Imagine a place with no trees, no buildings, no rivers or roads, no landmarks -- nothing but drifting clouds. Would you know where you were, or where you were going?
The past and its
visible reminders -- a picturesque railroad station, graceful historic houses, a
covered bridge, a brick street -- tell us where we have been, let us think about
where we are now, and where our children will he in the future. Preserving
important parts of our history is more than nostalgia, more than
‘collecting’; it gives us a place from which to look out and understand
ourselves, our neighborhoods, our world.
If we sweep away
all that is old, we eliminate treasure as well as trash.
The area of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and surrounding locations is one of the most historically significant in Illinois. Even before Illinois was a state, government of this and several other territories, which became states, was conducted from here. It has been the home of five Illinois governors, contains the county seat, and has celebrated the centennials of the Village of Leclaire (now part of Edwardsville) and Glen Carbon. All of Leclaire is on the National Register of Historic Places, as is Edwardsville’s beautiful St. Louis Street.