Caseyville was first counted by the census in 1880
More historic than 26% of U.S. towns · #584 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Caseyville was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1966. Below: maps from 1935 on and the census since 1880.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Caseyville is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #584 of 768 in Illinois. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Caseyville’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 Caseyville’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 C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.8 points).
Founding year: the first census (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 Caseyville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A wealthy man named Charles Harbour built a house here, and in 1845 built a sawmill. There were deposits of coal in the area, and Harbour was one of several members of the Illinois Coal Company, along with Zadok Casey, Walter Seates, Malcomb Robinson, Charles Barrett and John Roy. Casey had held several offices including United States Representative and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. In 1849, the Illinois Coal Company founded the town and named it for Casey. Coal mining began, and in 1851 the company constructed a railroad to nearby Brooklyn to transport the coal. In 1850 there were about 40 people here, and by 1851 this had increased to about 150; by 1881 the population was approximately 800. The first post office was established here in 1856, and the village was incorporated in May 1869. A school was built in 1872, and a church in 1879.
Passages that mention Caseyville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations ... and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1881 · page 33Read the page →
Read the text
The Ohio and Mississippi. — This road crosses the northern part of the county from East St. Louis, via Caseyville, Forman, O'Fallon, Lebanon and Summerfield, two miles east of which last mentioned, it eaves the county. In 1848 the legislature of Indiana passed an act incorporating the Ohio and Mississippi railroad, empowering it to locate, construct and maintain a road leading from Lawrenceburg on the Ohio, to Vincennes on the Wabash, and contemplating an eastern extension to Cincinnati, Ohio, and a western to East St.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations ... and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1881 · page 182Read the page →
Read the text
April 6th, 1864, a Branch was organized at Caseyville and Illinoistown. June 11th, the Caseyville Branch numbered thirteen members. In July a Branch was organized at Carbondale of ten members, and through the preaching of the representatives the Branches continued to increase in membership.
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
Caseyville, 1853 to 1999
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Caseyville post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Caseyville rank for history?
Caseyville is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #584 of 768 in Illinois. 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 Caseyville?
8% of Caseyville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.8 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1966.
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 Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
