Scenic autumn drive yields to history, beauty and mythic creatures.
By Shelly A. Schneider

Alton, Ill., graces the banks of the Mississippi River with a colorful past that features characters real and mythical. On a fall getaway in and around Alton, visitors will find a harvest of history, autumnal beauty and ghostly galavants.

The Great River Road from Alton to Grafton is a scenic fall drive.

Historic Alton

Alton is located in southwestern Illinois, 24 miles from downtown St. Louis. The city’s history dates to 1673 when French explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet happened upon the image of the mythical Piasa Bird painted high on the bluffs. The dragon-like creature was named by the Illini Indians. Piasa means “the bird that devours men.” A re-creation of the Piasa can be found one mile north of Alton on the Great River Road (state Highway 100).

More than a century after Marquette and Joliet explored the region, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark called the area home for five months in 1804 as they prepared their Corps of Discovery for the journey west. The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, located in Hartford, Ill., seven miles southeast of Alton, features five exhibit rooms, a 55-foot cutaway keelboat and a replica of Camp River Dubois.

Another historic site is the Lovejoy Monument. One of the state’s tallest monuments at 93 feet, it pays tribute to Elijah P. Lovejoy, an abolitionist and publisher of the Alton Observer. His anti-slavery editorials drew the attention and ire of slaveholders, and he was murdered by a mob in 1837. His monument and gravesite are located in the Alton Cemetery on Monument Ave off state Route 3; see his press at The Telegraph newspaper office in Alton. Visitors to the area might also take the time to discover the history of the Alton Route, a major stop on the Underground Railroad, while on a guided tour.

History buffs will be sure to visit the site of the last Lincoln-Douglas debate. The life-size bronze statues of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas stand at Broadway and Landmarks Boulevard in Alton. More than 6,000 people gathered in front of city hall in October 1858 to listen to the three-hour senatorial debate.

Perhaps the area’s best-loved son is Robert Wadlow, dubbed Alton’s Gentle Giant. He was born Feb. 22, 1918, and died July 15, 1940. At the time of his death, Wadlow was 8 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed 490 pounds. He is still the tallest man in history.

Visitors can learn more about Wadlow’s short but amazing life at the Alton Museum of History and Art, 2809 College Ave. The museum has a room dedicated to Wadlow, and his life-size bronze statue is across the street.

Area architecture

A statute honors Alton’s most famous son, Robert Wadlow, the world’s tallest man. Illinois Tourism photos

A small portion of an original wall at Williams Street and Broadway is all that remains of the historic Alton Prison, Illinois’ first state penitentiary. It was first occupied in 1833, but it became a military prison soon after the outbreak of the Civil War. More than 11,000 Confederate prisoners were confined there; 1,354 sol-
by the American Institute of Architects. Principia was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993. Its students, faculty and staff are Christian Scientists.

It’s hard to miss one of the area’s most popular architectural gems, the Clark Bridge. Spanning the Mississippi River and connecting Missouri with Illinois, the bridge is named for explorer William Clark. It’s supported by 44 steel cables and required 8,100 tons of structural steel, 44,100 cubic yards of concrete and more than 160 miles of cable.

Fall colors and ghostly creatures

There is no better way to view autumn foliage than from the decks of a touring boat or one of the area’s ferries. The crisp air, vibrant colors and confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers make for some of the most beautiful scenery in the Midwest. Experience it all from the river or from the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Byway.

Get closer to nature with a horseback ride through Pere Marquette State Park, located on the Great River Road in Grafton, or take the family to an apple orchard for fresh apple pie and cider.

Halloween, of course, conjures images of ghostly characters, and Alton is the perfect place for a ghost buster. The city has been named one of the most haunted small towns in America by the Travel Channel and Fate magazine. Haunted tours are available beginning in the spring and continuing through the summer. The fall tour season runs from September through November and features walking tours, trolley tours and dinner tours.

BEFORE YOU GO For more information, contact the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) ALTON-IL (800-258-6645) or click on www.VisitAlton.com. September events include Apple Fest each weekend at Eckert’s orchards in Grafton. Stop by your nearest AAA service office for maps, reservations, TripTiks® and TourBook® guides. Click here for a list of offices. Order free information about Illinois online at http://midwest.ai-dsg.com

Lodging options

After a good scare, it’s time for a peaceful rest. The Alton area offers a wide range of accommodations, from campgrounds and cabins to full-service hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns.

Jeni J’s Gifts and Guest House, located at 210-214 W. Main St. in Grafton, has a gift shop flanked by two rooms that are beautifully appointed. Guests are just steps away from charming shops and restaurants. Also in Grafton, Tara Point Inn is situated atop the bluffs and offers the most stunning views of the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

In Alton, try the Beall Mansion at 407 E. 12th St. This elegant inn was once the private residence of Sen. Edmond Beall.

Lovely mansions. Man-eating birds. Gigantic men. Haunted tours. It would be difficult to find a more interesting overnight getaway or fall weekend escape destination than Alton, Ill.

Shelly A. Schneider is a contributor from St. Peters, Mo.

Enlarged Alton Map