137 topographic sheets cover 100 settlements here, and 40 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
40 National Register listings published here, 1 of them a National Historic Landmark · the county-history sources tell 2 stories and name 11 people · people the book names include Conrad A. Ambrosius (Collinsville Township, 1882) · General Business (Venice Township, 1882) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: City Court Of Alton; Wood River Fort, 1812-1814. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
The Alton City Court was organized in 1859, and its first session was held on the 11th of April of that year. The name Was changed in 1874 from the Alton City Court to the City Court of Alton. It has jurisdiction of all chancery and common law causes, except murder. Henry W. Billings was the first judge.
Susan Paddock, of Fort Russell, kindly furnished us with the above correct sketch of the old Wood River Fort as it was when the families of this vicinity fled to it on the night of the massacre. It was situated on a little rise of ground near the barn now owned by William Gill, who resides in section 10.
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: 17 of them, burning about 20 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 | 12 |
| Debris and open burning | 3 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 February 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | REZY RD |
| 12 November 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.5 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | MANSHOLT |
| 23 March 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 14068 |
| 27 February 2014 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 14047 |
| 21 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | HATFIELD |
| 21 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | ALLIANCE |
| 29 January 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | RUPPERT |
| 6 November 2001 | 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 839 reports for this county, causing 6 deaths, 69 injuries and about $98,082,266 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 417 |
| Hail | 310 |
| Tornado | 67 |
| Flash Flood | 27 |
| Flood | 10 |
| Lightning | 5 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 |
| Funnel Cloud | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF3) | Mitchell | 6 killed, 1 hurt, $5,000,000 | The tornado began on the south side of I-270 around three-quarters of a mile west of the I-270/I-255 interchange at 8:27 PM CST. Damage in this area consisted of several downed highway signs and a bent light pole. The tornado moved northeast and intensified rapidly after crossing I-255, striking an Amazon warehouse. The west-facing walls of the warehouse collapsed inward, which was followed by multiple structural failures as the tornado moved through the complex, including the collapse of additional walls and the loss of a large segment of the roof. This was the worst damage along the entire tornado track rated EF-3. Cars in the rear of the building were strewn eastward and power lines and several large high tension towers were also destroyed. There was one person injured and 6 fatalities at the Amazon facility. The tornado weakened as it moved northeast across Sand Road, where it destroyed an unanchored mobile home and an outbuilding, snapped trees, and downed power poles. Damage in this area was rated EF-1. Further northeast, the tornado crossed South University Drive where it snapped a power pole and downed additional trees. It then crossed into the Sunset Hills Country Club subdivision. Throughout a portion of the subdivision, there were downed trees, snapped branches, and superficial home damage consisting of missing shingles or small portions of roof covering. The tornado weakened further as it moved northeast, and lifted just west of Butler Boulevard at 8:35 PM CST. Noteworthy is debris from the Amazon warehouse was found along the entire track of this storm, tens of miles to the northeast of the warehouse. Overall, the tornado was rated EF3 with a path length of 4.22 miles and max path width of 300 yards. Six deaths and one injured were reported. |
| April 1981 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | 32 hurt, $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 1960 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 17 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1983 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 3 hurt, $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 3 hurt | no account filed |
| February 1960 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 2 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 1955 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 2 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Granite City | 1 hurt, $5,000,000 | The 6th and last tornado spawned by the Heavy Precipitation Supercell that moved across the NWS St. Louis, County Warning Area, formed on the east side of Granite City and moved east into south Pontoon Beach. The tornado first damaged an apartment complex near Worthen Park. Two buildings were destroyed with 4 others suffering major to minor damage. Several cars in the parking lot were damaged by flying debris. One person was injured by flying glass. The tornado caused intermittent damage as it moved east across the Legacy Golf Course. Trees were downed and 3 homes suffered roof damage. In southern Pontoon Beach, one house was destroyed as the attached garage was blown away and the entire roof blown off. About 20 other homes/businesses were damaged before the tornado dissipated. |
