|
Welcome to the Madison County,
ILGenWeb Project
Madison County Genealogy and Historical Information
This website is maintained by ILGenWeb Madison
County Coordinator, Bev Bauser. I welcome your
suggestions, corrections, and contributions! Please
share your family histories, biographies,
obituaries, births, photos, newspaper clippings,
etc., by submitting them to:
madison.cnty@yahoo.com. You can help
to make this website even better!
(Note: Links provided to external websites
are provided as convenience and informational
purposes only; they do not constitute endorsement or
approval of any products, services, or opinions
given on external site.)
*****************************************
"Our women have figured even more largely in
hardships of early times. On them fell the heaviest
burdens of the pioneer life. The man, when his day's
work is done, sits in the corner and smokes his pipe
at his ease. He has some rest and enjoyment, but the
wife has neither. Her work and toil are never over!"
Dr. Frederick Humbert, Upper Alton, March 4, 1875.
******************************************
Visit this site often. New material added
weekly!!
Interesting Reading:
Incredible story of
Jane Adeline (nee Smith) Wilson, born in Alton
in 1837, and captured by Comanche Indians while
traveling in Texas.
Alton History
Why Alton Gave Away Her Chance to be the Capital of
Illinois
NEW!
History of Madison County Theatres
The Murder of Elijah P. Lovejoy in Alton, Illinois
Wood River Massacre
Early Days in Madison County
Alton
Penitentiary/Civil War Prison
Letter
from Lt.
E. F. Fletcher of Alton, IL - soldier in the Mexican-American War
The story of
Johnny
Appleseed
Alton's
Legend of the Piasa Bird & Lover's Leap
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * *
LOOKUPS:
History of Madison County, With Biographical Sketches of
Prominent Men & Pioneers, 1882
Portrait & Biographical Record (Prominent Citizens) of
Madison County, Illinois, 1894
Records of
The Friedens Evangelical Church of Troy, Illinois, Book
#1, 1876-1896
Records of The
Evangelical Church of St. John of Black Jack, Jarvis
Township, Madison Co., Illinois
Book #2, Commencing 1894-1919
Records of The
Evangelical Protestant Church of Saint John in Black Jack,
Madison Co., Illinois, A.D. 1864
|
History of Madison County
Named after James Madison
(1751-1836), fourth President of the
United States, Madison County was
established in 1812 out of Randolph
and St. Clair Counties, before
Illinois became a state on December 3, 1818.
At the time it was established,
Madison encompassed the majority of
the Illinois Territory. All of
Illinois north of the current
southern boundary of Madison County
between the Mississippi and Wabash
Rivers was part of the county. In
1814, the formation of Edwards
County removed almost half of the
eastern part, and the final boundary
change came in 1843, when a small
portion on the northeast corner of
Madison County became part of Bond
County.
Madison
County is the home of the
Cahokia Mounds
Historic Site -- the most sophisticated
prehistoric native civilization
north of Mexico that had its peak of
power in circa 1100-1200 A.D. The
site is named for the Cahokia, a sub
tribe of the Illini Nation.
The county seat is Edwardsville. In
the late 1800s, Madison County
became an industrial powerhouse, and
in the 20th century, was known for
first, Graniteware, and later, its
steel mills, oil refineries, and
other heavy industry. In the year
1900, the population of Madison was
64,694. In 2006, the population was
265,303 [Source: Wikipedia.org].
For more history
click here.
|
|
