Gilchrist is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Greene Township, Mercer County,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, United States. Gilchrist is west of

Viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

. Gilchrist was founded by John W. Gilchrist. The town was home to as many as 300 miners employed in the nearby Empire Coal Mine, owned by Mr. Gilchrist and other members of the Gilchrist family. In 1914, Gilchrist had a population of 100. Its mail came from Viola. The business establishments are: the Empire Coal Company, a general store, a grocery store owned by F. A. Essley, and a restaurant owned by J. H. Smith. Gilchrist was on the

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwest, Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, CB&Q, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of ...

branch line (originally the American Central Railway) that ran from Galva, through Viola to New Boston. Later, Gilchrist served as the junction of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad with the Northern Division of the

Rock Island Southern Railway The Rock Island Southern Railway, or RIS, was one of the most unusual interurban systems in the United States. It consisted of two distinct divisions, each with its own unique operating parameters. It provided passenger service to the western I ...

, arriving in Gilchrist in 1905.Gilchrist History
covad.net A branch of the Rock Island Southern was built from Gilchrist to Aledo in 1910. The line to Gilchrist was abandoned in 1952.History
mchsil.org pp.2–3 Service over the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy to Gilchrist ended in 1986, and the rail was removed in 1988.

References

Unincorporated communities in Mercer County, Illinois Unincorporated communities in Illinois {{MercerCountyIL-geo-stub