Visitors Guide to Carbondale
Jackson County, Illinois

Carbondale is located on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest. Carbondale is the home of the main campus of Southern Illinois University. In 1852, Daniel Harmon Brush, John Asgill Conner, and Dr. William Richart bought a 360-acre parcel of land between two proposed railroad sites (Makanda and De Soto) and two county seats (Murphysboro and Marion). Brush named Carbondale for the large deposit of coal in the area. The first train through Carbondale was on the main line north from Cairo on Independence Day 1854. On April 29, 1866, one of the first formal Memorial Day observations was held at the city's Woodlawn Cemetery with Civil War hero Major General John A. Logan giving the principal address.

By the time of the Civil War, Carbondale had become both a regional center for business and transportation, and an educational center with the founding of Carbondale College (which became Southern Illinois College in 1869). Carbondale won the bid for the new teacher training school for the region, and Southern Illinois Normal University opened in 1874. This gave the town new industry, new citizens, and a supplement to its public schools. In 1947, the college had obtained full university status and the name was changed to Southern Illinois University and now has an enrollment of 21,000 students.

Carbondale is home to a thriving business community strongly boosted by Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Carbondale and the surrounding region offers scenic lakes, a national forest, and abundant recreational opportunities. Carbondale is also the front door of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, is the home of fabulous restaurants serving international cuisine, is the retail center for multiple counties, and is the region's cultural center, with many stages filled with music, dance, and live theater. Carbondale is a bustling community of unusual shops, diverse commerce, cultural activities, and many other luxuries that would be expected in a large city - yet it maintains the comforts and charm of a small town. Although the title is unofficial, many residents consider Carbondale to be the “Capital of Southern Illinois.”