Early History of Roxana
Roxana Oil Company
In 1917, the Roxana Oil Company decided to build a new refinery on
land referred to as “Wood River Field,” just south of the town of
Wood River in Wood River Township. Previous to this time period, the
area was mostly farmland, due to the rich soil of the American
Bottoms. While the refinery was under construction, the bones of
fifteen skeletons were unearthed. The skeletons were found whole, in
an upright position, and appeared to be male and female, young and
old. The teeth were in good condition, but the skulls appeared to
have a small dent, which may have been made by a club. The bones
were taken away to be studied at an unknown location.
Founding and Incorporation of Roxana
After completion of the refinery (Shell Oil) in 1918, houses were
erected for the refinery workers. In 1921, the village of Roxana was
incorporated, and was named after the oil company that took up most
of the land within the village. C. C. Martin was elected president
of the village, with trustees Harry C. Chaffer, Walter Dipple, J. B.
Williams, Fred Isaminger, Edwin Laatsch, and George A. Molique being
chosen by the people. Charles M. High was elected the village clerk,
and Reid Bivens was elected treasurer. W. W. Davis was elected
police magistrate.
A Growning Community
A Baptist congregation was organized in September 1921, and land
purchased in 1922 for construction of a church building. The first
services were held December 3, 1922, with J. A. Wilson serving as
the first pastor.
The Roxana village hall was constructed in 1938. It houses the
village president and treasurer, water department, clerk’s office,
fire and police department, village boardroom, and a municipal
gymnasium.
In
1940, a large art deco-style theater was constructed at 400 N.
Central Avenue. First called the Roxana Theater, it was owned by
Albert Critchlow. The name was later changed to the Roxana Cine.
Critchlow and his family lived in an apartment above the lobby. In
1949, a tornado took the roof off the theater, but it was repaired.
Critchlow operated the theater until 1965, when Bloomer Amusement
Company of Belleville purchased it. They re-opened the theater in
1968. It was later owned by Kerasotes, before it closed in 2002. The
theater is now owned by the Church of the Nazarene.
Early Roxana Schools
The first school in the Roxana area was held in a Shell Oil Company
staff house on East Tydeman Avenue. In 1918, a schoolhouse was
constructed on Edwardsville Road, between Walnut and Tydeman, facing
the Standard Oil Refinery fence. This school closed in 1926, and the
property sold to a trucking company.
The Edison School (built in 1926) was constructed at the southwest
corner of Tydeman and Central Avenue in Roxana, across the street
from the First Baptist Church of Roxana. Six years later a gymnasium
and stage were added to the school. Edison School was a two-room
junior high school, which was later converted into a primary grade
school. After its demolition in the late 1960s, the Roxana Public
Library was constructed on the site in 1970.
The Burbank School was constructed in 1936, and was named after
botanist Luther Burbank. The school was constructed as a WPA
project. An addition to the school was constructed in 1966. The
school closed in 1983 and was sold to a local chiropractor. The
building was given to the city, and razed in 2009.
In 1939, citizens of Roxana and eastern Wood River voted to form a
new school district, called the Roxana School District 156. The
Roxana High School was constructed in 1941. This school had three
stories, with twelve classrooms, a main office, a library, and a
gymnasium. A larger gym was added in 1954.