Editing Mount Sterling, Illinois (section)

==History==
Mount Sterling was organized in 1854. It did not have a courthouse until 1868, although it was designated the county seat from when the county was organized.<ref>[http://mtsterlingil.com/history/ History of Mount Sterling]</ref>

Mount Sterling was one of several Illinois towns that publicly competed for a new state prison in one of the state's prison sweepstakes competitions. During the 1987 competition, the town of [[Flora, Illinois|Flora]] famously produced the "Is We Is or Is We Isn't/Gonna Get Ourselves A Prison" video. Ultimately, Mount Sterling won the 1987 competition and the state constructed the [[Western Illinois Correctional Center]] along State Highway 99 a mile south of town. In 1989 immediately prior to opening, the prison hosted a "Spend a night in prison" event for state and local dignitaries and prominent business-owners, an event that ultimately soured some of its participants on the economic value of prisons to small town economies.