Effingham

The city of Effingham was originally called Broughton, named after a Mr. Brough, an Ohio man who helped bring the Vandalia Railroad to Effingham. David B. Alexander and Samuel W. Little recorded the city’s plat in 1853. The city and county are named after Edward Effingham, a British surveyor who worked for W.L.D. Ewing, a former general in the Illinois militia. The Illinois Central Railroad was completed to Effingham in 1854. The current courthouse was completed in 1872 in the Second Empire style, since the first courthouse had burned in 1869. The courthouse becomes the Effingham County and National Road Museum in 2007 or 2008. Effingham is located in Douglas Township.

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Teutopolis

The village of Teutopolis was laid out and incorporated in 1837. German settlers from Cincinnati came to the area and formed the German Land Company. It purchased 10,000 acres from the federal government at $1.25 per acre. The Company then sold 80-acre parcels to new settlers. John Waschefort, Clemens Uptmor, and G.H. Bergfeld were the officers of the Company and chose the site for Teutopolis, the “city of the Teutons.” German Catholics moved to the area to farm their new acreage. Teutopolis is located in Teutopolis Township.

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Images courtesy of Phil Lewis and the Historical Collectors' Association for the Effingham County and National Road Museum Association.
Effingham County and National Road community histories by Phil Lewis

Copyright 2006 Effingham County And National Road Museum Association. Site designed by ZDesigns