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Just four miles beyond
Staunton you will arrive at the small village of Livingston,
Illinois. This old coal mining community got its start in 1905, but this small
community of just about 800 people is supported today by the numerous
farms surrounding the area.
The
village of Hamel,
Illinois is
just another eight miles down the road. However, before reaching
Hamel, you will pass the St. Paul Lutheran Church and its large blue neon
cross. Placed there by the Brunnworth family who lost their son
during World War II, the large cross seemingly sends a message of safe
travels along your journey.
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A ghost farm along Route 66 in Madison County,
Illinois, September, 2004, Kathy Weiser.
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In 1812 Ninian Edwards,
the first
Illinois territorial governor, created Madison County and designated
Kirkpatrick’s farm as the county seat. Three years later,
Kirkpatrick surveyed the tiny settlement and named it
Edwardsville in honor of the governor.
More pioneers continued
to arrive and by 1816, the village had two stores. One of these was
owned by a man named Abraham Prickett, who had arrived in the area from
Kentucky in 1808. He would become the town’s first postmaster and
his son, George, was the first white child born in the settlement. The other store was owned by a man named Benjamin Stephenson who came from
Virginia. Stephenson would later build a home that continues to
stand in
Edwardsville today. The 1820 building, designed in the federal style
architecture and the first brick building in Edwardsville is now on the
National Register of Historic Places. Today, the building houses a museum
that features numerous hands-on period activities. The settlement was
incorporated in 1819.
John T. Lusk, who built
the first log cabin in what many years later was to become the luxurious
residential area of
St. Louis
Street, was the proprietor of the first hotel in the city at Main and
Union Streets. In its early years,
Edwardsville continued to grow and Governor Edwards eventually made
his home there, building a large house at the corner of Buchanan and
Vandailia Streets. Unfortunately, this house has not survived.
By 1834, much of the
town’s trade was being absorbed by nearby
St. Louis
and Alton and
Edwardsville's population began to decline. At the time, the
city had about 350 residents, four stores, two saloons, a castor oil
factory, and a female academy. By the mid 19th century; however,
Edwardsville began to grow again and after the Civil War, the town
supported some 2,000 residents. Thriving along the tracks of the railroad
line, more businesses began to be established along with several
factories.
In 1890, N. O. Nelson
relocated his plumbing and fixture factory on the outskirts of
Edwardsville. Surrounding the factory, he also constructed his own
model company town, based on the principles of the cooperation movement
and profit sharing between owners and laborers. Workers chose the name for
of Leclaire, after Edmund Leclaire of France, one of the pioneers of
profit sharing. The town ultimately occupied 150 acres and included an
abundance of educational and recreational activities.
Today,
Edwardsville is home to over 21,500 residents and provides numerous
peeks of history and architecture. The
Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission has designated 40 local
landmarks, which include a number of historic homes. There are two
districts on the National Register of Historic Places including the Leclaire district that encompasses N. O. Nelson's company town, and the St. Louis
district, a tree lined residential area exhibiting a variety of
architectural styles. The downtown area of
Edwardsville has many commercial buildings built in the late 1800's
which are well worth a look.
As you leave
Edwardsville watch for the old Town and County Motel sign on the right
side of the road, just before crossing over the I-255 overpass.
Continue your journey of the
Mother Road to see the city of Mitchell, the
Chain of Rocks Bridge, Collinsville, and the Show Me State of
Missouri.
©
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of America, updated July, 2008.
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