| May 1958 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| December 1957 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 2026 | Tornado (EF1) | Moro | 1 hurt | A brief tornado moved through the communities of Moro and Midway, IL early in the morning of March 11, 2026. This tornado produced wind damage indicative of maximum wind speeds of approximately 110 miles per hour. Damage to trees, homes, and grain bins was observed. One injury was also reported. |
| March 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Formosa Jct | 1 hurt | Thunderstorm winds caused a delivery truck to be blown into a car on the other side of the road causing a collision. The delivery truck driver was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Also, several large trees, tree branches and power lines were blown down. |
| February 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | 1 hurt | Thunderstorm winds blew a utility pole down in Alton. The pole fell onto an occupied car. One passenger sustained minor injuries. In Bethalto, several large tree limbs and a two foot diameter tree were blown down. |
| February 2011 | Tornado (EF2) | Chinatown | 1 hurt | It was determined that a tornado touched down on Weathervane Road on the west side of Troy at approximately 11:45 PM. It was there that the tornado was at its strongest, an EF2, as it completely removed the roof from a well constructed home. One occupant received a serious head laceration and was treated at a local hospital. The tornado moved eastward at 60 mph, with a damage swath of 100 to 200 yards wide. Numerous trees, power lines, and roofs sustained minor to moderate damage along its path. The tornado continued to near the intersection of North Dewey Street and East Market Street, where it lifted at approximately 11:48 PM. The path length was 2.7 miles long. |
| April 1999 | Tornado (F1) | New Douglas | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Lightning | Collinsville | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| June 2019 | Flood | Clifton Terrace | $24,800,000 | The Mississippi River at Alton, IL remained at it's highest levels between the evening of June 2nd and the evening of June 12th. America's Central Port in Granite City sustained at least $11.25 million in damage from the river flooding. Overall, Madison County sustained at least $24.8 million from this river flood event. |
| November 1988 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| December 1950 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| April 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Granite City | $800,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Granite City | $600,000 | no account filed |
| May 1990 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 1978 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| February 1959 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 1959 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| January 1950 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | St Jacob | $200,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew off part of an outbuilding about a mile south of St. Jacob. Further east, about a quarter of a roof on a large horse barn was blown off. One of the horses was killed by the flying debris. Thirty five other horses busted out of their fences and stalls as they ran scared from the storm. The roof debris was thrown about a 100 yards to the east. |
| February 1999 | Hail | Edwardsville | $200,000 | no account filed |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Troy | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused downed trees and downed power poles and power lines. Some trees fell into houses in Marine, and a tree was snapped in half at Rustic Acres Jellystone Park. Communities within the damage path were Troy, Marine, Hamel, Worden, Williamson, Livingston, and New Douglas. |
| April 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Midway | $100,000 | A tornado touched down near Cooper Road, 4.3 miles northeast of Bethalto, damaging the roof on two farm buildings. Then it tracked to the east-northeast crossing Illinois Route 159. In this location, it caused considerable damage to two out buildings as well as trees and fences. It continued to the east northeast for another 2.7 miles before crossing Prairietown Road, causing minor roof damage to a house and major damage to an outbuilding, before lifting and dissipating. Overall, the tornado was rated EF1 (max wind speed of 95 mph) with a path length of 3.14 miles and a max path width of 75 yards. No deaths or injuries were reported. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Milton | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew over a large oak tree onto a business causing around $100,000 in damage. Also, the tree fell onto 2 garages destroying them and damaging 3 vehicles inside them. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Edwardsville | $100,000 | A late night thunderstorm produced wind gusts around 70 mph causing widespread wind damage in Edwardsville. Most of the damage was due to downed trees and power lines. The storm carved a west path from North Main Street south to Goshen Road. Quite a few roofs and vehicles were damaged by downed trees and limbs. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Clifton Terrace | $50,000 | The Mississippi River at Alton, IL crested at 33.08 feet on 6/30/2008. This is the seventh highest crest ever recorded. There was some flooding of a few downtown businesses in Alton, and Highway 100 had to be closed, otherwise damage was minimal. |
