Sorento

History

Sorento was founded as a village in 1882. The town was laid out and platted on August 15, 1882, by August H. Scharf, a local farmer and businessman, and his father, William Scharf. The Sorento Coal Mine opened in 1883 and was in operation until March 31, 1914. Ripson Bridge was built in 1895. It is the last pony truss bridge in Bond County and is a local historical landmark that crosses Shoal Creek. The bridge is named after the owner of the property next to the bridge when it was built. The Sorento Homecoming Association was the caretaker of the bridge from the mid-1980s to about 2019. Initially, the Sorento Homecoming Association applied to have Ripson Bridge added to the National Register of Historic Places. However, that process has stopped and the bridge is now owned by private owners.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Sorento has a total area of , all land.

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  610
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  515
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  491
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  487
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  469
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  455
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  441
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  434

Most recent

• M 3.8 — 2026-01-20
  4 km NW of Ohlman, Illinois
• M 2.81 — 2024-03-28
  1 km NNE of Germantown, Illinois
• M 3.07 — 2023-12-18
  5 km WNW of Waltonville, Illinois
• M 2.58 — 2023-10-26
  6 km SSE of Herrick, Illinois
• M 2.52 — 2022-05-17
  6 km NNW of Mount Vernon, Illinois
• M 2.84 — 2022-04-29
  1 km SSW of Peerless Park, Missouri