaw | $400,000 | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Tornado (F0) | Warsaw | $400,000 | no account filed |
| April 2013 | Flood | La Harpe | $250,000 | Several rounds of heavy rains fell across Hancock County resulting in flash flooding across much of the county during the afternoon of April 17 through the morning of April 18. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Warsaw | $250,000 | Heavy rains resulted in some flash flooding in parts of Hancock County IL during the morning of June 14. New Warsaw Rd in Warsaw, IL to Route 400 E was closed due to the flood waters. Several mud slides occurred in the area. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carthage | $250,000 | Wind gust estimated to be 75 mph blew down some buildings between Carthage, IL and Bentley, IL around 145 am CDT June 27. This report was relayed by a COOP Observer. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hamilton | $250,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 to 80 mph downed several trees and large limbs across much of Hamilton, IL around 130 am CDT June 27. A home on North 19th Street sustained roof damage and a power pole was blown down in the front yard. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bentley | $250,000 | Wind gusts in excess of 70 mph blew down several trees and large limbs in Bentley, IL around 145 am CDT June 27. Some roads were blocked by the tree debris. In addition, some buildings and homes were damaged and a new Morton building on the north side of Bentley was strewn across the freeway. Some of the trees and limbs fell onto a few homes. |
| June 2011 | Hail | Augusta | $250,000 | Golf ball sized hail fell in Augusta, IL at 645 pm June 10. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Nauvoo | $250,000 | Heavy rains during the third week of June resulted in the Mississippi River at Keokuk going above the moderate flood stage level of 17.5 feet on June 22 around 5 am. It crested around 18.6 feet around 7 pm June 22. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 1 pm June 25.||The Mississippi River at Gregory Landing went above the moderate flood stage level of 18 feet on June 22 around 3 am. It crested around 19.7 feet around 1 am June 23. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 8 am June 28. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Burnside | $250,000 | Heavy rains during the second week of June resulted in the La Moine River at Colmar going above the moderate flood stage level of 22 feet on June 14 around 12 pm. It crested around 22.9 feet around 7 pm June 14. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 9 am June 17. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Burnside | $250,000 | Heavy rains during the third week of June resulted in the La Moine River at Colmar going above the moderate flood stage level of 22 feet on June 22 around 12 pm. It crested around 22.8 feet around 7 am June 24. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 1 am June 26. |
| May 2010 | Flood | Burnside | $250,000 | Heavy rains during the second week of May resulted in the La Moine River at Colmar going above the moderate flood stage level of 22 feet on May 13 around 10 pm. It crested around 23.4 feet around 1 am May 15. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 3 pm May 16. |
| May 2009 | Flood | Durham | $250,000 | Heavy rains from May 13th to May 15th resulted in the La Moine River near Colmar going above the moderate flood stage level of 22 feet around 9 pm on May 15 and the major flood stage level of 24 feet around 1:30 am on May 17. It crested around 24.84 feet around 6 pm on May 17. It fell back below the major flood stage level around 10:30 am on May 18 and the moderate flood stage level around 6 am on May 19. |
| March 1990 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Flood | Burnside | $150,000 | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Flood | Burnside | $125,000 | Heavy rains from June 13th to June 15th resulted in the La Moine River at Colmar going above the major flood stage level of 24 feet on June 16 around 1246 am CDT. It crested around 24.3 feet around 7 am CDT June 16. It fell below the major flood stage level around 826 pm CDT June 16. |
| July 2010 | Flood | Dallas City | $125,000 | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Elvaston | $100,000 | Heavy rains lead to some flash flooding in Elvaston, IL during the morning of June 15. The flood water was over 3 feet deep. A home and two vehicles were flooded. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Augusta | $100,000 | Heavy rains overnight resulted several reports of building flooding in downtown Augusta, including the post office. An estimated 2 feet of water flooded the post office basement. |
| May 2009 | Flood | Durham | $100,000 | Heavy rains during the last four days of April resulted in the La Moine River near Colmar going above the moderate flood stage level of 22 feet on May 1 around 9:30 am. It crested around 22.8 feet around 2 am May 2. It fell back below the moderate flood stage level around 1 am May 3. |
| April 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Sutter | $100,000 | An EF1 tornado moved northeast from 1.3 miles east of Sutter to 2.6 miles east northeast of Sutter. A garage, barns, and sheds were destroyed. Another barn was blown off its foundation, and a church roof, hog confinement, some homes, outbuildings, and several trees were damaged. Time estimated. |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Hamilton | $100,000 | Water over IL 96 between Hamilton & Nauvoo |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bowen | $75,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 80 mph heavily damaged several machine sheds, wooden structures, two metal grain bins, and one concrete grain bin along a path from about 3 miles southwest of Bowen, IL to about 3 miles south of Bowen, IL at 648 pm CDT June 16. In addition, two power poles were snapped. |
| September 2003 | Hail | Nauvoo | $70,000 | Minor street flooding from heavy rain. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carthage | $60,000 | Numerous trees down |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bentley | $60,000 | Trees and power lines down |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hamilton | $50,000 | Power lines down |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Warsaw | $50,000 | Trees & power lines down |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dallas City | $50,000 | Power out |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Augusta | $40,000 | Tree limbs down |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nauvoo | $40,000 | Downburst winds produced a damage path that was 5 blocks long and 100 yards wide. The path of wind damage was from northwest to southeast from near Knight Street on Route 96 to near the Parley Street extension. The majority of the damage occurred to trees. Many of the trees were large, with several being uprooted. One newer brick building, with double doors, had one door blown off or damaged. The Nauvoo Family Motel had glass in the front door and glass and pictures in the lobby shattered by the wind.No injuries were reported. |
