56 topographic sheets cover 24 settlements here, and 6 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources name 1 person · people the book names include H. D. Peters Company (Monticello Township, 1903) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Robert Allerton Estate | district | 2007 | 07000701 |
 | Francis E. Bryant House | building | 2017 | 100001566 |
 | Monticello Courthouse Square Historic District | district | 2009 | 08000400 |
 | North State Street Historic District | district | 1998 | 98001045 |
 | South Charter Street Historic District | district | 2002 | 01001464 |
 | Voorhies Castle | building | 1979 | 79000861 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 8 of them, burning about 44 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 | 5 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 February 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 30 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | LOOS |
| 26 March 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | WF2 |
| 19 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BEASLEY |
| 10 March 2008 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | WF1 |
| 29 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | WF6 |
| 22 April 2008 | Smoking | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | WF5 |
| 16 February 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | WF4 |
| 17 January 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | DEMMINK |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 236 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 10 injuries and about $11,398,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 121 |
| Hail | 57 |
| Tornado | 34 |
| Flash Flood | 20 |
| Flood | 3 |
| Lightning | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1999 | Tornado (F1) | Cisco | 1 killed, 3 hurt, $150,000 | A tornado formed and touched down destroying a double wide trailer 3 miles north of Cisco. Four people were initially injured, though one died the next day. A barn and two garages nearby were destroyed. Further to the northeast, the tornado destroyed a barn. Five miles north northeast of Cisco, the top story of a two story barn was removed. After this, the tornado lifted and dissipated. Damage to the mobile home was estimated around $150,000. |
| March 1976 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | 5 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Tornado (F1) | Monticello | 1 hurt, $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | 1 hurt, $800,000 | Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. Several fallen trees landed on homes causing minor to moderate damage. A grain elevator sustained minor damage. Also, a semi was blown over on I-74 near Mansfield. The driver sustained minor injuries. |
| October 2001 | Tornado (F2) | Monticello | $2,200,000 | An eyewitness reported that the tornado touched down on the southwest side of Monticello and traveled to the north northeast across town. It blew down numerous trees near the golf course then destroyed a storage building. In this area the tornado intensified to F2 Intensity (wind speeds of 120 to 130 mph) taking the roof of a church completely off and blew it into the roof of a nearby 2 story apartment building. The apartment building suffered severe damage and has been deemed uninhabitable. A farm implement building/business, which was close to 200 feet in length, had roughly three quarters of the building destroyed. Damage for this building was estimated at nearly $2 million, as several combines inside were severely damaged or destroyed. Debris from the building was thrown into a nearby power substation, causing a complete power outage to the town of 5,000 residents as well as neighboring communities. The tornado appeared to have lifted off the ground and stayed at tree top level for the remainder of its life through the town producing F0 damage. Numerous trees had the tops broken off and several large trees were uprooted. Once outside of town it did touch down briefly once more, damaging the roof of one home and destroying several outbuildings and a garage of another homestead about a mile north northeast of town. In this location, several 2 inch by 6 inch pieces of lumber from one of the machine sheds had shot through patio doors into the home. No injuries were reported due to the tornado. Damage is estimated around $2.2 million. |
| July 2014 | Flash Flood | Blue Ridge | $1,500,000 | Periods of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall produced rain rates of 1 to 2.5 inches for at least two hours from 0630-0830 LST in northern Piatt County. The highest rain totals ranged between 5.00 to 7.00 inches along and north of U.S. Highway 150, including the city of Mansfield and the village of Blue Ridge. Nearly all rural roads in northern Piatt County were flooded with at least a foot of water. County Road 2 from Mansfield to Blue Ridge sustained damage from the flooding. A five mile stretch of U.S. Highway 150 through Mansfield was closed due to flooding. Parts of Interstate 74 from milepost 164 to 168 were impassable. Many homes in Mansfield also had significant basement flooding. |
| April 1996 | Tornado (F1) | Milmine | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $300,000 | no account filed |
| May 2009 | Hail | Monticello | $255,000 | Large hail damaged siding, gutters, roofs, and windows to numerous homes in the Long Grove subdivision west of Monticello. Hail up to 2.75 inches in diameter was also reported on the east side of Monticello, where several cars were damaged. |
| April 1987 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| November 1985 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1959 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bement | $150,000 | Numerous power poles were blown down along Route 105 between Bement and Monticello. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Amenia | $125,000 | Several farm outbuildings were destroyed. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bement | $100,000 | Numerous power lines and trees were blown down. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cerro Gordo | $80,000 | Strong winds damaged several grain bins and sheds and the roof of a house. |
| December 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Milmine | $75,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down and a carport was damaged. |
| May 2009 | Lightning | Monticello | $60,000 | Lightning struck a power pole on the east side of Monticello. The lightning strike caused damage to electrical systems and appliances in several homes. There were no injuries. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cisco | $60,000 | Two machine sheds were destroyed by strong winds. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deland | $50,000 | Multiple trees and tree branches were blown down in De Land. One tree smashed the park pavilion. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | $50,000 | Power poles and power lines were blown down. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lodge | $45,000 | Six power poles were snapped along IL-10 just west of Lodge. |
