Historic Alton
Mighty Mississippi
Great River Road
All Around Alton
Claim to Fame
100
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in this Illinois county.
Madison County, Illinois
100
This cable-stayed bridge across the Mississippi River between West Alton, Missouri and Alton, Illinois.
The Clark Bridge
100
Bluffs along the Great River Road are mostly composed of this sedimentary rock, which forms when minerals precipitate out of water containing dissolved calcium.
Limestone
100
A modern reproduction of this mythological creature can be found on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in Alton.
The Piasa Bird
100
This American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. He was born May 26, 1926, in Alton.
Miles Davis
200
Alton features a statue of this man, who remains the tallest man in the recorded history of the world.
Robert Pershing Wadlow
200
This state has the largest population of all the states located along the Mississippi River.
Illinios
200
A nature lover's paradise, this 8,050-acre protected area is located on the Great River Road in southwestern Jersey County and named after a Jesuit priest.
Pere Marquette State Park
200
This cash-only, beer-focused bar was founded in 1921 and features a vintage vibe, casual eats and 400+ seats.
Fast Eddie's Bon Air
200
Alton has been named “One of the Most Haunted Small Towns in America” by this cable TV channel.
The Travel Channel
300
This 110-foot tall memorial honors a famous abolitionist and free speech advocate who was murdered by a pro-slavery mob.
Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument
300
This type of shark has been known to travel up the Mississippi River as far as Alton. However, few freshwater human-shark interactions have been recorded.
Bull sharks
300
Illinois’s Great River Road is home to the confluence of these three rivers.
The Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois Rivers
300
This art gallery occupies a former furniture store building in downtown Alton.
Jacoby Art Center
300
Alton was featured on this show, during which Amanda Brinkman and her team work with small businesses to help revitalize a town.
Small Business Revolution
400
This Constitutional Amendment was co-written by Alton resident Lyman Trumbull after the Civil War ended.
Thirteenth Amendment
"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
400
The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America, flowing 2,350 miles from its source at this lake to the Gulf of Mexico.
Lake Itasca in Minnesota
400
The Great River Road ends in this American city.
New Orleans, Louisiana
400
This state historic site features the reconstruction of Camp Dubois, Lewis and Clark’s 1804 winter camp where they trained the men who would join them on their expedition.
Lewis & Clark State Historic Site
400
The McPike Mansion and Mineral Springs Hotel were featured on this Travel Channel series.
Ghost Adventures
500
Alton was developed as a river town in 1818 by this man, who named it after his son.
Rufus Easton
500
It takes this many days for a drop of water to travel the entire length of the Mississippi River.
90 days
500
The Great River Road was created in this year.
1938
500
This downtown Alton hotel, originally known as the Illini Hotel, opened in 1909. It is currently being renovated by Alton attorney John Simmons.
Hotel Stratford
500
This Medal of Honor recipient was a graduate of Western Military Academy in Alton. Chicago's largest airport is named in his honor.
Edward O'Hare