History of Alton

 

Although Alton Illinois is a small town, it possesses a deep history going back 200 plus years. With Alton being founded in January and Black History Month coming up, it is important to recognize the events that have happened.

 

Alton was founded in January 1818 by Rufus Easton. Rufus Easton named the town after eldest his son whose name is Alton as well. He also dedicated numerous streets named after his other kids like Albany, George, Langdon, and Henry.

 

Before Rufus Easton came to the land, the land was occupied by the native americans. The influence they had on the land still lives on now, especially with the Piasa Bird. The Piasa Bird is a famous legend in the Alton land with monuments like the Piasa Caves.

 

Alton was officially incorporated as a town on February 6th, 1833. By 1840, Alton reached a population of 2500. Alton would also play a pivotal role in race issues and the Civil War.

 

Elijah P. Lovejoy is a historical figure from Alton who played a big part in the ongoing race issues. Lovejoy was born on November 9th, 1802. In Alton, He worked as a journalist for the newspaper.

 

Lovejoy was an abolitionist so he believed the slaves should be free and equal to other people. Lovejoy would voice his opinions often which made him a target and enemy to certain people. People would send threats to him and try to attack him to stop his ways.

 

After destroying his printing press for the third time, Lovejoy acquired a fourth printing press and proceeded to hide in a warehouse. The mob caught him and killed him on November 7, 1837. Lovejoy is remembered in Alton as a hero and has numerous places from schools, statues, buildings in his honor.

 

Lovejoy isn’t the only famous figure from Alton. Robert Wadlow was also born here. He was and still is the tallest man ever recorded in human history.

 

Another native was Miles Davis. He was born on May 26th, 1926. Davis is known as one of the greatest blues musicians ever.

 

His career span a total of 40 plus years with hits in every decade. Artists from Rick James to Kendrick Lamar to Prince are a few of the many artists that took inspiration from Davis. Miles Davis passed away on September 28th, 1991.

 

Although there were many other famous and historical figures in Alton, these are some of the figures whose impact and names have transcended the town. In conclusion, Alton’s history is important to know and is deep, spanning multiple centuries. For us as citizens, we should learn more about our towns to keep the legacies going.