Aledo, Illinois

City: Aledo

County: Mercer

State: Illinois

Lat/Long: 41.1833, -90.7333

Aledo came into existence as a result of the Great Western Air Line Railroad, which opened the way for the establishment of new towns. A public sale of lots was held in March 1856, the same year that the first building was erected in Aledo. In 1857, the Mercer County seat changed from Keithsburg to Aledo.

History of Mercer County (Chicago: H. H. Hill, 1882), 539, 542; "An Act for the Relocation of the County Seat of Mercer County," 14 February 1857, Laws of Illinois (1857), 91-92.