| May 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Highland | $50,000 | A small tornado formed near Highland High School causing minor damage, but a lot of shook up people. The tornado passed over the school gymnasium ripping 6 air conditioner units off their bases. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the gym and to the ceiling of the second story classrooms. The tornado then crossed Route 160 causing some minor damage to farm outbuildings. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Highland | $50,000 | A billboard sign built to withstand wind gusts to 60 mph was blown over. Numerous trees in the area were also knocked down. |
| January 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fosterburg | $50,000 | A line of showers and thunderstorms produced wind damage to single house, blowing off part of the roof. Wind estimates were 40 to 50 mph. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pontoon Beach | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Highland | $50,000 | no account filed |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dorsey | $30,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a machine shed as well as a smaller shed near Dorsey, Illinois. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Maryland Place | $30,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused widespread damage between Granite City, Pontoon Beach, Glen Carbon and Troy. Numerous tree limbs were blown down as well as power lines. Also, several large trees were blown down. In Glen Carbon, some of the fallen trees blocked roads in the Oakdale Lake Drive area. Just east southeast of Troy a large tree fell onto a driveway. |
| April 1984 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1976 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1973 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| December 1950 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 2025 | Tornado (EF0) | Black Jack | $20,000 | The tornado crossed into Madison County where it lifted the roof off of a farm outbuilding near the intersection of Rose Road and Cedar Road. It dissipated shortly after at approximately 10:33 PM. In Madison County the tornado was rated EF-0 with a path length of 0.91 miles and a maximum path width of 25 yards. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $20,000 | Widespread wind damage between Alton and Edwardsville. In Alton, the soffit on a house was partially torn off. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Alton, Bethalto, Wood River, Glen Carbon and Edwardsville. |
| May 2006 | Tornado (F0) | (Aln)Stl Rgnl Arpt A | $20,000 | A brief tornado destroyed a 60 foot by 105 foot barn along Buchta Road west of Illinois Route 159. Witnesses reported seeing a funnel about 50 feet in the air coming across the property. The building was lifted completely off the ground and then dropped. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Marine | $20,000 | no account filed |
| February 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | St Jacob | $15,000 | A wide swath of damaging winds from St. Jacob eastward through Highland to the county line. Numerous trees, tree limbs, road signs and powerlines were blown down. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wood River | $15,000 | The 86 mph wind gust caused some damage to the St. Louis Regional Airport's administration building. The winds partially caved in the building's 80 foot long, 25 foot high door. It will cost about $15,000 to repair the door, if that is possible, and between $100,000 and $125,000 to replace, if necessary. In Wood River, numerous trees, power poles and power lines were blown down. A few of the trees landed on the roofs of houses. Some of the houses sustained minor to moderate roof damage because of this. Also, a dugout on the softball field at East Alton-Wood River High School had its roof blown off. No injuries were reported. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Highland | $15,000 | Local law enforcement reported scattered trees and power lines down across the city. One vehicle was seriously damaged by a downed tree. |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Collinsville | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Edwardsville | $15,000 | no account filed |
| March 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Fairmont | $10,000 | The tornado exited St. Charles County and passed into Alton in Madison County, IL at approximately 7:49 PM. In Alton, the tornado caused tree damage and minor damage to homes and farm outbuildings. It then dissipated at about 7:53 PM. In Madison County the tornado had a path length of 2.46 miles and a maximum path width of 430 yards. It was rated an EF1. |
| April 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Marine | $10,000 | A tornado touched down on Loos Road, about 1.7 miles northwest of Marine. In this location it blew down several tree limbs, metal canopy off a roof and blew shed doors down. It then tracked to the east northeast crossing Illinois Route 4, then crossed Pocahontas Road. It snapped off a large pine tree before lifting and dissipating on Brothers Lane just west of Buffalo Road. Overall, the was rated EF0 (max wind speed of 74 mph) with a path length of 4.37 miles and a max path width of 100 yards. No deaths or injuries were reported. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees near the intersection of 4th Street and Henry Street. Also a large tree was blown over into the front yard, narrowly missing the house. Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down around town, including in Oakwood Cemetery. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Glen Carbon | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs around town. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Madison | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew a large tree down onto an unoccupied car in Granite City, causing major damage. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | St Jacob | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs around town. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 24 workings inside this county. 6 still produce and 18 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 7 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 7 |