| December 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cerro Gordo | $45,000 | Several trees were blown down and a pole barn was damaged along Route 105. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | $45,000 | Several grain bins were blown over. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $35,000 | Several large trees were blown down and roof damage occurred to 3 homes in Monticello. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bement | $30,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down southwest of Bement. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hammond | $30,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew a wall out of a pole barn. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | La Place | $30,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | $30,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | White Heath | $30,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. |
| September 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hammond | $25,000 | Numerous 4-inch diameter tree branches were blown down along US-36 about a half mile west of Hammond. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | $25,000 | Several trees were blown down, causing damage to a home. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $25,000 | A large tree was blown onto a home on the east side of Monticello. A nearby barn had its doors ripped off and part of its roof damaged. |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cisco | $22,000 | Trees were damaged, a trampoline was blown into a tree in a tree, and a semi truck flipped over. |
| September 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | White Heath | $20,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $20,000 | Several trees were blown down. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hammond | $17,000 | A large tree was blown down onto an apartment building in Hammond. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | White Heath | $15,000 | Several trees were snapped near White Heath. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | $15,000 | Numerous trees were blown down in Mansfield. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bement | $15,000 | Large tree branches were blown down in Bement. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atwood | $15,000 | Numerous large tree limbs were blown down in Atwood. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Milmine | $15,000 | Power lines were blown down in Milmine. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cisco | $15,000 | Several trees were blown down. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cerro Gordo | $15,000 | Trees were blown down near the Macon/Piatt County line just west of Cerro Gordo. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cisco | $12,000 | Trees were blown down on Route 32 near Cisco. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | $10,000 | Downburst winds caused crop damage and snapped tree branches just south of Mansfield. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cisco | $10,000 | The roof was blown off a concrete barn. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $10,000 | A cinder block pool house was destroyed. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $10,000 | Numerous 3-inch diameter tree limbs were blown down in Monticello. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burrowsville | $10,000 | Semi trailer was blown off US-36. |
| May 1996 | Flash Flood | La Place | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | White Heath | $8,000 | A 2-foot diameter tree was blown down onto a house 1 mile north of White Heath. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $5,000 | A machine shed door was blown off, knocking down some small trees nearby. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $5,000 | Numerous trees were blown down, as well as, large areas of corn and soybean crops extending from Monticello south to the county line along US 36. In Bement, a large tree limb fell onto a house breaking a window and tearing down some guttering. Also, some homes suffered siding damage. |
| November 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | $4,000 | A large tree was blown over and several small branches were knocked down. One small storage shed was flipped over. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bement | $4,000 | As a severe thunderstorm moved southeast across southern Piatt county, it blew down numerous power lines, trees, and tree limbs. Also, the winds damaged several storage sheds and barns. No injuries were reported. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $3,000 | Numerous large tree limbs were blown down. One limb tore a porch roof off a house.| |
| May 1986 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| April 1974 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| April 1974 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 5 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 3 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 3 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello City Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Piatt County Highway Department | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Monticello Quality Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Musick Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Shady Rest Pit ??? | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Past and Present of Piatt County, Illinois : Together with Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent and Influential Citizens devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bement Township | Bement, Bodmann, Piatt | 7,637 words | 5 | |
| Blue Ridge Township | Blue Ridge, Harris, Mansfield | 1,092 words | 1 | |
| Cerro Gordo Township | Burrowsville, Cerro Gordo, LaPlace, Lintner, Milmine | 8,856 words | 12 | |
| Goose Creek Township | Combs, De Land | 1,299 words | 0 | |
| Monticello Township | Monticello | 4,606 words | 10 | |
| Sangamon Township | Centerville, Galesville, Lodge, White Heath | 852 words | 0 | |
| Unity Township | Hammond, Mackville, Pierson, Voorhies | 4,025 words | 0 | |
| Willow Branch Township | Amenia, Cisco | 1,309 words | 1 |
3 books 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: Early History - 1820-1840 | 2,982 words |
| Biographical sketches | 201,544 words in 13 parts |
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| The whole text | 408,026 words in 26 parts |
Everyone Past and Present of Piatt County, Illinois : Together with Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent and Influential Citizens 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 1903.
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.
Blue Ridge township · 61842 · On Blue Ridge Special Creek · Mansfield quadrangle
14 sheets, 1937 to 1990
Monticello township · 61856 · On Camp Creek · Monticello quadrangle
14 sheets, 1937 to 1990
Sangamon township · 61884 · On Madden Creek · Monticello quadrangle
14 sheets, 1937 to 1990
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