The earliest inhabitants of the area around Ware were of
Late Woodland and
Mississippian cultures. A village with four mounds was occupied between around 800 and 1300 A.D. One of the four mounds was destroyed in the construction of
Illinois Route 3. The
Ware Mounds and Village Site is situated just west of Ware. In January 1839, thousands of Cherokee Indians being forcibly relocated from their lands in Georgia to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) passed through Ware. Because of floating ice the Cherokee were unable to cross the Mississippi River and camped along Dutch Creek. The intense cold at this time led to many deaths. ==2000 Census==