BlockFrom the record
5 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Monroe County, Illinois
92 topographic sheets cover 32 settlements here, and 5 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 664 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 5 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 buildings, 2 districts and 1 structure.
- 5 of the 5 listings were added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 32 populated places in this county; 32 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
5Every 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Fountain Creek Bridge | structure | 1978 | 78001176 |
 | Gundlach-Grosse House | building | 1978 | 78001173 |
| Maeystown Historic District | district | 1978 | 78001174 | |
 | Peterstown House | building | 1977 | 77000489 |
 | Waterloo Historic District | district | 1978 | 78001177 |
Wildfire, 2007 to 2020
88 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 88 of them, burning about 801 acres. None started naturally and 3 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 37 |
| Debris and open burning | 28 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 10 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 4 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 3 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 March 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | TOENJES |
| 16 December 2020 | Debris and open burning | 60 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 1111920 |
| 6 December 2020 | Debris and open burning | 43 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 200033 |
| 15 March 2014 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | LYNDON1 |
| 26 February 2017 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 22617 |
| 30 December 2008 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | N/A |
| 7 October 2017 | Equipment and vehicle use | 25 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRAD EDLER |
| 1 July 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | 25 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BAUM |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1957 to 2026
60 of 315 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 315 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 2 injuries and about $3,396,140 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 127 |
| Hail | 120 |
| Tornado | 41 |
| Flash Flood | 19 |
| Flood | 6 |
| Heavy Rain | 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 1975 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF2) | Waterloo | 1 hurt | A tornado touched down on the north side of Waterloo, Illinois near the intersection of Leah Drive and James Street. Several homes and businesses sustained varying degrees of damage; from displaced roofing materials to businesses with structural damage. Two large air conditioners were tossed 30 yards from the roof of a business. Several large trees were snapped near the base of the trunk. Four power poles were snapped south of the intersection of North Market Street and Kolmer Avenue. One large garage was also destroyed behind a church with debris tossed southeastward 30 to 40 yards. The tornado skipped eastward and crossed Floraville Road on the north side of Ridge Club Golf Course then traveled down the first fairway. A number of cedar and pine trees were snapped. The tornado then crossed Ridge Road where several homes sustained minor roof damage, with 30 to 40 percent of the shingles removed. The tornado then traveled across the northern part of Konarcik Park. Numerous old growth pine trees were snapped at the base of the trunk. Trees three feet in diameter were common in this area. The tornado caused damage to the siding of one home near the intersection of Konarcik and Kopp Roads before lifting. There was one minor injury at Canterbury Manor Nursing Center due to flying glass when a window broke. The maximum intensity was low end EF2, with a maximum estimated wind speed of 115 mph. The maximum width of the tornado was 80 to 90 yards with a total path length of 3.5 miles. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fults | $500,000 | Seven freight train cars were blown over and off of their tracks between Fults and Valmeyer. |
| April 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Waterloo to 1 NE Wate | $500,000 | A small tornado touched down in the northwest corner of Waterloo damaging a four-story brick grain elevator. Damage was generally confined to the building's roof (along the eastern side). As the tornado moved east-northeast through a residential area, damage was limited to large trees. A large cluster of trees were snapped off near the town high school in a rotational pattern. A house lost part of its roof northeast of Waterloo just before the tornado dissipated. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ames | $400,000 | Thunderstorm wind gusts destroyed 2 large livestock buildings at a dairy farm near Ames. Damage was estimated at $300,000 to $500,000. |
| April 1984 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 1968 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1957 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| March 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Valmeyer | $150,000 | At approximately 9:52 PM a tornado began southwest of Valmeyer, IL in Monroe County and continued northeast where it impacted the towns of Valmeyer and Waterloo. The worst damage was to residences and small businesses within these municipalities. From Waterloo the tornado moved into a rural area where it produced minor tree damage along the Monroe/St. Clair County border. In Monroe County the tornado was rated EF-1 with a path length of 12.3 miles and maximum path width of 275 yards. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hecker | $150,000 | Thunderstorm wind gusts caused damage at a couple of farms on Griggs Road in southeast Monroe County. A couple of machine sheds were destroyed, damaging the tractors and other farm equipment inside. Some silos and grain bins were also damaged. |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F2) | Burksville to | $110,000 | A tornado touched down southeast of Burksville in open country then traveled through a residential area as it moved northeast. Five homes sustained minor roof damage, although several garages and large utility buildings suffered severe damage where the roof was completely removed or sides of the buildings were knocked out. A farm implement store and storage building were also heavily damaged, with insulation from the store carried 300 yards northeast. Several high tension electrical lines were snapped after the tornado crossed Highway 3. |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F1) | Hecker | $100,000 | A tornado touched down along Sportman Road just south of Highway 3 knocking down nearby trees. As the tornado moved northeast, a home and barn were damaged less than a mile northeast of Highway 3. The roof of the home had structural roof damage and debris from the barn was blown 200 to 300 yards to the northeast. The tornado then damaged three homes north of County Road KK and knocked down trees. One farm had a house and barn heavily damaged just south of Highway 156 before the tornado lifted. |
