Gilchrist, Mercer County, Illinois

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Gilchrist is an unincorporated community in Greene Township, Mercer County, Illinois, United States. It lies about 2 miles west of Viola. It was founded by John W. Gilchrist. At one time, up to 300 miners worked at the nearby Empire Coal Mine, owned by Gilchrist and other family members. In 1914 the population was about 100, and mail came from Viola. Local businesses included the Empire Coal Company, a general store, a grocery store owned by F. A. Essley, and a restaurant owned by J. H. Smith.

Gilchrist sits on a railroad line. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (originally the American Central Railway) ran from Galva through Viola to New Boston. In 1905 it joined with the Northern Division of the Rock Island Southern Railway at Gilchrist. A branch from Gilchrist to Aledo was built in 1910. The line to Gilchrist was abandoned in 1952. Passenger service on the CB&Q to Gilchrist ended in 1986, and the track was removed in 1988.

Elevation is 787 feet; area code 309; in the Central Time Zone.