Edwardsville, founded in 1816, is the third oldest
existing city in the State of Illinois and the county seat of Madison County.
Named after Illinois Governor Ninian Edwards (1826-1830), Edwardsville was the
residence of 5 former governors of the state. The town’s first brick structure
was the two story home of Edwards’ political protégé Colonel Benjamin
Stephenson. Built in 1820, this two-story brick home served as a meeting place
for the town’s influential citizens, many who held high positions in the
Federal Government.
In 1890, N. O. Nelson relocated his plumbing and fixture
factory on the outskirts of Edwardsville. Around this factory, he constructed
his own model company town based on the principles of the cooperation movement
and profit sharing between owners and laborers. Workers chose the name for this
town, Leclaire, after Edmund Leclaire of France, one of the pioneers of profit
sharing. The town ultimately occupied 150 acres and included an abundance of
educational and recreational activities. Route 66, the official designation of the interconnecting
roads from Chicago to Los Angeles passed through Edwardsville. Although Route 66
has disappeared from this area, markers still guide interested travelers along
the route.
Edwardsville is also the home of Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville. Established in 1957, SIUE has recently experienced much
growth and expansion, and currently has an enrollment of about 12,000 students.
Consisting of a total of 2,660 acres just southwest of downtown Edwardsville,
the beautiful SIUE campus has one of the largest campuses in the country and
includes the 38 acre Myer Arboretum with an oak savannah area.
Edwardsville is rich in history, heritage, culture and
architecture. The Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission has designated
40 local landmarks including a number of historic homes. There are two districts on the
National Historic Register. The Leclaire district encompasses N. O. Nelson's
company town and the St. Louis district is a lovely tree lined street of private
homes exhibiting a variety of architectural styles. The downtown area of
Edwardsville has many commercial buildings built in the late 1800's exhibiting
various styles of architecture.