Quebec was
platted in 1856 by D. B. Blair. It was located in Section 32 of the township. According to one history of the county, "The first building erected in this place [Quebec] was constructed for Marcus Blair and the first store opened by D.B. Blair. There never was a time when there were to be seen more than a half dozen houses in the hamlet." According to the same history, the
Panic of 1857 prevented Quebec from prospering. Quebec was located in the southernmost portion of Pleasant Township, along the
Chicago and North Western Railroad. The Quebec post office operated from 1857 to 1865. On June 3, 1860, a
tornado hit southern Hardin County. While many areas of the county were affected, Quebec was solidly hit by the storm and three homes there were lost. Another book, written in 1886, 26 years after the disaster, discusses the tornado destruction in Quebec (although it erroneously placed Quebec in
Marshall County); after originating in Hardin County and hitting
New Providence, "the next town on the line of destruction was Quebec [...]. This little hamlet was entirely obliterated, the houses with their contents being distributed upon the prairies. It was a marvel here that none were killed, although many were severely injured." The tornado continued east and caused further destruction across central and eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The destroyed houses in Quebec were not restored, according to a 1953 news article. Quebec still appeared on county maps , when the
Hardin County Ledger listed the community among other Hardin County ghost villages, including
Georgetown,
Hardin City, and
Xenia. ==See also==