I was born in Alton, Illinois, a river town on the Mississippi just north of St. Louis. I grew up here, I left, and I live here again now — in nearby Godfrey, a short way from the water and the limestone bluffs. That’s why I write about Greater Alton. This is home.
Born in Alton. At home again in Greater Alton.
THE RIVER
A town with a long memory
Alton wears its history close to the water. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held their final debate here in 1858. In 1837, Elijah Lovejoy was murdered by a pro-slavery mob for what he printed, and his press still stands near the river. The Underground Railroad ran through town, and during the Civil War the Alton prison held thousands of Confederate soldiers. The Mississippi is still the town’s lifeblood — barges on the channel, eagles in the winter, and the Great River Road hugging the bluffs on the way to Grafton.
THE GENTLE GIANT
Robert Wadlow
Alton also raised Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in recorded history at 8 feet 11.1 inches. His life-sized statue on College Avenue still makes people stop and look up. The town has a knack for larger-than-life figures — jazz legend Miles Davis was born here too, in 1926.
HAUNTED ALTON
Ghost stories and a bird on the bluff
Then there’s the reputation the town leans into: Haunted Alton. The Travel Channel has called it one of America’s most haunted small towns. McPike Mansion, the old prison grounds, and downtown walking tours keep those stories in circulation. And just up the river, the Piasa Bird is painted on the limestone bluffs — a winged creature whose legend has been part of this stretch of the Mississippi since long before the town had its name.
That’s only a start. If you want the fuller tour, begin with An Ode to Alton. I also wrote about a little-known haunted legend from the riverfront, and about the Piasa Bird on the bluffs.
Stories from Greater Alton
These are the Greater Alton stories so far.
New pieces will be filed under Greater Alton.
