Most of Andalusia was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1969. Below: maps from 1912 on and the census since 1890.
Founding year: the first Andalusia post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Andalusia’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Andalusia is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Andalusia’s overall grade.
Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Andalusia’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.2 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Andalusia’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers the area now known as Andalusia along the Mississippi River was inhabited by the Sauk and Meskwaki peoples. Following the end of the Black Hawk War in 1832, American settlers became the dominant force in the area. Captain Benjamin W. Clark (1791-1839) of Virginia was the first person to build a log house in western portion of Rock Island County in 1833. The settlement was originally named Clark's Ferry but with the rise of Buffalo, Iowa across the river it was decided that needed to change. Captain Clark would later move to Buffalo after selling his property in 1836. The settlement was briefly renamed to Rockport and finally Andalusia in 1845. Andalusia Township would break away from Edgington Township in 1858. The town had a post office by 1877.
Passages that mention Andalusia, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Past and present of Rock Island County, Ill., containing a history of the county--its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late Rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men ..1877 · page 239Read the page →
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The First Baptist Church of Andalusia is located in the eastern part of the village. The earliest meetings were held in their present house of worship in 1867. Pursuant to a business meeting of the Baptist Church, held at Edglngton on the second Saturday in jSTovember, 1866, authorizing the members of the church residing in Andalusia and vicinity, to form a separate organization, a meeting was called at Andalusia on May 1st, 1867, for the purpose of considering the importance of forming a church organization, which was done during the evening of May 15, 1867, with a member-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Past and present of Rock Island County, Ill., containing a history of the county--its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late Rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men ..1877 · page 237Read the page →
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Of Andalusia, is located in the Village of Andalusia. Their earli(-;st lucctiiigs were held in the summer of 1863, in the Dist. school house, which has since been improved, and is now Tised by the Baptist C-hurch for a house of worship. The first sermon was preached by Rev. John Wenger, J'Jicse meetings were held occasionally for about a year and a half. It was mainly through the influence of II. S. Thompson and wife these services were had, which lead to the organization of this church, by Rev. Semuel Knox, -of this county, in September, 1864, at the school house. He was ].)reviou8-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Portrait and biographical album of Rock Island County, Illinois1885 · page 782Read the page →
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I A local writer thus speaks of Andalusia: "In 1827 this was a favorite hunting-ground of the Black Hawk Indians. From the village of Andalusia and the Sulphur Springs, down the valley to Sunfish Lake (a fishing resort to this day), seemed to have been a preferred fishing and camping ground, while that east of the^ village they seem to have associated
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Portrait and biographical album of Rock Island County, Illinois1885 · page 797Read the page →
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central Church three others, — the Baptist Church at Antioch, in Mercer County, in 1866; the Hamlet Baptist Church in Perryton Township, and the Andalusia Baptist Church in Andalusia, in 1867 — assumed separate organizations. The meeting at which the Church was organized was held in Geo.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Andalusia, 1846 to 1980
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Andalusia had its own post office from 1846 to 1851.
Andalusia
1846–1851
Andalusia
1860–today
18401930today
1cemetery inside Andalusia
Andalusia
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Andalusia’s history
What year was Andalusia founded?
The Andalusia post office opened in 1846, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Andalusia rank for history?
Andalusia is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Andalusia?
8% of Andalusia’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.2 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1969.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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