St. Clair County Historical Society

10/15/2026

Discover 66 historic homes you can tour throughout Greater St. Louis in Anne Powell’s Step Inside St. Louis.

We’re proud that our Victorian Home Museum and Emma Kunz House are both featured!

Pick up your copy and explore local history! Proceeds benefit the St. Clair County Historical Society!

Call, visit, or click to buy: https://square.link/u/T6ltXBz0

10/15/2026

Next Thursday, join us at the Belleville Public Library for a free presentation on history, memory, and the writings of John Reynolds.

Reynolds was a central figure in early Illinois politics. He lived in Belleville and is buried at Walnut Hill Cemetery.

See the flier for details.

10/14/2026

Illinois was a free state—but “free” did not mean equal. From 1819 to 1865, Illinois Black Codes restricted the rights and movement of African Americans.

Join educator and storyteller Dr. Caroline M. Kisiel for stories of African American resilience.

An Illinois Road Scholars Speakers Bureau presentation, an initiative of Illinois Humanities, connected to the Illinois America 250 Commission’s “We the People” theme.

Free, but registration is required. Space is limited.

Register via email at [email protected], via phone at 618/234-0600, or click here: https://buytickets.at/stclaircountyhistoricalsociety/2440948

Illinois Humanities

10/14/2026

In this photo, we’re looking at a bridge approach near 3rd and Broadway in East St. Louis. This bridge led to the Eads Bridge.

The date is August of 1917, a fact backed up by the poster for The Spy, a silent film released on August 19, 1917. The bridge was newly opened then.

Oh, if you’re wondering about the billboard with the pig, it advertises W.M. Finck & Co., a Detroit workwear company whose slogan was, “Wears Like a Pig’s Nose.”

Photo donated in 1997.

10/13/2026

The Lincoln in Belleville Walking Tours are THIS SATURDAY!

Step back in time and experience the day Abraham Lincoln visited Belleville during one of the most pivotal election seasons in American history.

Join us for a guided walking tour through historic downtown Belleville, tracing the footsteps of Lincoln and other prominent Illinois leaders as the visited in October of 1856.

FREE registration here:

The Day Lincoln Came to Town: Guided Walking Tour – Downtown Belleville, Multiple dates and times - The Day Lincoln Came to Town October 18, 1856 — Belleville, Illinois Step back in time and experience the day Abraham Lincoln visited Belleville during one of the most pivotal election seasons in ...

10/13/2026

In October of 1948, Belleville moviegoers surely beat a path to the Illinois Theater at 216 W. Main Street to catch the rerelease of The Walking Dead.

Originally released in 1936, it starred horror film legend Boris Karloff.

It was shown as a double feature with 1946’s The Brute Man.

10/12/2026

Everyone on our Haunted Walking Tours will receive a souvenir cup that won’t remain empty for long.

Thanks to our sponsor, Belleville Main Street , and our partners, guests can bring their cup to several local businesses during the days of the tours and enjoy drink specials!

More details soon!

Belleville Main Street
Sugar High
Pour322
Charlie’s Place
Bennies
VENUE on Main

10/12/2026

Born in Lebanon in 1870, building contractor Jesse Gedney lived his entire eventful life in St. Clair County.

His father, James Gedney, was also a builder and served as Lebanon’s mayor.

He began his business in Lebanon c. 1890, building many houses there before moving to East St. Louis in 1895.

He built hundreds of buildings in his long career, including many of East St. Louis’s schools.

He died in 1935 and is buried in College Hill Cemetery in Lebanon.

Postcards: Theising Collection, SIUE
Photo sharpened and clarified using AI.

10/08/2026

Illinois was a free state—but “free” did not mean equal. From 1819 to 1865, Illinois Black Codes restricted the rights and movement of African Americans.

Join educator and storyteller Dr. Caroline M. Kisiel for stories of African American resilience in 19th Century Illinois.

An Illinois Road Scholars Speakers Bureau presentation, an initiative of Illinois Humanities, connected to the Illinois America 250 Commission’s “We the People” theme.

Free, but registration is required. Space is limited.

Register via email at [email protected], via phone at 618/234-0600, or click here: https://buytickets.at/stclaircountyhistoricalsociety/2440948

10/08/2026

Here’s another example of “Side Hustles of 19th Century Undertakers.”

(How’s that for specific?)

Since undertakers used horse-drawn hearses, it was common for them to also run a livery stable.

Livery stables rented and boarded horses and vehicles.

In this 1886 ad, John Benner advertised his businesses on Collinsville Avenue in East St. Louis.