Camden Mills, Illinois

City: Camden Mills

County: Rock Island

State: Illinois

Lat/Long: 41.4500, -90.5667

Located in northwestern Illinois on the south shore of the Rock River, Camden Mills was occupied by peoples of both the Sac and Kickapoo nations prior to European and Euro-American settlement. The area was known for its water access, coal deposits, and high-quality agricultural lands. In 1843, William Dickson laid out the village, which was initially named Camden. In 1848, the village was renamed Camden Mills, since there was another Camden in Schuyler County, Illinois. The village became a successful local hub for water-powered milling and manufacturing and was incorporated as a village in 1865. In 1870, its name was changed again—to its modern name of Milan.

Historic Rock Island County (Rock Island, IL: Kramer, 1908), 105; The Evening Argus (Rock Island, IL), 29 November 1867, 2:1-3.