|
Jersey County, Illinois
Forty miles north of St.
Louis, then due east of where the great Mississippi and
Illinois rivers meet, lies Jersey
County. About 22,000 people live in the
largely rural county, rich with breathtaking vistas and
scenic villages along the meandering Mississippi. About
8,000 of those residents dwell in Jerseyville, the
county seat. Other cities include Brighton, Dow, Elsah,
Fidelity, Fieldon, Grafton,
and Medora.
 Jersey
County was named after the state from which many of the
early settlers emigrated – New Jersey. However, the
first residents were the Kickapoo, Menomini, Potawatomi,
and Illini Indians. Evidence of their cultures, and that
of other tribes, were found by archaeologists in what is
now Illinois’ largest state park, Pere
Marquette State Park in Grafton. There are
burial grounds throughout the park, including one on top
of McAdams Peak. Present-day visitors to the 8,000-acre
park will find an ideal environment for horseback
riding, camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, and boating.
Grafton is also known as the winter home of the American
Bald Eagle, and the town’s historic district extends
two blocks on the north and south side of West Main
Street, with historic Shafer’s Wharf as a focal point.
Sixteen structures are listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
The county is also home to America’s newest National
Scenic Byway, The Meeting
of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway.
Other historically significant sites: the county is the Charles
Brainerd House, a Queen Anne-style brick and
slate structure built in 1881 in Grafton; and The
Hamilton School, the first free and
integrated school in the United States.
<< Back
to Community Page |
