Effingham’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 2 old photos of Effingham. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Effingham was first settled in 1814, and was known from then until 1859 as Broughton. In 1859, it became the county seat with buildings relocated from nearby (now deserted) Ewington. The community was named after General E. Effingham, a local surveyor.
In the late 1880s, local citizens founded Austin College, which lasted for several decades, and ultimately was purchased to become the Illinois College of Photography, also known as Bissel College. That school closed due to the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Effingham’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Effingham’s history is told.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewIL 1 I57 I70 FHWA 63 1240, 1963: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Effingham
See all 23 →
Effingham, decade by decade
CommonsSandstone basement wall, Effingham County Museum2026
CommonsNew pavilion on grounds Effingham County Museum2026
CommonsReroofed Effingham County Museum2025
CommonsHeart Theater in Effingham, Illinois - Flickr - Joe K Gage2022
CommonsTheWizardsofWinteratEfflinghamILDecember1820152015
CommonsLexington2013
CommonsHeart Theatre2013
CommonsEffingham County Building and Jail2013
Book2010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map for2010Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as IL 1 I57 I70 FHWA 63 1240 (1963) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (11). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.