| April 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Elvaston | $30,000 | An EF0 tornado briefly touched down just northeast of Elvaston. One residence sustained roof and tree damage, as well as damage to a garage door. Time estimated. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Hamilton | $25,000 | Heavy rains during the predawn hours of June 5 resulted in a portion of Windy Hills Rd just southwest of Hamilton, IL washing out. |
| June 1990 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Basco | $20,000 | An EF0 tornado moved to the northeast beginning just east of Elderville. A roof to a house and a tree were damaged. Time estimated. |
| July 2003 | Hail | Dallas City | $20,000 | no account filed |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | La Harpe | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed large trees, power lines, and an advertising sign, and destroyed a barn. Numerous roofs in the community were damaged. Winds also blew a garage across a yard. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $12,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Lightning | Dallas City | $10,000 | Lightning damaged a house about 1 mile south of Dallas City, IL at 614 am CDT July 18. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Warsaw | $10,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some large tree limbs and power lines in Warsaw, IL around 520 pm CDT August 20. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hamilton | $10,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some large tree limbs and power lines in Hamilton, IL around 540 pm CDT August 20. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Nauvoo | $10,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding of Highway 96 in western Hancock County during the afternoon and early evening of June 12. The highway was under water at several locations between Hamilton, IL and Dallas City, IL. In addition, flood waters covered part of the Powelton Blacktop east of Nauvoo, IL as well as various parts of northwest Hancock County. |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nauvoo | $10,000 | Illinois highway 96 covered with downed branches between Nauvoo and Hamilton. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nauvoo | $10,000 | KDVN 88D had 80+ knots aloft in Lee County Iowa |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hamilton | $10,000 | Continuous path of straight line winds from the Mississippi River north of Hamilton to between Ferris and Adrian were 30 power poles were snapped off near the ground. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bowen | $10,000 | Trees uprooted with moderate damage to the village hall and slight damage to a business. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carthage | $6,000 | Thunderstorm winds snapped several tree limbs, which resulted in spotty power outages throughout the community. One tree was uprooted, another blew down over a garage, and a third tree crushed a minivan. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bowen | $5,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down some power lines east of Bowen, IL at 650 pm CDT June 10. A power outage was observed in Bowen. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Warsaw | $5,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some tree limbs and power lines in Warsaw, IL at 138 am CDT June 27. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 11 workings inside this county. 5 still produce and 6 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 5 |
| Stone | 3 |
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 2 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Creek Clay Shale Exposure | Clay | Prospect | ||
| Tennessee Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Wright Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Carthage City Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Dallas City Quarries | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Hancock City Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Carthage Plant #52 & Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Gray Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Mo-Mac Quarry & Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant | ||
| O'Neal Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Olson Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 21 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.
2 books written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 19 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 | 31,868 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Pitysical Features, Geology and Natural Productions | 6,049 words |
| Chapter 2: Pioneers and Pioneer Life | 1,587 words |
| Chapter 3: The Advance Guard | 1,678 words |
| Chapter 4: The First Officials | 5,808 words |
| Chapter 5: Organization and First Proceedings | 4,903 words |
| Biographical sketches | 1,644 words |
| Chapter 9: Hancock Newspapers | 5,385 words |
| Chapter 10: Weather Phenomena | 4,192 words |
| Chapter 11: The Judiciary | 1,097 words |
| Chapter 12: The Hancock Bar | 7,590 words |
| Chapter 15: Religious Progress | 824 words |
| Chapter 16: Educational | 1,853 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 13 of those read) | 3,060 words |
| Chapter 21: Township Organization | 448 words |
| Chapter 22: Old Land-Marks | 848 words |
| Chapter 23: Hancock in the Kebellion | 9,647 words |
| Chapter 26: The Criminal Record | 2,031 words |
| Chapter 27: Hancock Railways | 19,077 words in 2 parts |
Everyone History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws 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 1880.
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.
Bear Creek township · 62313 · On West Fork Bear Creek · West Point quadrangle
14 sheets, 1933 to 1990
Montebello township · 62341 · On Railroad Creek · Hamilton quadrangle
16 sheets, 1936 to 1990
Rocky Run-Wilcox township · 62373 · On Jenifer Creek · Warsaw quadrangle
17 sheets, 1936 to 1990
Carthage township · 62321 · On Little Creek · Bentley quadrangle
14 sheets, 1933 to 1990
Pontoosuc township · 62330 · On Spillman Creek · Dallas City quadrangle
17 sheets, 1932 to 1990
Nauvoo township · 62354 · Near Gilligans Island · Nauvoo quadrangle
15 sheets, 1936 to 1990
No longer a settlement
Sonora township · 62354 · Near Mount Moriah · Hamilton quadrangle
16 sheets, 1936 to 1990
No longer a settlement
The vanished settlements of Hancock County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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