History of Madison County, Illinois
Madison County ILGenWeb Coordinator - Beverly Bauser
Pre-historic Era
In pre-historic times,
small pyramids dotted the landscape near the future Mitchell
Station in Chouteau Township. One pyramid was 300 feet on each
of its four sides, 25 or 30 feet high. It was excavated away to
make room for railroad tracks. A great number of relics were
found showing that the mound was used as a burial site. There
were copper implements and ornaments, some made to represent the
shell of a tortoise. One relic was found covered with copper,
that when broken, it was discovered that the copper was spooled
around bone. Copper awls and needles were found – some 18 inches
in length. There were also flint implements and the teeth of a
buffalo.
The American Bottoms
The future site of Mitchell Station
(later called Mitchell) was part of the American Bottoms. Rich
soil and marshes provided good hunting and farmland. Most of the
early settlers in the Mitchell area were hardworking German
farmers. Andrew Emert, who immigrated from Pennsylvania, settled
in the future site of Mitchell in 1807. Another settler was
James Gillham, who came to Chouteau Township in 1794 in search
of his wife and children, who had been taken captive by Kickapoo
Indians in 1790. A four-year search was made before the family
was reunited and settled near Long Lake. The first industry of
the area was a mill operated as early as 1820 by Moses Job. Job
opened the first store in 1839. As time went on, immigrants
bought the land and established their farms.
In 1813,
the courts issued an order to establish the first two county
highways – one from Edwardsville to a bridge over Long Lake in
the neighborhood of Mitchell; the other from that bridge to the
Mississippi River, a short distance from the St. Louis Ferry.
John J. and William H. Mitchell
In 1870, John J. and William
H. Mitchell purchased approximately 4,000 acres in the future
site of Mitchell Station. They dreamed of creating and operating
a cattle ranch. The brothers had been residents of Alton, owning
a steam mill and distillery. They had also been partners with
Colonel Buckmaster in connection with the Alton State
Penitentiary. During the Civil War, they played a part in
bringing arms from St. Louis aboard their steamboat, to keep the
weaponry from falling into the hands of the Confederates. The
Mitchell brothers drained the swamplands and marshes on their
lands and built their ranch, with Michael Smith Link as foreman.
In 1871, John Mitchell backed the construction of an elevator in
Venice. Later, John J. moved to St. Louis, and William moved to
Chicago.
Mitchell Station Established
About the same
time the Mitchells bought their land, the Chicago and Alton
Railroad was planning to build their railway through the area.
John Mitchell promoted the construction of
the railroad from Alton to East St. Louis, and established
Mitchell Station. In the following years, several other railroad
lines, including the Wabash, were construction. Mitchell Station
became a busy rail transportation center, which attracted
railroad workers and their families.
By 1882, Mitchell
Station had two general stores - one of which was owned by Hinze
& Krueger, and the other by Henry Reinamann. Henry Quinn
operated a blacksmith shop and kept a grocery store. A. Rapp
operated a meat market. The physician was D. E. Smalley, and the
postmaster was Robert Krueger. Boarding houses were erected –
one owned by Mrs. Whyer, and the other by Mrs. Netheringham.
Charles Hackethal operated a hotel, saloon, and grocery store,
which burned to the ground in 1916.
In 1904, when the
World’s Fair was held in St. Louis, the Illinois Traction Street
Car Line was built from St. Louis to Mitchell, and in 1905 it
was extended to Alton.
Sometime before 1920, Ernest A.
Brooks of St. Louis established a residential subdivision so
that homes could be built for families of railroad workers. A
large building boom didn’t take place until the 1950s and 1960s,
when industrial workers from Granite City, Madison, and Venice
were looking for homes.
U. S. Route 66 ran through
Mitchell, and various businesses along the road became stops for
travelers and truckers. One of these was the Luna Café, built in
1924. It was rumored the café had gambling and prostitution.
Since Mitchell was never been incorporated as a village,
there has never been any local government officials. Mitchell
residents, however, have been willing to take responsibility to
improve their community. Donations made by businesses and a
five-dollar subscription fee from each homeowner resulted in the
establishment of the Mitchell Fire District. The first fire
truck was a 1923 Seagraves pumper, and the fire station
construction began in 1946.
Early Schools of Mitchell
The Mitchell Brothers donated land on which to build a one-room
public school. The school was constructed in 1871, with an
additional room being added in 1904, and yet another room added
in 1937. In 1950 it was overcrowded and the building was torn
down. Work began immediately on a new schoolhouse for children
from Kindergarten through 6th grade. Upper grades attended
Granite City schools.
Early Churches of Mitchell
The
Mitchell brothers donated land for the construction of two
churches – Catholic and Protestant. The construction of St.
Elizabeth’s Church began in 1871, with the cornerstone being
laid October 1, 1871. Parishioners supplied the labor and
materials for the construction, and the church was named in
honor of Elizabeth Hackethal Ebling, who furnished food for the
workers.
A Protestant Church was erected with the
stipulation that the title to the land would be awarded after
the church operated for twelve years by any one denomination.
The church was first used by a Baptist congregation, then by a
Methodist group, and last by Presbyterians, who stayed in the
church and fulfilled the twelve-year requirement.