Calhoun County was formed on January 15, 1851 from open land originally named Fox County. It was renamed in 1853 after the seventh US Vice President secessionist John C. Calhoun. When the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad were laid through the county in 1870, the county seat was moved from Lake City to Rockwell City. The first train reached Rockwell City on August 7, 1882 and the population count doubled in the same year. The first courthouse, built of wood, burned to the ground in 1884 and the county government moved into a nearby hotel. In 1913, the current courthouse was built.

On July 6, 1893, Pomeroy was struck by a tornado that measured F5 on the Fujita scale. With a damage path 500 yards  wide and 55 miles long, the tornado destroyed about 80% of the homes in Pomeroy. The tornado killed 71 people and injured 200.

On Line Data

Cities Farnhamville Jolley Knierim Lake City Lohrville Lytton Manson Pomeroy Rinard Rockwell City Somers Yetter Unincorporated communities Easley Knoke Sherwood Twin Lakes, a census-designated place Townships Butler Calhoun Cedar Center Elm Grove Garfield Greenfield Jackson Lake Creek Lincoln Logan Reading Sherman Twin Lakes Union Williams

Adjacent counties Pocahontas County (north) Webster County (east) Greene County (southeast) Carroll County (southwest) Sac County (west)

Calhoun County Court House

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