| April 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Madonnaville | $75,000 | The tornado touched down at 8:00 PM along Koch Road, southeast of Madonnaville, and moved northeast, producing minor damage to a home and an outbuilding along Rock Road. Further to the northeast along LRC Road the tornado overturned an outbuilding and caused tree damage. More tree damage and minor outbuilding roof damage occurred along JJ road as the tornado tracked northeast between Wartburg and Burksville. The tornado moved into southern Waterloo and produced minor roof damage to one of the greenhouses at Waterloo High School before turning to the east and damaging power poles along Highway 156. The power pole damage was the worst damage and winds were estimated as high as 100 mph (EF-1). The tornado dissipated shortly thereafter at 8:07 PM.The tornado was rated EF-1 with a path length of 7.33 miles and a maximum path width of 100 yards. |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F2) | Monroe City to | $75,000 | A tornado initially touched down at the intersection of Mayestown and Koch Roads then heavily damaged the second story of a brick home. Several farm buildings were flattened as well. The tornado tracked northeast and crossed the intersection of County Road KK and Rock Road. Four farm buildings and two homes sustained varying degrees of damage including broken windows and sections of roofs torn off. Before the tornado lifted, it damaged several large trees. |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F1) | Burksville to | $50,000 | A tornado touched down southwest of Burksville knocking down several trees and power lines. It moved northeast and through the town of Burksville shearing off trees and damaging about 20 homes and businesses. Northeast of town, two farms also sustained damage, including home roofs, barns, and grain bins. The tornado crossed Highway 3 and lifted a few minutes later knocking down trees and power poles. |
| April 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Red Bud | $50,000 | A satellite dish was destroyed and a car damaged 4 miles northwest of Red Bud. Several trees were uprooted as well. The Illinois State Police reported golf ball-size hail and a destroyed barn 3 miles north of Red Bud several minutes later. |
| April 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Red Bud | $50,000 | A satellite dish was destroyed and a car damaged 4 miles northwest of Red Bud. Several trees were uprooted as well. The Illinois State Police reported golf ball-size hail and a destroyed barn 3 miles north of Red Bud several minutes later. |
| May 1973 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1965 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1959 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F1) | Mayestown to | $23,000 | A tornado touched down near the intersection of Fischer and Rock Roads and moved northeast. Two homes sustained minor roof damage, a number of farm buildings were knocked down, and two grain bins were toppled. |
| April 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Columbia | $15,000 | A brief and weak tornado touched down along EE Road just south of Gilmore Lake and quickly moved northeast before dissipating at the intersection of EE Road and Gilmore Lake Road at 8:13 PM. When the tornado touched down it overturned an outbuilding, and was rated at 99 mph (EF-1) at this point. Tree damage was also recorded. The tornado dissipated shortly thereafter at 8:07 PM.The tornado was rated EF-1 with a path length of 0.35 miles and a maximum path width of 100 yards. |
| May 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Bixby | $10,000 | The tornado crossed from St. Louis County into Monroe County (Illinois) about 3.5 miles west of Columbia. As it tracked to the east it snapped off several tree limbs and caused a small farm shed to collapse after the walls were blown out along DD Road, just west of intersection with Westgate Drive. Then as it moved into the northern portions of Columbia, it uprooted a large tree before lifting and dissipating. In Monroe County, the tornado was rated EF0 with a path length of 3.47 miles and a max path width of 25 yards. Overall, the tornado was rated EF1 with a path length of 8.81 miles and a max path width of 172 yards. No deaths or injuries were reported. |
| April 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $6,400 | Large trees and power lines were blown down. A roof and barn were also damaged southeast of Waterloo. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bixby | $5,000 | Shingles were blown off of at least one home and 1 inch diameter tree limbs were broken. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Harrisonville | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew a small section of roof off of an outbuilding. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds took the roof off the Waterloo High School Baseball stadium equipment shed and one dugout. Storm spotters reported large tree limbs down. Power lines were also down and a couple of roads were blocked by the trees limbs. County highway department personnel had to remove trees from Tout Hollow Road, LL Road, Beck Road, and Bluff Road. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hecker | $5,000 | The county sheriff reported numerous downed trees and a damaged grain bin. |
| May 1993 | Hail | Columbia | $5,000 | Ham radio operators and county officials reported golf ball-size hail. The hail covered the ground and was accompanied by wind gusts of 40 to 45 miles an hour. |
| May 1993 | Hail | Columbia | $5,000 | Ham radio operators and county officials reported golf ball-size hail. The hail covered the ground and was accompanied by wind gusts of 40 to 45 miles an hour. |
