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.
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