The American Bottom is the land lying below the Bluffs. In the flood of 1993 they filmed a house going in the flood from the dam breaking, this was a part of the American Bottoms. The town of Valmeyer was in the Bottoms. It's the are which was the river bottoms, when the river went from Bluff to Bluff. If your part of Hecker lies in Monroe Co. there have been no records or courthouse fires. Maybe some type of records in the town hall may have caught on fire at some point. But Monroe Co. courthouse records are fine. What names are you searching. I research at the courthouse quite often. Phyllis > > Excuse my ignorance . . . > > What is the American Bottom or "the Bottom." I have seen it mentioned a > few places in Monroe county, IL articles/histories. > > Cherlynn Thomas > [email protected] > .