Percy, Randolph County, Illinois

Located about 2 miles east of the settlement first known as Georgetown and Steeles Mill, now Steeleville, there were settlers in this area before records were kept.  As early as 1812, when a blockade fort was built between the two settlements, as protection from the Kickapoo Indians, these settlers were also using this fort.

What we now know as Percy, began in 1819, when the Eli SHORT family arrived from Scott County, Kentucky.  This family constructed a home just north of the present site of Percy, and began a life of farming and preaching.  As more people settled nearby, Eli became an influential man in the community, and the settlement became known as Shorts Prairie.

After Eli's death, and his wife Betsy, the 240 acres he had accrued was divided among the surviving children and grandchildren, with his son John T. apparently receiving the largest portion, and grandson Richard J. secondly.

Another of the first settlers here was Daniel MALONE, who came from Tennessee.  The land he settled would later be sold to David BROWN and become the western portion of Percy.  David and his wife Mary, each received 40 acres of land as grants from the federal government, this transaction being handled by the U.S. Land Office in Kaskaskia, signed by President Martin Van Buren.  These grants still exist and are in excellent condition.

In 1840, John B. MALONE sold 40 acres of his land to Daniel Malone.  David BROWN began buying land from Daniel in 1861, Daniel being his brother-in-law.  After David bought the Malone land, there was no further records of the Malones life in Percy.  David went on to become a well known businessman, constructing one of the largest homes in 1875.  This house, at the junction of Brown Ave. and Almond Street was later purchased by Henry HAHN, and still stands as Percy's oldest residence.  David Browns land accounted for three additions to Percy's city limits.

The SHORT family continued to grow and prosper, with John T. getting the credit for establishing Percy.  In 1863 he donated 40 acres of his farm to the Cairo and St. Louis railroad, for the site of the original town.  

There are two stories on how Percy got its name, and we will probably never know which is correct.
One version is the town was named after the engineer who drove the first railroad engine on the Wabash-Chester and Western line through town.  The other story says the town was named for Percy KAMPEN, son of the coal mine superintendent at the Kampenville Mine.

By 1887, most of the people were ready to incorporate as a village...a petition of 48 names was filed for referendum.  It was granted by County Judge Warren WILSON.  An election of the proposed village's residents was held on April 14, 1887, the voting taking place in the William GRIFFIN store.  49 ballots were cast and it was passed 38 to 11.

Percy was official certified as a village by the state of Illinois on July 22, 1887.
The first officials were:

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