| September 1965 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| March 1964 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| February 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burksville Station | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree. |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | $2,000 | Power lines were downed. |
| April 1996 | Tornado (F0) | Valmeyer | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bixby | $1,000 | A tree was reported to be down and a fence damaged near Columbia. |
| May 2008 | Flash Flood | Columbia | $1,000 | Several rounds of thunderstorms produced 2 - 5 inches of rain that resulted in flash flooding. Nearly a foot of water was reported running off farm fields over several roadways, including Old Baum Church Road and Ahne Road. Ahne Road was closed until further due to a large culvert breaking through the pavement. |
| March 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F1) | Waterloo | $885 | A tornado briefly touched down on the western side of town and lifted the roof off a business. In one area where several homes were damaged, a recreational vehicle was picked up and set down in the middle of a destroyed house. Trees and large branches were also downed and large hail was also reported by local law enforcement. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valmeyer | $600 | Power poles and lines were knocked down. |
| April 1993 | Hail | Red Bud | $500 | A satellite dish was destroyed and a car damaged 4 miles northwest of Red Bud. Several trees were uprooted as well. The Illinois State Police reported golf ball-size hail and a destroyed barn 3 miles north of Red Bud several minutes later. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $400 | Power poles and lines were knocked down. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Renault | $200 | Large trees and power lines were blown down. A roof and barn were also damaged southeast of Waterloo. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbia | $125 | Several homes southeast of Columbia sustained minor roof damage. |
| April 1957 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $30 | no account filed |
| March 2026 | Tornado (EF0) | Ames | - | A tornado touched down just east of Ames where it collapsed a large farm outbuilding before exiting into Randolph County. The doors of the structure were open at the time of the event. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bixby | - | Thunderstorm winds overturned a semi-truck on the Illinois side of the Jefferson Barracks Bridge. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | - | Thunderstorm winds caused damage to trees and sheds. |
| March 2025 | Hail | Columbia | - | The Columbia police department reported hail between quarter and golf ball sized. |
| March 2025 | Hail | Columbia | - | Hail ranging from 1 inch to 1.5 inches fell in Columbia. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | - | Thunderstorm winds snapped multiple trees and toppled several at their base. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hecker | - | Thunderstorm winds downed power poles west of Hecker. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | - | Broadcast media reported estimated 65 mph thunderstorm wind gusts in Waterloo. They also reported visibility near zero statute miles coinciding with the wind gust. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Burksville Station | - | A swath of large hail up to baseball size fell across portions of east central Monroe County. The large hail was reported in New Design and Hecker, as well as rural areas nearby. |
| March 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Renault | - | A large pine tree was split in half and several power lines were blown down around town. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Columbia | - | Two cells merged in Monroe County, briefly producing 0.75 to 1 inch hail before weakening. No damage was reported. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Renault | - | A discrete thunderstorm that produced up to 1.50 inch hail in Jefferson County, MO, weakened as it crossed the Mississippi River. It quickly regained strength and produced up to 1.75 inch hail in and around the towns of Renault and Ames. This storm would go on to produce hail in Randolph County. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | - | A trained spotter reported tree branches down in Waterloo. |
| August 2023 | Tornado (EF0) | Ames | - | A brief, weak tornado formed near Ames Road, just north of intersection with Faust Road and tracked due east. It struck a shed, producing EF0 damage. Images show the debris from the shed was thrown into the pond down wind. Further east, photos show a narrow track through a soybean field north of Faust Road where it dissipated. Overall, the tornado was rated EF0 with a path length of 0.38 miles. The max path width was 10 yards. No deaths or injuries were reported. |
Mines and quarries
9 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 9 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 7 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 7 |
| Stone | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Waterloo Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Columbia Quarry No. 2 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Columbia Quarry No. 3 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Columbia Quarry No. 5 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Quality Stone Quarry & Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unnamed Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Valmeyer No 3 Quarry & Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant |
Every populated place in the county
32Named 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.
-
Foster Pond
Precinct 22 · 62298 · Waterloo quadrangle
19 sheets, 1910 to 1991
No longer a settlement
-
Kise Crossing
Precinct 21 · 62236 · On Little Carr Creek · Oakville quadrangle
28 sheets, 1912 to 1998
-
Millstadt Junction
Precinct 34 · 62236 · On Hill Creek · Columbia quadrangle
20 sheets, 1910 to 1991
-
Monroe City
Precinct 15 · 62298 · In Monroe City Hollow · Valmeyer quadrangle
26 sheets, 1912 to 1993
-
Saint Philip
Precinct 13 · 62277 · Bloomsdale quadrangle
19 sheets, 1915 to 1993
No longer a settlement
-
Woodville
Precinct 15 · 62298 · Near Monroe City Hollow · Valmeyer quadrangle
26 sheets, 1912 to 1993
No longer a settlement
The vanished settlements of Monroe 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.