70 topographic sheets cover 34 settlements here, and 12 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources tell 1 story and name 10 people · people the book names include Mrs Martin Bear (Perryton Township, 1882) · Eighty-Third Regiment, Company D. (Rivoli Township, 1882) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: Iay Island Lilie. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
In 1 88 1 during the flood Bay Island was seriously damaged. William Drury of this township owned a large park, in which he kept elk, deer and buffalo. On one occasion an elk killed one of his valuable colts, estimated to be worth about five hundred dollars. Ballard's Hall was finished and ready for use in December, 1 88 1 .
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Commercial House | building | 1983 | 83000332 |
 | Downtown Aledo Historic District | district | 2016 | 16000328 |
 | Gideon Ives House | building | 2000 | 00001332 |
 | Keithsburg Historic District | district | 1986 | 86001004 |
 | Lock and Dam No. 17 Historic District | district | 2004 | 04000177 |
 | Mercer County Courthouse | building | 1982 | 82002589 |
 | Mercer County Fairgrounds | district | 1997 | 97000380 |
 | Mercer County Jail | building | 1997 | 97000816 |
 | Sherrard Banking Company | building | 1996 | 96000092 |
 | James S. Thompson House | building | 2002 | 02000846 |
| Verdurette | building | 2021 | 100005658 | |
 | Levi Willits House | building | 1995 | 95000488 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 31 of them, burning about 4,608 acres. None started naturally and 2 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 24 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 March 2003 | Recreation and ceremony | 1,200 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | CORNLAND |
| 9 March 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 832 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | DESTRUST A |
| 12 April 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 820 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | DUFFUS |
| 26 March 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | 630 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | HEATH |
| 9 March 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 282 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | KUCERA |
| 9 March 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 232 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | DSETRUST B |
| 9 March 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 174 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | BECK |
| 31 March 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 100 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | GRANT |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 341 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 6 injuries and about $34,731,600 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 135 |
| Hail | 96 |
| Tornado | 45 |
| Flood | 35 |
| Flash Flood | 13 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 |
| Lightning | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1997 | Lightning | Aledo | 1 killed | no account filed |
| November 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 3 hurt | no account filed |
| April 1965 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 1 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 1974 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1974 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $10,000,000 | IL 94 and 17 closed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $10,000,000 | Also reported by spotters. Considerable damage in Viola, Hamlet, North Henderson, and Aledo with numerous trees and power lines down. Large areas of corn flattened. |
| May 2010 | Flash Flood | Eliza | $5,000,000 | Heavy rains resulted in widespread flash flooding of roads and highways across all of Mercer County, especially the eastern half during the morning of May 13. |
| April 1973 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Tornado (F1) | Aledo | $500,000 | Damaged farm buildings |
| April 2003 | Tornado (F1) | Viola | $500,000 | Farm house damaged |
| April 2003 | Hail | New Boston | $500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | New Windsor | $500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | New Boston | $500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Matherville | $500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Joy | $350,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Tornado (F1) | Viola | $300,000 | House pushed 6 feet off foundation |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Keithsburg | $250,000 | The Pope Creek Levy broke to the north of Jackson Street in Keithsburg, IL around 8:43 am June 14 flooding approximately 25 homes. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Joy | $250,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were downed in Joy. Westmer High School had considerable roof damage done to the gymnasium. The outer roof of the Frontier Communications Building was peeled off. A mobile home just north of Joy was destroyed. |
| April 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Viola | $250,000 | House damaged |
| April 2011 | Flood | Eliza | $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 1978 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Heavy Rain | New Windsor | $150,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | New Boston | $150,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Flood | Eliza | $125,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Tornado (F2) | Seaton | $110,000 | The tornado damaged several rural home sites. Northeast of Seaton damage was noted to farm buildings and a silo. South of Aledo seven power lines poles were snapped, and a farmhouse 4 miles west of Aledo was destroyed. The tornado also damaged or destroyed farm buildings, roofs and chimneys south of Aledo. |
| September 2016 | Flood | New Boston | $100,000 | Heavy rainfall of 4 to over 10 inches over significant areas from 21 to 23 September in extreme North Central and Northeast Iowa moved downstream causing the Mississippi River to rise above major flood stage levels. ||Keithsburg rose above its major flood stage level of 17.0 feet on September 30th, 2016 around 10 AM CST. It crested around 17.8 feet on October 2nd, 2016. It fell below major flood stage on October 4th around 4 AM CST. |
