St. Jacob

St. Jacob. The St. Louis Wagon Road. In the mid 1800s, roughly a quarter-mile east of where you stand, Madison County residents carved a settlement from farm fields, prairie grass, broken forests, and the National Road., Here, the National Road was little more than a scraped-earth track. But the track carried people, produce, mail and merchandise to and from growing markets on the Mississippi River., Known locally as the St. Louis Wagon Road, this primitive highway brought customers from surrounding towns to St. Jacob's first businesses, and helped a smattering of shops grow into a small but viral community. , Whiskey and the Wagonyard, For early entrepreneurs Jacob Schutz, Jacob Schroth, and Jacob Willi, the National Road was a highway in need of whiskey, lodging, and a blacksmith. , Schutz, a farmer, built the town's first house on the National Road, where he sold whiskey by the gallon to passersby., In 1849, Jacob Schroth bought land from Schutz and opened a store, tavern, and hotel complete with barn and wagonyard on the National Road. The following year, blacksmith Jacob Willi opened a shop in the growing settlement., The businesses built by three men named Jacob- Schutz, Schroth and Willi----started a settlement that grew into the village which now bears their name., Photo captions:, Identified by the photographer as Main Street, Douglas Street connected the National Road to the St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute rail line. Built in 1879, the Commercial Hotel (right) offered a restaurant, dance floor, and pool hall. The building still stands on the 300 block at North Douglas Street., Founded by Jacob Schroth, St. Jacob's House served as a hotel, dry goods and grocery store on the National Road. , By 1870, the St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute Railroad was carrying passengers between St. Louis, Mo., and Terre Haute, Ind., with stops in National Road communities, including St. Jacob. St. Jacob's business and residential growth shifted north, moving from the National Road to the rail line., St. Jacob Mill operated as a flour mill from the late 1800s through the late 1930s. It was refitted as a grain elevator in 1942. Remnants of the mill still stand on the north side of St. Jacob. , E.N. Peterson Lumber Yard served residents of the growing town. In this 1866 photo, the company's products are posted in English and German, an indicator of Madison County's significant German population. , Widicus and Co., a dry goods and general store on the National Road, provided merchandise in exchange for produce. The store also offered home delivery. This 1895 photo shows proprietors Louis Rhein, Louis Frey, and Daniel Widicus, Sr., (aside:), A Road of Dirt, Rock, And Dreams, In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation to provide federal funding for a National Road. Surveyed from Cumberland, Md., to the Mississippi River, the National Road was a highway for pioneers eager to settle the West., Today, as US 40, the National Road in Illinois spans 164 miles. From Indiana to East St. Louis, you can still see how the ambitions and accomplishments of early Illinois immigrants shaped our communities. You'll find their influence in our art and architecture, our industry and agriculture, and in our way of life. Enjoy your time on the Road.