Farmer City

History

The Kickapoo and Potawatomi Native American tribes lived on the prairie and woodlands around Salt Creek and other local streams. The westward push of traders and adventurers led to settlers around 1825. Dennis Hurley is believed to be the first white settler in the area. Hurley built a cabin in the area, which became known as Hurley's Grove, with other families settling nearby. Some of the founding families were the Kirbys, McCords, Clearwaters, Watsons, Johnson, Webb, Blalach, Weedmans, Coveys, Cummings, and Huddlestons. Hurley's Grove was just south of present-day Farmer City, with increased population by 1837, becoming part of DeWitt County in 1839. The area to the south of Hurley's Grove was solidified as a permanent settlement, due to the safety of the area's wooded terrain. North of the primary area became known as Mt. Pleasant. Subdivision of the land divided the area into 14 blocks, with a central public square. The first residence built was that of Nathan Clearwater, and William McFall opened a store in 1837. Mail delivery was established in 1837, but with another Mt. Pleasant in the state, the name changed to Santa Anna. Dewitt County was part of the Eighth Judicial District in the early 1850s, and lawyer Abraham Lincoln traveled in the area many times on his circuit; he was well respected by county residents. C. H. Moore House in nearby Clinton is the former residence of Lincoln's co-counsel in various cases. The settlement grew in population and physical size, with the center of activity moving northward. The area became connected in 1870 by rail, prospering; that year's census listed 1276 people in the township, and 537 in Mt. Pleasant. The necessity of an official name arose in 1869, with Farmer City chosen after much discussion and debate. The…

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Farmer City has a total area of , of which (or 98%) is land and (or 2%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  2,806
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,767
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,440
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,142
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,107
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,937
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,794
• Ring-billed Gull

  Larus delawarensis Ord, 1815 · Aves
  1,551

Largest nearby schools

• Ruth M Schneider Elem School
  Elementary · Farmer City · 272 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Blue Ridge High School
  High · Farmer City · 188 students · 9.4:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2025-03-15
  6 km W of Dwight, Illinois