| September 2016 | Flood | New Boston | $100,000 | Heavy rainfall of 4 to over 10 inches over significant areas from 21 to 23 September in extreme North Central and Northeast Iowa moved downstream causing the Mississippi River to rise above major flood stage levels. ||New Boston rose above its major flood stage level of 18.5 feet on September 30th, 2016. It crested around 19.23 feet at approximately 1 PM CDT on October 2nd, 2016.|It fell below major flood stage on October 4th around 6 pm CST. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $100,000 | Several supercell storms slowed down and transformed into high precipitation supercells across Mercer county. Widespread reports of damage to trees and power lines were received. Illinois Highway 17 was closed between Aledo and Joy due to the number of power lines, poles, and trees down across the road. The road did not open until the following afternoon. Specific locations of severe damage will be given as separate entries. |
| April 2006 | Tornado (F1) | North Henderson | $100,000 | Rated high F1 |
| May 2003 | Hail | Sherrard | $100,000 | Covered the ground |
| May 2003 | Tornado (F0) | New Boston | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Millersburg | $100,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Hail | Sherrard | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Aledo | $50,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding in Aledo, IL during the evening of June 18. Several streets were flooded and Highway 17 had water covering it. |
| April 2006 | Tornado (F1) | Mannon | $50,000 | Rated F1 |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Millersburg | $50,000 | Roof off a barn with damage to the siding. Paint was stripped from the house with damage done to the garage. |
| April 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Aledo | $50,000 | traveled through open country |
| May 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Aledo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | New Windsor | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Matherville | $35,000 | Location is about 2.5 miles south of Reynolds on the Berenger farm. Damage to the siding and roof of the house with damage to several outbuildings. |
| May 2015 | Tornado (EF2) | Mannon | $30,000 | Official NWS storm survey team found that the tornado moved northeast with peak winds around 115 mph. It damaged mainly trees and outbuildings along its path. The worst damage was near the beginning of the path, where a large machine shed was completely destroyed, 2 garages were destroyed, and a house partially un-roofed. Witnesses described a blinding rain accompanied the tornado. |
| April 2006 | Tornado (F2) | Matherville | $30,000 | Rated low F2 |
| May 2017 | Tornado (EF1) | Griffin | $25,000 | Tornado was rated a higher end EF-1 with peak winds 105 mph, a path length of 5.73 miles with a max path width of 150 yards. This higher end EF-1 tornado caused damage to numerous farm outbuildings, a few homes and trees across Mercer and Henry counties. One house partially lost a roof while another was impelled by flying debris. Approximately 30 to 40 trees were snapped at the trunks, a couple of dozen were uprooted, with about 50 trees experiencing limb damage. This tornado continued into Henry county. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sherrard | $25,000 | Wind gusts were estimated to be 60 mph 1 mile west southwest of Sherrard, IL around 607 pm June 27. A power outage was also observed. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $25,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph uprooted three mature trees, snapped 6 to 12 inch diameter tree limbs off of healthy trees, and ripped shingles off of some roofs about 2 miles north of New Windsor, IL at 610 am July 21. In addition, the outer rows of some area corn fields were leaning over at a 45 degree angle. |
| June 2006 | Lightning | Sherrard | $25,000 | Lightning strike at 441 Highland Drive in the Frye Lake area; half of the house was damaged |
| July 1987 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1974 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1965 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Aledo | $20,000 | Window cracked with hole the size of a half dollar; pea to half dollar size hail during the storm. |
| July 2003 | Lightning | Keithsburg | $20,000 | House on fire from lightning strike |
| April 2006 | Tornado (F1) | Eliza | $15,000 | Entered from Rock Island County |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Keithsburg | $15,000 | Tree blown into house. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aledo | $10,000 | Trees/limbs and power lines down across the city. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $10,000 | Bow echo crossed the Mississippi River and affected mainly the southern part of Mercer County. The squall line had weakened from earlier so damage was much more sporatic with mainly trees and power lines down. Based on radar data, the following times have been established (all CST); Keithsburg 1153-1203, Seaton 1212-1219, and 1W of New Windsor 1244-1254. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Matherville | $6,000 | power poles and branches down |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Henderson | $6,000 | power poles and branches down |
| March 2006 | Hail | Mannon | $5,000 | Nickel to quarter sized hail. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Matherville | $5,000 | Trees and power lines down |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 8 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 6 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 7 |
| Stone | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Mercer Co. Stone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Viola Quarry and Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant |
Past and Present of Mercer County, Illinois devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 15 are reproduced here in full. Each row shows the township's own shape and where it lies in the county, drawn from the Census Bureau's boundary. Which settlements belong to which township is computed from that same boundary, not taken from the book.
