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History · Illinois City

Illinois City’s post office opened in 1838, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940

1838first post office
0on the National Register
25%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Illinois City began

When was Illinois City founded?

1838

The Illinois City post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 159188 years
Founding year: the first Illinois City post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Illinois City’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 Illinois City are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Illinois City’s homes were built before 1949.Deep rootsA post office since 1838: 188 years of Illinois City.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Illinois City’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Illinois City’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story so far

Illinois City, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Illinois City yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Illinois City is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Illinois, across the Mississippi River from Muscatine, Iowa. The community straddles Buffalo Prairie Township and Drury Township in Rock Island County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, Illinois City had a population of 159.

Its first post office opened in 1838.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

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.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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Famous people

Famous people close to Illinois City

Nobody well known was born in Illinois City itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Charles Fox ParhamAmerican Charismatic preacher · b. 1873
Max Allan CollinsAmerican writer · b. 1948
Ellis Parker ButlerAmerican writer · b. 1869
Eddy ChandlerActor · b. 1894
J
Joe WieskampAmerican basketball player · b. 1999
Charles H. GabrielAmerican composer of religious music · b. 1856

Questions about Illinois City’s history

What year was Illinois City founded?

The Illinois City post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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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 →