Greenville

Greenville. Finding a Place for Print. Imagine a world without books--a frontier where print is a luxury, often out of reach. It's the world you would have known in 1815, when George Davidson settled the bluff overlooking Little Shoal Creek, just a short walk from where you stand. , While Davidson was platting Greenville, the National Road was pressing West from Cumberland, Md., carrying the people of a young nation with it. Between 1830 and 1850, Illinois' population soared from 157,445 to 851, 470. With growing communities came a demand for more teachers, schools, and print., Old School, Distance and dirt roads prevented rural students from pursuing education beyond grade school. With the introduction of affordable automobiles in the 1900s, and a national push for better rural roads and consolidated schools in the decades after, high schools once out of range were now within reach., From Parlor Closet to Public Library, In January 1856, four Greenville women outlined plans for a new subscription-based library. By August, the founders of the Ladies' Library Association were housing volumes in the parlor closet of charter member Almira Morse., Over the next 50 years, the collection outgrew homes, rental space above a pharmacy, and shelves on the second floor of the Bond County courthouse. In 1903, with a $10,000 pledge from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to support construction, the city of Greenville provided land and tax revenue for a permanent library., When the Greenville Public Library opened in August 1905, it was home to about 3,000 books----some of which once rested in a parlor closet., Photo captions:, Founded in 1858 as a vehicle to support Abraham Lincoln's senate bid, the Greenville Advocate is one of Illinois' oldest newspapers. , Many National Road communities were home to high schools and colleges. Founded in 1855, Almira College became Greenville College in 1892., Greenville Public Library has served as a meeting hall, polling place, and driver's license facility. There've been subtle changes to the building since this photo was made. Do you see them? , (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.