Alton in Madison County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Albion, Me.,
Nov. 8. 1802.
Alton, Ill.,
Nov. 7, 1837.
A Martyr to Liberty
"I have sworn eternal opposition to slavery,
and by the blessing of God I will never turn back."
Moderator of Alton Presbytery-
"If the laws of my country fail to protect me I will appeal to God, and with Him I certainly rest my cause I can die at my post, but I cannot desert it."
"But, gentlemen, as long as I am an American citizen, and as long as American blood runs in these veins, I shall hold myself at liberty to speak, to write, to publish whatever I please on any subjectbeing amenable to the laws of my country for the same."
This monument commemorates the valor, devotion
and sacrifice of the noble
defenders of the press.
Who, in this city, on
Nov. 7, 1837
Made the first armed resistance to the
aggression of the slave power in America.
Erected 1897 by The State of Illinois and Citizens of Alton.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR
this page online
Location. 38° 53.407′ N, 90° 9.957′ W. Marker is in Alton, Illinois, in Madison County. It is at the intersection of East 5th Street and Monument Avenue, on the left on East 5th Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Alton IL 62002, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater St. Louis. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Elijah Parish Lovejoy (a few steps from this marker); Freedom's Martyr (a few steps from this marker); The Cost of Freedom
Also see . . .
1. Elijah Lovejoy on Wikipedia. (Submitted on September 17, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
2. Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument on Wikipedia. The monument, dedicated in 1897, stands 110-feet tall (including the 17-feet tall winged statue on top) and contains a stone whispering wall bench nearly surrounding it. Lovejoy's final resting place is not far from the monument at Alton Cemetery. It was re-dedicated in 1997. (Submitted on September 17, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Internet Archive
6. Lovejoy Monument
Cost $30,000
Dedicated at Alton Ill., Nov. 8, 1897
Cost $30,000
Dedicated at Alton Ill., Nov. 8, 1897
From Elijah Parish Lovejoy as a Christian by Melvin Jameson, 1910.
Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 17, 2025
7. Elijah Parish Lovejoy Marker
This marks that the monument is an American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site (No. 398)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 592 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 6. submitted on November 14, 2020, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 7. submitted on September 17, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.
