Everything about Alton Illinois totally explained
Alton is a city in
Madison County,
Illinois,
United States, about 15 miles north of
St. Louis,
Missouri. The population was 34,511 at the 2006 census. Alton was ranked the 27th most livable small city in America by Money Magazine, edging out Edison, New Jersey by a slim margin.
History
The Alton area was home to
Native Americans long before the founding of the modern city. While early historic accounts indicate occupation of this area by the
Illiniwek or Illinois Confederacy, earlier native settlement is evidenced by the presence of the famous
Piasa bird painted on a cliff face nearby, first seen by Europeans in 1673 by Father Pere Marquette.
Alton was developed as a river town in 1818 by Rufus Easton, who named the town after his son. He ran a passenger ferry service across the Mississippi River to the opposite Missouri shore. Alton is located amid the confluence of three important navigable rivers: the
Illinois, the
Mississippi, and the
Missouri.Under construction is a monument, and multilevel observatory, located at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi near the levee in Wood River. Alton grew into a matter-of-fact river town with an industrial character and its steep-sloped streets filled with silos, railroad tracks, brick commercial buildings. Alton once was the site of several brick factories, and brick streets are still visible. Many blocks of housing in Alton were built in the Victorian Queen Anne style, which marks a more successful period of the city's history. Alton is subject to floods. Visitors can see the various flood levels of different dates marked on the grain silo in downtown.
North along the river the River Road stretches north to Grafton, a dramatic contrast between the high cliffs of the Illinois side to the broad, flat, green countryside of
Portage des Sioux, Missouri. The
Great River Road is a popular bicycle tour destination. Hidden in a notch of the cliff is the tiny town of
Elsah, Illinois, once a down-and-dirty liquor-soaked tug-boater's retreat, now reborn as a quaint antique center with trimmed front lawns.
On
November 7,
1837 abolitionist printer
Elijah P. Lovejoy was murdered by a mob of supporters of
slavery while he was attempting to protect his Alton-based press from being destroyed a third time. The mob then threw the press into the Mississippi. This tragedy marked Lovejoy as the first martyr of the abolition movement. As a consequence, the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution was drafted in Alton. Alton has been home to gangs of bootleggers in the thirties known throughout the state, and the overall bloody history of the town has contributed to the reputation of Alton as one of the most haunted places in America. Notable places include The History and Hauntings Bookstore, The McPike Mansion, and the old Milton School.
On October 15, 1858, Alton was the site of the seventh
Lincoln-Douglas debate. There is a memorial at the site in downtown Alton that features statues of Lincoln and Douglas.
Alton has more earthly stories behind it as well. Once growing faster than its sister city of St. Louis, a coalition of St. Louis businessmen planned to build a town to stop the spread and bring business to St. Louis. The result was
Grafton, Illinois.
During the Civil War, Alton was home to a Union prison, from which prisoners would attempt to escape and cross the
Mississippi River back to the slave state of
Missouri. Also, some of Alton's majestic historic homes played a part in assisting the Underground Railroad. There is a Confederate cemetery on the north side of Alton, a memorial marker is present on the site.
Robert Wadlow's grave, the earth raised so visitors can compare its length to other graves, is in Upper Alton Cemetery. There is a memorial to him, including a life size statue, and a replica of his chair on College Avenue, across from the Southern Illinois University Dental School.
The
Sisters of St Francis of the Martyr St George have their American province motherhouse in Alton.
Flood of 1993
Because of Alton's close location to the Mississippi River, it was severely damaged and flooded by dangerously high water level in the
Great Flood of 1993. Alton's water supply was cut off due the the proximity of it by the river, and townspeople had to go to Alton Square, where they received bottle water. This water was donated from many local businesses, including
Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, Missouri.
Geography
Alton is located at (38.900438, -90.159844). This is on the
Mississippi River above the mouth of the
Missouri River. Most of Alton is located on bluffs overlooking the river valley.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6
square miles (43.0
km²), of which, 15.6 square miles (40.5 km²) of it's land and 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²) of it (5.78%) is water.
The new Lock and Dam #26 or Melvin Prince Lock & Dam, is available for tours, and is a favorite spot to eagle watch. There is a bird sanctuary across the river.
Economy
Alton was once a town of heavy industry and manufacturing.
Laclede Steel established major
steel manufacturing operations in the town.
Alton has transformed itself into a popular
tourist retreat
. Alton's location and history make it a popular tourist area for antique shopping and gambling aboard the Argosy Casino. During the winter, many visitors from across the country come to Alton for birdwatching, as bald eagles roost on the bluffs along the Mississippi. Other Greater Alton attractions include Alton Marina, nine golf courses including Greater St. Louis' and Illinois' only
Arnold Palmer designed and managed course,
Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway,
Alton Square Mall, fine dining, night life, and bed and breakfasts including the
"Best of Illinois" (llinois Magazine Readers Poll). Alton is also a popular venue for weddings, receptions, and honeymoons.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 30,496 people, 12,518 households, and 7,648 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,949.3 people per square mile (752.8/km²). There were 13,894 housing units at an average density of 888.1/sq mi (343.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.32%
White, 24.72%
African American, 0.18%
Native American, 0.38%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 0.68% from
other races, and 1.71% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.
There were 12,518 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were
married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,213, and the median income for a family was $37,910. Males had a median income of $33,083 versus $22,485 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $16,817. About 14.7% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
Landmarks
Alton contains a number of landmarks. Among these are a statue of
Elijah Lovejoy and the cable-stayed
Clark Bridge, which is one of only very few
of its type in the world . The
Piasa bird painting has also been restored after been vandalized by some high schoolers. The statue of the once tallest man in the world,
Robert Wadlow is another landmark of the town.
Education
Alton is home to both Marquette Catholic High School and its new public high school, Alton High School, complete with a three-court gymnasium.
The old high school is now the middle school. Saints Peter and Paul School is an elementary school with grades kindergarten through 8th and in 2008 celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Notable residents
Further Information
Get more info on 'Alton Illinois'.
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