Belleville in St. Clair County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

John Messinger, 1771-1846

Photographed by Jason Voigt, October 3, 2019

1. John Messinger, 1771-1846 Marker

Inscription. John Messinger received a formal education in New England before settling on the Illinois frontier in 1802. After serving as St. Clair County Surveyor, he was appointed Deputy United States Surveyor and platted much of the government land between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. In 1835 he produced the first map of Illinois based on the official United States Survey.

When Illinois was part of the Indiana territory, Messinger served in the territorial legislature. In 1818 he assisted in writing the constitution for the new State of Illinois and was elected the First Speaker in the House of Representatives.

Erected 1981 by St. Clair County Historical Society and The Illinois State Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Government & Politics • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1802.

Location. 38° 32.957′ N, 89° 57.969′ W. Marker is in Belleville, Illinois, in St. Clair County. It is on Old Collinsville Road

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

0.2 miles north of Clinton Hill Drive, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located next to the entrance to Messinger Cemetery (on the right). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3450 Old Collinsville Road, Belleville IL 62226, 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 Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Memorial to Veterans of all Wars (approx. 2 miles away); In Honor of all who Served During the Korean War (approx. 2 miles away); Shiloh (approx. 2.2 miles away); Confirmed UFO Sighting (approx. 2.2 miles away); The Clydesdale Horse (approx. 2.2 miles away); Ever and Anon Park (approx. 2.6 miles away);

Photographed by Jason Voigt, October 3, 2019

2. John Messinger, 1771-1846 Marker

Wide shot of the marker next to the entrance to Messinger Cemetery

Kaysing Building (approx. 2.6 miles away); Maurer's Hardware Store (approx. 2.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Belleville.

More about this marker. Marker was dedicated on July 12, 1981 (according to the Illinois State Historical Society's website).

Also see . . .
1. John Messinger, Messinger Cemetery & Schoolhouse. This is a 30-page PDF document (from Living History of Illinois group) that details the history of John Messinger, his family members (who are interred at the cemetery) and the schoolhouse, that was placed at the cemetery in 2012. (Submitted on October 4, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

2. Messinger Cemetery on Find-a-Grave. (Submitted on October 4, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
3. John Messinger on Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 4, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Messinger one-room schoolhouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jason Voigt, October 3, 2019

3. Messinger one-room schoolhouse

This was moved from Belleville to this spot in Swansea in 2012

Credits. This page was last revised on October 5, 2019. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 502 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 4, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.