| Stone | 3 |
| Fire Clay (Refractory) | 2 |
| Silica, Aluminum, Iron, Titanium | 1 |
| Aluminum, Iron, Silica, Titanium | 1 |
| Clay | 1 |
| Sulfur | 1 |
| Thorium | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Facility) Shell Oil Wood River Refinery | Sulfur | Plant | ||
| Alton Brick Co.Clay Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Madison County Fireclay | Aluminum, Iron, Silica, Titanium | Prospect | ||
| Madison Plant | Thorium | Producer | ||
| Southwestern Illinois Area Underc | Silica, Aluminum, Iron, Titanium | Prospect | ||
| Madison County Fireclay | Fire Clay (Refractory) | Occurrence | ||
| Southwestern Illinois Area Underclay | Fire Clay (Refractory) | Occurrence | ||
| Collinsville Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Madison County Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Wood City Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Alton Dredge | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Alton Mine | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Barker Dredge | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| City Plant & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Plant | ||
| Dredge & Mill #2 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Highland Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Lohr Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Mississippi Lime and Material Quarr | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Reliance Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Reliance Quarry Inc. Alton Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| St. Charles & Traveler Dredges | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Twin River Loading Dock | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
History of Madison County, Illinois ... With Biographical Sketches .. devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 10 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: 89 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 |
|---|---|
| Biographical sketches (1 of 2 so headed) | 35,233 words in 3 parts |
| Chapter 3: Geography, Agiilcvltueal Resomces and Railroad Facilities | 9,576 words |
| Chapter 4: Geology of Madisox Couytt | 3,016 words |
| Chapter 5: Antiquities | 5,431 words |
| Chapter 5 | 2,608 words |
| Chapter 6 | 39,389 words in 3 parts |
| Chapter 8 | 9,770 words |
| Chapter 9: Civil History | 63,005 words in 4 parts |
| Chapter 10: The Bexcir and Bar | 17,066 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 11: Tee Press | 20,376 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 12: Pa Triotism | 22,167 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 13: The Common Schools | 11,590 words |
| Chapter 14: Ecclesiastical History | 71,832 words in 5 parts |
| Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed) | 189,152 words in 12 parts |
Everyone History of Madison County, Illinois ... With Biographical Sketches .. 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 1882.
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.
Godfrey village · 62035 · Near Youngblood Hollow · Alton quadrangle
24 sheets, 1927 to 1994
Edwardsville township · 62025 · On Burroughs Branch · Edwardsville quadrangle
17 sheets, 1927 to 1991
Godfrey village · 62035 · Near Youngblood Hollow · Elsah quadrangle
22 sheets, 1927 to 1991
Wood River township · 62018 · On Rocky Branch · Bethalto quadrangle
23 sheets, 1927 to 1993
Collinsville township · 62234 · Near Fox Hill · Collinsville quadrangle
16 sheets, 1907 to 1991
Wood River township · 62024 · On West Fork Wood River · Bethalto quadrangle
23 sheets, 1927 to 1993
Edwardsville township · 62025 · On Little Mooney Creek · Edwardsville quadrangle
17 sheets, 1927 to 1991
Wood River township · 62018 · On Rocky Branch · Bethalto quadrangle
23 sheets, 1927 to 1993
Jarvis township · 62234 · Near Browns Mound · Collinsville quadrangle
16 sheets, 1907 to 1991
Fort Russell township · 62025 · On Wieseman Creek · Edwardsville quadrangle
17 sheets, 1927 to 1991
Edwardsville township · 62034 · Edwardsville quadrangle
17 sheets, 1927 to 1991
Moro township · 62025 · On Joulters Creek · Prairietown quadrangle
14 sheets, 1927 to 1990
Venice township · 62060 · Near Kerr Island · Granite City quadrangle
28 sheets, 1888 to 1998
Marine township · 62061 · Near Neudeckers Mountain · Marine quadrangle
14 sheets, 1927 to 1991
Collinsville township · 62234 · Near Fox Hill · Collinsville quadrangle
16 sheets, 1907 to 1991
Godfrey village · 62035 · Near Youngblood Hollow · Alton quadrangle
24 sheets, 1927 to 1994
Nameoki township · 62040 · Near Walkers Island · Monks Mound quadrangle
21 sheets, 1888 to 1998
Venice township · 62040 · Near Kerr Island · Granite City quadrangle
28 sheets, 1888 to 1998
Venice township · 62060 · Near Kerr Island · Granite City quadrangle
28 sheets, 1888 to 1998
Chouteau township · 62048 · On Cahokia Diversion Channel · Wood River quadrangle
24 sheets, 1927 to 1994
Godfrey village · 62035 · Near Youngblood Hollow · Alton quadrangle
24 sheets, 1927 to 1994
Wood River township · 62024 · On Rocky Branch · Bethalto quadrangle
23 sheets, 1927 to 1993
Nameoki township · 62234 · Near Monks Mound · Monks Mound quadrangle
21 sheets, 1888 to 1998
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