Odell Building

Built in 1887 (Neoclassical architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

From the record

“The Odell Building is a historic library and museum located at 202 East Lincolnway Road in Morrison, Illinois. The building was constructed in 1865 and originally served as Morrison's Congregational Church.”
Wikipedia article Odell Building, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 11 National Register listings published here for Whiteside County · listed in 1996 · category: Building · built in 1887, Neoclassical architecture.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 202 E. Lincolnway Rd., Morrison, 61270
When was it listed? December 1996
Category. building
Township. Mount Pleasant township
When was it built? 1887
Architectural style. Neoclassical architecture
National Register reference number. 96001475 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

The ground it stands on

16,049 words

The chapter on Mount Pleasant Township in Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois : Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States, published 1885 names Morrison. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

The credit of the first settlement is given to Felix French, James J. Thomas, J. D. Pashcal, Wm. H. Pashcal and George O. James, who came in the spring of 1835. Felix French located on section 19; W. H. Pashcal on section 17 ; J. D. Pashcal on section 16; James J. Thomas on section 16, and George O. James on section 7. George W. Thomas came in a little later, and made a claim on section 9, and one for his brother, W. C., on section 8. John W. Stakes, with Joshua T. Atkinson, made the first claims in Union Grove Precinct, on both sides of Rock Creek, in 1835. They made a division of their property in 1836, Mr. Atkinson taking the west side of the creek and Stakes the east side, which is now embraced by Mt. Pleasant Township. He should be regarded as a settler in this township. During the summer of 1836 he broke up the ground and planted a crop where Morrison now stands.

Passage source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois : Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States, published 1885.

From this tfme on the township increased in population rapidly. Mr. Jackson made his purchase on section 17, where a part of the city of Morrison is no AT located. He reared a large and respectable family of children, most of whom are still living. He died June 10, 1879. The first wedding in the territory now embraced by Mt. Pleasant Township, was, according to Mr. D. B. Young's recollections, between Horace Heaton and Sally Chamberlain, in 1838. Miss Chamberlain came out with Mr. Young's family. Mr. Heaton died Sept. 16, 1867. Mary Ann, daughter of John W. Stakes, was the first child bom here, which event occurred Oct. 15, 1855. The first death occurred in 1837, and was that of James Heaton, son of William Heaton, Sr. Oliver Hall was the first teacher to instruct the youths of this primitive settlement in book-learning. His school was opened in 1838, in a rudely constructed log house, on William H. Pashcal's claim. He was a native of Massachusetts. For his services he received $10 per month, which was raised by subscription, and he was also boarded by the settlers. The first School Board elected was on Jan. i, 1846. A. M. Thomas, William Knox, A. C. Jackson and Jonathan Haines, were the Trustees chosen. A. P. Young was the first teacher appointed by a board of school trustees. He taught in District No. i.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Mount Pleasant Township - 16,049 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Mines and quarries near this property

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Odell Building: 3 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Morrison Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Unnamed Limestone Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Whiteside County Highway Department	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Whiteside County

