42 topographic sheets cover 32 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources name 10 people · people the book names include Robert P. Carter (Beaucoup Township, 1879) · Samuel Dickey (Lively Grove Township, 1879) (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Louisville and Nashville Depot | building | 1985 | 85000496 |
 | Original Springs Hotel and Bathhouse | building | 1978 | 78001194 |
 | Frank Schlosser Complex | building | 1983 | 83000337 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 3 of them, burning about 21 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 June 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | 20 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | LINTKER |
| 27 November 2008 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | STINE |
| 18 March 2001 | Recreation and ceremony | 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 326 reports for this county, causing 3 deaths, 5 injuries and about $2,898,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 141 |
| Hail | 134 |
| Tornado | 31 |
| Flash Flood | 14 |
| Flood | 2 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2013 | Tornado (EF4) | Addieville | 2 killed, 2 hurt | A tornado touchdown on Interstate 64, about 4.4 miles southwest of New Minden, blowing a tractor trailer off the interstate and causing minor injuries to the driver. The tornado then began moving northeast towards New Minden. The worst damage was about 2 miles west southwest of New Minden, where a small farm sustained a direct hit. The outbuildings and barns sustained varying degrees of damage, but the homestead was totally destroyed with only the foundation remaining. The damage at the homestead was rated EF4, and two fatalities occurred at this location. Also, a large full size van was rolled over. Less than a quarter of a mile east of the house, a single wide mobile home was destroyed. There were 4 people at this location, three of them sought shelter in the creek bed just east of the mobile home while one went back to mobile home to retrieve something. This person rode out the tornado in the bathtub, but was thrown about 50 feet into a field. One of his ankles was broken. He was treated and released from a local hospital. The tornado then continued to race northeast, hitting the far north side of New Minden north of Illinois Route 177, and producing significant damage to St. Johns Lutheran Church and to several homes just northwest of the church. Damage to two of the homes was rated EF3. The tornado continued northeast, producing sporadic damage to just north of Hoyleton. A farm 2 miles west-northwest of Hoyleton sustained significant damage, as did a newly constructed home 2 miles north of Hoyleton. Damage at these two locations were rated EF2. The tornado then veered a bit northwest and dissipated. Overall, the entire tornado path length was 10.59 miles with a max path width of 200 yards. The tornado was rated EF4 with max wind speeds of at least 166 MPH. There were two fatalities and 2 minor injuries. |
| July 2012 | Lightning | Nashville | 1 killed | A 51 year old man was killed by a lightning strike when he stepped out of his front door onto the porch. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Addieville | 1 hurt | Rear flank downdraft winds associated with a tornadic thunderstorm destroyed an empty grain bin on a farm on Canary Road, just south of I-64. Then the winds blew over an east bound tractor trailer on I-64 near where the interstate crosses over County Road 4. The driver sustained minor injuries. |
| September 2012 | Tornado (EF1) | Okawville | 1 hurt | A tornado touched down near I-64 on the north side of Okawville where it blew an eastbound tractor trailer to the southwest into the median. The driver sustained minor injuries. The tornado travelled east and damaged a barn and other outbuildings at a farm along Illinois Route 177 about a quarter of a mile west of Cord Road. Roof panels were blown off, some large tree limbs blown down and several calf hutches blown about, some of which had calves in them. At Cord Road and Illinois Route 177, tin roof panels were blown off of another barn. About a quarter of a mile east of Cord Road, along Illinois Route 177, power lines were blown down, a small barn lost its roof and a mason block building was blown down. The tornado continued to move almost due east along Illinois Route 177 where it damaged a home at the intersection of IL Route 177 and Phobe Road. Roof shingles were blown off and several large tree branches were broken. One branch went through the roof of the garage and another damaged a car in the driveway. All of the damage so far was EF0. Near the intersection of Illinois Route 177 and County Road 4, the tornado destroyed a small barn. This damage was rated EF1 with a maximum wind speed of 100 mph. The tornado then turned a bit to the southeast and quickly dissipated over open fields. Overall, the path length was approximately 4 miles with a max path width of 100 yards. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| August 2014 | Lightning | Hoyleton | $1,000,000 | Lightning struck a church in Hoyleton, Illinois at approximately midnight. The fire smoldered in the rafters for several hours before erupting into flames. The fire department was not called til around 2 am. Most of the damage was confined to the attic and bell tower, rest of the building sustained major water damage. No one was in building at the time and no injuries were reported. The building is considered a total loss. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oakdale and | $500,000 | Several homes sustained damage from high winds, and trees were blown down in the area. The county sheriff reported one two-story home near Lively Grove completely lost its roof. |
| March 1976 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| February 1959 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| March 1953 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2000 | Hail | Hoyleton | $200,000 | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F1) | Addieville to | $130,000 | A tornado touched down west-southwest of Addieville damaging several homes on the southern part of town. Several roofs were partially torn off or damaged by falling trees. It crossed Interstate 64 knocking down several trees and shearing highway signs off. As the vortex crossed Highway 127, an 80-foot radio tower was destroyed and two large utility buildings were heavily damaged. As it continued to move east-northeast it damaged homes and buildings on two area farms reaching its maximum width at this point. Before lifting south of Hoyleton, the tornado damaged more farm buildings, a grain silo, and numerous large trees. |
