Warsaw is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,510 at the 2020 census, a decline from 1,607 in 2010.
History
The city of Warsaw began in 1814, when young Major Zachary Taylor founded Fort Johnson on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River across from the mouth of the Des Moines River. Fort Johnson was occupied only for a few weeks before it was burned. In 1815 another military camp, Fort Edwards, was built nearby at a different location. Warsaw became an important fur trading post and one of the earliest American settlements in northern Illinois.
During the 1840s, Warsaw was a center of opposition to Mormon settlement in Nauvoo and other areas in Hancock County during the conflict sometimes known as the "Mormon Illinois War". The local newspaper at the time, the Warsaw Signal edited by Thomas C. Sharp, was a vocal opponent of Mormon settlement and practices in western Illinois. The Mormons, led by Willard Richards, attempted to establish a settlement at a site just south of Warsaw during this period, but abandoned these plans due to local opposition and other problems.
The city is notable for its well-preserved downtown with a number of remaining historic businesses. Founded by German immigrants, the Warsaw Brewery opened in 1861 and operated for more than 100 years, ending production in 1971. The facility was renovated and reopened in 2006 as a bar and restaurant.
Geography
Warsaw is located in southwestern Hancock County. It is bordered to the west and northwest by the Mississippi River, which forms the state border with Missouri. The community of Alexandria, Missouri lies due west across the Mississippi, Keokuk, Iowa lies 3.5 miles to the northeast, and the city of Hamilton lies approximately six miles to the east-northeast.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Warsaw has a total area of , of which (or 87.29%) is land and (or 12.71%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Warsaw had a population of 1,510. The median age was 43.6 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.9 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 651 households in Warsaw, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.6% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Notable people
- William H. Folsom (1815–1901), architect who lived in Warsaw
- John Milton Hay, private secretary to Abraham Lincoln, served as United States Secretary of State
- Benjamin F. Marsh, congressman, buried in Warsaw