Lost Towns of Illinois - Etherly, Illinois.

Etherly was a village located in Knox County, just south of Victoria, Illinois.

Etherly was platted on August 10, 1894, by Samuel L. Charles. This plat filing notifies the State of Illinois and certain government agencies that there is a village named Etherly in Illinois and exactly where it is.

The village was a miners' town, home to the families of the men who worked in the twelve surrounding coal mines in Etherly. 

The mining companies in the area went out of business around the turn of the 20th century. The Village of Etherly was sold. 

Shortly thereafter, the Sherwood Mining Company bought the area mines and the village of Etherly. The houses and buildings in the town were sold, dismantled, and moved. Many went to nearby communities such as Galesburg and Victoria.

The village site was strip-mined. 

A Smith Cemetery sign is displayed in the Smith Family sections.

The Etherly Cemetery (aka Smith Cemetery) is all that remains of the village's name today. Thirteen documented people are buried at Etherly Cemetery, nine of whom are from the Smith family. The cemetery is located at 1950 North Knox Road, Victoria, Illinois.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.