Mayors of Monmouth, Illinois, 1852-present

This project, originally conceived by Susan Trevor, City Clerk, was carried out in William Urban's historiography classes at Monmouth College. The volunteer staff of the Warren County Genealogical Society (with its records located in the Warren County Library) were of great assistance to the students in conducting the research, and also the staff of the Hewes Library at Monmouth College.

Mayors                                                                                 Significant contemporary local events

Before Incorporation                                                           County Organized July 9, 1830

                                                                                                                   First property tax March 4, 1833; Garrison's Inn established

                                                                                                                   First school district, 1834

                                                                                                                   Township government established 1836

These were Monmouth township officers, but they sometimes lived as far away as Berwick

Daniel McNeil 1836                                                                   

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George H. Wright 1837

Daniel McNeil 1837-38

Gilbert Turnbull 1838

John C. Hoyle 1839                                               City limits set at original 1/4 section.

Erastus Rise 1840

Daniel McNeil 1840-1841

Samuel Wood 1841                                                City limits expanded to one-half mile from square

Yost Huffman 1842

Benjamin Brown 1843                                             Monmouth divided into three wards

Erastus Rise 1844

Ira Butler 1845-1848                                                 Monmouth Dragoons in the Mexican War

Alexander Davidson 1849

John Oaks 1850

James Wilson Davidson 1851

Ivory Quinby 1851

After Incorporation in 1852 residing in Monmouth

Samuel Wood 1852

George W. Palmer 1853

Ephraim S. Swinney 1854

Robert Grant 1855                                            Republican Party organizes in Monmouth

                                                                      Burlington RR arrives March 5

http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/Prideoftheprairiepostcard.jpg

William H. Young 1856

Ivory Quinby 1857                                             Horace Greeley spoke to large audience, complained about roads

                     http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/iquinby.jpg     Ivory Quinby, the Burlington Railroad, and Monmouth College

Jacob Holt 1858                                                      Wyatt Earp lived in Monmouth http://department.monm.edu/history/images/2002/Wyatt_Earp.jpg1856-1859

                                                                                      on South B Street

                                                                             Lincoln and Douglas

                                                                             speak in Monmouth.

Nathaniel Rankin  1859-1860

http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/N%20A%20Rankin%20001.jpg

Harry G. Harding 1861-1862                                          Monmouth College in the War of the Rebellion

Samuel Wood 1863                                                      Monmouth in the Civil War

                                                                                                     Old Main built http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/Monmouth%20College%20Historical%20Poscard.jpg

William Cowan 1864-1865               

George Babcock 1866                                       P. T. Barnum spoke on "the Art of Getting Money"

John M. Turnbull 1867                                      Warren County Library organized

Samuel Wood 1868                                           First velocipede (high bicycle) in town

John A. Templeton 1869

Samuel Douglas 1870

William B. Boyd 1871

William M. Buffington 1872

Draper Babcock 1873

Jacob Holt 1874-5                                      100 Sparrows imported from New York to eat insects.

                                                                Loie Fuller stars in "Ten Nights in a Bar Room"

                                                                in Union Hall on March 4, 1875; she wins first prize

                                                                in the waltz at the Prince Imperial Masquerade, Dec. 24. Tour photo: Loie Fuller.jpg

                                                                First spelling bee.

James L. Dryden 1876

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Jacob Holt 1877                                                First baby show

John M. McCutcheon  1878-79                      last mayor under the old system of city government

William Hanna 1880-81                                November 1881 Buffalo Bill stars in local theater

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Ithamar P. Pillsbury 1882                                            First telephone exchange

Henry Burlingim 1883-84                                                   First Black Policeman Hired.

William B. Young 1885-86                                                   Central School built.

                                                                                               http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/Central%20School%20Postcard%202.jpg

                                                                    

Ithamar P. Pillsbury 1887-89                                        First electric lighting, Streets renamed

Henry Burlingim 1889-1891                                         First Water Fountain on the Square                http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/Monmouth%20Postcard%20NE%20quad.jpg

                                                                          

 

 

 

                                                                              

 

                                                                               Sewer installed around the square      

Warren E. Taylor 1891-93                                           Square paved with bricks

                                                                                Street railway built  http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/Hogue%20and%20Jamieson%20Ad.jpg

                                                                                Pattee opera house opens

William B. Wolf 1893-95

Reimer Lahann 1895-97                                                Monmouth College Auditorium built:

http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/lahann_photo.jpg                                                                                    http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/MC_auditorium.jpg

                                                                                   

 

 

 

 

                                    Monmouth hospital built 1897

  

                                        

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Frank L. Hall 1897-99

 

 

 

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                                                                                    Harding school 1899

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William A. Sawyer 1899-1903                                    Monmouth College at the Turn of the Century

      http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/wa_sawyer.jpg

                                                                                Garfield School built 1902

                                                                               http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/Garfield%20School%20Postcard.jpg

Randall Murdock 1903-07                                            The Monmouth College Cannon  Water and Sewer lines extended

                                                                                    http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/old_7.jpg

                                                                                    Old Main Burns/Wallace Hall built

                                                                                      http://www.magiclanternwebware.com/imagearchive/gallery/old/Wallace%20Hall%20and%20Carnegie%20Library%20Postcard.jpg

John S. Brown 1907-1911                                                1906 intercity rail service to Galesburg

                                                                                    Willits School built 1906

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                                                                                    Celebration on the square just before 1910

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                                                                                    1910 Rock Island Southern intercity Monmouth-Quad Cities

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Joseph P. Moore 1911-1913

            http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/joseph_Moore.jpg

 

John S. Brown 1913-1915    

        http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/brown_john_s.jpg                                           

Otto Fowler 1915-1917

John H. Hanley 1917-1921

Chester Smith 1921-1925

        http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/clip_image002.jpg

John Lugg 1925-1927

L. E. Murphy 1927-1929

C. C. Merillat 1929-1931

Earl McKinnon 1931-1941

Guy Pearson 1941 protem, 1941-1949

Ralph Wells 1949-1953

        http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/wells_ralph.jpg

Don Vance 1953-1961                                                                         1957 Wyatt Earp tombstone hoax

        http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/vance_don.jpg

Allan Walters 1961-1965

     http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/Walters%20Photo.jpg

George Bersted 1965-1981

        http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/bersted_george.jpg

Pat McManus 1979-1981 protem, 1981-1993

David Sharp 1993-1997

Shawn Gillen 1997-Feb 2001

        http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/gillen_shawn.jpg

Leroy Lantz acting Feb-April 2001

John R. Reitman, Sr. 2004-2005

        http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/reitman_jack.jpg

Rod Davies 2005-

      http://department.monm.edu/history/history_of_history_department/images/davies_rod.jpg