The story
Read it all →How Edgington came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Edgington.
The Edgington post office closed in 1920. The community's name honors Daniel and John Edgington, pioneer settlers.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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History · Edgington
Edgington’s post office opened in 1847
Most of Edgington was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1963. Below: maps from 1916 on and old-book passages.
1847first post office
0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Quick answers
How Edgington began
When was Edgington founded?
1847
The Edgington post office opened in 1847, the earliest record of the town by name.
2020 census: 391179 years
Founding year: the first Edgington post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
What stands out about Edgington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Edgington are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19165 editions of the USGS map, 1916 to 1991. Watch Edgington change.Deep rootsA post office since 1847: 179 years of Edgington.Old housesHalf of Edgington’s homes were built before 1963.
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The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Edgington’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
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0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.On the map
Edgington on the map, 1916 to 1991
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Edgington. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1916Edgington sheet · 1:62,500U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Edgington.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Edgington, 1877–1908
Passages that mention Edgington, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Historic Rock Island County1908 · page 109Read the page →
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EDGINGTON VILLAGE Is an unincorporated village, situate in the Town of Edgington. In the early forties and up to the coming of the railroad it was quite a thriving place. George D. Parmenter opened the first store in 1843. in his house, a log cabin. He afterwards built what was called the old store, selling out to Isaac
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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 229Read the page →
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to liis people, and tliey to liira. The meeting-honse in which the congregation still worships was erected in 184:3,'*h.t a cost of abont $2,000. The lot upon which the building stands consists of three acres of choice prairie adjoining the village of Edgington, and was donated for this purpose by Daniel Edgington. In 1870 a parsonage was built, at a cost of $1,400. It is handsomely located in the village, on a lot containing two acres, purchased at a cost of $700.
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Portrait and biographical album of Rock Island County, Illinois1885 · page 243Read the page →
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biographical notice, was educated in the city of Rock Island, and a* Princeton, 111., and since he has started in life for himself he fint engaged in mercantile business in Edgington, in partnership with George Parmeter ; next, he followed the same business at Kewanee, Henry Co., 111., for some time, and in 1855 he returned to Edgington, continuing in the same line of trade. He is now engaged in the busi-
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Historic Rock Island County1908 · page 202Read the page →
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as leader. In 1854 they erected a commodious house of worship by the roadside, one and three-fourth miles east of the village of Edgington, and named it Zion. It is still occupied and kept in good repair. The Baptist Church was organized in 1846, and a house of worship built about oneeighth of a mile east of the Methodist Epis-
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.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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What year was Edgington founded?
The Edgington post office opened in 1847, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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Sources
Where this page comes from
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.