| Shape and position in the county | Township | Settlements in it | Length | Sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abington Township | Ogle, Seaton | 1,258 words | 0 | |
| Duncan Township | Marston | 1,114 words | 0 | |
| Eliza Township | Eliza, Petersville | 15,071 words | 6 | |
| Greene Township | Gilchrist, Old Gilchrist, Shale City, Viola, Wanlock | 3,804 words | 0 | |
| Keithsburg Township | Keithsburg | 8,685 words | 1 | |
| Mercer Township | Aledo, Sugar Grove | 53,031 words | 13 | |
| Millersburg Township | Joy, Millersburg | 3,896 words | 1 | |
| New Boston Township | Arpee, Mannon, New Boston | 85,538 words | 21 | |
| North Henderson Township | North Henderson | 1,830 words | 1 | |
| Ohio Grove Township | Sunbeam | 39,727 words | 7 | |
| Perryton Township | Gingle Corners, Hamlet | 61,416 words | 14 | |
| Preemption Township | Boden, Matherville, Orangemans Hall, Preemption | 1,753 words | 0 | |
| Richland Grove Township | Cable, Griffin, Sherrard, Swedona | 3,318 words | 0 | |
| Rivoli Township | New Windsor | 69,788 words | 29 | |
| Suez Township | Burgess, Martin, Norwood | 50,218 words | 32 |
One book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 18 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: Exploration and Discovery | 1,782 words |
| Chapter 2: Indian Affairs | 3,686 words |
| Chapter 3: Mercer County As Part of the Exited States | 9,557 words |
| Chapter 4: Geology, Mixes, Temperature, Etc | 2,937 words |
| Chapter 5: Mercer County Scientific and Historical Society, Etc | 1,568 words |
| Chapter 6: Proceedings of the County Board | 7,762 words |
| Chapter 7: Railroads, Electric Roads, Etc | 5,910 words |
| Chapter 8: Military Affairs | 19,049 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 9: Political Parties Ix Mercer County | 17,813 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 10: Agriculture | 16,481 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 11: Education | 17,255 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 12: The Legal, Financial and Other Rights of Women | 2,771 words |
| Chapter 13: Temperance | 7,633 words |
| Chapter 14: The Bench and Bar | 11,029 words |
| Chapter 15: Religious Organizations | 14,051 words |
| Chapter 16: Old Settlers Organizations | 594 words |
| Chapter 17: Mercer County Medical Society | 1,671 words |
| Chapter 33: Miscellaneous | 6,354 words |
Everyone Past and Present of Mercer 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 1914.
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.
Richland Grove township · 61465 · On Parker Run · New Windsor quadrangle
11 sheets, 1947 to 1991
Keithsburg township · 61442 · On Pope Creek · Keithsburg quadrangle
13 sheets, 1935 to 1989
Preemption township · 61263 · On Donohue Run · Matherville quadrangle
18 sheets, 1912 to 1991
Millersburg township · 61231 · On Little Camp Creek · Aledo West quadrangle
15 sheets, 1935 to 1992
North Henderson township · 61466 · North Henderson quadrangle
9 sheets, 1947 to 1989
Greene township · 61231 · On Skunk Creek · Aledo East quadrangle
12 sheets, 1923 to 1992
The vanished settlements of Mercer County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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