| July 2022 | Flash Flood | Biddleborn | $50,000 | Up to 7 inches of rain fell between a 6 and 10 hour period causing widespread flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded. In Nashville, the secondary dam on the Nashville City Reservoir sustained a 6 foot wide breach due to the heavy rainfall. The water from the secondary dam flowed south flooding Illinois Route 15 on the east side of town. No homes were affected, but a couple of businesses had water surrounding them. The nearby Nashville Memorial Park baseball fields were flooded due to the dam breach. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | $50,000 | Several homes and barns were damaged three to nine miles south of Nashville with power lines and trees also blown down. |
| September 1961 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1961 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1960 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 1959 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1956 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| October 1955 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Hoyleton | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hoyleton | $10,000 | Power lines were knocked over in Hoyleton. The fire chief reported trees down and the entire town without power. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plum Hill | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds uprooted a large tree in Addieville. In Nashville, numerous tree limbs were blown down around town, as well as several power lines. Also, a small shed was destroyed. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Irvington | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a large shed and scattered the debris across the road. |
| October 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | New Minden | $5,000 | Downburst winds blew a vehicle off of the roadway in New Minden. No injuries were reported. Also, several large tree limbs were blown down in the area. |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elkton | $3,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged a power pole and snapped trees 1 mile south-southeast of Elkton. The same storm then produced sporadic tree damage in the town of Oakdale five minutes later. |
| February 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venedy | $3,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree in town. |
| March 2025 | Hail | Addieville | $2,500 | Wind driven quarter sized hail damaged the siding of a building in Addieville. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Irvington | $1,500 | Thunderstorm winds broke a light pole at ground level outside of Irvington Grade School. |
| March 2025 | Hail | New Minden | $1,000 | Wind driven quarter sized hail caused damage to siding near New Minden. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cordes | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed two power lines and caused some tree damage at about the middle point between Lively Grove, Oakdale, Addieville, and Nashville. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Okawville | $500 | The county ESDA director reported large trees down or damaged near the town of Okawville and other tree damage was reported south of Lively Grove on Highway 153. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lively Grove | $500 | The county ESDA director reported large trees down or damaged near the town of Okawville and other tree damage was reported south of Lively Grove on Highway 153. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | $300 | Wind gusts to 60 mph knocked down trees and power lines. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | $200 | Several large trees and limbs were knocked down. |
| March 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Okawville | - | A broadcast meteorologist reported wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph in Okawville. |
| March 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venedy | - | Thunderstorm winds knocked a tree down onto County Highway 6 east of Venedy. |
| March 2025 | Hail | Nashville | - | Half dollar sized hail was measured with a ruler by the emergency manager in Nashville. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hoyleton | - | Thunderstorm winds damaged 2 grain silos and a handful of other farm buildings. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | - | Thunderstorm winds downed numerous tree branches. |
| April 2025 | Flood | Lively Grove | - | Illinois Route 153 north of Lively Grove was reportedly under 1 foot of water due to heavy rain. Heavy rain also caused ponding in fields to the south of Lively Grove, resulting in water flowing over Route 153. |
| April 2025 | Flash Flood | Noltings | - | Numerous roadways across Washington County were deemed impassable due to floodwater. Nearby communities to these roadways include Nashville, Okawville, Lively Grove, Saint Libory, Addieville, Hoyleton, Covington, New Minden, Venedy, Beaucoup, and Wamac. Over the duration of the event, up to 7 inches of rain fell. At times, rain rates were in excess of 2 inches per hour. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elkton | - | Thunderstorm winds broke several large limbs off of trees. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beaucoup | - | Thunderstorm winds caused damage to a farm building. |
| March 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | - | Thunderstorm winds caused moderate roof damage to Nashville High School. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Huegely | - | A large tree limb at least 10 inches in diameter fell from a tree. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Oakdale | - | A wide swath of large hail, up to 2.5 inches in diameter, fell across the southern portions of Washington County. Large hail fell in Oakdale and Posen. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Okawville | - | Tree debris was found off of I-64 at the Okawville exit. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | - | Thunderstorm winds knocked down several power lines on the north side of town. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Okawville | - | Widespread wind damage along the I-64 corridor in Washington County. Numerous tree limbs, power lines and several large trees were blown down in Okawville, Nashville and New Minden. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ashley | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees, as well as numerous tree limbs around town. |