Storms near this property

57 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Morrison, the town this property stands in, in 57 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 22 hail, 22 thunderstorm wind, 3 funnel cloud, 3 flash flood. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
August 2010	Lightning	Morrison	1 hurt	A 12 year old boy was struck by lightning at Southside Elementary School in Morrison, IL just before 2 pm CDT August 20.
August 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$250,000	Wind gusts estimated to be 75 mph blew down numerous trees across all of Morrison, IL around 220 pm CDT August 25. There was widespread tree damage across town with some trees on power lines and residences.
June 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$25,000	Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew some trees and power lines down in Morrison, IL around 610 pm June 19.
March 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$25,000	15 power poles snapped at ground level on Frog Pond Road between Garden Plain and Hazel Roads.
July 2003	Hail	Morrison	$20,000	no account filed
August 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$15,000	Wind gusts estimated to be 75 mph blew down several trees on the spotter's block in Morrison, IL around 220 pm CDT August 25. A two foot diameter tree fell on a garage and another nearby tree was snapped off.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$10,000	Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down some tree branches throughout the town of Morrison, IL around 4:45 am June 6. The branches fell onto some power lines breaking them causing a power outage.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$5,000	Also from co-op observer. Trees and power lines down. Many of the limbs were 6 inches in diameter with some greater than 10 inches in diameter.
August 1993	Hail	Morrison	$5,000	Rapid developing thunderstorms produced golf-ball size hail, twice, at Morrison, Illinois. Both severe thunderstorms were about half an hour apart and moved northeast at 35 mph. The second storm arrived with a stronger punch of wind with measured wind gusts recorded at 68 mph. Numerous tree limbs were blown down. No dollar amounts were reported, but crop damage had to be significant considering the time of year.
August 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$5,000	no account filed
March 2006	Hail	Morrison	$3,000	no account filed
September 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$2,000	Trees down.
August 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	$2,000	no account filed
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds.
April 2023	Tornado (EF1)	Morrison	-	An isolated tornado began just east of Morrison IL around 2:56 PM CST. The tornado damaged a power pole and a tree at this location. The tornado then caused sporadic damage until it approached Fulfs Road. It strengthened at this location and caused damage to trees, farm outbuildings, and a power pole. The tornado ended shortly after this location. Wind speeds are estimated in the 105-110 MPH range, with a rating of EF1. At it's widest, the tornado was 300 yards and was likely a multi-vortex tornado. The tornado path length was nearly 6 miles.
August 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	A large tree branch blown down, approximately 15 to 18 inches in diameter.
November 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Tree branch blown down on a roof, with possible funnel cloud spotted.
November 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Multiple power poles down on the east side of town.
November 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Ten to twelve power poles snapped on Hazel Road, west of Lyndon Road. This is a general location and the time is estimated from radar.
May 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	A large tree was topped off by high winds.
November 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Barn destroyed and blown into a field. The damage occurred on Lyndon Road, north of Hazel Road. This is the general location, with time estimated by radar.
May 2018	Hail	Morrison	-	A trained spotter reported hail up to the size of 1 inch in diameter.
May 2018	Hail	Morrison	-	A trained spotter reported hail up to the size of golf balls.
May 2018	Hail	Morrison	-	A public report was received of hail up to the size of quarters.
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Lots of trees damaged between Morrison and Sterling in thunderstorm winds.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	A trained spotter estimated wind gusts to 60 mph.
August 2011	Heavy Rain	Morrison	-	Rain fell over a 10 to 15 minute period.
August 2011	Heavy Rain	Morrison	-	Storm total precipitation as of 15:27 CDT.
April 2010	Hail	Morrison	-	Non-severe hail (<1.0) fell in Morrison, IL around 628 pm April 4.
April 2010	Hail	Morrison	-	Golf ball sized hail fell in Morrison, IL around 630 pm April 4.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down a tree limb onto a house in Morrison, IL at 2:49 pm June 7.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Winds estimated to be 60 mph blew down a tree across N Orange Street in Morrison, IL around 6:00 am June 15. Other branches were also blown down.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Estimated 60 mph winds
May 2006	Hail	Morrison	-	nickel size hail with strong winds
June 2006	Hail	Morrison	-	penny size hail on south side of town
June 2002	Flash Flood	Morrison	-	Heavy rain resulted in a mudslide which closed portions of Highway 30 east of Morrison.
June 2002	Flash Flood	Morrison	-	Spring Valley Road closed south of Morrison.
June 2002	Flash Flood	Morrison	-	Train bridge at Lyndon Road buckled due to high water.
June 2002	Flood	Morrison	-	Several streets with water up to the curb.
May 1999	Tornado (F0)	Morrison	-	Law enforcement officials reported a brief tornado south of Morrison. No damage was reported.
June 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Morrison	-	Several large trees, roughly 4 to 6 feet in diameter, were blown down. Power lines were also downed.
June 1994	Hail	Morrison	-	Early in the afternoon a large crowd at the Davenport, Iowa Airport were able to witness a funnel cloud near the Mississippi River between Princeton, Iowa, and Port Byron, Illinois. The large crowd was due to the Quad City Air Show in progress at the time of the event. Later in the afternoon thunderstorms strengthened in Whiteside County, Illinois. Numerous reports of hail was received. Walnut-size hail was the largest reported in Lyndon, Illinois, shortly before 1500 CST. One tree was also blown down just north of Lyndon shortly after 1500 CST. Chicago Doppler Radar estimated three and one-half to four inches of rain between Morrison and Sterling between 1300 CST and 1600 CST.
July 1994	Hail	Morrison	-	Dime-size hail and 50 to 60 mph winds were reported in Fulton. Nickel-size hail was reported on Route 78 in northern Whiteside County. Some street flooding was reported in Morrison after a reported 1.7 inches of rain fell in about one hours time.
June 1994	Hail	Morrison	-	Early in the afternoon a large crowd at the Davenport, Iowa Airport were able to witness a funnel cloud near the Mississippi River between Princeton, Iowa, and Port Byron, Illinois. The large crowd was due to the Quad City Air Show in progress at the time of the event. Later in the afternoon thunderstorms strengthened in Whiteside County, Illinois. Numerous reports of hail was received. Walnut-size hail was the largest reported in Lyndon, Illinois, shortly before 1500 CST. One tree was also blown down just north of Lyndon shortly after 1500 CST. Chicago Doppler Radar estimated three and one-half to four inches of rain between Morrison and Sterling between 1300 CST and 1600 CST.
June 1994	Hail	Morrison	-	Early in the afternoon a large crowd at the Davenport, Iowa Airport were able to witness a funnel cloud near the Mississippi River between Princeton, Iowa, and Port Byron, Illinois. The large crowd was due to the Quad City Air Show in progress at the time of the event. Later in the afternoon thunderstorms strengthened in Whiteside County, Illinois. Numerous reports of hail was received. Walnut-size hail was the largest reported in Lyndon, Illinois, shortly before 1500 CST. One tree was also blown down just north of Lyndon shortly after 1500 CST. Chicago Doppler Radar estimated three and one-half to four inches of rain between Morrison and Sterling between 1300 CST and 1600 CST.
August 1993	Hail	Morrison	-	Rapid developing thunderstorms produced golf-ball size hail, twice, at Morrison, Illinois. Both severe thunderstorms were about half an hour apart and moved northeast at 35 mph. The second storm arrived with a stronger punch of wind with measured wind gusts recorded at 68 mph. Numerous tree limbs were blown down. No dollar amounts were reported, but crop damage had to be significant considering the time of year.
April 2023	Hail	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 2019	Hail	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 2019	Hail	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 2006	Hail	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 2000	Hail	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 2000	Hail	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 2000	Hail	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 2000	Flood	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 1999	Funnel Cloud	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 1999	Funnel Cloud	Morrison	-	no account filed
May 1999	Funnel Cloud	Morrison	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Whiteside County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

3 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Morrison Main Street Historic District	0.1 miles	2014
Malvern Roller Mill	5.6 miles	1995
Lyndon Bridge	7.1 miles	2003

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 96001475 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Whiteside County	All 11 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
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.