Founded in 1832 by James Mason, Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County. Described as having "a post office, one store, one tavern, and a number of families" in 1834, the area was being settled as early as 1812 when a blockhouse was built at the confluence for protection.
Grafton’s population reached its peak at approximately 10,000 in the 1850s with employment opportunities coming from the local stone quarries, boat building and commercial fishing. The local limestone was used to build the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, a railroad bridge in Hannibal, Missouri, and a bridge in Quincy, Illinois. The Shafer’s Wharf Historic District was one of the largest commercial fishing centers along the Mississippi River in the late 1800s. The Old Boatworks, located south of Main Street, once housed a paint house and a machine shop where paddle wheelers and later PT boats were built. Today, the Old Boatworks building hosts many antique and craft stalls and is open on the fourth weekend of each month from May through October.
The Great Flood of 1993 caused significant damage to many of Grafton's structures, as well as causing a third of the city's residents to move out of the city. The effects of the flood are still present, as the city has not yet reached the population it had before the flood.
Grafton’s main industry today is tourism. The city is at the center of the region’s Bald Eagle watching area and proudly calls itself "The Winter Home of The Bald Eagle." Main Street is lined with restaurants, some antique, craft, and wine shops, and various other attractions, which makes Grafton a popular stopping place for bicyclists on the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail or for visitors in search of fall foliage color and Bald Eagles. During the warmer months, visitors can take advantage of the two rivers with boating, canoeing and parasailing activities. There are two river ferries in the Grafton area that provide transportation to St. Charles County, Missouri and Calhoun County. Five miles west of Grafton is Pere Marquette State Park, which is Illinois' largest and most popular state park.
Grafton has experienced some economic growth within the past decade, including some new housing and restaurants, the new Grafton Elementary School, the Grafton Harbor marina, and a recently completed lighthouse located along the Mississippi River.
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