| April 2023 | Tornado (EFU) | Covington | - | A tornado briefly touched down about a third of a mile north of Covington, IL. The only evidence of this tornado was a video provided via social media. Duration was likely less than 1 minute, no damage or injuries. The tornado was rated EFU with an estimated path length of 0.17 miles and an estimated path width of 50 yards. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | New Minden | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs around town. One of the large tree limbs fell onto a power line pulling it down. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johannisburg | - | Widespread wind damage occurred across most of Washington County. As the severe storm moved into the western portions of the county, several outbuildings and barns sustained major damage about 2 miles southwest of Johannisburg, along Illinois Route 15. In Johannisburg, the steeple on St. Johns Evangelical Church was blown over onto the roof of the main church building causing catastrophic damage. In Venedy, widespread tree damage around town, a grain bin was damaged, as well as several power lines blown down. Three miles south southeast of Venedy, at the intersection of County Road 12 and Stone Church Road, a training center sustained major roof damage. About 3 miles south southwest of Okawville, a large barn was destroyed. Then just southwest of Okawville, multiple large treetops were snapped off and a barn and a machine shed were destroyed. Along County Highway 13, south of Okawville, two small barns were destroyed and two grain bins sustained minor damage. In Addieville, there was widespread tree and power line damage, as well as roof damage to a local business. As the storm moved into the Nashville area, numerous trees, tree limbs, power poles and power lines were blown down. One house sustained moderate roof damage due to a fallen tree. Also, a local business sustained roof damage with water causing interior damage as well. In Ashley, there was widespread tree, tree limbs and power lines blown down. One large tree fell onto a house causing moderate roof damage. Also, a number of trees were blown down onto Illinois Route 15. In Radom, a large tree was blown down onto a garage, destroying it. No deaths or injuries were reported. |
| July 2021 | Flash Flood | Biddleborn | - | Up to four inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded, especially in and around Nashville. |
| October 2021 | Tornado (EF0) | Richview | - | This tornado touched down just north of I-64 causing primarily tree damage, but one home was damaged on Chestnut Road. The tornado traveled northeast, again primarily causing tree damage and crossed Tower Road. Damage occurred to two machine sheds just west of U.S. Highway 51 and south of Holly Road with the tornado lifting shortly thereafter. Overall, the tornado was rated EF0 with a path length of 2.05 miles and a max path width of 180 yards. No deaths or injuries were reported. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | New Minden | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree onto I-64 east bound lane. In DuBois, several small trees were blown down around town. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nashville | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees around town. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venedy Station | - | A wide swath of damaging winds moved through Washington County. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Okawville, Nashville and Posen. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 10 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 8 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 9 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W.Elkhorn Creek Clay Exposure | Clay | Prospect | ||
| Covington Quarry #3 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Covington Quarry and Mill No. 1 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Limestone Prospect | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Nashville City Eng. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Pitts Quarry and Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant | ||
| Unnamed Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unnamed Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Washington Co. Highway Department | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
History of Washington 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 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Township | Ashley, Pyramid | 1,167 words | 9 | |
| Beaucoup Township | Beaucoup | 3,139 words | 5 | |
| Johannisburg Township | Johannisburg, Lively Grove, Stone Church | 2,339 words | 20 | |
| Lively Grove Township | Biddleborn, Caspars, Clarmin | 974 words | 2 | |
| Nashville Township | Kempside, Nashville | 22,407 words | 54 | |
| Richview Township | Richview | 2,190 words | 8 |
One book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 10 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: Brief Historical Sketch of Illinois | 9,007 words |
| Chapter 2: Pioneers and Early Settlers. Incidents and Anecdotes | 6,025 words |
| Chapter 3: The Geographical Fea Turks, Commercial Interests , and Agricultural | 3,798 words |
| Chapter 5: Civil History | 4,089 words |
| Chapter 6: The Bench and Bar | 2,491 words |
| Chapter 7: Patriotism | 1,232 words |
| Chapter 8: Fa Usa and Flora | 1,844 words |
| Chapter 9: The Press | 3,434 words |
| Chapter 10: Common Schools | 2,504 words |
| Chapter 11 | 11,058 words |
Everyone History of Washington 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 1879.
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.
Hoyleton township · 62263 · Near North Prairie · Hoyleton quadrangle
12 sheets, 1931 to 1985
Irvington township · 62801 · On Webster Creek · Irvington quadrangle
9 sheets, 1943 to 1985
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