Lost Towns of Illinois - Crawfordsville, Illinois.

Crawfordsville was situated on the line between Montgomery and Honey Creek Townships. 

The first record found of this place was when Edward Allison built a water mill in about 1830. Allison sold to a man named Kiger, who in turn sold to H. Martin, a son of John Martin, who came to the county in 1811. 

He built an ox mill and, later, a steam mill. H. Martin kept a blacksmith shop until about 1855. Elijah Nuttalls established a general store and several others had stores during different time periods. 

It was known as Martin's mill during this time, but when a post office was established, it was called Crawfordsville. Samson Taylor was the first postmaster. The post office was moved to Flat Rock when that town was laid out after the railroad came through. A woolen mill was connected with the steam mill about 1870 and operated until 1879 when it permanently closed.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Lost Towns of Illinois - Clifford, Illinois.

Clifford was an unincorporated community in northwestern Williamson County, about one mile north of the village of Colp. It is an early 20th-century mining settlement that has disappeared since the closing of local mines in 1923.

A post office was established on January 26, 1905, and it remained in operation until May 1935. Clifford had a large school at its peak around the time of WWI (1914-1918). The population reached over two thousand at one time.

The population in 1958 was 300. The remaining residents moved their houses or sold the structures. Nature took over.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.